Spring is upon us
in Paris, and the city is living up to its reputation for excellent weather at
this time of year, although it has been somewhat chillier than usual for much
of the past three months. Still, I prefer chilly to hot. And while some people might
shiver at 14° C (57° F), I find it rather ideal, especially for walking. You
can always throw on a sweater in weather like this. When it’s 37° C (99° F)
outside, as it has been in some recent years, there’s nothing you can do to
escape from the heat.
My parents bought
me a new refrigerator. The old one was essentially out of service—the only cold
spot that remained within was one tiny ice-incrusted corner of the freezer
section. It’s surprising how much of the food we buy these days requires
refrigeration. Without a working refrigerator, my diet was very limited. Now
that I have a new refrigerator, I suppose I can start scarfing down all the
snacks that I did before the old one gave up the ghost.
Appliances are
interesting in Paris (and in Europe generally, as far as I know). It’s very
easy to find very tiny appliances that are ideal for a single person living
alone. Tiny refrigerators, tiny microwaves, tiny washing machines … all are
readily available at many appliance stores. My new refrigerator has a capacity
of slightly over four cubic feet, but that’s more than enough for me, and its
small size allows it to fit in the tiny corner that I generously refer to as
the kitchen.
Of course, it’s
possible to buy big refrigerators in Paris, too. The kind that have two
vertical doors and a water fountain are called “American” refrigerators here
(whereas they were just “refrigerators” in the U.S.). They tend to be very
expensive, at least in relation to the small refrigerators I prefer, but from
what I’ve heard they are not that much more expensive than the equivalent
models in the U.S. I guess refrigerators are getting more expensive everywhere.
I’m not sure why anyone would need such a large refrigerator unless it were for
an equally large family, but they can be had, for a price. The “American”
refrigerators are larger than my entire kitchen.
Thanks to the
European Union and its unceasing efforts to turn Europe into a safe but boring
Utopia, my new fridge does not contain a decent refrigerant—because Freon®
damages the ozone layer. Instead, it contains isobutane (euphemistically
referred to as refrigerant R-600a), a toxic, highly flammable gas that isn’t
nearly as well suited to refrigeration systems as Freon. I’ve read that some
refrigerators in the U.K. have exploded after this “refrigerant” escaped from
the closed circuit of the fridge and created a flammable atmosphere inside the
appliance. I’m not sure that this is progress, but the Eurocrats who make up
these laws are not scientists. In any case, my A/C also contains this
refrigerant, if I remember correctly, so I sometimes wonder if I’m living
dangerously with so much isobutane lurking about.
Anyway, moving
right along … the weather is nice. I’ve not been able to summon the energy to go
out and enjoy it, but it seems to be nice during the brief periods that I walk
through it, on the way to and from work, or to and from the Laundromat, or to
and from the grocery store. I haven’t shot any video in ages, although I still
have hours of rushes to edit into at least two or three videos, so I suppose
that collecting still more footage without editing what I have wouldn’t make
much sense, anyway.
Some days ago, I
bought a pair of left-handed scissors to offer as a gift. Paris is a big city,
so you can find just about anything if you look for it. These scissors came
from a small shop in the Sentier (the garment district) that sells all sorts of
tools for professional tailors, seamstresses, etc. The scissors were Fiskars,®
my preferred brand by far. They make scissors in many sizes, but only one size
is available in a left-handed version. Anyway, the name of the shop is Hamon,
if you’re ever looking for professional gear for making clothing in Paris.
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