B Y O B

Though specialty food shops are everywhere in Paris, some stuff you still have to get from a chain grocery. The two common ones are called Franprix and Monoprix. When the wife told me “prix” means price in French, my highly low IQ'd mind lit up, “So that's what the Gran Prix car race was named after – Grand Prize!”

Here are some of the things I noticed about French chain groceries:

Their cashiers can work sitting down – this may be nothing to the French, but in the States or anywhere I've been, most blue collar jobs in this category are mandatory standing jobs. It wasn't just in the chain groceries that I've noticed this. I noticed it wherever there were cashiers. I may be overthinking it, but I imagine that it's one of the small things that a strong union or strong representation of the masses effects. I mean, where else in the world can you get an automatic, mandatory 30 days of paid leave when you start a job? You could practically go on a holiday on your second day of work if you wanted to. Or “free” healthcare? In the States or elsewhere your employer will laugh at you if you asked for these. I also heard that worker strikes are common In France. Which means the government is afraid of the people not the other way around. Which is why I concluded that unions/workers are strong here because they can get what they want and need – like a chair while working. They won't take shit standing up.

BYOB – so we went to get groceries for the first time, right? Before everything, the cashier asked us something about a “sac”. It turns out, she was asking if we want a bag for the groceries (sac – plastic bag in French). We said, yes. She pulled one out and scanned it to be added to our bill. Then we noticed that in the produce section, there were no free plastic bags. Then we realized why a lot of people were walking around with this:

….it was because everybody brings their own bag. It might be nothing for the French, but anywhere else (the US) there would be an uproar because they can't have their free plastic bags. Because they're big babies and don't give a fuck about how plastic lasts for at least 200 years in a landfill. After all, they'll be long dead before the environment turns to shit, right? They must not have any kids or they must not give a fuck about the kids' future planet.

Since then, I started bringing my backpack to the grocery. They don't mind if they see you stuffing stuff inside it in the grocery like a shoplifter.

The legal drinking age – is 18 years old.

Wine is cheap – the cheapest I saw was 3 Euros. And they almost do not sell wine from other countries. I call this well-placed pride.

No craft beer – maybe one or two here and there. Their selection of domestic and local beer makes up for it, though.

They eat rabbit – we have a pet rabbit, so this is funny.

They sell a lot of duck – which is awesome. I love duck. Chicken is overrated.