Meeting men 101
On Saturday night, I meet up with one of my newest friends in Lyon for dinner. Hannah and I met on the expat site, InterNations. She was looking for someone to take over her lease as she was moving to Paris, and I was looking to take over a lease; a match made in heaven! Even though Hannah is 20 years younger than me, we hit it off instantly, perhaps due to the fact that we are both a little bit quirky.
There is a no word in French to accurately describe Hannah. Despite the fact that the French have a long tradition of women such as this, Anais Nin, Simone de Beauvoir, Edith Piaf, Coco Chanel, etc. they still haven’t come up with adjectives to describe them.
I find there are many gaps in both English and French and may one day write a thesis on this very subject (if one hasn’t already been written).
But I digress. We hit the Croix Rousse for dinner at a quirky French restaurant with impeccable food, wine and service and a large reproduction of Salvador Dali on the wall. The Croix Rousse sits on top of Lyon and considers itself a separate entity even though it is in the 4th arrondissement of Lyon and is most definitely a part of Lyon. To go to the Croix Rousse requires either a metro ticket or an incredible amount of fitness. I thought the hills in Warranwood were bad, but they’re not a patch on the Croix Rousse. The pentes de la Croix Rousses house many artists and other creatives. It used to be quite grungy but it is now becoming more gentrified.
Hannah has recently given up smoking but tonight she feels like celebrating life to the fullest which means having a cigarette. We sit at an outdoor table drinking Poully Fumé and taking in the breathtaking views of the Croix Rousse and Hannah asks random strangers for cigarettes. Surprisingly, or maybe not, she is remarkably successful. Later she will explain it to me thus: Smokers are in the minority, so it heartens them to think that a lapsed member of their dwindling club has returned to the fold. Hanna’s line of “I’ve just given up smoking but I really feel like a cigarette now” combined with her Jane Birkin good looks and matching English accent, easily persuade people (men in particular) to part with a cigarette.
After dinner we make our way down the pentes and she continues to ask men for a cigarette. Eventually this turns into an invitation to “prendre un verre” with a couple of very young men who are sitting at one of the numerous outdoor bars.
There is no place on earth like France for building up a woman’s ego. Men are openly admiring here of women, no matter what their age. They are never afraid to let you know that they find you attractive whether they are in the street or driving in their cars: they will not hesitate to compliment you. It is all done very naturally and with no other agenda than to let you know that they appreciate your looks. There is nothing sleazy or unpleasant about it. We chat to these men for half an hour then continue on our way.
Hanna, despite having acquired a significant amount of cigarettes continues on her quest: it has turned into a game for her. It’s 3.00 am by now so we decide to head home on our VeloVs. Thank God tomorrow is Sunday and I can sleep in! But I do love France!