Category: PONDERINGS

As the heat of summer has arrived in Bordeaux, we see lots of teen and tweenagers roaming about, especially on the weekends.  Something we’ve noticed is that there are couples and groups of youngsters dressing either identically, closely matching or dressing in outfits to express the same theme.  Boyfriends and girlfriends wearing matching or complimenting outfits, groups of girls dressing in the same color scheme. Some twinning fits’ are extraordinarily detailed – purses, jewelry, hair styles, shoes, etc.  There are also many bridal parties in their matching pink t-shirts and the bride-to-be with a short veil. 

Youth is a time when peer group identity, belonging is important. Dressing alike is a visible, public signal of  ‘we’re together’, a social bonding ,reinforcing friendships.  I do wonder though whether it also alienates, and isolates too. Its really not been my scene but to each their own.

Per Claude AI, style is taken more seriously as a collective social practice in France than in many other countries. The look is refined through how you wear it, not just what you wear. The French call the “twinning” phenomenon les sosies or les clones and much has been said about it particularly in Paris and social media.

Arsène Lupin is a fictional gentleman burglar and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. What is a gentleman burglar? He is known for his impeccable manners, charm, and politeness in order to steal, often inherited wealth. He also does not revert to violence, but sleight of hand, camouflage, diversion. The steal is the thrill, which is often combined with correcting a moral wrong. A Robin Hood of sorts.

The character was first introduced in a series by Maurice Leblanc, in the magazine, Je Sais Tout. In 1905. Lupin is often described as the criminal counterpart to Sherlock Holmes, often encountering “Herlock Sholmès” in his own adventures. As the series progresses, Lupin becomes more than a thief, but a detective. The differences between Holmes and Lupin also become more definitive: Holmes wants to be seen and recognized, Lupin wants to be a ghost whose work speaks for itself.

I love this description from Grokopedia: “Beneath his gallant exterior lies a moral code marked by ambiguities: Lupin adheres to personal honor by keeping promises and returning ill-gotten gains when they serve justice or sentiment, yet he displays ruthlessness toward corrupt elites, such as confiscating treasures from murderers to punish wrongdoing. His chivalrous tendencies extend to romantic involvements, …with delicate gestures, prioritizing their protection and dignity over personal gain. This code distinguishes him …as a principled opportunist who navigates ethical gray areas with unyielding self-assurance. “

Leblanc was an inspiration for writers like Walter B. Gibson, creator of The Shadow, who cited Lupin as a key influence on the portrayals of elusive criminals who outsmarted authorities with flair and intellect.American author Sam Siciliano wrote The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – The Gentleman Burglar (2024), which casts Lupin as an unlikely ally to Holmes in a transatlantic treasure hunt. In Lupin III, the manga created by Kazuhiko Katō in 1967 in Japan, the titular character is imagined as Arsène Lupin’s grandson. My own introduction to the master thief came through the anime adaptation of the manga, and later through the Netflix series Lupin, starring Omar Sy.

There are places in Paris where you can buy butter, have it vacuum packed, so you can fly home with it. Why? What makes French butter special?

The magic starts with fat. French butter has a higher fat content (82–84%) compared to standard butter (80%), which gives its richer taste and creamier texture. That 2–4% doesn’t sound like much, but more fat means less water, which leads to more flavor.

French butters are cultured, which means live cultures are added to cream and allowed to lightly ferment. This gives the butter a slightly tangy, complex flavor that is distinct from sweet cream butter. Cultured French butter is slow churned which enhances the flavor and texture.

Terriors, the environmental factors (climate, soil, typography, etc), also play a role. French butter regulations often specify that milk must come from cows that graze on grass for a minimum number of days per year. Grass-fed cows produce milk with a different fat composition and more beta-carotene, which gives the butter a deeper yellow colour. 

Some of the most celebrated French butters carry the AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) label, which certifies their origin and traditional production methods — for example, Beurre d’Isigny AOP from Normandy and Beurre Charentes-Poitou AOP, are prized for their rich flavor and consistency. In Bordeaux, we are close to the Charentes-Poitou region, considered some of the best in the world.

Much like wagyu beef cattle, the cows are watched, protected and pampered.

Presidente is a staple brand in our house, but my favorite has to be Grand Fermage with sea salt. These sea salt crystals are still harvested by hand by the master salt makers on the island of Noirmoutier.  Toast is transformed with this creamy goodness. My son, the chef, says Le Gall is the best.

But baking with a higher fat and lower water content, does change things. It can make flakier pastries (think a really good croissant) and more tender crumb structures in baked goods. Less water means less steam, which means less gluten activation. For laminated pastries specifically,(this is the dough/butter layering and folding technique) the lower water content of French butter is what gives croissants the light, crispy airy structure, leaving you with buttery, creamy flavor.

I have to chuckle a bit. When my son was in 4th grade, he participated in Pioneer Day at school. The students learned how to pioneers lived as they made their trek westward, and one of the activities was making butter. Using heavy cream, a marble, and a small jar with a lid, they imagined the process of churning butter. Give 9 year olds something to shake, and they kids had butter in no time. A dash of salt, and they loved slathering it over their cornbread muffins. Seems simple.

Butter can be simple. Or complex. The attention to detail is what makes good into stellar.

I’ve never really made the time to explore K-dramas (Korean) and C-dramas (Chinese) so I set out to try out a couple. Aside from The Joy Luck Club and Crazy Rich Asians , its rare to see an all Asian cast, so I also decided to check out Shang Chi. I’ve watched a variety of anime, at the recommendation of one of my sons, and so I decided to try out The Apothecary Diaries (Japanese). Sticking with this Asian culture exploration, I also set out to find a gluten-free recipe for Pad Thai.

Pursuit of Jade – is a Chinese period piece series, which as it turns out, was a web novel. I’m not as familiar with this type of literature, but I understand its written work that is published on the Internet, often in serialized installments. It allows authors to share their stories directly with readers and enables interactive feedback and has become a popular way for writers to gain recognition without traditional publishing. PoJ has been on Netflix’s top 10 international series .

Summary: During a snowstorm, Fan Changyu, a butcher’s daughter, encounters Xie Zheng, a fallen nobleman who was heavily injured. Orphaned and determined to lead her household, Changyu works as a butcher to support her family, while Xie Zheng hides his true identity as Marquis Wuan as he plots revenge for a sixteen-year blood feud. With their own goals in mind, the two agree to a marriage of convenience that grows into genuine love. Its amazing to watch our heroine’s martial arts skills.

Dynamite Kiss – is a Korean romantic comedy. The story starts off on Jeju Island ,South Korea’s largest island, It’s known for its volcanic landscapes and subtropical climate, making it a popular tourist destination , especially honeymooners.

Summary: The story about how a chance meeting of a man and a woman on Jeju Island leads to lies and secrets, that lead into misunderstandings that are crazy silly and impossibly coincidental. Our heroine grows from an awkward, anxious, down on her luck girl to a confident, creative product developer for a baby products company while never losing her warm and compassionate heart. Our hero grows from an entitled heir with a hardened heart to a man, relentlessly looking for the truth and embracing an understanding of the way hardworking common folks live and finding his true love.

Shang Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings – Classic Marvel film but with Hollywood Asian superstars, Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Michele Yeoh, its bound to be a classic, especially for the AAPI community, who rarely see an all Asian cast.

Summary: Ten magical bracelets (the rings) give power and voice to those of good and bad hearts, awakening dragon and demon powers. Two siblings must explore their parents history to understand their purpose and how the rings will help.

The Apothecary Diaries is a recommendation from my son. Unlike many animes, this one has a quick witted, sharp tongued young woman who delights in understanding healing herbs and poisons, as well as helping those in need. She has no tolerance for the selfish, the greedy or those who are not loyal, regardless of rank or position. The anime will go into detail about the science of things – explosions, food poisoning, cures, architecture balance and more.

Summary: A mythical Chinese period series that focuses on a court servant that has both skills as an apothecary and solving puzzles and mysteries.

Its interesting to see across all of these films/programs the issues of being born into a class structure, the importance of family and honor, the power of gossip and creating appearances, and the consequences of operating outside these cultural norms. There are typical side stories of adult children who have felt unloved or forgotten, sibling rivalry, and speculation on children born out of wedlock. Beauty seems to be defined as having pale, smooth skin, big eyes, long hair and a very slim build for the women; strong, lean bodies, strong jaw, cheekbones, and the pale, smooth skin for men, unless they work in occupations that demand that they are outside. There is usually two looks – the sad, longing look, and the anger/glare, both which seem to last much longer than it should. All in all, its been a fun diversion.

I gave myself a challenge to find and work on a gluten-free recipe I was fond of: pad thai. If you can find the ingredients, its not such a big deal. But finding fish sauce, fresh cilantro (aka coriander in these parts), good sriracha, green onions, bean sprouts, is not as easy as you might think. Suzie Wan is a popular mainstream Asian food brand that has been adjusted to meet the French pallet, which means not so spicy, and on the sweeter side. Sigh. So I’ve also been experimenting, tasting many things to make sure the flavor profile – say of vinegar, really tastes like the vinegar flavor I want. It’s required exploration of new neighborhoods, new shops, and has really shown me where pockets of Asian markets, African markets, exist.

In the end, I’ve come up with something close, something acceptable, but I’m going to continue hunting for the right ingredients (which might be more accessible in Paris) and experimenting with some new spices.

Hmmm… what should I try next?

After of weeks of cloudy days and sporadic rain showers, we are in a heat wave. While we have air conditioning, it’s a bit of a to do. There is an independent, rollaway device with a large hose that you pop out the window; it cools and takes the warm air out.  Good for one room. We air out the apartment in the early morning, but not too long. We watch for mosquitoes, and have set up mosquito traps.  We also have room fans. So I cannot really complain too much.  I had thought that the thick stone walls would help keep things cool, but on the 4^th floor, its not working as well as on lower floors.  The best place to hang out and cool down is a church.

I was wondering whether I could use the room fan and apply evaporative cooling concept to help lower the temperature in the room. The basic idea is when water evaporates, it absorbs heat from its surroundings. This is because converting liquid water into vapor requires energy — that energy is drawn from the environment in the form of heat, which lowers the temperature of the surrounding air.  Similar to sweating, the moisture on your skin evaporates and cools you down.

I had read about how ancient Egyptians had used this idea. Using wet reeds and cloths in a doorway or window, the hot dry air would pass through it and water would evaporate and cool the air. They also had leaking pots, that would slowly leak water on the wall, as well as had servants fanning water vessels to increase the airflow over the wet surface, enhancing evaporation. 

Modern evaporative coolers or ‘swamp coolers’ work on the same principle. They are less energy demanding, cost effective.  I remember trying to understand this when years ago, the swamp cooler at work years ago failed, and the tech was trying to explain to me why.  

Evaporative cooling works best in dry, heat.  Unfortunately, I think it’s too humid here. 

In humid climates , circulating the air and removing the heat works better. Raised floors with circulation underneath, shade, cross-ventilation seem to work better – and of course, air conditioning. There is something called desiccant cooling; essentially a silica gel-like thing pulls the moisture out of the air, then evaporative cooling is used.  

Hope this heat wave doesn’t last too long, or I’ll be in church a lot. 

You cannot walk down a street in France without seeing someone putting a vape pen or box into his/her/their mouth. Vaping is legal and regulated in France, enjoying significant popularity, especially among young people, but you’ll see folks of any age vaping.

I’m not a smoker but was curious to learn more about how it works and why so many seem so called to it.

So some basics: Vaping involves the use of a battery-operated device that heats a liquid to create an aerosol. This process allows users to inhale the aerosol into their lungs. The liquids generally contain: nicotine, flavoring, and the components that make the aerosol, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine.

There are thousands of flavors ranging from the traditional tobacco to dessert flavors, exotic fruits and more. Its easy to see how the combination of the addictive nicotine and sweet flavors would be draw and keep people wanting more. The vape instruments – typically a pen – has also evolved to resemble lipstick cases, USB sticks, and other ornate holders, usually the size of an earbuds case. Its estimated that nearly 5 million French are engaged in vaping, resulting in a $2.3 billion industry.

While vaping is often perceived as a safer alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, it still poses health risks. The aerosol contains various chemicals that can affect lung health and overall well-being. The French government has started to recognize that there need to be some parameters. Disposable E-cigarettes are now banned and the sale of vaping products is now age restrictued to 18+ years old. Advertising e-cigarettes and vaping products to youth is banned.

I suppose like most addictive behaviors, there is an element of both a calming feeling and an insatiable hunger. The act of just breathing deeply and slowly, like a drag, can be soothing. And in a world of staircasing stressors and distractions, its easy to understand why folks would want to have these moments to decompress, to get a pick-me-up. And there is a social aspect to it, gaining you access to other people who smoke and are generally calm or calming down. Its a wonder that I didn’t get caught up in this but given that I was often on a tight budget in my youth and did not want to smell like a smoker, it probably was a nonstarter. I did love the smell of cigars on my grandfather and, for a short period, when my dad smoked. The smell was comforting.

Do you ever see art that just pulls you in? You can’t walk away. You will risk being left behind to spend a few more moments with it. You will apologize for being late but not really feel sorry. It’s compelling, its seductive. When I was in the Palais Garnier in Paris last month, in addition to the amazing architecture and paintings, I came across this sculpture in the corner. These photos do not do justice to the work. Even now, I can’t stop looking at how well the body is sculpted to capture that inflight motion. Even the shadows it casts are impressive.

How many times did the model have to jump for the artist? When would you make your body move like this? I pondered this a bit, and it made me think of futbol and volleyball. Basketball. Its a slice of time that might last a few seconds. What do you think?

Bronze sculptures are often created with a base model, which then is committed to a mold, which can be made with wax and/or clay. The mold creates an identical reverse impression. Bronze is then poured. Depending on how the mold is created, the process can be duplicated, or it is a one-time pour. Today, you can create a silicon mold and crank out several copies.

I wish I had taken notes on the artist and technique used, but at least I know where to find it again! I don’t think sculpture of this type is in my future, but it is fascinating.

Around the corner from our home is a CBD shop, which got me thinking about what are the laws about marijuana in France. So here is the scoop according to https://marijuana.net/cannabis-laws-france/.

Cannabis laws in France remain among the strictest in Western Europe. Recreational cannabis is illegal, and penalties still apply for possession and use.Cannabis laws in France remain among the strictest in Western Europe. Recreational cannabis is illegal, and penalties still apply for possession and use. This includes possession, use, cultivation, and sale. The law classifies cannabis as a narcotic under French public health codes.

Individuals caught with cannabis may face fines or criminal charges. In recent years, France introduced a fixed fine system for simple possession. This allows police to issue on-the-spot fines instead of pursuing court cases. The standard fine is €200. The fixed fine system applies only to small amounts. Larger quantities may result in criminal prosecution. Penalities can include prison time and much heftier fines.

France’s legal THC limit for CBD products is 0.3%. This applies to finished products sold to consumers. Products must also be derived from approved hemp varieties listed under EU regulations. This applies to finished products sold to consumers. Products must also be derived from approved hemp varieties listed under EU regulations. Medical marijuana is permitted for patients in a program.

Overall French attitudes towards marijuana are considered to be rather conservative, with a majority of the population opposing legalization. However, there is growing support for medical cannabis and recent surveys indicate that around 61% of French psychiatrists support legalizing. President Macaron has been worked toward reforms on penalties for possession (small amounts have the flat rate of €200 fine) and declared he would not legalize marijuana under his administration.