Imagine then, the cognitive dissonance that came about when I was invited to McDonald’s; on the one hand, I was invited by a French person to join in, on the other hand it was to do something that could be considered the pinnacle of American (Anglo-Saxon!) culture.

It was a difficult decision. I haven’t eaten “Fast Food” for a number of years now, mainly just because I don’t like it, rather than any sort of culinary snobbery, so I desperately wanted to get out of it.

However, I ended up going because this particular mademoiselle was “persuasive”, shall we say.

I’ve asked a number of French people if they like Fast Food and how often they go. The general response is “Yes, from time to time.”

My follow up question is usually related to “Americanisation” and “cultural imperialism”. Having written a report about whether France is really Anti-American in a political sense, I was interested to look at the cultural implications. Evidently, I found that my colleagues in Bath were mistaken for suggesting the French were antagonistic towards American food, or even foreign food. My search for Soy Sauce is a good example.

Of course, my friends are generally quite young. Here in Nice, there is an independence/nationalist (you heard me) movement with the slogan “Yes to Socca, no to the Kebab!” (Socca is a Nicois speciality.)

McDonald’s is successful here because of American tourists (obviously) but also because it has been able to adapt its menu. Some options are in fact just versions of traditional French sandwiches.

Burger King, to the contrary, tried to establish a presence in France, but it was quite short lived.

The most popular chain here is “Quick”, a sort of French McDonald’s, (they tell me it’s French, but I’m inclined to believe it’s actually Belgian) which removes any cultural ramifications that might have existed. Frankly, it’s almost indistinguishable. It’s mainly just a bit of teasing against the fact that I’m an Anglo-Saxon. In reality, Anglo-French relations boil down to sibling rivalry.

That said; I won’t be going back unless I really have to, as another act of conformism!

Yesterday I very nearly saw someone get hit by a tram, a tourist who was busy watching a street performer (not even a very good one, unlike Accordion Man) and the tram, with the brakes full on, got within one metre of the man. That was certainly an experience, though my colleague Vincent has told me that the real problem is often old people that can’t hear very well and have no idea that trams exist! He also told me definitively when to say Mademoiselle or Madame, which I’m sure will be infinitely useful. (You just have to ask, fellow placement students!)

Today’s lesson though is about food. It’s no surprise that the French love their own style of food; it may be a slight surprise that they hate everyone else’s! That’s a slight exaggeration until I use the example of my search for Soy Sauce. I went into the local supermarket-esque shop, and after a while I had to leave (with everything I wanted but Soy Sauce). A friend explained to me that it was in fact there, and she was right. However, it is not located in the same section as other sauces and condiments; it is found in a tiny little section between alcohol and meat.

This made me think a little bit about national identity; it seems that just like there are subtle measures to protect the French language, there are other clandestine forces at work to prevent the French from eating non-French things. There are two McDonalds here, yes, but I assume they are mainly for tourists.

The other thing I thought about was the difference in consumption habits; the bottle of Soy Sauce I bought was tiny (125ml) for about 1.50E compared to the much larger variety you find in Britain. But with “French things” like Grenadine Syrup, you can get a bottle about five times the size as the (maximum) size in Britain for the same price. That’s the market, I suppose.

Oh, but I absolutely hate the French Keyboard.

The day before yesterday, I wrote complaining about how there had been no Cream Soda available in the shops for a week.

Yesterday, I went in to have another go. Well…

Amazing! No Cream Soda for a week, I write a post bemoaning this fact, and the next day, voila!

It was even 2 for 80p as a way of saying sorry.

Coincidence? I think not. Behold the power of the Internets.

For over a week now, I have been trying to purchase a bottle of Cream Soda (and the accompanying ice cream), to no avail.

Despite best efforts, at any given moment there are no bottles of the aforementioned soda in either Sainsbury’s or Co-Op. The product label is still on the shelf, which is at best bare or at worst replaced by something called “Dandelion and Burdock”. The product in question is nowhere to be found.

I might attribute it to that fact that there has been a heat-snap in the weather; however I regularly buy Cream Soda (Better than Lemonade, cheaper than Pepsi!) and usually find the shelf full. A few degrees surely can’t bring out all the closet soda drinkers, not in such a huge rush.
Has there been a crisis in the Vanilla supply? Was a shipment contaminated by juice companies?

The lack of product in both major supermarkets cannot be just a coincidence, and the way the stores are run rule out any explanations along the line of “everybody was panic buying” because just-in-time management means that if there is suddenly a jump in popularity, it’s recorded and replacements are ordered as a matter of course. A surge in demand causes a surge in supply.

If you have any explanations for the root of this scandal, write in via the comments. If you have been able to locate said beverage, send it to me via the usual address.

Now, I’m drinking Red Bull for the first time, and hopefully the last.