Melvil Poupaud the guy from Broken English and just my type of Paris man. There are lots but generally all dodgy bastards!
Dodgy guys...
If you are looking for a one night stand (or one shot as the frenchies call it, of course with a heavy accent) or a fling (aventure), there is a man for you every where you look. In Paris if you are woman without a hump on your back and hair growing on your face you will get told you are beautiful and asked for your number several times a day. This especially happens to anglophone tourists and a lot less to local girls. Why you ask, as french girls are gorgeous, and us anglophones can be a bit of a mess?! Well let me tell you.
When I first got here I was quite flattered by being told several times a day, 'vous etes tres belle' (by the posher guys) or 'wesh m'selle, c'est quoi ton zero six' (by the more ghetto guys), but it got old very quickly. And why (well apart from being stunningly beautiful of course!) was I attracting all this attention. Because of my anglophone smiley face. By our nature we smile at everyone in the street. Parisians think we are psychotic due to this, they smile at no one, only crazy people smile at complete strangers. Parisian men however take this smile as a show of interest. This is why parisian women look like scowling miseries at all times. I have worked hard on my facial muscles and I fight my desire to smile and maintain what I refer to as 'the look of death' now on my face at all times in public. Annoying compliments have reduced significantly... good!
Married ones....
Ok so you could score of these lovely street boys. Or you could have a fling with a married man. The concept of being faithful to your wife does generally not exist in this town. All of my girlfriends would attest to this. Just the other day a business acquaintance inquired after my recently departed boyfriend whom he had met. When I informed him of the 'rupture' he said oh so now you are single, and implied that something could happen between us. Eh yeah right buddy, I may be single but what about the small fact that you are married to the lovely wife you are always talking about?!? He just smiled knowingly.... *shakes head*
Serial monogamists...
Another problem with finding a man in this town is that from the age of 15 french people get into a relationship and thats the end of that. One relationship ends by falling into another one. To be single does not exist. So yes there are plenty of handsome men in this town, but they always have a miserable, stick thin, marlboro light smoking girl with smokey eyes and a billowing black dress somewhere lurking around.
Babies...
I met some nice guys the other night. Single (well according to them) and a good laugh... but 25. Now I know Demi Moore is the hotness but don't tell me that when Ashton Kutchner was snuggling up to the sexy minx that is Jessica Alba (20 years her junior) in Valentines Day, that Demi's heart wasn't beating sideways... mine would be a lot.
Anyway I shall continue (the somewhat lazy and not currently very motivated) search. See my buddys blog for a more scientific approach.
9 comments:
We have our share of Dodgy and Marrieds here in NYC, too. Lately, I've been swarmed by Dodgy ones.
And I understand what you mean about smiling too much. While I haven't been to Paris (yet!), when I first moved to NYC I was often told I'm too nice. I have also picked up a more neutral expression and developed more of a thick skin, not engaging in conversation as easily. I'm not sure if that's a change for the better, however.
Its not a good change but a necessary one!
I guess we have to make our way through all the dodgy ones to find the good ones!
Well, well said, Julie. I'm dating my first Frenchman and I think he falls into the serial monogamist category, except he smiles all the time (he's from the country, what can I say?) and he seems unsure he's going to jump into serial monogamy with MOI. Ah well, the French! An alien species of men!
Yes absolutely Zoe... but what I didn't say is that they are gorgeous gorgeous and very fall in loveable with! I shall compose a poem or something for that post ;)
I hate the married-man problem. I wish they'd just admit they are taken and leave others out of it. I don't understand the appeal in dating a married man, relationships are already hard enough as is-do we really need to add that into the mix?!
Its certainly a get your coat and run away moment for me WM :)
Irish Parisienne, you have hit the nail on the head with this post. You have identified the four main categories of standard pseudo-eigible man-products on Parisian shelves these days. It is truly unfortunate.
Dodgy guys - They have forced me to walk in perpetual bitch mode. Shoulders back, head held high, lips in angry-pucker, shades on, forceful stride... These dodgy guys are the reason why the nice men are too terrified to approach me on the street. Blargh.
Married ones - Cheating rat bastards.
Serial monogamists - This is just a transitional phase in between puberty and marriage. And the serial monogamists still cheat all the way up to the altar. Awesome.
Babies - You're right, there's no guarantee that the babies are single... God, I've become cynical!
Very true!
There's a very dangerous category you've also forgotten: the playboy French guy who never actually enters into a relationship. The one who has girls literally leaping to be his next significant other, but just floats through his twenties and thirties going from one one-night-stand to the next.
Feel very glad that I finally found a nice guy in Paris. It only took me 7 years ;-)
Oh great Chic.. only 5 and half years to go for me so!
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