My Acupuncturist the Dragueur

Today I went to see an acupuncturist for treatment of my persistent migraines.

While taking my complete medical history he asked me a whole bunch of questions none of which seemed out of the ordinary. At one point he did inquiry about my relationship status which I found a tad peculiar but I let it slide and the querying continued. However, when he finished asking me all of the "official" questions the following dialog took place:

Acupuncturist: So why are you single?
LE: Uhm I'm not really sure.
Acupuncturist: Do you ever think about why you are single?
LE: Uhm sometimes but generally I have other thoughts that occupy my mind.
Acupuncturist: I don't understand because you are a nice girl.

END SCENE

Now, I may not have a background in ancient Chinese medicine but I'm pretty sure that the above line of questioning is not only unnecessary but totally inappropriate. But I figure with the cost of the session partially being covered by the French social security system and the balance being covered by my mutuelle, making the visit essentially free, I can't really complain can I?

I Love Picard

Before moving to Paris I remember someone telling me about the good frozen food that France had to offer without any further elaboration. At the time I thought it was pretty bizzare feedback especially considering all of the other great things France and Paris have to offer. I filed that information away and went on my merry way.

When I finally arrived in Paris and got settled in my apartment I would pass in front of a store named Picard each day as I either entered or exited the metro. During my first 6 months in Paris I had no idea what the store was or what they sold. And while I was curious to know what was inside behind their sliding doors I never dared to enter because of the sterile looking interiors. Not to mention that at the time I had no idea what the word surgelé meant. It wasn't until friend of mine started raving to me about the goodness that is Picard did I garner up the courage to venture inside to see what they had to offer and that was a turning point for me.

Picard is like the mecca of frozen foods. Picard is the single guy and gal's best friend. The friend that turned me on to Picard actually refers to it as her boyfriend. What makes the place so amazing is that you can find almost anything in frozen form and ready to be cooked with zero prep time and the best part is that it actually tastes good. Picard is light years ahead of it's closest US competitor in terms of quality, taste and product variety. You could actually prepare dinner for an entire dinner party by stocking up at Picard and no one would be the wiser as long as your tossed out the evidence before your guests arrived.

Fast forward to yesterday when I was talking to some friends about the quality of food in France and naturally the topic turned to Picard. One friend who's only been in Paris for 3 months mentioned that she's never been to a Picard and wasn't even sure what it was. Because I had once been in her shoes and am still grateful to my friend for opening my eyes I let her in on the secret by going on and on about how good Picard is. She gave me a skeptical look as I talked and she didn't seem fully convinced at the time. Maybe I should have told her that the cashiers are known for actually bagging one's groceries as well unlike most French supermarkets. I'm not concernerd however because I'm pretty sure curiosity will drive her into the store and thus will begin another American's love affair with Picard.

At the Pharmacy

I am an allergy sufferer and to alleviate my symptoms I take a prescription medication year round to keep them in check. Having neither the time nor energy to visit my doctor for a prescription refill I put off the inevitable task of replacing my medication. That is until several weeks ago when my allergies got the best of me and made my daily life unbearable. Seeking relief I went to my local pharmacy and explained my situation to the pharmacist and he gave me a comparable over the counter substitution.

This arrangement worked out well until two days ago when I once again ran out of my substitute medication. Not wanting to suffer as badly as I did last time, I visited my local pharmacy today. The pharmacist who originally supplied my substitute medication wasn't there and I requested a replacement from the woman behind the counter. To my disappointment they were out of my substitute medication and she proposed a substitute for the substitute. I hesitated for a moment and then I told her that I wasn't interested since I normally use a prescription medication but didn't have a prescription and didn't want to try something new yet again. To my surprise and with an expression that said "why didn't you just tell me that in the first place", she told me that she would just give me my usual prescription medication.

As appreciative as I was by her gesture and as happy as I was that the medication only cost less than 10€ even without a prescription, it made me wonder, doesn't this kind of behavior devalue the whole concept of a prescription from a doctor?