Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Weesuspesus


“So you’re American, not English?”
“Yes.” 
“Oh, I loved going to America,” said Jean Pierre.
“When I got out of the cab on Manhattan I fell to my knees in awe!” exclaimed Celine.
“My heart burst when I stepped to the edge of the Grand Canyon,” Gerard told me.
“I thought I could drive from Ohio to California in one day. It took four days!” said Jean-Claude.
Another voice asked, “Do you know Weesuspesus?”
“What? 
“Weesuspesus.”
 Slowly my ears deciphered this strange word-- Reese's Pieces!
“Well yes I do know that candy.” (Probably my favorite candy. The person asking me this would never believe how many peanut butter cups I had eaten for my lunch back in the states - but a Frenchman eating junk for lunch on the run is not conceivable)
“When you go back to America could you bring back a little bag so I can share that delicious taste with my children?”

This small request came from a young, enterprising woman who runs a little cafe with spiced coffees, chai and tasty organic baked goods. She has two adorable young sons who are friends with Jolie so the only answer was yes.  When a recent visitor graciously asked what they could bring us from the states I asked her to tuck a bag of this exotic candy into her luggage. 

Imagine how tickled we were when a large sign went up at this woman’s cafe to entice summer traffic that said (loosely translated) “Big Chunks Tasty Ben and Jerry’s”. So here was a woman that understands the bigness of America-- even if it comes from Vermont, our former little corner of that great big country. Thank you Ben and Jerry!



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

my favorite Bostonian English phrase:

P-S-D-S. Say it fast.

You know, p-s-d-s! instead of clip on earrings, you put little posts through the holes in your ear lobes...

That's Somerville for pierced ears, don't you know?

Enjoying your French adventures from the land where people walk around Harvard Yard with Michelin Guides for Nouvelle Angleterre.

xox Kris Macomber