FAFfing around

When I started this blog, I had lots of good intentions, and a little tiny bit of time on my hands. I now have slightly less time, so the posting has become random - nothing for days, then two in the space of an hour. Ah well.

Liberation ran a great article on April 7, 2006 about thirty-something French housewives (otherwise known as Femmes Aux Foyer, or FAF for short) who write blogs as a way of relieving boredom while boosting their self-esteem. The blogs (and bloggeuses) mentioned are all of a particular kind: full of recipes for delicious gouter treats, handy hints and (gulp) knitting and dress-making patterns for children's wear. And as Libe puts it, "leurs enfants s'appellent plutot Emile, Zoe ou Arthur que Cynthia, Kevin ou Mohamed." Well, it makes me and my banging on about dog poo look positively uninspired. Check 'em out:

http://innamorata.canalblog.com
http://fredemickadeletc.canalblog.com
http://gaelletreccani.canalblog.com
http://marieandco.canalblog.com

What a way to go

Just read this rather odd piece on the Independent website www.independent.co.uk and couldn't resist posting it here. OK, so I already knew there was shedloads of dog poop in France, but now it's official.

From the Independent, April 19, 2006

FRANCE
You are most likely to die in a heatwave in France, especially if you are elderly. You are also most likely to do yourself an injury slipping in dog faeces. Indeed, Paris is the poop-slip capital of the world. Every year, 650 people are admitted to Parisian accident and emergency units after sticky falls. No statistics are available for the number of elderly people killed while slipping in dog mess in Paris during a heatwave.