la cantine - cultural difference lesson no. 4863

We came for this one year adventure in Paris packed in 7 suitcases. I think at this point I can tell that we've used all of the things we brought with us to some extent. Some much less than others (the winter boots!) but it has all been used. Except...

yes, two cute little thermoses that I packed for girls' school lunches are sitting on a shelf collecting dust, never to be used in France. At the beginning of the school year we got some forms for indicating on which days the girls will have lunch at the school's cafeteria. Back in Montreal Emilia would generally eat one meal a week at the cafeteria (mostly to give mama a break from preparing the daily lunches ;)) and we thought to continue this pattern here. Very quickly however we realized that the alternative to eating at la cantine was to go home for lunch NOT bring lunch to school. So off to the back of the shelf the thermoses went.

The other day Emilia came from school telling us that they were watching a movie and discussing what school used to be like in France in the very old days: the punishments of hitting kids with rulers, the humiliation of wearing a hat with donkey's ears, the cold, unheated classrooms, and ... the horror!!... no cafeteria! kids had to bring lunches from home!!! Emilia mentioned to her friend that we bring lunches from home in Canada even now, "oh!!"-gasped Ophelie.

Recently the teacher asked Emilia to prepare a presentation on Canada for her class. psst... I can see such a great opportunity to play with the young French minds here... no cafeterias in schools, outhouses instead of bathrooms, we live in igloos, instead of cars we have sleds with a couple of reindeers strapped to them... ok, I guess we shouldn't ;)