The first Christmas I was in France, I was in culture shock and unhappy over many little things: no Christmas carols in the stores; the fact that the Christmas wreath I ordered for the front door arrived sprayed with white chemical flocking and decorated with gilded plastic balls; the way I couldn't find food coloring or brown sugar in the grocery store (Frenchwomen don't bake. Why should they when the pâtissier is around the corner?). But the thing that puzzled me the most was why I couldn't find wrapping paper. At the most, you could buy a sheet or two at exorbitant prices, or an ugly-looking roll that looked as if it were used to wrap fish.
Of course, the answer is "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." I soon learned those magical words, "Un paquet cadeau, s'il vous plaît!" And voilà, all my gift-wrap problems were solved! The packages, even the most infinitesimal 5-euro stocking filler, are wrapped up beautifully with meticulous attention. No matter how many customers are waiting!
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