Magic slippers

I've noticed in France that many people think slippers have magic powers. I was surprised to learn that a lot of people take off their shoes inside and wear slippers in the hopes of tracking in less dirt. I joke with B that I thought it was just the Japanese, but now I know the French do it too! It's actually not that bad of an idea, especially in winter.

The magical part comes in when French people keep their slippers on to walk outside to get the mail or take out the trash. Since they wear the slippers to keep their apartments clean, when they walk across the parking lot or the gravel driveway, they stay clean! Or at least that's what they think. Here in Toulouse I saw an older woman walking her dog in her slippers. Maybe it's like the 10 second rule. If they only walk a little bit outside in their slippers, it doesn't count and they won't bring in any dirt. Must be it.

And now for a moving story:

Famous quote: "Have you seen the ....?" "It's in a box."

My bil's girlfriend came with him to help us move. She was a big help, but sometimes you can't help but wonder if she ever listens.

Girlfriend: "Did you guys rent this place (the old apartment) furnished?"
Me: "No, everything is ours except the fridge in the kitchen."
Gf: "Oh. Is this rug yours?"
Me: ??? "Yes, everything is ours except the fridge."
5 minutes later
Gf: "Is this dish rack yours?"
Me: ????? "Yes! Everything is ours except the fridge....."

Cooking for everyone was a bit of a challenge as well. B's family is rather regimented with the apéro with chips and saucisses, then meat, then side dishes, yogurt at lunch and no cheese, cheese at dinner and no yogurt, and dessert at dinner, but coffee at lunch. One time B's dad said "Mmm, let's start the apéro shall we?" as I was bringing out some food. Except that it was the meat and pasta or veggies. I don't like munching on chips or peanuts with a drink before a meal. I survived though, and everyone ate what I prepared without saying it was weird. I tried to keep it really simple anyway (steak haché, mashed potatoes).

B's dad basically built our kitchen and his parents paid for a fridge and burners, but I won't say it was easy living with him for a week. He has a habit of always asking "Ça va?" or "Tu lis?" if I'm reading or "Tu regardes la télé?" if I'm watching the tv. I know he's just being nice and probably doesn't think about it much further and just expects a "Oui" in response. Maybe it was just the stress of the move.