It's that time of the year

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Christmas is almost here and for family in the US Thanksgiving is here. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a real equivalent here. The French didn't find themself in a foreign land and unwilling to eat the local food. They have no reason to worry about starving in the winter. And they didn't screw up the relationship with the locals afterwards.

Here, Christmas glides in easily with a few national holidays and school breaks between now and then. Already, the shops have put up their Christmas wear and the scent of apple and cinnamon is wafting in the air as the new perfume for this winter. As I'm typing this I wonder what I should be buying. I've already started my list of stores I won't be shopping at this Christmas.

• Those that make me buy a bag for the convenience of carrying all the shit I bought from you home. Really, which idiot in charge thought this was a good idea? It's bad enough I'm giving you 200 large, now you want to charge me .10€/bag so I can carry it home. C'est pas juste. And you know who you are.


• Those that have too much or not enough heat. This might be an inconvenience. But if I come into a place I don't want to stay in. Don't give me a reason to leave. It's bad enough that I'm carrying a lot of things, and a coat. If you see ripples of sweat on my forehead. I'm on my way out the door.