My study abroad advisers said I could drink the tap water, and I did, but dam it should I have! Luckily, it is filtered, and I’ve had my meningitis shot. It has a taste, and it is actually pretty good, I like tasty water like drinking Evian out of the sink, recently I switched to bottled water. I an even more interested in what other people are drinking. So what kind of water do students drink? Is it only the water found in beer?
I know what you maybe thinking that the only water people drink is Paris is Evian. True they sell it on the metro for the gauged prices of 2,30 euro for a demi liter, I do not see many people drinking bottles of water and here is why. Firstly, there is absolutely now water allowed in classrooms. Seriously, students risk severe admonishment if a professor catches them drinking water in class. It is so severe that bottles of water are note even allowed to be seen by a professor.
However, I caught my previous French teacher at La Sorbonne drinking water once. HAHA! It was when a student was reading. She turned her back took a drink, then turned around and wiped her mouth. I gave her the dirtiest look, for justice sake!
People in the store buy all kinds of different bottled water. The biggest, question is gas or sans gas. Which means sparkling or not. I like sparkling water, San Pellegrino is my favorite, has been sense before Paris. I am not sure though why there is such a difference between sparkling and non sparkling water.
What is it about those tiny bubbles? Could it be that they tickle the throat. Sure, I heard that the tickling bubbles are like a microscopic throat party. Is it that the bubbles relax the stomach, 6 cups of coffee later there is not much of a medicinal value is a glass or even bottle of any sparkling water. It is classier, because bubbles are also found in champagne. Applying the transitive property to water does not work because it is from a different compound than grapes. These answers still leave me cold.
Bubbles are universally class then. How many democrats does it take to screw in a light bulb? Well, once you get them talking about bubbles, the answer is zero, because they will not decide weather bubbles are universally classy or not, they just wait their chance to control water production then fail to come to an agreement because some people still do not like bubbles.
Why bottled water anyway, I mean the tap water is healthy, right? It is filtered in a sewage treatment plant, where the excriment is removed, which makes it drinkable. Some people just do not like the taste of water, the same people who prefer their water to taste like nothing.
What about in restaurants or café, what kind of water do people drink. It depends upon the person, which is the answer to the larger question at hand. Water type depends on the person. Tap water or bottled water comes down to a personal choice, with possibly immense unforeseen consequences stemming from insecurity. Bottled water like the type of shoes one wears or the type of watch, says something about each of us as a person. Rushing into a decision could be fatal.
Interesting piece! Historically no one drinks bottled water in Paris because the Wallace fountains were installed to give Paris free drinking water. They are still used today. They can be found across the city, 65 left I believe, and they still produce clean drinking water. They are huge, green staute looking pieces and the best known one is by the Abesses spot in Montmarte.
Hey,
So I enjoyed your blog about water as weird as that might sound! :) It is surprising how something as simple as water can be looked at so different in other countries. I did not know about the no water in class rule so that was very interesting to hear. It will also help to better prepare me for when I study abroad in France somewhere! Thank you for that :) I’ve been to Mexico and they too look at you funny or judge you by the type of water you choose, weather it be bottled or tap. As Americans I think that we just pick up drinking water at the store, we don’t care what it comes in or if it’s tap or not. Although I do prefer anything but Arrowhead, it has a weird taste. I guess I judge people by their water, but then agian I’ve never really thought that I fit in over here! Anywho, Enjoy your time in Paris and I look forward to reading more of your blogs :)
~Tiffany~
why aren’t you allowed to drink water in the classrooms!? that is soo odd! and what kind of consiquences are there? for some reason that just blows my mind! haha and college students that i know don’t drink a whole lot of water. i drink costco, and my best friend drinks aquafina… lol i dont know if that helps for you’r little poll :) cheers!
How interesting that bottled water is not allowed in a classroom. Water here in the U.S. is the universally allowed beverage. It’s the little things like that which set cultures apart and make travel so interesting!
I remember hearing something about the water there. Study abroad people have to be careful about what they say, since if you drink something and get sick they can get sued. Ouch! Evian for 2,30 Euros, and I thought our prices in Arizona were high. Water is such an essential element out here that I could not even imagine going 20 minutes without a drink, much less a whole class period! At least with the moisture in the air over there you do not get dehydrated as much. Getting kicked out of class for drinking water though I have to say is a little extreme. The two cultures are different, but not that different. Sounds like you have adapted well to it though. I loved the part about your professor! It must have taken a lot not to say something. I do not think I could have kept my mouth shut. Like the sparkling water over there our society has a class distinction. If you bring a reusable bottle you are seen as a better person than if you buy one from the local market. Get people talking about it and then they try to decide if metal bottles, plastic hard or soft are better. Does sparkling water appeal to you more than tap water? I am a little OCD when it comes to my water and have to have it filtered. Out of luck if I go to Paris, huh? What kinds of traits do people exhibit between those who drink sparkling versus tap? Is there a class distinction between the two?
Well have fun drinking and analyzing the glories of Paris water!
I think this post is very interesting. This post shows just how much other countries contrast from that of America’s values (not that ours are anywhere the best) but this post states exactly that from the experience of someone who is living and experiencing a different cultures ways and learning how they treat each other and judge each other on even the smallest acts of choosing what water you drink.