France has been hit hard by the economic slump like everyone else, but for some reason the mood doesn’t feel as morose here as it does in the US. New York Times correspondent in Paris Elaine Sciolino explains why in an excellent article, In the Lap of Luxury, Paris Squirms. Perhaps, like the French, we can all look at this as not a time of making money, but as a time of re-establishing friendships and relationships with family members that may have fallen by the wayside during our usually hectic lives. What a great opportunity to find out what we really value in our lives — the people we love, not the stuff we have (or had). 🙂
I LOVE the French attitude to the ‘crise’. So much more original & less ‘doom n gloom’ than the never – ending UK coverage.
But what if you really ENJOY stuff? ;)I kid, of course. While pinching pennies is nothing new for me since my big downsizing of a few years ago, I am finding there to be something refreshingly bracing about the general focus on frugality in face of economic concerns. Esp living in the states, where big cars and tendency towards disposability can feel depressing, it’s nice to see a change in some of the cultural chatter.