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Saving the environment

I am all for doing what we can to save the environment and the French are behind this as well. There is recycling in every home and on the street there are kiosks to recycle glass bottles (think wine). While in class over the summer at the Alliance Française, I came across something that was literally unbelievable. In fact, I had the teacher replay the video we were watching because I thought I could not possibly have understood it properly. Please understand that I am not making this up.

It seems that after dinner, if you have food left over, instead of storing it in the refrigerator, you take a photo and put the picture on the web. Then, others can look at your leftovers and if they like what they see, they can come to your house and pick it up.

Think about that. I can't picture myself on either side of this equation.

I am now done with my Tai chen chicken. Let me take a picture of this and hope a stranger comes to my door to pick up these leftovers!

or

I'm hungry. I wonder what other people have had for dinner? I just love arriving at a stranger's door looking for their leftovers. It feels like Halloween!

Now to be fair, every Frenchman I talk to has the same horror in their eyes as you do right now. I guess this might work for kids in college... but even so. I know what is in my fridge from last week. Maybe I should post that instead of throwing it out.

Happy Halloween.

Comments

  1. Leave it to the French to elevate dumpster diving to haute cuisine. "I understand you're having a lovely dinner party next week and I would like to reserve the leftovers. I'll plan to pick up at 10."

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