it's like everything else in france...

i hear that phrase a lot. what it implies is, that doing whatever it is you are trying to do will be unnecessarily difficult. there is a way of doing things here that seems counterintuitive and counterproductive. as if the simple way would just be too, well, simple.

the most recent context i heard the word in was referring to doing research in the libraries here in paris. you see, each library has its own library card (bring your passport to get one!), specializes in different things, has long lines to get in, strange hours, and, best of all, doesn't permit you to take out books. if you're lucky, you can put in a request to make xeroxes. if you're lucky.

many also don't have online catalogs, so you don't even know if what you'll find is useful. and oh yeah, it's all in french. tomorrow, depending on my braveness and whether i feel like it, i'll go to a library and see the fun process (complete with very long lines in the suddenly-very-cold-and-rainy-weather) in action.