How NOT to look like an aussie chick in Paris

Yesterday I was wondering down Rue Raspail minding my own business when I was approached by a guy trying to sell me something.

Im not sure what he was trying to sell - i didn't understand him nor did I care - but it seemed to me he was harmless and one of those greenie types - perhaps he wanted me to adopt a panda or something...

So, like I would anywhere in the world I simply muttered 'non' (the french way), shook my head and continued walking purposefully.

Immediately he was on to me and jumped to my side. "Miss, can I ask you a question?" he said in English.

MY question is this. What is it about me that informs the average greenie on the street that I (shock horror) parle anglaise. or, worse still, that I am ANGLO SAXON??!!

Was I not snooty enough to be Gallic? was it that i wasn't wearing the correct designer wear to be french (ok, you got me...i wasn't wearing any designer wear...)? Was my 'non' not 'non-y' enough?

My new mission is this...to become (...albeit an aussie rough-cut version of...) la belle Parisienne.

The first thing I must work out is how on earth said belle Parisienne stays so 'belle'. How they are all not the size of a house is beyond me. This place is carb and dairy central, what with la pain et la fromage et la omlettes (pretty much the extent of my diet over the past few days)...however I am yet to see an overweight Parisienne.

I know there are many books written on the subject, and perhaps I should have read them before I came, but the only solution I have come up with so far comes down to walking and stairs. Everyone walks. And why not when your surroundings consist of some of the most beautiful buildings to be found anywhere in the world. Plus, the metro system is such a mis-match and raggedy (not to mention smelly and with the odd muttering homeless man) that sometimes it just makes more sense to walk....and stairs - everywhere! the londoners have it easy with their fancy escalators out of the tube stations. In paris you hike out of the metro (another reason to stay up top!) If nothing else i'm finally getting some practise in for those mountains I'll be climbing in a month or two.

In short I do not yet have an answer to how to not so obviously resemble an aussie 'sheila' while in Paris...but God knows I plan to find out before I get hassled by any more greenies.

till next time...