Hygiene

No one had school today so we had a bit of a lazy morning around the house. I woke up to find a very polite French man smoking and waiting outside our front door. We have these big heavy blinds/shutters that we close each night (very common practice around here) and when they are closed, I think they are a bit of symbol to "do not disturb". But, as soon as I opened them this morning, despite the fact that I was in my bathrobe and hadn't had my coffee yet, this man knocked on our door. He came to install the blinds on our upstairs bath that we were told had been ordered 6 months ago! He spoke no English but seemed to know his way around the place and what he was doing so I just left him to it. We spent the afternoon at a friend's house. They also have 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl with the children at about the same ages as ours so all the kids had a great time and the language barrier seemed to mean nothing! In fact, Max said that he understood every word the other 6 year old boy spoke in French.
Calvin had a basketball game this evening and while he was playing, I started to reflect on the differences in hygiene that are apparent in France versus the US.... The coach always brings several large bottles of water and the kids just all share and drink out of the same ones.... The towel in a public bathroom is often just a regular handtowel like you would have in your own bathroom.... Men and children often stop along the roadside to urinate.... Dogs are present everywhere, in stores, restaurants, at basketball games, and pooperscoopers do not seem to be required!..... No one seems to wash their hands before a meal.... Children are not encouraged to wash their hands at school..... You do not find the no water hand cleaners anywhere, let alone at the entrances of grocery stores...... Hmmmm.....