Cookies in Unexpected Places

I know some of you think I travel around the world taking pictures of cute guys, but really, really, I only take their pictures if there's a reason, usually a food-related reason, and, as you can see, this guy's holding a tin of cookies.  But here's what's so terrific about him and his cookies:  he's an election monitor (today Parisians are voting for arrondissement mayors) and he gives ccookies to all the little kids who get dragged to the voting booths with their parents. 

And while the cookies weren't supplied by the French government, the ballot boxes were

Doesn't the box look like it was designed by Philippe Starck?  Actually, for all know, it might have been.  Before the ballots are dropped into the box, they're tucked into blue envelopes with "Republique de France" inscribed on the back.  Very classy.

While I was there - I was just keeping a friend company while she voted (and isn't it great that you can vote on Sunday, when you might actually have time to get to the voting place) - one of the candidates came in.  You could tell immediately that he was a candidate: he didn't kiss babies, but his scraf was wrapped around the collar of his coat in a just-so fashion and, while everyone else was dressed casually, having come from the outdoor market across the street, he was in a sport jacket and his shoes were freshly polished.  Only I, an American, was surprised to see that a candidate could campaign two centimeters from a voting booth.

What wasn't a surprise was this sign

urging the assembled voters to toss campaign bulletins and all other paper into the hard-to-miss big brown bags, so that everything could be recycled.  The bags were great - they were the super-tall paper bags normally used to transport baguettes from bakeries to cafes.

When we left, I looked back and saw the name of the room we'd been in

In fact, the Salle Racine was right next to the Salle Moliere and down the hall from the Salle Lully.

Please, let me say it again: "Ah, the French."

Comments

[alwizanoob]

if i were there, i'd grab the tin. lol! coz i collect tins.

[David]

Hi, sorry for the off-topic, but the guy looks familiar to me. Think I knew a guy like that a while ago, but it was a Russian Australian (so probably a mistake). Could You please post some more details (like which arrondisement it was, or if by any chance You might spot some accent in French)? And thanks for the post, it's nice to see Paris through other expats eyes...

[Kelly-Jane]

That is lovely that he thought of the little children =)

[Maria]

Cookies and a cute guy...that is an added bonus:)

[Alejandra]

Now THAT is a wonderful way to get more people out to vote. A cute Parisian boy with a tin of cookies?! What more could a girl want! I *do* love the French...