Supersize me

It's no secret that practically everything in America is large compared to international equivalents. The "it's bigger in America" reputation has been mentioned to us by many people during our time here, and the stereotype is well-earned. Whether you're looking at everyday consumables (hamburger patties, tubes of toothpaste) or major items (refrigerators, cars), it's true: it's bigger back in America. Jesse said that when he was in the US last October, he was caught off guard by how freakishly gargantuan the gallon milk jugs suddenly looked.  :)

Our latest encounter with the size differentials has had us grinning. 

Josiah's class recently began a 6-week swimming course. Each Wednesday morning, the children are bused to the nearby municipal pool for a 45-minute class. The information sent home ahead of time explained that each child needed to arrive with a swimsuit, a swim cap, and a towel. We had the swimsuit and a towel already; we procured a "bonnet" for his head; and we added his prescription swim goggles to the bag since he can't function without them. To be safe, we also added a note explaining that the couple of nasty, broken patches on Josiah's skin are eczema (poor kid), nothing contagious.

Anyway, I was feeling pretty good that first day at having sent him off with all the right stuff—and no, it's not lost on me how funny/pathetic it is that something as simple as understanding a notice sent home from school, complying with that notice, and writing a note back to the school teacher these days goes down in my book as Something To Be Proud Of. Ha. But I digress.

Well, at lunchtime pick-up that first day, the teacher had to pull me aside. Oh dear. What was wrong? Turns out the swim instructor allowed Josiah into the pool that once, but he'd be forced to have Josiah sit out in future weeks if he wasn't wearing something sensible...some proper swimwear. Quoi? Je ne comprends pas. I was baffled. The teacher went on: Children can't learn to swim with big shorts on their legs. It's unsafe. It's just not allowed.

Ohhhh...slowly light started to dawn. Swim shorts are yet another example of super-sized American stuff? Message received: Josiah needs a teeny speedo!!

(For the record, Josiah's trunks are a couple of years old, so they're pretty short and small on him. But not small enough, obviously.)

I thanked the teacher for the heads-up and promised we'd buy a proper maillot de bain by next week, laughing and trying to explain that we had no idea swimwear was different here...hopefully conveying that we weren't trying to be flashy or flout any rules.

Upon returning home, I did some internet searching and learned that yes indeed, it's not just that little swim suits are culturally typical, but they're often even prescribed. It's standard for many public pools to ban shorts-style swimwear as a safety (and cleanliness?) issue -- that wearing undies in the pool is in fact sometimes more acceptable as an alternative to swim shorts! Who knew? Of course nevermind that in that first class, Josiah—quickly recognized as a good swimmer—was put up to the advanced group with only a couple of other children and spent the entire session in the deep end, his safety-breaching, ridiculous swim trunks notwithstanding.  :)

Josiah's swimsuit: RED!! BIG!! LOUD!! WITH POCKETS EVEN!! And...Noé's swimsuit.

Josiah's best friend here in France, Noé, had a play date at our house that same afternoon, and I emptied the boys' wet bags to wash the swim stuff rather than letting it sit all afternoon. Jesse and I were pretty helpless with laughter when I put the swimsuits side by side. Enjoy Exhibit A!  :)