“Bonjour, the Embassy of France''Ah, bonjour, excuse me for asking but where is the French Coastguard?''At the coast. Guarding.”

“Bonjour mon Coeur, Hello my heart.” He is practically purring into the phone.”

“There's no Coastguard in France. They let the French Navy do it. They have to give them something to do. It's not good for national pride to have to disband it so they turned it into a Coastguard. I think it does a few other bits and bobs too.”

“[French] Parents see it as their job to bring the child around to appreciating this [food]. They believe that just as they must teach a child how to sleep, how to wait, and how to say bonjour, they must teach her how to eat.”

“An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie;for an excuse is a lie guarded”

“I want to ask him where that kitchen is. Where he's from. But he seems guarded. Or maybe it's me. Maybe making friends is a specific skill, and I missed the lesson.”