Coco Chanel, pay attention

Scientists say that odours can be a strong trigger for memories. I've certainly found that to be true. (Perhaps that can be attributed to my rather enlarged olfactory organ). Often when I'm walking down the street, I'll get a whiff of something that will almost instantaneously remind me of a certain person or place that I used to know. And in my mind, each city that I've visited has a distinct smell. It's just not often what you'd expect it to be. Such as, if someone had to guess what Paris smelled like, they would probably say freshly baked baguettes, good wine and crisp expensive leather shoes. But in actuality, it smells like fresh urine. But that's what happens when they don't have public washrooms and people pee on the streets. Or in the metro. Or along the banks of the Seine. It's tres romantiques.

Similarly, India's scent is a complex blend of exhaust fumes, rotting vegetables, incense, half-masticated paan, sweat, and of course, stale urine. When I was walking up University Avenue in Toronto the other day, a very similar smell hit me, and I nearly vomited. Perfume manufacturers take note: you should bottle and sell it. To bulimics.

And speaking of vomit...I was reading a restaurant review today, and learned something new. Apparently the tastiest rodent is guinea pig. Second is rabbit, especially when prepared with a fig, pistachio, mustard and lavender cream sauce. In my opinion, anything would be yummy with such a sauce. But, as the reviewer goes on to note, the rabbit's"complex bone structure means you have to keep picking away at it." Ewww. Part of me thinks it's better to eat something with bones, so that you can't delude yourself and pretend like your dinner entree wasn't once alive. But most of me is still thinking: ewww.

In other news, I hate it when my iPod battery dies because then I can't isolate myself from the rest of the world when I'm walking down the street. But it does give me the opportunity to think up these super-awesomely-entertaining (and occasionally judgmental) blog posts. And now that I'm starting to use my fabulous new Zune, hopefully the battery will last longer than my iPod, and I can go back to picture posts.