The Notebook Aisle (or, Back to school in France)

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The French do a lot of things well. A few things that immediately come to mind are art, architecture, literature, fashion, the Paris Métro, technology (yes, technology), wine, and of course, food and cuisine. I would also throw in the French art de vivre, in other words, their style of living. In general, they work to live rather than live to work, and they take time for life in the midst of life.

By the same token, there are some things the French don’t do so well. Examples include habitual cutting in line, the notorious less-than-friendly Parisian (thankfully a disappearing breed!), innovation-numbing bureaucracy, terrible hair highlights, and politicians living like monarchs.

But back to French genius. There is an even more mundane item I would add to the French ‘do well’ list: school supplies. You can see the French talent for organization in all its glory during la rentrée (back to school time) in the fall. The same gene that endowed the French with a spectacular eye for symmetry and order in architecture shows up in the tools students use to étudier (study) and apprendre (learn). Enter any papeterie (stationery store) or the school supplies rayon (department or aisle) in Monoprix (the French equivalent of Target) or department store Galeries Lafayette and you will experience un régal (a fabulous treat) of the organizing kind.

Cahiers (notebooks), agendas (calendars), blocs-notes (notepads), chemises (folders), and classeurs (binders) of every size and shape line the shelves. Many notebooks and pads take on a mathematical air as the French prefer graph paper to lined paper. As I wander theFrench notebook aisles, I am on the verge of dreaming up projects to organize just so I have a reason to stock up on the French paper goodies.

And then I spy the signature sturdy orange covers of the Rhodia brand of pads. The high-quality paper goods have been a French icon for more than 75 years. In fact, Rhodia’s motto is “Orange & black since 1934”. And true to France’s mania for ‘designer collections’ in all things–clothes, shoes, pastries, chocolates, macarons–Rhodia offers its collection of fabulous paper products and more.

Every time I am in France, I stock up on the simple yet oh-so-useful Rhodia pads. I like the small ones that fit in the palm of my hand for grocery and to-do lists. The medium-sized ones are handy to keep in my purse for meeting notes or the spur-of-the-moment brainstorming ideas. And I adore the large ones (close to our 8 ½” by 11″ size) for major projects. Did I mention they are made of graph paper?

I made a major find in the Rhodia section of Galeries Lafayette in Nice in 2008. Not only did they have a smorgasbord of pads, they also carried bound notebooks with elastic closures. And they even came in black. My favorite travel journals are of medium size to fit in my purse, black so they look new despite the wear and tear of travel, and thick enough to handle my musings on the highlights and lowlights of multiple days on the road. But at 14 euros apiece (nearly $25 each), only two of the fantastic Rhodia black journals went home with me on that shopping excursion. 

Next time you are in France, be sure to pick up some Rhodia products–the selection there is quite extensive. But note that French people love Rhodia too so there’s often a run on the classic ‘orange et noir’ around back-to-school time in September.

French Take-Out ~ La France à emporter

Fortunately for Americans, Rhodia now distributes its products in a variety of stores across the U.S. You can visit the web site for a list of retailers who carry Rhodia paper items. Click here to visit the official Rhodia U.S. web site.

Rhodia

Main article originally published October 15, 2008 at www.frenchaffaires.com.

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