This advert is plastered across the walls of many Parisian métro stations at the moment.
How very fitting.
The ad is actually for a loan finance company – and I think the “compagnon de route” in question is supposed to be a car, but it did give me a little jolt the first time I saw it, all the same.
I mean, how would you feel if you saw your name across a billboard?
What do you mean, it’s not my name?
I almost signed a cheque “petite” once…
about
books
press
fbk
petite anglaise 
wow, I had to check the calendar to see if the first of April was here early.
How utterly… unsettling?
Comment by Mathieu — March 13, 2006 @ 8:46 pm
I thought of you when I saw this poster last week. :)
Comment by Vivi — March 13, 2006 @ 8:47 pm
Well, its a bit late…. but not many girls can claim to have received such a great Valentine can they? Glad you enjoyed your weekend, evading the clutches of a gelled-up smoothie… but did you have to miss being at the Estade de France? I’m sure our humiliation at the hands oof the French would not have occurred if you had been cheering England on from the touchline. You could have taken that balloon with you!
Comment by fella — March 13, 2006 @ 9:38 pm
It’s lovely. A reminder that this sort of amour existe excuse my franglais :-) xx
Comment by fjl — March 13, 2006 @ 9:48 pm
Hum, hum…
I think the “petite anglaise raffinée” of the ad’ looks like more a impetuous horse in steel dress and roaring on its wheels than a fair lady of the wrong side of the channel with a sunny skirt and singing in the rain…
But both can desire a new ‘Jules’, as froggies say…
Comment by coutho — March 13, 2006 @ 9:51 pm
Funny, I don’t live in Paris but I was there today and I saw this advert twice. The first time, I didn’t have time to read it totally, so I really thought it was an advert for YOUR blog.
By the way, this is my first comment, sorry for my bad English ;-)
Comment by Aude — March 13, 2006 @ 9:58 pm
Yes – saw this today and thought of you immediately!! And realised in shame that I actually don’t really ‘get it’…
The only one good thing to come out of your break-up is that you are blogging loads which is great for us readers.
Comment by kjr — March 13, 2006 @ 10:43 pm
To be honest I don’t really understand the point of this ad. What has financing to do with finding a partner? Come to think of it, I even find it in rather bad taste.
Having said that I can understand it gave you a jolt!!! ;-)
Comment by Forestine — March 13, 2006 @ 11:19 pm
I think you have to see it in conjunction with the other half of the ad, showing (presumably) a dinky English car (presumably actually the petite anglaise in question) which you will be able to buy if you get a very expensive loan from Cetelem.
How romantic.
There are other versions of this ad too – petite americaine, française etc…
Comment by petite — March 13, 2006 @ 11:24 pm
Yes! I saw this for the first time yesterday. How very uncanny.
Comment by Coquette — March 13, 2006 @ 11:46 pm
There are no accidents or coincidences (although this would have freaked ME out if I’d been in your shoes). There’s a message or “clue” in there for you, petite. Only you can decide what it means, though.
Comment by The Bold Soul — March 14, 2006 @ 3:53 am
If we’re mentioning good things to have come out of this break-up, here’s another:
Think of what you’ll save on train fares.
Comment by Mancunian lass — March 14, 2006 @ 11:23 am
is this your silhouette on a crowd appeared on the image?
Comment by hera — March 14, 2006 @ 12:01 pm
No, it’s not my reflection, a friend who works in advertising got hold of the picture for me.
Comment by petite — March 14, 2006 @ 12:23 pm
I take it you’re not a convertible!
Comment by J — March 14, 2006 @ 1:17 pm
That would have freaked me out.
Comment by Growing Up — March 14, 2006 @ 1:42 pm
Of course this wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain Mr Frog who works for an ad agency….or would it?
Comment by Parkin Pig — March 14, 2006 @ 2:42 pm
Hi petite, like Vivi and kjr I thought of you when I saw the ad…to me the poster was like a reminder of that we now share the same Parisian environment. I have been following your blog from Sweden until I recently moved here. Thanks for sharing your often witty thoughts about life with us.
/Kajsa
Comment by Kajsa — March 14, 2006 @ 2:53 pm
Crackers! But Mr. Frog surely couldn’t have guessed your breakup that far in advance to make up this ad. Too bad… what a funny story that would be.
Comment by nardac — March 14, 2006 @ 4:24 pm
I drove past a garden centre recently that was advertising a list of plants on a big board outside including ‘zinnia’ and ‘cyclamen’ next to each other in that order. I nearly crashed the car.
Comment by Zinnia Cyclamen — March 14, 2006 @ 7:09 pm
Glad to see I’m not the only one doing big double takes, Zin. It’s just that after all this time, the name has rather stuck, in my mind at least.
My erstwhile companion even had me in his phone as “petite”.
Comment by petite — March 14, 2006 @ 7:31 pm
I was in Paris last week, and when I saw that ad, I thought about you !
Comment by Bill — March 14, 2006 @ 10:57 pm
I’d so love to find the same ad in Toulouse. I thought for a second your picture was actually a pretty lame photoshopped picture meant as a joke. But it didn’t feel right.
I do find the whole quiproquo terribly amusing and cute.
Comment by tompouce — March 15, 2006 @ 10:04 am
how funny, my computer is on the blink at the moment but I went to an internet cafe the other day and specifically looked for this ad..I too saw it in the metro the other day and thought of you.
Comment by croque madame — March 15, 2006 @ 3:16 pm
Wow ! Je ne savais pas que ce phénomène des expats anglophones était si fort à Paris, même si on entend assez souvent parler français dans le métro.
Congratulations for your weblog, you certainly deserved the prices you won.
Manu
Comment by Manu — March 17, 2006 @ 7:26 pm