Beautiful, isn't it? I always think of the Madeline books when I see French parks like this.
After the park, we stopped at a grocery store, where I looked for a lint remover and did not find one. However, I did stock up on more Kinder chocolate. Man, I love that stuff. I think it's technically German, but I'm going to continue to eat it here in France and probably in Ireland, too, because it's amazing. Usually I buy the bars (more chocolate for your money) but yesterday I saw some packages of Kinder Surprise. When my family lived in Germany back in the day, these used to be a special treat. They're chocolate eggs with little toys inside and they're outlawed in the U.S. Why? I don't know... I guess we Americans can't handle food with toys inside? (But I saw on the Internet that you can buy knock-off brands in the U.S. now, so maybe we're making progress)
Anyway... Like I said, I usually buy the regular chocolate bars because they're a better deal if you just want to eat delicious chocolate, but these particular boxes of Kinder Surprise offered me Asterix and Obelix toys. How could I refuse? I studied Asterix and Obelix a bit in my various French classes, and while my experience with the comics and films is limited, I am quite fond of them. I caved in and bought the chocolate eggs.
At home, I unwrapped an egg and devoured the chocolate, then eagerly cracked open the yellow plastic container inside. Which toy would I get? Asterix? Obelix? But no- I had picked the egg with the surprise random toy in it. It was a weirdo blue alien with three prongs on its head. I was thoroughly disappointed until I realized that the prongs were little crayons.
But still... I would have to wait another day to open up an Asterix and Obelix toy... or would I? I was in France, after all, and more or less a grownup, so my parents couldn't scold me for my eating habits... And the eggs were hollow and not that big to begin with... Why couldn't I eat two chocolate eggs in one night?
So I did.
And it was Obelix! I greatly approved of the toy, since I find Obelix to be a cool and amusing character. It looks like he's carrying a football (American) or rugby ball, which I don't understand because I haven't seen the film that these toys are promoting.
But then there was just one little egg left in the box all by its lonesome, with perhaps the most marvelous toy of all hidden beneath foil and chocolate...
Yes, okay, I ate that one, too. The toy was very unsatisfying, though. I had to do some serious research to figure out who the character was. As far as I can tell, her name is Ophelia and she's only in the newest film. Okay.
So I have some cool little doodads now! But I think I might have a problem with self-control.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinder_Surprise
ReplyDeleteThe 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act contains a section highlighting that a confectionery product with a non-nutritive object, partially or totally imbedded within it, cannot be sold within the United States, unless the FDA issues a regulation that the non-nutritive object has functional value.[11] Essentially, the 1938 Act bans “the sale of any candy that has imbedded in it a toy or trinket.”[12]
In 2012 the FDA re-issued their import alert stating “The imbedded non-nutritive objects in these confectionery products may pose a public health risk as the consumer may unknowingly choke on the object.”[13]
In 1989, Ferrero sought a regulation through a petition, but it was later withdrawn and no such regulation has been issued.[citation needed]
In 1997, the staff of the CPSC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, examined and issued a recall for some Kinder Surprise illegally brought into the US with foreign labels. The staff determined that the toys within the eggs had small parts. The staff presumed that Kinder Surprise, being a chocolate product, was intended for children of all ages, including those under three years of age. On this basis, the staff took the position that Kinder Surprise was in violation of the small parts regulation and banned from importation into the US.[14]
Kinder Surprise bears warnings advising the consumer that the toy is “not suitable for children under three years, due to the presence of small parts” and that “adult supervision is recommended.”[15]
In June 2012 the potential fine per egg was quoted as US$2,500.[16] The rationale against a ban of the product also takes the form that deaths have been too few for it to be considered a serious danger. Additionally, the argument is made that there should be a consistent standard in place, as several worse dangers are not regulated.[17]
On December 26, 2012, a petition was created on the White House website through the "We The People" campaign to end the ban on the import and sale of Kinder Surprise Eggs in the United States. However the petition failed to meet the required number of signatures by January 26, 2013 and was therefore declined.
Two Italian Kinder Merenderos (Kinder Joy)On March 13th 2013, "New Jersey’s Candy Treasure LLC" announced a new method of enclosing the toy. Each egg would feature a specially-designed capsule that separates the two halves of the chocolate so even a small child can see that there is something on the inside, thus circumventing the U.S. ban on “non-nutritive objects” that are encased entirely in food. These modified eggs are now considered legal in the United States. They are expected to be available in U.S. stores for Easter 2013. Called "Choco Treasure", these are neither manufactured nor licensed by Ferrero, and Kinder Surprise eggs remain illegal in the U.S.
The garden Prébendes of Oe is a garden in the heart of Tours , it was created in 1872 by Bühler . Placed between the street Prébendes the street Roger Salengro Lakanal street and street Boisdenier is an English garden with a lovely variety of trees and flowers, with two bandstands and statues of Touraine writers as Ronsard.
ReplyDeleteThe garden was created on marshy site where there were gardens whose income, bribes were paid to the provost of Oe under the Old Regime. It was crossed by the stream of the archbishop who has been channeled through the city. In the example works programs undertaken under the Second Empire in Paris, the provincial towns are gradually adopting landscaped park in the English style. Public gardens are a privileged walking for urban families, a play area for children where adults meet during concerts in the gazebo by the municipal or military bands.
It is in this spirit that project, 10 years old, was adopted Tours, after the 1870 war . The realization of the garden was undertaken from 1872 to 1874 using the many unemployed workers as a result of the economic crisis caused by the war. The creation of the park was transferred to Eugene Bühler who conceived with his brother Denis, including the Parc de la Tete d'Or in Lyon, the Thabor Park Rennes, Borély park in Marseille as well as many large developments properties in the area including the park d ' Azay-le-Ferron . According to the manner of Bühler, the park Prébendes of Oe consists of large winding paths, one of which always runs around the garden. The trees are grouped by species, cedar, plane, giant redwoods and lime forming semblance of contrasting wood with sweeping lawns. Bald cypress trees adorn the central island (the presence of a stream is traditional in the creations of Bühler).