So, I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but since probably day 2 of being in Paris, I've been craving Killian's. I don't know why, because there are plenty of tasty beers here in Paris, but all I've wanted to drink was a cold Killian's. As such, wherever I've been, I've inquired about the beer. I was determined. Seriously. I was willing to go to every pub in Paris in order to find the one that sell's Killian's. Unfortunately for me, I was not having any luck. And on top of that, whenever I talked to a bar tender and asked if he/she knew of anywhere I could get Killian's they gave me a weird look and said something to the effect of, "I've never seen it here in Paris." Hearing that response as many times as I have kind of got me down. It's not that I need the beer whatsoever, it just became like near-obsession to me. I knew that I couldn't leave Europe before I had a Killian's. Even if it meant going to Ireland just for this purpose, out of principle, I had to do it.
That's when Saint Derek came into the picture. I don't really remember the details of this part of the story, but at some point, I mentioned that I've been on a quest for Killian's Irish Red, and I can't find it anywhere. He casually responded, "Do you want it on tap at a bar, or will bottles work? Because they sell it at a bunch of supermarkets near me." I was floored. After all of my struggles and let-downs, Derek just breezes into my problems and fixes them in one fell-swoop. He brought a pack over on Friday night and we each a celebratory bottle before the AUP party. Needless to say, he made me very happy to know that I have access to Killian's whenever I need to satiate that craving, but it begs the question, why does Pigalle stock Killian's when seemingly the rest of the city does not? I'm going to ponder that for a while.
As I write this, it just now occurs to me that by craving Killian's--something that is very common in the States, but obviously not as common in Paris--I am actually showing signs of missing things that I am accustomed to in the States. Aka homesickness. I've vehemently denied feeling any feelings of homesickness until now, but I suppose that is what this is. Damn.
