I am into my third week here in France, and it's been kind of an ambivalent feeling that I have so far. I feel pretty well situated here, but there are still things that will take some getting used to. Things at work are still a bit unclear because I came at a very busy time. I had originally planned on being here in the middle of October. But thanks to my many visa issues, I didn't arrive until October 24th. I had two days to prepare for my trip. Luckily for me, my boss here in Paris had found me a temporary apartment so that I didn't have one more thing to stress me out.
Upon my arrival I found out that the following week I was going to Nice for 5 days to attend the protests and events against the G20 which took place in Cannes Nov. 3-4. So needless to say, things started out crazy and still continues to be crazy!
I thought I'd share a few observationst that I've made so far regarding Paris and the Parisians (I say Parisians and not French because there is a difference!)
- Winter in Paris is not pretty. And I mean literally, it's gloomy, the sun rises late and sets early. And on top of that everyone dresses in the depressing color of black...
- Paris is not very clean. Sure we see pictures of the elegant Champs Elysees, le jardin du Tuileries, etc. and it all seems so nice. The reality is that there are dog poop everywhere you walk. People throw their cigarette buds everywhere. What do they do after drinking a bottle of beer? Why leave it on the chair of course!
- 8 out of 10 women wears boots, it seems like. I almost feel out of place with my regular shoes. And how is it that they're able to walk on stony grounds and climb stairs in metro stations with those?
- It's cold and people still love sitting outside. At cafes, parks, on the street, everywhere!
- Many stereotypes might be false, but the one with a French person carrying baguette(s) is absolutely correct!!!! And damn are their baguettes good, and make sure the next time you're in France, buy a baguette tradition from a boulangerie, they're just that much better!
- Markets, I absolutely love them! However there are 2 types of markets. I hate to separate them by class, but it's the truth. I went to an organic market, and prices are double, triple what they are in a normal one. Also there are also markets in the not-as-nice areas, and that's the place you need to go for cheap produce! Go when they're about to close and they'll sell things for a great bargain!
- Every Parisian has their own cheese shop, wine shop, butcher shop that they've been going for years. They know each other, and it's probably like a big betrayal if you go somewhere else :)
- La Duree is so damn overrated. Ok I don't know what the big craze about stupid macarons are, but I've tasted them, and they are TOO sweet TOO expensive and TOO much overrated. La Duree is a famous store that sells them, and literally the line is ridiculous, and they're all tourists. Local Parisians don't go there! In fact I don't think I've ever seen a French person eat a damn macaron!
- Falafel is on every tourist's mind when they're in the Marais district. There's a very famous place called L'as du Falafel in the Marais, and I've tasted it, and it's pretty good. I went to the Marais the other day and there was a line in all 4 shops that sold falafel!
- If you love books and used books go to St. Germain des Pres. I was literally there for 4 hours going from book store to book store.
- Traffic lights, one turns green as soon as the other turns red. And as bad as Parisian drivers are, they do obey their traffic laws. I don't think I've seen anyone run a red light yet.
- I hate the metro. I really do. I got hit hard in the face once; I constantly have to watch my bag because I was close to being pick pocketed once; it's crazy crowded; the stairs are really tiring; and there are a billion different lines to figure out ahhh!!!
- People here seem to be always in a rush. I thought the French were known for taking their time! People will never watch where they're going on the street, even if you try hard to avoid running into them, they just run into you.
- If you want to eat well on a budget, lunch is the time to go out! And thanks to my flexible lunch hours I am able to do that (although not a lot of money to eat out...) But usually plats du jour range somewhere between 8.5 Euros to 15 Euros, depending on the restaurant.
- Now I know why the French can eat out during lunch so often, because their employers are required to give them lunch tickets which are called cheques dejeuner. They can be used all over France in most restaurants. Hell you can even buy groceries at Carrefour with them!
Ok I guess my list of observations ended up being almost a list of complaints. But the fact is there are many things that I love about the French culture, and that is why I decided to come to France. It's a place that I know well, and it's a place where I know I can stay. It's different, of course, because this time I will be here for a long period of time. I just need to find my rhythm, my space, and most of all where I fit into this city. oh and I need to of course have my own cheese, wine, and butcher shop :)
Food, now that's one area that I am taking advantage of! Just like the French says, "Il faut bien profiter!"
Until next time!
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