For the last 5 days, I’ve been walking around this beautiful and astonishing city with bleary eyes, dumbfounded by the idea of living here for 6 more weeks. But alas, while staring at the rising Parisian sun after a long night of fun with new people, it finally dawned on me (no pun, intended) that I was actually in the greatest city in the world! Anyhow, let me bring you up to speed...
Since my last post, Joe and I have oddly been stumbling into some of the largest tourist traps in the city completely unintentionally. For instance, on our second day in Paris, Joe, Cristen, and I took off for Shakespeare & Co., a renowned English-language bookstore near the hip Latin Quarter. However, we were completely surprised (and not to mention sidetracked) when we looked to see a massive cathedral to our right. When I asked Joe, “Is that Notre Dame?”, he replied, “It can't be; Notre Dame is right on the Seine”. And once we took a few steps closer, Cristen asked Joe, “Wait, you mean that river right there?” … And as you would expect, we felt our fingers tingle in excitement as the inner-tourists in us started to shine through. Over the course of the next week, Joe and I have seen 3 or 4 massive cathedrals, the Opera, the Louvre, the Pompidou center, and a whole slew of other tourist traps, mainly by accident.
Anyhow, after a week in Paris, I have started to see some interesting comparisons between culture and society here and in America. Here are a few examples:
1) Parisians are exceptional at some things and dismal at other things (relative to Americans). For instance, I truly believe that Parisians understand how to appreciate some of the finer elements of everyday life and they are far more deliberate and patient in their daily activities than Americans. A fine example would be the cafe culture found at nearly every street corner. If I had to break down the time Parisians spend on daily activities in a Quiken pie chart, a good amount of it would be spent sipping coffee, beer, or wine at the local brasserie. However, after some careful investigation of “Rock TV”, a local music-oriented television station, and hearing some of the songs played by locals or in shops, I am convinced that Parisians have an AWFUL taste in contemporary music. For instance, there is a small gang of locals who like to congregate below our window most nights and every so often (and to our dismay), we can hear the distant flow of Vanilla Ice wafting in. And if you ever get the chance, youtube the band “Keith” and you will immediately understand what I mean.
2) Everything smokes in Paris. I don’t think this needs any further explanation.
3) One of the more disorienting aspects of Paris for me is the lack of concern for public displays of affection that the French (presumably) have for one another. For instance, Joe, Cristen, and I observed a couple kissing by the Seine one afternoon and after a little, I definitely caught a glimpse of the man “copping” a feel without any shame or hesitation.
4) I have happily created a diet of baguettes, pastries, and kebabs (or “sandwich grecs”) for myself and I am also happy to report that Maya was indeed right when informing me that wine in Paris is dirt cheap and absolutely delicious. Furthermore, I feel the winds of liberation as I almost nightly find myself drinking in public with friends without having a single head turn my way!
And for a similarity:
I was walking one morning to my local boulangerie (bakery) when I happened to cross paths with a homeless man who just urinated on himself. I suppose some things are truly universal.
As for our social lives, we have been having a ball of a time! Three nights ago, Joe and I were sitting on the hill beneath the beautiful Sacre Coeur with guitar and wine in hand, taking in the magnificent view when two Moroccan men approached us jovially and joined us. So we drank and they tried their hand at playing and singing Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan, but after a little while, it became obvious that these men marked us as hip young tourists and decided to try to peddle us hashish and when we declined, they walked away disappointed. Anyhow, I had noticed a group of English speakers right above us and I used this bizarre situation as a starting point for conversation. Without going into too much detail, Joe and I eventually found ourselves partying until 6:30AM with these amazing people, several of which we have been meeting up with regularly. The next day, Joe took off to Notre Dame by himself to try to catch a glimpse of Barack Obama (while I was deep in the middle of a recovery nap) and ended up meeting a group of Australians, who we would eventually hang out with a few nights later. And with a sense of duty and obligation, Joe and I spent three hours comparing our respective aphorisms and trying to convince these Australians that not all Americans were rednecks who voted for Bush; we are the true ambassadors of America! Anyway, the long and the short of it is that Joe and I have seen to it that we meet as many interesting individuals as possible and live life as hard and as enjoyably as possible.
Anyhow, there’s so much more that has happened, but here are a few more highlight achievements I’ve made:
1) I’ve finally figured out the telephone system in Europe… only after spending way too much money on purchasing SIM cards, unlocking cell phones, and purchasing more SIM cards.
2) I know how my laundry machine works and I also recognize that the French do not know how to make laundry machines.
3) And for my crowning achievement, I am well on my way in proving that anyone can live enjoyable in Paris without speaking a lick of French!
Make sure to check out my Facebook for photos and until next time, au revoir!
