i have been here for about a month now and have made some observations about paris and its inhabitants that the casual visitor may not notice.
most people think the french (and specifically the parisians) as a whole are rude. i have found just the opposite to be true. yes, it's a big metropolitan city with many diverse peoples from all over the world all crammed into trains and busses and narrow cobbled streets. people aren't smiling all the time, and they don't necessarily smell that good when the temperature goes up. but i think the rudeness that most travellers feel just has to do with a difference in culture and language. if you blend in and become one of them, you get a different perspective of things.
the metro and busses are usually pretty good means of transportation. after 30 years of l.a. traffic i have found it refreshing for someone else to do the driving. during rush hour you do need to be agressive to get in a train car and sometimes you are really packed like sardines. i just grin and bear it because unlike gridlock on the 405, at least the train is always moving. several times i've seen young people giving up their seat for an older person. getting out is sometimes tricky, but everyone says "pardon" when needing to step out of a busy train.
i've also seen women with babies in strollers on the metro. this is not easily accomplished, because with every station there are many steps to navigate, both up and down. however, strangers will generally help a woman carry the stroller on those stairs. it's just something you do.
beggers usually work for their free money. it's not that often that i see someone just standing near a busy intersection with their hand out (these are usually old, frail people). most people who are asking for money from strangers work for it. they might get on a metro car, make an announcement of their story then walk amongst the people looking for change. often times they are musicians. they might set up someplace in the metro where people can throw money in their instrument case while hurrying by (sometimes these are whole groups of musicians and they can be very good). sometimes a musician will actually come into the train car and play, then look for a handout. and sometimes they will simply walk down the street and play. i've seen this a few times and just a moment ago a duo (a man playing the trumpet and an accordian player) came by playing traditional french tunes and my neighbors threw coins out the window at them.
it's true that people appreciate it if you at least try to speak the language. i like how polite the language is. as a customer you go into a shop and always say "hello madame" or "hello sir". and you always say "thank you" and "goodbye". it's just rude if you don't.
i'm not trying to paint the city as perfect. of course it isn't. they don't believe in air conditioning (even in the movie theater), they don't have many gyms and people can be rude here just like anywhere else in the world. but it's nice to know that there is a softer side of the parisian that most don't get to experience.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
we are marching in estonia!
i just spent five days in estonia with my roommate kathryn. i arrived at the tallin airport early in the day (abby, the airport has flor tile all over! and cy, i saw altro on all the busses!). kathryn was on a later flight, so i had some time to take in the sights of the old town.
tallin is a medieval city with an old stone wall surrounding the old part of the city and towers built into this wall to protect the city (men would shoot with bows and arrows from these towers). there were horses, and men in suits of armor and damsels in distress. all very knights of the round table.
estonia is part of the old u.s.s.r. the locals are very happy not to be under soviet rule any longer (they will be adopting the euro next year).
in our five days kathryn and i took a guided bike ride in the old and newer parts of the city, went to a really lovely dinner at a five star restaurant, saw most of the sites in the old town (those towers have a lot of stairs!), went to the botanical garden, took the sightseeing bus, took the city bus, found the local grocery store for a couple of dinners and walked a lot.
one evening we went to the modern art museum. it was designed by a finnish architect and it is sooo beautiful. very modern and elegant. that day just happened to be "museum day" which meant that all the museums all over tallin were free. everyone and their mother (and i mean that) was out.
another day we took a day trip to a small city called varnu. we didn't have a lot of time there (and there isn't a lot to do), so we had a nice lunch, walked to the beach, walked areound the little town center and came home. that evening we decided to go to the spa and get massages (and a pedicure for me). that spa was really beautiful.
as i was lying on the massage table, looking at the linoleum below me, i was thinking about how the european designers use all the cool products that come from europe that i could only use occassionaly in my projects in l.a. because of the expense. i'm getting excited to find a job so i can use these products more!
we came home happy and safe (we both avoided the ash cloud that is still hovering over part of europe). on to the job search (marching, marching, marching...)
tallin is a medieval city with an old stone wall surrounding the old part of the city and towers built into this wall to protect the city (men would shoot with bows and arrows from these towers). there were horses, and men in suits of armor and damsels in distress. all very knights of the round table.
estonia is part of the old u.s.s.r. the locals are very happy not to be under soviet rule any longer (they will be adopting the euro next year).
in our five days kathryn and i took a guided bike ride in the old and newer parts of the city, went to a really lovely dinner at a five star restaurant, saw most of the sites in the old town (those towers have a lot of stairs!), went to the botanical garden, took the sightseeing bus, took the city bus, found the local grocery store for a couple of dinners and walked a lot.
one evening we went to the modern art museum. it was designed by a finnish architect and it is sooo beautiful. very modern and elegant. that day just happened to be "museum day" which meant that all the museums all over tallin were free. everyone and their mother (and i mean that) was out.
another day we took a day trip to a small city called varnu. we didn't have a lot of time there (and there isn't a lot to do), so we had a nice lunch, walked to the beach, walked areound the little town center and came home. that evening we decided to go to the spa and get massages (and a pedicure for me). that spa was really beautiful.
as i was lying on the massage table, looking at the linoleum below me, i was thinking about how the european designers use all the cool products that come from europe that i could only use occassionaly in my projects in l.a. because of the expense. i'm getting excited to find a job so i can use these products more!
we came home happy and safe (we both avoided the ash cloud that is still hovering over part of europe). on to the job search (marching, marching, marching...)
life in paris
i have started to have a routine here in paris, and i feel as if my life has begun here. each day i have been taking my walking tours of various parts of the city. most recently i visited ile st-louis, auteuil, montmartre and buttes-chaumont (thank you wayne for convincing me to bring my sneakers!). these tours come from my guidebook and are good for giving me historical as well as architectural history of the city (thanks peter!). in auteuil i was able to visit le corbusier's villa roche (which was very cool to see).
the tours are taking me all over the city and i have become quite familiar with the metro. my hamstrings and tush are getting quite a workout. i get home and am quite pooped, and my muscles ache. oy!
i am practicing my french every day with my rosetta stone on my computer. i am on the last section of level 1 and it's getting much harder, so it's harder for me to get through each lesson. at my roommate's suggestion i put an ad on craigslist for conversation exchange. apparently it's something people do here a lot. you meet someone in a cafe for an hour. half the time you help them with their english, the rest of the time they help you with your french. it doesn't cost anything but a cup of coffee. hopefully you end up with someone who is a good teacher. i had two respondents to my ad, and this evening will be meeting with a woman and her 12 year old daughter for our first exchange. i'm looking forward to it because i think it will help me with just every day language (and pronunciation, which i am terrible at!).
i am trying to meet people here in order to network and hopefully eventually find a job. so to all who have given me leads, thank you! i have followed up on every one of them. we'll see how they all pan out.
i buy groceries a lot. our refrigerator is a tiny under the counter type and we have only one cabinet for plates, pantry items and staples, so there isn't much room for anything. many trips to the market are common and normal. you can pick up what you need for a meal at supermarkets, small convenience stores and the open air farmers markets. the farmers markets have prepared food, meat, fish and sundry items as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. the larger supermarkets are similar to target; today i bought cat food, a chocolate bar and a trench coat at the supermarket!
tyrone and lenny are getting more used to this place. it's much noisier here than l.a. and they don't have a place to go outside. i let them run around the hallway of the building a bit, until they get scared when a stranger comes and they run back into the apartment. kathryn and i are looking for another place for june or july. i hope we can find something that the cats will enjoy too. lenny is getting over his cold.
kathryn has been a really terrific roommate (again, thanks peter!). she loves the cats and they are slowly warming up to her. she is helping me get oriented (showing me stuff i need to know about; it's been a huge help). she even showed me how to download american television shows on my computer, so we have been watching "the amazing race" and "flash forward" together. she and i went to dinner last night at a nice thai place close to the apartment (i had a "real" parisian sighting there: a woman at the next table was having dinner with a friend while her little dog sat on her lap). she's really easy to be with and i look forward to our vacation in estonia.
so, that's life in paris right now. not too shabby.
the tours are taking me all over the city and i have become quite familiar with the metro. my hamstrings and tush are getting quite a workout. i get home and am quite pooped, and my muscles ache. oy!
i am practicing my french every day with my rosetta stone on my computer. i am on the last section of level 1 and it's getting much harder, so it's harder for me to get through each lesson. at my roommate's suggestion i put an ad on craigslist for conversation exchange. apparently it's something people do here a lot. you meet someone in a cafe for an hour. half the time you help them with their english, the rest of the time they help you with your french. it doesn't cost anything but a cup of coffee. hopefully you end up with someone who is a good teacher. i had two respondents to my ad, and this evening will be meeting with a woman and her 12 year old daughter for our first exchange. i'm looking forward to it because i think it will help me with just every day language (and pronunciation, which i am terrible at!).
i am trying to meet people here in order to network and hopefully eventually find a job. so to all who have given me leads, thank you! i have followed up on every one of them. we'll see how they all pan out.
i buy groceries a lot. our refrigerator is a tiny under the counter type and we have only one cabinet for plates, pantry items and staples, so there isn't much room for anything. many trips to the market are common and normal. you can pick up what you need for a meal at supermarkets, small convenience stores and the open air farmers markets. the farmers markets have prepared food, meat, fish and sundry items as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. the larger supermarkets are similar to target; today i bought cat food, a chocolate bar and a trench coat at the supermarket!
tyrone and lenny are getting more used to this place. it's much noisier here than l.a. and they don't have a place to go outside. i let them run around the hallway of the building a bit, until they get scared when a stranger comes and they run back into the apartment. kathryn and i are looking for another place for june or july. i hope we can find something that the cats will enjoy too. lenny is getting over his cold.
kathryn has been a really terrific roommate (again, thanks peter!). she loves the cats and they are slowly warming up to her. she is helping me get oriented (showing me stuff i need to know about; it's been a huge help). she even showed me how to download american television shows on my computer, so we have been watching "the amazing race" and "flash forward" together. she and i went to dinner last night at a nice thai place close to the apartment (i had a "real" parisian sighting there: a woman at the next table was having dinner with a friend while her little dog sat on her lap). she's really easy to be with and i look forward to our vacation in estonia.
so, that's life in paris right now. not too shabby.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
ooh shiny things
i have decided to be a tourist for a little while, until the work thing happens for me. my travel book for paris has little mini tour suggestions, so that is what i am doing for the next few days. today i walked around parc monceau, a part of the city i hadn't been to before. very pretty; sever joggers were taking advantage of the mild weather.
at the end of that tour i was on haussmann boulevard, so i decided to go to the galeries lafayette, one of the big department stores here (also a place i had never visited).
the exterior is old and gorgeous and...ooh la la...the interior is a modern masterpiece! it's all marble and chrome and cool modern sculptures and amazing merchandise. the whole store (or what i saw of it) is set up like small boutiques (a la fred segal...or maybe vice versa?). there are eight floors; i only took a look at four. it was overwhelming, like a museum...you can only take in so much in one visit. every major label is represented: chanel, lanvin, marc jacobs, mac, agnes, dior, tons of others i don't even know about. i saw a cell phone for $10K euros. TEN THOUSAND (i counted the zeros)! I don't know what it was made of, but it looked like platinum. even the cafe was cool. it has a groovy club feeling with low vinyl covered sofas and hard plastic chairs but it's done all in pale blue, white and chrome so it has a fresh, clean feel.
if you want to see the interior, check out the link below:
http://www.tripadvisor.fr/LocationPhotos-g187147-d189193-w4-Galeries_Lafayette-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
at the end of that tour i was on haussmann boulevard, so i decided to go to the galeries lafayette, one of the big department stores here (also a place i had never visited).
the exterior is old and gorgeous and...ooh la la...the interior is a modern masterpiece! it's all marble and chrome and cool modern sculptures and amazing merchandise. the whole store (or what i saw of it) is set up like small boutiques (a la fred segal...or maybe vice versa?). there are eight floors; i only took a look at four. it was overwhelming, like a museum...you can only take in so much in one visit. every major label is represented: chanel, lanvin, marc jacobs, mac, agnes, dior, tons of others i don't even know about. i saw a cell phone for $10K euros. TEN THOUSAND (i counted the zeros)! I don't know what it was made of, but it looked like platinum. even the cafe was cool. it has a groovy club feeling with low vinyl covered sofas and hard plastic chairs but it's done all in pale blue, white and chrome so it has a fresh, clean feel.
if you want to see the interior, check out the link below:
http://www.tripadvisor.fr/
when is your hair not a goat?
ok, so here is my first "i don't know this language well enough to really speak it" story.
it's cold today! i was up early (around 4:45 a.m.), so i finished reading my paris travel book (thanks peter!). i was being lazy because my roommate is due in today and i want to be at the apartment when she comes, which will be around noon. i decided i was being too lazy, so i got up off my butt and went to the monoprix to pick up a few supplies (like an adapter for my computer...i'm still using kathryn's). how cold does it need to be to see your breath? well, that's how cold it is today.
i stopped at a beauty supply store on the way home to look for some goop for my hair. the saleswoman approached me and asked if i needed help so i asked (in broken french) for a particular brand that i like to use for my hair. they didn't have it, i said thanks and was on my way. it wasn't until i was reviewing the conversation in my mind that i realized i had asked "pour mon chevre" (my goat) rather than "mon cheveaux" (my hair). it made me laugh out loud, like a crazy person. good thing my accent is so bad or the saleswoman so nice that she didn't quite get what i said.
i have a feeling that won't be the last time something like that comes out of my mouth...
...we've only just begun! alors!
tyrone, lenny and i have made it to our new apartment in paris. the flight was pretty turbulent, right from the take-off (i've never experienced turbulence while ascending). i was worried about tyrone and lenny in the hold. they were probably pretty scared. the good news is we all made it across the pond safely.
my new roommate kathryn is currently in the states, so the three of us are here on our own right now. tyrone and lenny are getting used to their new digs. lots of new strange noises (the apartment is on the ground floor and faces the street).
i got to the apartment around noon yesterday. the first thing i did was get supplies for the boys. kathryn left me her map book, which is so helpful in getting around the city. i still got lost a little, but found my way just fine (i don't like holding the map in my hand like a tourist, so i missed a turn). i have already been mistaken for a local, as a woman asked me for directions in french. of course i couldn't help her (even if i understood her, as i just got off the boat myself!); perhaps one day soon i will be able to answer something other than "sorry, i don't speak french" (at least i can say that en francaise!).
i came back to the apartment and lay down on the bed to just think about my next move. when i opened my eyes, five hours had passed. i was pooped! still am a bit. or maybe just in shock. i still can't believe i did this. i'm also pretty sore; i think from the packing. i just need to rest a bit.
when i finally went out again to the market across the street it was about 8:00 p.m. the sun was low in the sky; not even twilight yet. it stays light in the spring and summer much longer here than l.a. lots of people were still shopping.
today i went to look for a scratching post for the cats. i am having trouble finding a pet store, but kathryn will help me with that on monday when she comes back. on my journey today i ran into a big farmers market just a few blocks away. they were selling all kinds of things, not just fruit and veggies. my walk gave me a little insight to the neighborhood. it's very mixed, with lots of north africans and asians. reminded me of new york when i was a kid.
the weather is not hot and not cold. it's cloudy, so a little gloomy, but i'm wearing a t shirt, light pants and a sweatshirt (the same as i would in l.a.). the apartment is teeny tiny. i am sleeping on a full size mattress/day bed in the living/dining/kitchen and living out of my suitcase. it's ok because at the end of the month kathryn and i will move into a two bedroom (it won't be much bigger, but at least i will have a bedroom). my address is 20 rue Sambre et Meuse 75010 Paris. But don't send me anything! we can't fit one more thing into the apartment, and besides, my name isn't on the mailbox.
i will take a few more days to get used to the place (and by place i mean paris) and continue with m french lessons on rosetta stone, and then start my job search. fingers crossed something happens soon!
more later
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
blog blog blog
so now i'm an official blogger. i will post stuff to this site in the future. stay tuned!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
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