“On fera le tour de Paris. C’est joli.”

Bonjour tout le monde, ça va? My first update is that I finalized spring break plans this morning. I have purchased all of the necessary air and train tickets and booked the accommodations for each of the places where I will be staying. To be more specific, I will be traveling to the Côte d’Azur to spend a week exploring Aix-en-Provence, Nice, and Monaco from whence I will journey to Italy and spend a second week winding through Cinque Terre, Florence, and Rome. The second update is that I spent this past weekend with Mary in Amsterdam! I plan to write about my two days in the Dutch capital next week. This week, however, you will be treated to two posts that are my attempt at sharing France. Although I am sure that some of the quirks of the French culture have shown through my other posts, I feel that I should take this opportunity to specifically show you my observations of Paris. Today I am going to share my thoughts and, tomorrow, you will receive visuals of the little world I inhabit!

To start, there are many unexpected skills that one acquires as a result of living in this French metropolis. For starters: one has to be able to juggle multiple items in the face of adverse happenstance and bizarre circumstance and this multifaceted shuffling occurs most frequently in the metro. For example, pulling my passe navigo [metro card] out of my purse while hastening towards the entry turnstiles to scan said card and simultaneously checking my phone, munching on something, rearranging my scarf, and navigating through the sea of commuters, tourists, and happy-go-lucky metro-riders does not faze me. In short, if I thought I was a skilled multitasker before, well, I stand corrected.

The important thing is to remain calm amidst the cacophonous commotion even when all you really want to do is stop in the middle of the station and scream <<quel bazar!>> [what chaos] and freeze  all of the people who are moving around you in every which way. That being said, it is crucial to have the ability to spot slow walkers and efficiently pass them. The streets of Paris and the metro tunnels that lie directly beneath are of full of people. Fifty percent of these people move slowly. They are obstacles that impede progress towards your destination that must be noted so that a course of action can be strategically plotted in order to pass them quickly and efficiently. C’est juste comme ça [that’s just the way it is].

Now let’s discuss my ability to cross streets like a Parisian. Even though I feel pretty secure in the metro game, being a piéton [pedestrian] is a category that needs improvement. I can freely say that while some of the necessary instincts are present, they need to be further developed. Tu vois? To the Parisian mind, there are no ‘walk’ or ‘do not walk’ signs. In fact, one can cross the road at any time, so really all that is necessary is the ability to judge the distance and speed of an approaching car relative to your position and speed in crossing the street and then having the daring to go even when the vehicle is a mere meters away! When I can partake in this wild street crossing without fear, I’ll know that I have arrived.

Further, in case you were wondering, I have also learned how to hold an umbrella (mostly) without hitting others in the narrow streets of the city (I would say that I have an eighty percent success rate) and I have also conquered the art of proficiently peeling a clementine and other citrus fruit. Are these abilities useful? You be the judge. Nonetheless, I would like to share some observations or des nuances quotidiennes [daily nuances] that I have either picked up on casually in the last month and a half or qui m’ont vraiment frappé [have really hit me] in my day-to-day life.

Affection. It is shown slightly differently in France than in the States. Upon greeting or parting from someone, one does les bises, or kisses, on each cheek and I truly love this practice. I love seeing it and I love partaking in it. Okay, I may seem overenthusiastic considering that the action is quite status quo, but each time I observe two friends meeting one another and note their genuine joy at seeing each other, I can’t help but think that les bises are the perfect expression of the sentiments present in the encounter. Further, in parting, the action is done again and though it is obvious that the two people are sad to leave one another, the farewell bises also expresses joy at the prospect of the next meeting. Even the language reflects this feeling with expressions such as: à tout à l’heure [see you later], à la prochaine [see you next time], à bientot [see you soon], and of course au revoir which roughly translates to ‘at our next seeing.’ It’s beautiful.

On that note: language. The most difficult area in communicating in French for me has been trying to learn the slang. For example, it can be difficult to understand conversations around me, or directed towards me, when I do not immediately know the words being used which I think is probably always the case with foreign languages. For instance, I may understand the general subject matter being discussed, but if I am not familiar with the slang for a certain object, action, or expression, then the conversation is generally inaccessible. Luckily, French friends are kind enough to explain and I think some even relish giving me lessons.

On friendliness: in talking recently with another American student, we agreed that while the French are fairly reserved upon first meeting new people, once they begin to spend time with you they open up and are extremely warm. Further, I personally find that they are very whole-hearted in their actions. For example, my host parents and professors (who I know the best and interact with the most) go out of their way to help me when I have a question or request. Once a trust has been established, the French I have gotten to know really act in every possible way to make you feel welcome.

On a completely separate and utterly random note, it really surprised me to discover that scooters are a thing here, as in, for adults. I see young children and grown men and women alike rolling down the sidewalk or cruising through the metro on a swag set of wheels. I believe the reasoning behind ‘scootering’ is that it allows you to get somewhere faster without having to worry about transporting a bike through the metro. I’ve also seen people brave enough to rollerblade around town.

Finally, I would like to discuss the French, and, or, European perception of America, but as this post is already quite long I think I may save that for another day. A tout à l’heure!