When observation of scenery turns into something more

We have been in Paris for a little over five weeks now and I have not even visited one of the most important structures in Paris, the Eiffel Tower. That has now changed as of two days ago when I ascended the marvel of metal architecture step by step. It was a unique experience in it of itself due to how many flights of stairs I had to climb. With every step that I took, I could feel the ascent in my calves and the breath in my body. Starting the climb and going through with it to the end was a fun experience not just because I was climbing one of the most important architectural achievements of the 20th century, but because I was walking up a accumulation of the knowledge of metal architecture at the time. Although, the Eiffel Tower was an ugly monstrosity, it was a testament to the prowess of the strength of metal in the construction of buildings.

As if ascending the Eiffel Tower wasn't good enough, the view from from the top floor is amazing due to you being able to see quite a big chunk of Paris from this vantage point. It was really easy to get lost in looking out at Paris and taking in everything. There was no way I couldn't take advantage of that fact. As a result, I took some stunning panoramas and scenery photos. But that just begged the question of how much I actually know, that is, do I really know Paris now? And the answer to that question is: “not really”. Even though I have seen a bunch of Paris I still haven’t seen a lot of what Paris has to offer in terms of food, culture, and nightlife. This hasn't deterred me in my enjoyment of Paris and the surrounding areas.

Getting used to it (again).

I woke up today not knowing what I was going to do. But, then it hit me that it’s Sunday. And so, like any other practicing Catholic I knew that I had to participate in a Sunday liturgy. There normally isn’t a problem with going to Church, except that I had no intention of getting up out of my bed. It’s only natural that I wouldn't willingly subject myself to the drastic change of temperature only a second away, its an evil that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. Alas, this is something that we all have to face depending on the room temperature. Preparing for the worst, I checked the time and saw that it was already 10:30 in the morning. This meant that in order to not skip mass this week that I would have to get ready at max speed.

When I stepped out of door leading to the outside world I was prepared with my keys, wallet, and phone in my pocket with my umbrella in hand just in case. There was a different feeling that I had while walking outside, it was as if I was somewhere else. It was as if I never left the United States but at the same time was not really there. It was this same feeling that I experienced after living near Krakow for a couple of weeks one summer. The feeling that while I was in a different culture and surrounded by a language which I have only learnt about, this overwhelming feeling was gone. In fact, it didn’t cross my mind until after the mass was over and I was walking back home.

I have simply gotten used to living in Paris, that is, not that I have seen everything that there is to see but that there was something inside of me that wanted to experience something new and fresh. By experiencing Paris though eating lunch at a nearby café and walking around until I discover some new and peculiar thing are just a few of things that I have experienced but I am sure that there will be many more to come.

People watching never felt this wrong

There is much to be said about Paris itself, from the drastically changing weather to the abundance of café patron watching people walk on by admiring their clothing or admonishing those pesky tourists in their mind for being extremely annoying and overly “touristy”. Before coming to Paris I have never sat outside of a café with the intention of drinking an espresso and watching the people walk by as I talk with another person. Yesterday was the first day that I broke that record.

At the end of our journey at the Chateau Versailles and the Garden, I was tired from the amount of walking that we did the whole day. There was no doubt in my mind that I would just go straight home and eat some good food before hitting the sack. However, I changed my mind as I was in the mood for some coffee as a little pick me up because, quite frankly, I could feel myself becoming drowsy and no one wants to fall asleep on the metro. So after some internal deliberation I decided to tag along with some friends to a café to chat for a half hour before taking the metro line six.

As you may imagine, the result of journey was just as you would expect. We all ended up sitting at the tables outside and made small talk. Because of the fact that I was taking part in Paris, itself, through these actions I felt that it would only be natural to take part in the well-loved Parisian pastime of people-watching. It would turn out to be easier said than done in my case. That is, I don’t really feel comfortable sitting outside in the open while being really close to the sidewalk and seeing everyone pass me by at such a close distance. I’m afraid that I just don’t get this aspect of Parisian life, looking at the pedestrians passing by, sipping on expresso and judging. But, this may just be true for me because it’s my first time in Paris. Hopefully, I’ll be able to feel the same way as Parisians do with practice sitting at a café and people-watching.

The French Have Substance

It took me quite a while to finally choose a specific element to write about here in Paris; there is so much, overwhelmingly too much. Since I landed at CDG two weeks ago it has been nothing but a high peak of optimism, always wanting to see the next arrondissement, the next attraction, the next place of historical evidence. However, I can't help but feel the tiny pangs of homesickness and the frustration of not being able to clearly communicate with Parisians how I sometimes feel. There are some things about French culture that I absolutely appreciate, and some I don't really know how to feel yet.

I came to France having heard that the French strongly dislike Americans, and for me it was upsetting since it's not like I had a choice of my heritage, nor have I personally done anything wrong to the French. Shortly after arriving, however, I realized that the natives actually don't like tourists in general, which is something I can understand. At first, I encountered some rudeness, like I was a nuisance by simply approaching someone on the street to ask for directions in my nicest possible "Pardon, s'il vous plait?". Luckily, the more I practiced my french, the less annoyed people acted to pretend to help me, therefore boosting my confidence some.

I have come to really admire the French in comparison to the culture of which I am accustomed back home. So far everyone I have met is instantly not as open as the average American, despite the bisous exchanged (I'm convinced they only do it to be courteous, as some have no intention to be friends with you from there on out). But as soon as a conversation blossoms past the icebreaker of the basic "Where are you from?" and "How long are you staying?" questions, the French are more prone to discuss things that matter, such as art, history, political ideas, all based on my conversational experience thus far. For example, my host sister's birthday was just this week, and her celebration was a bit different to see. We gathered for a Sunday brunch, the family and her grandparents, and after toasting with wine each person at the table had prepared a short poem for the girl. It was truly beautiful; she was bawling at the end of their discourse.

Another typical French matter: couples everywhere. Maybe it's just Paris, the universal city of love, but I suppose it would be hard to say other cities in France aren't too different. Never have I ever been surrounded by so many couples who publicly display affection. All my life I have always loathed seeing or participating in such acts, but being in the midst of this historical landscape I guess opened my mind a little. Whether they are Parisian couples or not, what matters is the environment being equally accepting to those who choose to come here. To me, it means that the French are genuinely human, capable with the ability to love and not be ashamed of it.

The little things in culture shock are what make life in Paris unforgettable. Being able to relax outside on a restaurant terrace, people watching, cigarette in hand, waiting for more wine and another cheese platter will be one of the reasons I know I will enjoy these next couple months here in my new home. Parisians are difficult to understand at first, but I'm sure as hell glad they prefer Americans to the Brits :)

Reflextions sur la Communisme dans la Metro de Paris (Reflections on Communism within the Paris Metro)

The first time that I arrived in Paris wasn't unlike any of the other times that I arrived in a new airport. They share a multitude of similar characteristics which, if you ignore the non-English writing, end up being extremely easy to navigate. Likewise, the metro system in Paris is similar to Chicago’s “L” in many ways. Barring obvious similarities, both are public transportation and are for the most part subterranean, there are both nuances and improvements within both systems that require keen observation skills in order to comprehend. They are both similar in function, yet different in design.

 (Photo courtesy Octavian Stoch)

(Photo courtesy of Chicago Transit Authority)

Going further down into the metro reveals tunnels that twist and turn and could be intimidating to one who has not gone on a subway before, thankfully all of us have used subway lines before. Due to the cheap cost of the metro there are as many beggars on the Paris metro as there are on the Chicagoan “L” which brings the question to mind that Paris is really similar to Chicago in more ways than one and that they also have similar problems that Chicago has. That is, with the rising cost of the average citizens standard of living many will fall victim to circumstance and end up on the street begging everyday until nature takes it’s due course. I feel that this is unavoidable collateral damage as being a byproduct of capitalism and is necessary in order to advance the entire world artistically and scientifically.

As Paris, Chicago, the World is today all of the consistently successful nations are democracies and republics of which both believe in the importance of free and open trade. This idea is paramount for the advancement of all of our ideals and I could not imagine living in a world where there were no free and open markets. Of course, there would be less “Poverty” but the cost of that is too great for our society to handle. I don’t know how to fix this, but I am sure that, eventually, someone will try and succeed to fix these problems.