While France is today a fantastically democratic nation with Liberté, Egalité, et Fraternité on every federal building and at least a dozen presidential candidates every five years who hope to guide the country, this was not always the case. The French Revolution remains one of history's most startling examples of what a population will do to create a democracy, and with good reason. In one of the courses with my program - a general explanation of modern French government, social issues, economics, and general culture - we have spent the past five weeks covering French politics from the revolution to today, with an emphasis on the period after WWII. Now in their 5th Republic a little over 200 years after executing the royal family, the French are determinedly committed to the republican democracy they have worked so hard to perfect. However, vestiges of France's monarchical history are everywhere and I can't help but become excited every time I come in contact with a piece of royal history. Living in a country founded to avoid monarchs has left me sadly unexposed to palaces throughout my life, and I was frankly ecstatic to come to Paris and see the chateaux that all classic Disney palaces are based on. While France is much better off as a republic, some oppressive regimes are just too pretty to tear down. ...continue reading "Hey, uh, how’d you come by all these worldly possessions?"
Tag: unprofoundobservations
Paris: It’s too real and too beautiful to ever let you forget anything
Every Sunday evening I respond to emails, troll for new music on Spotify, and put together my weekly blog post, all of which is never accomplished before midnight. After weeks of this routine, I have actually come to realize that this habitual update on my life and musings is the most regular part of my week. The French university system enjoys changing classes and taking breaks so frequently that I still arrive early to classes to ensure that the rooms have not been changed last minute. As the elementary schools go on strangely spaced holidays - all of the French are off for the next two weeks on what it simply referred to as "ski holiday" - my tutoring sessions are also irregular. My program keeps us on our toes with day-trips or nighttime spectacles that vary each week, and finally I have yet to identify a predictable schedule for all members of my host family. I adore the varied routine and when you only have about 140 days in a country it seems like a shame to live the same one twice. These posts let me reflect a bit on what I've done and let me share some observations of French culture, but mostly they keep me grounded and serve as a reminder that I have limited time here that I should make the most of. ...continue reading "Paris: It’s too real and too beautiful to ever let you forget anything"
Civilization has a natural resistance to improving itself
While Paris has decided it's not quite ready for the spring and would like to throw the entire populace off by once again snowing 2cm, I am determined to begin spending time outdoors and sightseeing as though the Champs Elysee weren't covered with slush. While I am determined to fully experiences Paris' greatest gardens and monuments in the spring when they're slightly more impressive and slightly less grey, it seems that this won't be for some time so I have to get a head start. Thanks to time spent with my fabulous aunts who happened to visit the city this week (yes I do mean Paris, not New York) I thoroughly explored L'Orangerie, the catacombs, and some of the less-touristy and more-delicious arrondissements. With my program, I was able to visit Chateau Fontainbleue - one of the oldest in France - and take a walk through the surrounding village. Aside from the food which was quite fresh, this week has been an exploration of Paris' past. I'm a bit saddened to see what has changed in the city over the years, but more impressed to learn what has stayed the same. I love living in a city with entire blocks that were built around the time of America's founding, and have a deeper appreciation (literally) for what it takes to keep such an urban center thriving for hundreds of years. ...continue reading "Civilization has a natural resistance to improving itself"
Lapping up a little culture
While last Sunday marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year, celebrations have been taking place throughout Paris all week and finally culminated today with the grand parade in le Quartier Chinois in the south of Paris, the 13th arrondissement. I was able to watch the kick-off parade in the center of the city last Saturday, and then spent this weekend exploring the French Chinatown and everything delicious it had to offer. Like all major metropolises Paris has an incredibly thriving and diverse immigrant population that has made its mark on the city and introduced festivals, foods, languages, and some controversy. The 13th arrondissement was not always the Chinatown of Paris but has always been known for its architecture and urban development. That is to say, it was known as a massive architectural failing on the part of the French government when they built some of the cities first high-rise apartment buildings in the south of the 13th. These structures were considered such an affront to Baron Haussman's wrought-iron vision of Paris that it was nearly impossible to fill them, until the 1970s and 1980s saw a rise in immigration from Africa and Asia.
Now the buildings and streets of the 13th are decorated with brightly colored curtains and flags advertising Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Algerian, and North African supermarkets and restaurants. The parade today marched through streets clogged with Parisians enjoying the festivities where spectators were able to buy bean paste cakes, pain au chocolat, and barb a papa (cotton candy) side-by-side. Massive strings of firecrackers hung from every apartment window and building facade, and the dragons danced throughout the streets and sidewalks regardless of spectators (much like Parisian moped drivers). Le Quartier Chinois has quickly become one of my favorite spots in the city; it's bearably priced, has the only grocery stores where I can actually buy tofu, and feels much more lived in that any other part of Paris. When walking to a Pho restuarant for lunch, we passed a sign reading "End of Tourist Zone" clearly meant as a joke, but there was a certain truth to it. Paris will always be a city for tourists and locals alike - I don't believe that one has to live here to appreciate its beauty - but it was refreshing to see a part of the city that is so rarely traversed by tourists. Children played in the streets, school yards, and the park next to Notre-Dame-de-Chine (Our Lady of China church). Parents had no qualms about carrying groceries and laundry through the streets in comfortable weekend clothes. While my host family and everyone around us also performs these daily and necessary tasks, it is always with an iconic Parisian backdrop and that certain je ne sais quoi that makes this city so irresistibly elegant and lovely. However, the 13th has reached a certain level of beautiful contentedness and comfort that makes a neighborhood feel like a community.
It was bizarrely meta to watch another cultural celebration taking place in a culture I am still working to understand, but was one of the most festive weekends I've spent here. Whether assembling for a manifestation or a fête the Parisians love to gather and party, and they're willing to welcome anyone to such celebrations. Residents hung out their apartment windows to watch the parades, children climbed bus stops and scaffolding to get a better view (and then nearly jumped off when a string of fireworks exploded next to them), and everywhere gorgeous floats and costumes paraded about. Even in a city with such a distinct and proud culture I was able to find some variety and melding. Though some of the French may not consider bahn mi followed with an eclair and bubble tea an ideal lunch, it made my weekend.
They might be saying the same thing over here but it sounds better in French
While there are certain English words and phrases that I deeply miss (and that absolutely do not translate well into French) I am able to comfort myself through my constant discovery of delightful new French words. I have quickly become comfortable pointing and miming in public to convey a message, and my day planner is filled with small notes of words to memorize or look up later. However I am often surprised at how many words French and English have in common; when in doubt soften your "c" sounds and add some sort of "ie" to the end of anything, and there's a decent chance that you'll land within some sphere of French comprehension. Such nouns only become tricky when translating more modern notions and devices. Some may lament the profusion of English words into the French language - snack was recently accepted by the Académie Français as a word in the French language - but I prefer to focus on those words that have been translated in a much more literal sense.
Despite all of the poetic, literary, and artistic creativity that has occurred in France, the country itself is very literal. There's a certain frankness to all of the roads and metro stops. Roads will be named after statesmen, authors, and historic figures because they actually once lived or worked in the area. Each metro stop is defined by the fabulous building or monument that is physically closest. Parisians fondly talk about their Île de la Cité because the natural island in the middle of the Seine serves as the historic and spiritual center of the city, and also because Paris itself exists so much as an island in the middle of France. I have learned that in Harry Potter wizards use baguettes magique as opposed to wands, and that at Carnival one can order delicious barb à Papa, not Cotton Candy. After rain storms you can see an arc en ciel (arc in the sky: rainbow) over the Eiffel Tower, and every time I unsuccessfully tell a funny story I finish with an imploring laissé tomber (let it fall: nevermind). I particularly recommend that anyone studying abroad learn this phrase in their host language as sometimes all the pointing and miming in the world won't help explain something.
At the end of the day each language will have its own bizarre quirks and idioms, but these generally offer some sort of insight to the culture (as a final example, the concept of "cheap" does not exist in France as everything is simply plus ou moins chère: more or less expensive). The trick is to spend your days in class beefing up grammar, vocabulary, and general sentence construction, while spending free time exploring and practicing all of the fantastic idiomatic slang that gives a certain area its sense of identity. I have dropped my eaves all over the city of Paris and though I may never be able to use many of the words I have learned in an academic paper, I am beginning to understand the rhythm of the city and French life. The more I learn the more I realize I can never hope to be fluent in the way I would like within four month's time, but I like to think I become slightly more French every day. At the end of the day I think it all sounds much prettier in French than it ever will in English, and should I make mistakes ce n'est pas grave (it's not a big deal).
In 1945, when the Army told me to find my own job, I stayed on
As a final excursion before classes begin on Monday, my program took a trip to Normandy this past weekend. The weekend was an adventure into the culture and history of one of France's northernmost regions and an excellent reminder of everything wonderful outside of its capital city that I call home. Early Saturday morning 20 of us in the program loaded ourselves onto a bus with our three intrepid directrices and Daniel, the fantastic and stalwart driver. Our trip north was punctuated with stops in small villages, a tour of a cider distillery, and numerous bathroom breaks. We were able to shop through farmers markets for the fruits de la mer and Camembert that Normandy is so well known for, and learn about the rich farming and distilling traditions throughout the area. Each town we passed through was a beautiful amalgamation of French, British, and German architecture and food, and seemed straight out of the medieval fairy tale. Each street we walked down was far older than any man-made structure I've visited in the United States and the ancient, wooden bell towers were breathtaking. ...continue reading "In 1945, when the Army told me to find my own job, I stayed on"
This is Paris, and I’m an American who lives here
I landed in France a little over a week ago but it seems as though I have been here so much longer. It's difficult to believe that I could have crammed so many museums, monuments, moments with friends, and delicious French meals into ten days. However, my orientations period is not yet over and classes at the Sorbonne and its related institutions won't start until February. I still have time to kill and places to explore, and it is in this pre-class lull that I have time to reflect on what I really hope to accomplish in my time here. I've spent a significant part of my life building up and preparing for Paris in the spring, and now I'm determined to take advantage of everything around me. ...continue reading "This is Paris, and I’m an American who lives here"
Paris in the snow
It has snowed almost every day since my arrival in Paris and I have decided this must be some sort of good omen indicating luck and many magical experiences to come. While the snow has quickly turned black and slushy as it does in every large city, and real Parisians are far less enchanted with it than I, this will hardly stop me from waking up every morning and rushing excitedly to my window. ...continue reading "Paris in the snow"