London & Paris are like Chalk and Cheese
Hi I’m back! And not just with another entry, but back from Paris, where I've spent the past week visiting my cousins. This is my second time doing this entry lol, as the first time I wrote it was on the eurostar train back home. Turns out the reception thousants of feet underground isn't fantastic, so here we go again.
Anyways, this week was a really nice break and there was so much I did and saw. I did all the fancy touristy stuff of course, seeing the arc de triumph, walking the champs elyse, and taking pictures in front of everyone's favorite attraction, the eiffel tower. This would be a good time to point out that since this is my blog, I will be spelling many words, especially very french words, completely wrong for the remainder of this entry. I would love to insert some french words here to show the knowledge that I picked up over seven days living in a place where no one spoke a word of english. However, I regret to inform you all that after that time the only words I have picked up are bonjour (good day), bonswai (good evening), merci (thank you), and canard (duck). If you're wondering why "duck" is the french word my brain used to memorize, then don't worry, I'm wondering along with you.
Nevertheless, I tried hard to push beyond the tourist traps and do some other cool things that have been on my to-do list for a while. I cracked a baguette like in Ratatouille, tried Raclette cheese (you know, the stinky one that you can't wash off you for days no matter how hard you try) in a very fancy french cheese maker, saw a Ukranian rally in a huge parisian square, bought laduree macaroons like my idol, blair waldorf, visited the Musee De Orsay, and went to an all natural brunch spot where everything is homemade (lol the compost even comes from the toilets! and yes...after finding out that fact, I did suddnetly lose my appetite, but it was still really cool). Paris is a really cool place and has really cute dogs (and guys lol) so it was definitely a nice trip. The cherry on top was visiting souvenir shops and realizing they all sell the EXACT same thing: easily broken mugs, eiffel towers on everything in every size, and condoms that say "wanna see my baguette?" in bold print.
Aside from being really tempted to buy one for some of my friends, I spent the week dumbfounded at how a city just two hours away by train could be so different. London and Paris really are like "chalk and cheese", meaning (i think) wildely different. There were some culture shocks for sure, which I'm surprised still apply as a tourist. First of all, the language barrier definitely made me thankful I chose to study in an english speaking country. My cousins don't live in Paris itself but the subarbs, and unlike Paris (which is as touristy as it gets), not a single person where I lived could speak more than five words of English. Which left it up to me to rely on body language and cues from my cousins when it came to navigating the metro, ordering at restaraunts, and buying tickets anywhere. The first day, I had a ten minute conversation with a metro worker before realizing she was asking me for a pen, not for my credit card. And a few days later, I went to a creperie by myself and had to scan the entire menu using google translate. Trust me on this-- you don't know the definition of stress until you find yourself nervously typing "applesauce": into google translate as an annoyed waiter paces behind you waiting for your order.
The food was another culture shock, but in a very good way. Paris food makes london food look like it was actually made by rats, which is ironic since Ratatouille takes place in Paris. From the croissants we had for breakfast to the food my cousin made for dinner, I was seriously impressed with the quality of the ingrediants. And hey, maybe I'm just a worse cook than my cousin, but my moldy kitchen back in London doesn't even come close.
Finally, I was impressed by the people I met and how easy it was to find my way around. The metro system magically works better in Paris than in London, which I find sad considering London's is actually in English. But the metro in Paris uses numbers instead of confusing names for its lines, and numbers were a lot easier to memorize. And when Sharon can find her way around somewhere without getting lost in one week, we consider that as a win.
Anyway, I had a really great time and it is sad to say goodbye to Paris, that is, until my parents and I visit in a couple of weeks. For now, I'm glad I got to spend some time with family and explore a beautiful city and ready to have a few weeks just me, my friends, and my yucky kitchen.
Au Revoir!
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