Day(s) 12-14: From Paris with Love

Merci! For reading my blog. That is frankly the only word I know in French. I found out that it's rather hard to be in a country in which I don't know the language. I've been to four different countries in my life, all of which have native or primary languages, which I speak fluently. Going along with this, I am a strong believer that everyone should travel to a location where they experience a different culture and different language. I honestly believe there would be a lot less ignorance and racism.

Traveling to a new country with a completely separate set of traditions, customs, physical features, language, etc. than your own really lets you appreciate the global diversity as well as your own home. And no, I don't mean this in the cliché "let's go around hugging everyone" sort of way. I mean this in the, "oh my god, how am I going to survive in this country" sort of way. Traveling to France, although very far away from traveling to a developing country (or another similar amazing experience of the sort) was very eye opening, and reaffirmed my belief that not enough people get out and travel (especially in the United States). Otherwise, I think we would be a very different country.

Language:
I don't know a lick of French. I can't tell you how embarrassing it was to go around trying to ask for directions, communicate my order to a waitress, or let the taxi driver know where I was headed, all while butchering the French language. I also don't believe in this false sense of entitlement that many American's who travel have. By this I mean the belief that everything in the whole world should be available in English, and people should cater to our needs as such. I'm surprised how many American's (some of my friend's included) believe this (even if they don't want to admit it). It's already amazing enough that people in other countries speak their native language and speak English. Don't complain if someone else can't speak English in another country, I doubt you know more than one language.

Being placed in this position really helped me further appreciate the struggle that people (like my parents) face when moving to a new country and a new culture. Speaking of which:

Culture:
French culture has both similar and distinct qualities than those of the United States. I mean, it is a developed Western European nation after all. Given this, it was really interesting to see (through pointing and site seeing) the unique flavor that Paris has to offer. Some highlights of Paris include the amazing food and really expensive clothing. Most people, especially the very beautiful women, were dressed to impress (by American standards anyway). The crazy part is, I'm sure whatever they were wearing was just casual. It's a sharp contrast with Chicago city life, where there is a stronger mix of plaid shirts with jeans than button ups with slacks.

Another aspect of culture that I noticed was a strong sense of identity and tradition. French "things" are very French. Be it the food or the clothing, like I've mentioned, or the lifestyle, architecture, and entertainment. Parks are flooded with individuals sleeping and reading, and everything seems to slow down a bit. Why does everything have to be so fast in America? I'd like to enjoy some bread, wine, and cheese every once and a while.

Visiting:
I had a great time in Paris. That's not to say the city is a bit rough around the edges, and definitely a culture shock. I was very fortunate to have spent a few hours with Jessica and her cousin, Pierre, who is actually a Parisian. He gave us an amazing night tour and took us out to a Latin Night Club. I could spend another post talking about that night, but I won't. In a nutshell; it was a blast, I can't dance, and a beautiful woman rejected me. Case closed.

O.K. my stream of consciousness is now complete. Enjoy some pictures of Paris:

                                     Eiffel Tower                                The Seine

Accordion Man