La Vie à Paris

Life in Paris…. Is quite different from life in Bamako !  I arrived in Paris one week ago today, and I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on some of the things I am still getting used to… in list form:

Evening snack and drink on the river with Elise

1.  Public transportation: A bit of a stranger to public transport as it is (it doesn’t exist in Greencastle, or really in Indiana for that matter), it always takes me a while to get used to taking the metro or bus around town in a new city.  There is something about taking the metro that makes me feel special and fancy- quite important, even.  This past week on the metro, I have done a lot of people watching.  I’ve seen children traveling alone or with parents or babysitters, people with dogs, people with strollers and suitcases, fancy Parisian women and hipster teenagers.  When you think about it, it’s not so different from taking  a Sotrama in Bamako… full of people, sometimes with animals, often with children and things to carry…. But I guess the similarities kind of end there….
2. Being anonymous: This was something I was really looking forward to by the time I left Mali.  I was excited about the idea of walking into a café and getting a coffee without being stared at or approached.  Of course, sometimes it’s fun and to my benefit to receive special attention in Bamako, but sometimes it’s nice to feel like I’m just one of the crowd and to be able to blend in and relax in a public place. 
3. The cold:  It’s November in Paris… need I say more?  I have a lightweight jacket that I bought in Bamako (for 1,000cfa or about $2) and a couple pairs of tennis shoes, but I am really helplessly underprepared for the weather here.  I feel like a frumpy American in my Chuck Taylors and wish I had found more sweaters and pants at the American garage sale (where I bought almost all of the clothes I brought here with me)
4. Prices: I am really suffering from sticker shock here.  I think this is understandable for most travelers to Paris, since it is a big city and one of the most expensive in Europe.  However, coming from a place where I pay 50cents for a meal and $2 for a coat, it’s hard to get used to the idea of spending 4euro for a coffee or 10-15 euro for a cheap t-shirt.  I’m sure this will get easier with time, but it’s an adjustment for sure. 

I might be missing Mali already, but I found Mali in Paris at the
Branly museum!

Things I’ve been missing already:

1.  Malian hospitality:  When I arrived in Paris last Tuesday, I had 2 backpacks, a 50 pound plastic bag “suitcase,” a tote bag, and a painting to carry from the airport to my friend’s apartment on my own.  It took a couple hours, a train, and a few metro changes to get there.  By the end of the journey, my hands hurt from carrying the bags, I was sweating despite the autumn chill in the air, and I was ready to cry if I saw another set of stairs to conquer.  It was finally at this point that 2 girls my age took pity on me and carried my 50lb bag up a set of stairs and on and off a metro for me- between the two of them.  But… they were Spanish!  They sympathized with me because they, too, knew what it was like to move and to essentially carry a year of your life (or more) on your back.  I  was giving up hope entirely on finding any French hospitality when I found it at my last metro exchange… A young French guy getting off at my stop saw me struggling on the stairs- leaving one bag at the bottom while I carried others to the top and then came back for the rest.  He struggled with my Malian “suitcase” up the stairs and down the street while I searched for Elise’s apartment.  When he came back an hour later and found me sitting in a café because I couldn’t reach Elise, he gave me his phone number and told me to call if I didn’t have luck reaching my friend.  Thanks, Antony, for boosting my spirits and restoring my confidence in French hospitality.
2. The sun:  Though Paris is a beautiful city, it hasn’t been quite as lovely this past week because the sun has not been shining.  Maybe when my mom and aunt arrive, they will bring the sun with them. 
3. Rice and sauce:  Is it possible?  I never thought I would miss eating rice and sauce day in and day out, but I do miss a good tiga dege!  My mission today is to find a great place to get one in Paris…

Things I’m loving… not a comprehensive list, of course:

With Rajai in the main square of Le Mans

1. Seeing old friends- It has been wonderful to catch up with Elise, a friend from high school when she came to Greencastle as an exchange student.  She has offered me a place to stay, entertained me, taken me out with her friends, cooked me dinner, and organized a trip with her mother and friends to tour one of the biggest cathedrals in Europe!  What a wonderful hostess and a fun person to be with!  Rajai traveled to meet me, as well, and we spent a wonderful day together exploring Le Mans.  He surprised me by taking me to a Dogon art exhibit (they live in Northern/Eastern Mali) and we had a lot of fun catching up and wandering through the old part of town- a medieval section that actually appears in a lot of films!
2. Good coffee:  This one is pretty self explanatory.  It may be 4 euros a cup, but it’s warm and delicious… and not Nescafe! 
3. The park Buttes Chaumont:  The biggest park in Paris is just a few blocks from where I’m staying!  It is a gorgeous hilly park with a waterfall, a temple look out point with a great view, and lots of trees and fall colors (not like Indiana, but beautiful in its own right).  I have had the chance to run there a couple of mornings this past week and it is just great to see other joggers, couples walking, kids on field trips, and people with their dogs! 
4. Cheese: I looooove cheese, and it’s so much cheaper here than in Bamako!  I even ate some for breakfast this morning…
5. Late afternoon drinks:  Most days that I’ve been here, Elise and I have bought beers and peanuts around 4 or 5 and found a place to sit and have a drink outside for an hour or so.  It’s such a nice way to relax and do a little people watching and catch up after a long day.  While the pace of life is faster here than in Mali, I find that there are still nice periods of relaxation built into the day for most people!

I hope my lists don’t obscure the fact that I am really enjoying myself.  I have already visited a couple of places outside of Paris (Le Mans and the Chartres Cathedral) and made my way to several museums (Le Musée de quai Branly, Musée Dapper, and an outdoor photo exhibit) and relaxed with coffees and beers at cafés in the late afternoon.  I am having a great time visiting with my friend, Elise, and really appreciate all of her hospitality!  I’m looking forward to more new experiences as I visit Denmark and see my friend, Cecilia, for a couple of days and then as I share Paris with my mom and my aunt next week!  Look for more updates soon!

 

Inside the cathedral

Cathedral de Chartres

Find more photos from my trip here: https://picasaweb.google.com/104987570167325122204/November2011