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Published: January 18th 2006
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YeaH,
so for Chirstmas break I was able to hope a short flight to Paris and spend a few days toursiting around the city till Christmas eve when I met up with Elodie. SO this is the story.
I arrived after a lovely short flight into Charles De gaulle Airport. And took the Metro straight to Montmartre where I would stay in a hostel for the next few days. I had heard about a free christmas concert that was to occur that night at Notre Dame and I was determined to get there in time. So I hopped the metro after dropping my bags and headed straight to Mile zero France. (I was told later that all distances in France are measured from a point directly in front of Notre Dame.)
When I arrived, I found out that I had the time off by about an hour and had about two hours till the concert started. So I set off to find some good eats. Of course I did and was still feeling nervous about french ability. Soon enough though I found out that my french was quite passable. I had a long, but simple conversation with
a man in my hostel who didn't speak any english and found out what he did for a living, h ow many kids he had and even his plans for the next few years. Crazy. I thought to myself when I first saw people speaking french around me. 'Wow they must have studyied french for a long time!' It took me a second longer to realize that Cassandra, they speak french! Its as natural to them as you speak english!' This was weird. I mean what an odd sensation to realize that people can understand something and think in a langauge almost totally foreign to you. It was really trippy. I have been having similar sensatins lately. Like one point in class a few months ago I was taking notes and it all of a sudden dawned on me how amazing it was that I could write. That I could form language in such a complex way as to be able to write it down so that someone else who could read would have a glimpse of what I was thinking at that moment. Weird.
Well after such out of body experinces. On my first morning in the Hostel
I met two Brazilian guys. they were such fun to talk with at breakfast that we decided to spend the day together seeing the sights. This was great, because while one(Luciano) was only in the city for that day, the other(Daniel aka. nier) was in town for two weeks. He and two of his friends who flew in from Italy later hung out for all three days I was in Paris. However much fun walking around a city by yourself is, being with someone, even if you've only know them for a few hours is much more reassuring. You can relax just that much more. Also I figured out really quick that with more of us I got less harrased by hustlers and loverboys. A VERY WELCOMED RELIEF!
I did spend some much needed time in the cafes just contemplating...well everything. Here's an excerpt from one of those moments...
I want to write this in french since my mind is trying so hard to think in french. Today I saw a mouse in the metro. It definitly was a mouse and not a baby rat. I'm sure he was looking for food, but since it seemed to be
looking under the tracks I'm not sure how much he would find.
I'm finally in a tiny cafe. The two men next to me are so close we could share our lunches. It smells good. Roast chicken, and some vegetables and sauces. I think they are 'labourers'. their sweaters, dark blue to better hide the grease stains, are speckeled with white paint. Their greying hair is comforted only by the crrepign hairline, which is slowly revealing their bare heads.
....
the best toursit spots can be easily found when you know what to look for. If you start to see grotesque plastic effiel towers whick blink different coulours and men shouting 'bling, bling eiffel tower' run! Run as fast as you can! Another sign you are entering a tourist spot is this. a Distinct line of mostly/ entirely African men all speaking english to the tourists. They move their hands as if their sole intention is to better direct the streams of pedestrians filing past them. yet what they actually want is for you to stop so they can tie a 'friendship' bracelet on you as they say ridiculus phrases like, 'haukuna matata.' How much they charge for
this 'Parisian' experince I don't know.
The thing I have had to learn from these encounters is sad, I have had to learn not to smile, to ignore, not to make eye contact. anyone who knows me knows how very difficult it is for me to willingly not smile.
......
Paris, it is everything and nothing you expect. The cobbled stones, which are so quaint the first day are no longer so after wlakign on them for three days. Le petit patissere, witht he mountains of croissants, tartes, and gateaux, are ust as lovely and mouth wtering as anyone could ever want of paradise. the pretentious fashionistas and the countless hustlers lining the streets. The ones you really must be careful far are the ones who charm you. Ask you for a cafe. Tell you about their lives. you meet their friendswho both look a bit dodgy. Like guys you would expect to see at a back alley dog fight. at this point and actually at the first point of contact, you should kindly say, 'I have some errands/ appointments/ whatever, lets meet later or its been nice, Ciao!'Absolutly never reveal where you are staying, what your
phone number is, nothing!
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NiER
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lovely!
Cass You were such a great found in Paris! I will always remember when we met under the Eiffel Tower and you approached in kind of bizarre way (remeber that?? lol). Miss u See you somewhere around the world! I hope that´s soon... Liebe Grüße aus Berlin