Paris, day 1

Bonjour a tous!

Today was my first full day in Paris. I woke up this morning and couldn’t quite believe that I was here. Then I checked the time, and realized I couldn’t quite believe how late I was to orientation. I won’t say by how much as that could get me in trouble. But after buying my SIM card at the nearby Free boutique, I got an Uber, where I met a very friendly driver named Armandy. He was willing to speak French with me, and together in broken English and French we managed to have a lovely conversation.

I headed to lunch with the IES group, which was at a café on a literal barge in the Seine, and was seated with two guys from Howard and UWisconsin. The guy from Howard (a fashion marketing major) was very nice, but the UWisconsin guy (business, ick) was a bit insufferable and kept asking where he could buy a vape and complaining about the nightclub entrance fees.

After finishing up orientation I took the bus home, and made a stop at Monoprix (French target) to get the security tag removed from the socks I bought yesterday. Unfortunately that did not stop me from setting off the security alarm yet again, but after the guard searched my bag and didn’t find anything, I was on my way home.

There is much to cover about Paris, but since I don’t want to take up too much of your time, I’ve divided my observations into likes and dislikes, because who doesn’t love a good opinion. You will find them below.

Likes:

Friendly Uber drivers: Armandy was very funny and complained that Paris is an expensive city. He was incredibly patient with my bad French and we had a good laugh. He dreams of visiting New York. I left him a tip for his troubles.

Lärmstörung!! (Noise laws): Paris noise regulations are very similar to Germany. No noise between 10 PM and 6 AM, which all people and businesses are subject to. If your neighbors complain, the police can be called. I have no qualms about this.

My room: I love this little place, which is clean, bright, and practical. It has a bathroom and kitchenette with a stovetop, fridge, and microwave. I heard other people complaining, but I am satisfied. It is so nice to come home to a place that has everything you need within reach.

My neighborhood: the neighborhood is quiet and residential, close to the Place D’Italie. It is filled with boulangeries, bakeries, hair salons, newspaper kiosks, Chinese restaurants, and other small businesses. I don’t need to walk far for food or anything else I might need.

The supermarket: food is so much cheaper here than in the states! While the selection is overwhelming at first, there is no shortage of affordable bread, cheese, deli meats, and most importantly, wine. My four euro bottle of 2022 rosé was worth every cent.

Alone time: hard to come by at first, but particularly nice when you find it. Orientation was so overwhelming and there were so many people that I’d never been happier to step onto the bus and watch the snow descend on Paris outside the window on the commute home.

Snow: French schoolchildren have a tradition of drawing hearts or smiley faces on the snow-covered windshields of parked cars. The occasional swearword can be found as well. It was so cute that I tried it on the Renault parked outside my apartment. 10/10 would recommend.

Dislikes:

Fellow American students (some): The American students come in all shapes and sizes but they all seem to have one thing in common: being rich. The number of Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, and Longchamp bags I spotted were staggering. The orientation even had a section called “how to use your parents’ credit card in France.” They are also prone to making fun of the locals, being loud, vaping, and not wanting to use public transportation.

Random people accosting you: can happen anywhere, but some are persistent. Usually they want your money. One of them didn’t take “I don’t speak French” for an answer, and asked me in English where I was going and said that I was very beautiful and that he liked me. Thanks, but nice try dude. I was not looking cute.

Required IES events: These are made with good intentions but intimidate the heck out of me. There are usually an overwhelming amount of people in attendance, all of whom make the same kind of small talk without really being interested in you.

Fines! The French government LOVES to fine people. It’s hilarious. You can get a fine for anything under the sun. Smoking in the wrong place. Putting the wrong trash in the bin. Noise past 10 pm. Not signing your RATP card. Downloading pirated movies. And unlike in America, it’s not an empty threat.

Bedbugs: The scourge of Paris and my worst nightmare. The disinfection process is apparently very intense and VERY expensive. For this reason I will be taking the “no overnight guests” policy seriously.Read more