I'm Back!

Sorry for the lack of posts... my parents and godparents came to visit last week and school has picked up so I've been really busy lately. Seeing family was really nice and comforting. It's great to be able to share this experience with people that really know me, especially so that later when I'm back in Canada complaining about how I miss Paris, my family will actually know what I'm talking about since they've seen my apartment and a lot of the places that I've been enjoying here. We walked along the Seine, went on a boat cruise, saw the arc de triomphe, eiffel tower, Sacre Coeure and Montmartre, Versailles and just did a lot of walking around the city! Tomorrow Joce is coming to visit me from England which is very exciting! Having guests is fun because it makes me do more touristy stuff again. When I first arrived here I was really into sight-seeing and exploring different places, but now that school is underway and I've settled in I've become sort of lazy and there are still so many things that I need to see!

Cell Phones!

Everyone in Paris is obsessed with their cell phones! I mistake at least 5 people a day for being crazy because they are talking into earphones/a small headset and at first glance it just looks like they are talking to themselves. I went to a museum the other day, and every room had an employee in it sitting in the corner to "watch" and make sure that the exhibits weren't touched, and every single one of those people were texting or browsing on their phones. I think it's also really noticeable for me because you can get reception on the metro in Paris so I see many people chatting away underground as well. In class a lot of people just have their cell phones sitting on their desk in front of them. Canadians are pretty cell phone obsessed as well, but I think that we are a bit more discrete about it than the Parisians.

LUCKY LUKE

So "Lucky Luke" is coming out in theatres this week, and it is pretty popular with the French from what I can see. It's based on a Franco-Belgian comic book that is apparently on the same level as Asterix and Tintin in terms of popularity and is one of the best-selling comics in Europe. It's about a cowboy in the American Old West who can "shoot faster than his shadow."

French kids are cute!

French kids are really cute. There seem to be a lot of kids in France, and they are all adorable! I've had conversations about their cuteness with many people. I think part of it has to do with the way their parents dress them (very nicely), but also with their genetic make-up. They all seem to have really nice hair that is either blond/sun-kissed, or really dark and curly. They also have big, round eyes a lot of the time. I think the fact that they speak French also makes them a bit more adorable. This does not only apply to kids in Paris, because the kids that I looked after in the south of France and their friends were also really cute!

L'affaire Farewell

This is a trailer for a French movie that is out in theatres, I couldn't find one with subtitles but it has something to do with spies and the cold war. The main actor in it is one of the few French actors that I know, and I have liked him ever since he was in "The Beach." His name is Guillaume Canet and I think that he has become a pretty big actor in France. I've only seen him in one or two French movies so far, so I might check this one out.

Paris Nightlife

This past week I went out to two different clubs in Paris and really enjoyed myself. Both places were pretty big, had really good DJs and were very crowded. The first place that I went to was called Club 75/Social Club and it seemed to be a cool spot for the hipster crowd. Everyone was crowded around the DJ who was playing techno beats and there were green and blue lights flashing. The second place I went to was called CAB/Lelounge (apparently most clubs have two names here...). It was right beside the Louvre, and it was more upscale appearnce wise, but the crowd seemed to be more immature. The music was mainly dance and hip-hop, the type of songs you'd hear at most dance places.

Here are some things that I've noticed about the nightlife in Paris:

- As in most of Europe, the night starts and ends later (usually you don't get to a bar before 12, and you leave after 3).
- Most places have 10-20 euro cover, but you can often print a kind of coupon off the internet that gets you in for free or at a discounted rate before a certain time.
- Drinks at clubs are very expensive, at a more casual bar they usually average around 6 euros
- The average french 20 year old drinks way more than they should... I know this from the numerous stories I've heard about/from the French people at my school, and from seeing 4 people get sick outside the club I went to on Saturday
- The French are really into PDA (public displays of "affection"), there are always many couples/strangers/acquaintences being extremely friendly with one another everywhere in the club.
- It is really difficult to get a cab late at night if you are at a popular club because everyone is outside waiting for them, you have to be really patient, or find somewhere else to wait, but most cabs that drive by have their lights off meaning that they already have a passenger. The lines at the taxi stands are also huge late at night.
- They don't ID very often here, but it does happen occassionally so it's smart to always have it with you.
- The clubs are very hot, dont' wear long sleaves or anything too heavy because you will get sweaty and overheated! It's hard to stay on the dancefloor for long because the heat along with the crowd can be overpowering.

Movie Theatres

Did you know that in a lot of European countries, seats in movie theatres are assigned? When I went to the movies with my friends last week, they were telling me that in their respective countries (Germany, Finland and Belgium) you have to buy tickets in groups to make sure that you get seats beside one another. It is like going to a concert or a real theatre. I found this really strange, because I've never even heard or thought about that, but apparently it's common across Europe. In France the movie theatres are the same as in Canada, but there are some differences:

1) The prices: night is more expensive (10 euros), they have cheap morning prices (4 Euros), when you buy a ticket it usually comes with a coupon for some sort of deal (food, discount ticket, etc.)
2) The popcorn: they have salty and sweet... but salty is just with salt, not with butter, I haven't tried sweet yet...
3) They dub over most of the English movies (which I'm pretty sure they never do to any foreign film in Canada)

Evian Roller Babies

I saw this commercial at the movies last week and I think that it's kind of creepy.... it just looks so unnatural to me. I'm not sure if this ad was made for France or Europe specifically because there is an English version as well. From the comments on youtube most people think that it's really cute, but I just find it disturbing. What do you think?

Le Pliage

This is the most popular bag in Paris right now, it's by Longchamp and it's called Le Pliage (which means folding in French). I see at least 3 people with this bag everyday and it comes in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes. I don't really see the huge appeal in having the same bag as a million other people... but I guess it is pretty practical and not overly expensive (the price ranges from 44-78 USD according to the website).

Washing the Sidewalks

In Paris, the sidewalk or troittor is cleaned on a regular basis with water. The city workers use high pressure hoses to spray debris off the sidewalk, and people often hose down the area in front of their stores and apartments as well. This makes for some awkward manoeuvring while walking in Paris because I often find myself jumping over puddles or taking odd routes to avoid being sprayed by with water. I'm not sure if this is common practice in Europe, or more of a Parisien thing... I haven't seen it done that often in Canada. I wonder if it is an effective process? Maybe it's not even a cleaning process and is done for some other reason that I don't know of....

From Tokyo to Paris...

UNIQLO is opening in Paris! UNIQLO is a Japanese clothing store that has a lot of basics and is pretty reasonably priced, I've bought some things from the store in Tokyo before. The Metro station Opera has been covered in ads for the store since I've been here, so I am excited to go check it out. Anyways, this is just an addition to the large Japanese presence I've noticed in Paris. It seems that the Japanese love Paris, and the Parisiens seem to have an appreciation for Japan too... or at least are trying to cater to the many Japanese tourists. There are "Japanese" restaurants on almost every street (though I've been told most are owned by Chinese or Korean people). Paris even has a street with mostly Japanese stores and restaurants on it as well as a large Japanese bookstore. I'm sure that there are many other Japanese things in Paris that I have yet to come across. I know that in Tokyo their are tons of French-inspired patisseries, boulangeries and cafes. All of the high-end French designers have huge stores in Ginza as well. I suppose that the relationship between Tokyo and Paris makes sense when you consider how trendy both cities are, it's almost as if they are trying to keep up with one another.

Parisiens and their cats...

I mentioned before that I saw a cat eating tuna on top of a gravestone... and recently I saw an even stranger thing. I went to a bar on a boat on the canal near my apartment with some friends last week, it was a typical kind of neighbourhood bar with lots of French people who all seemed to know each other. So I was just sitting at a table with my friends, enjoying a beer when I turned around to see an old woman standing behind me talking to some people while petting her cat that she had tucked inside her coat, with its head peeking out just under her chin... very strange. It seems that French people are really attached to their cats and sometimes take their fondness to a whole new level!

Aux Champs Elysées

I have had this song stuck in my head ever since I've been in Paris! I'm not even sure if I've actually heard it here yet, they used to sing it a lot in bars in Quebec City last summer. I think it just pops into my head whenever I hear the name of the street, which happens often now that I'm actually in Paris.

French Music

So I haven't really had the chance yet to listen to much French radio or watch TV, but I was just looking at the MCM website (the French Music Channel) and the above video is currently #1 of "Le Top 50." If you want to see what else is on the list here is the website: http://www.mcm.net/programmes/top50/. It's about half French music, half English music. To be honest though, whenever I'm out in Paris at stores, bars, restaurants, etc. they usually only play English music. I think the most popular song right now, that I've heard blaring from cars and at school is "Sexy Bitch" by David Guetta and Akon... which is currently #4 and quite a contrast from the above song.

Paris at Night

The other night my roommate and I were lucky enough to get a tour around the city at night in our landlord's vintage car. It was a spontaneous outing and it was absolutely fantastic. If you ever get the chance to see Paris at night by car, don't hesitate! First of all it's nice to see the city from the passenger's seat of a car, it really is a different experience. I felt that my sense of orientation improved in just that one hour and I now have a better map of Paris in my head. Paris really is the city of lights and it comes alive at night. The lighting on the Eiffel Tower is really well done, and personally I like when it starts sparkling like a diamond, it's almost hypnotizing. Just driving along the Seine provides a breathtaking view as well. There are so many beautiful bridges and monuments that are illuminated at night. Don't get me wrong, Paris is nice in the day as well, but there is just something almost magical about the city at night.