Vol II: #96 Thoughts and Laughs
The hardest part of my trip thus far is my biology. I have to force myself out of bed in the morning. And then, I get an energy thrust starting around 5 PM each evening lasting until 5 am. Since California is nine hours behind Paris the timing of my shifting energy levels fits perfectly within this timeframe. I blame myself because I knew I should’ve stayed awake the day I landed. Oh well.
Today, I’ve got a two new thoughts to share as well as a few amusing stories.
Paris is truly an international city, and I believe it rivals New York. Streets are named after leaders of other countries and important historical dates. And the city has a monument every other block. Again, many of these monuments aren’t French heroes or leaders. For example, they have statues for George Washington and Simon Bolivar, but also a tribute to the Armenians who were murdered by the Ottoman Empire.
Additionally, you’ll hear music from all of the world blaring from cars and headphones, and Paris has every kind of cuisine you could imagine. Within five minutes of my hotel I’ve seen: poke bowls(ahi tuna and rice), dumplings, Pakistani, fried chicken, Indian, Turkisk, Italian, Hunan, Cantonese, Lebanese, Greek, tapas, pizza, burgers, and of course tons of French cafes, pâtisseries, boulangeries, and brasseries.
I think I get it. Within a three hour flight of Paris is all of Europe, Russia, Turkey, and North Africa. It’s the reason I’ve heard Arabic, German, Italian, and Brits from one block to the next. More over, I think Paris is interested in people from all over- to some degree. (I have no idea what the political environment is in France. It’s nice to be ignorant.)
Despite all these influences and cultures, Paris is very French. They are obsessed with preserving the past- sounds like a country I know- while accepting new ideas, technology, and culture. In fact, one country seems to have made an impact on every person I’ve encountered: The United States. Yep. We are everywhere. Whether it’s Nikes on every kid under 18 or iPhones, or the Portuguese grandmother carrying her grandson’s Cars backpack, the US has made significant inroads into the lives of many people. Hip hop, a most American invention, is the official music of the youth. Everyone eats McDonalds, and its possible that the French like Burger King more than we do. French TV features Grey’s Anatomy and Storage Wars (why??) And, I lost track of how many Star Wars t-shirts I encountered.
My point is the impending doom most Americans feel is overstated. The world doesn’t hate us. Judging by the teenagers playing basketball and listening to rap in the park, we are still loved.
Now, for some funnies.
I’ve seen way more public nudity than I thought I would, and not the sexual kind. Twice, and directly in front of me, I watched a mother drop her top and begin to feed her child. Good for them, but I never know how to respond to public breastfeeding- I usually stare at the ceiling. Public mom boobs aside, nothing tops the family in the metro station.
The surge of tourist caught everyone by surprise this summer, in Paris and tourist destinations. So late on Thursday evening, the trains were packed with sweaty commuters and tourist trying to make their way from the Eiffel Tower to dinner or a glass of wine. I decided to perch myself on a blue bench beside the platform to people watch. After a few trains, a young family jockeyed their way to the empty seats to my left. The mother sat directly beside me and immediately her youngest son started a familiar dance. He spoke what I assume is Thai, and though I did not understand the words he used, I know what he said. Roughly translated he said,“I gotta pee and I can’t hold it” while he grabbed himself and hopped impatiently. At this, his older brother laughed a loud mocking laugh that only brothers have for one another. His mother shrugged and looked at the boy’s father.
Without a blink, the man produced an empty water bottle and whispered instructions. Immediately, the older son let out another round of mocking laughter while the mother helped the boy lower his pants and the father knelt to hold the bottle for the boy. The oldest son still laughing, now began to point, while the mother tried to shield potential onlookers. The amusement was not lost on the young parents and they began to laugh and shout encouragement to their youngest son. A few moments later, the boy was smiling and his father held a water bottle half-full of his son’s pee. That’s expert level parenting at its finest and they got a fun memory for the effort.
I had a feeling the Louvre would be packed today, but I was still not prepared for the sea of humanity in the museum. The mass of bodies probably helped push the temperatures higher than normal. And, I soon learned to find the air grates in the grand hallways and rooms. I also made use of the benches and chairs. On one such occasion, a round and spirited Spanish lady plunked down next to me. She was in her fifties, and had a huge mole above her lip. And her family stood around her as she fanned herself. Then, her son said something about el bano and the lady nodded.
As soon as the boy and his father left, she whipped out her phone and tapped the screen. I believe she attempted to log into the museum wifi, but was unsuccessful. I believe this because dropped among a few Spanish cuss words was a very clear f*cking piece of sh-t. I snorted, and she looked over at me and smiled before returning to her phone. After watching a few people stroll through the hall I turned back to my new friend. She had prepared a text. The message included a selfie she took in front of the Louvre, which is a popular thing to do, and a caption. I about fell over when I read, “Te amo mi negro.”
Finally, this isn’t a story so much as a thought. You know most Americans believe Wal Mart is the place some people go to discipline their children. In fact, it is difficult to make it safely in and out of a Wal Mart without seeing a youngster in tears and the correspondingly embarrassed parent. Now, picture for a moment that Paris is a giant Wal Mart. The people of Paris have no issue arguing and/or yelling in public. It’s hilarious and makes me feel at home, like these people aren’t that sophisticated.
