First Impressions of Paris
My first sight of Paris was through a haze of seep deprivation and travel sickness, though I suppose that is most people’s first impressions of most cities. Our arrival happened to coincide with a heat wave, so we sweated our way through arrival, orientation, and a boat tour of the Seine. Overall, the first day in Paris was one of immense beauty, novelty, and discomfort.
It is a strange experience to walk down the street and speak in a language different from those around me. I feel the need to be both quieter and smaller—mainly to dispute the “loud American” stereotype, but also so I can listen to those around me. Paris is a blur of people, but all seem to speak with a respect for the population density, so the voices are a symphony of whispers. It is very different from the American response to a crowd, speaking louder and louder until you need to shout to be heard over the other shouters.
Despite the whispers, Paris is still one of the most lively cities I’ve ever been in. Every restaurant spills out onto the street, with people talking and laughing over glasses of wine, elaborate meals, and minuscule cups of espresso. My roommate and I spent an hour in one such place, watching the people walk by and trying to decipher their French. Each store is packed both inside and out with shoppers and window shoppers alike. Couples, friends, and families line the banks of the Seine, swinging their legs over the river and waving at the tour boats as they fly by.
Today, when we weren’t exploring, we were spending long hours in the CEA orientation. The room was windowless, and lacking AC, so it was admittedly difficult to concentrate. The information conveyed was fairly straightforward—how to get around the city, how French apartments and American apartments are different (they put the toilet and the sink in two different rooms), and what exactly we can expect from our classes.
One presenter discussed the differences between the French and American school systems. French public universities require nothing but a high school graduation, and they are so cheap they’re almost free. As a result, their purpose is solely to educate, and students are required to look elsewhere for extracurriculars, sports, research opportunities, and health care. It will be interesting to see if this education system changes the expectations that my French-born professor has for his students.
A lovely bonus of the orientation was the lunch provided by CEA. They brought us to a small restaurant in the Marais, where we enjoyed a delicious meal followed by a dessert of brioche perdu (French toast and ice cream, literally “lost bread”). Orientation now over, we are jumping straight into activities and classes, with a trip to the Musée Bourdelle tomorrow morning to see their Balenciaga exhibit. Here’s hoping the jet lag goes away tonight so I can appreciate it fully.
