Wandering Through The Streets Of The City

I bought a rucksack. Not a very expensive one. Not a very trendy one. But I absolutely love it. This recent purchase has prompted me to start getting out of the flat and exploring a little bit more. Every day for about the last week I’ve tried to go for a walk somewhere new. I’m very pro-walking as opposed to cycling (because I can’t) or taking public transport (because well people). You see a lot more things when you’re walking and you can change your mind as to your destination. Paris has made me go with the flow a lot. Especially recently when life throws up little difficulties.

Taking some time to just have a think and to burn off some nervous energy is very healthy for everyone to do from time to time. Paris is a perfect place to do this as well. It is easy to navigate. Every road has a café where you can stop off for a cheeky aperitif. Plus the scenery is to die for. From wide open spaces in the numerous parks to tranquil calm by the river, you can have it all. Admittedly there are lots of tourists who can be quite slow walkers and tend to get in the way but even they can provide some entertainment.

This afternoon I popped a bottle of water and my book in my rucksack with no knowledge of where I was going to go and just set off out the front door. It’s incredibly liberating to just aimlessly wander particularly now. It is only a matter of months before I start my final year of university. The real world outside of education is certainly starting to seem quite close now so making the most of hardly any commitments is my priority now.

Walking is free exercise too, as my Dad would say. You don’t have to pay to go for a walk. Being out in the fresh air is better than being sat in bed all day. I’ve been trying to soak up some Vitamin D this week as everyone feels better with a tan don’t they? With my sunglasses on and music in my ears I feel invincible. There is no greater feeling than the freedom you get from doing what you want when you want. It doesn’t matter where you go, so just bung some comfy shoes on and a book in your bag and discover somewhere new. 

Les Provinces

Uni has finished. I’m in a new flat (well the one just above my old one but that’s a whole other story). I’m currently looking for jobs. So as the real world beckons me I’ve taken some time out on Paris to try and run away from the city. There are things that are truly wonderful about living in a big city. Decent public transport, varied nightlife and cosmopolitan atmosphere to name just a few advantages. But sometimes it is quite healthy to get away from the over-priced pints and the smoggy pollution.

France has a truly excellent rail network. I can’t fault them in this respect. Reasonably priced and clean trains are what the UK desperately needs. I’ve never even seen a replacement bus here. Recently I went to Giverny to visit Monet’s house and gardens with my Gran and in a shocking display of common-sense there was a shuttle bus from the train station to the visitor centre the likes of which you’d never see in the UK. Shame however that this didn’t happen when I visited Fontainebleau with my Dad this last weekend. We decided that the best way to get from the train station to the boulders we were going to climb would be to take a taxi. Easier said than done. I rang the number the tourist information centre had given me to have the man at the end of the phone hang up on me after saying he had never heard of such a place. After a second time of trying he said there would be a taxi ready in 45 minutes. He must not have like my Parisian accent. Instead we exploited France’s rail network again and go back to the next stop where we walked to our new destination.

But after the distinct hassle/non-hassle in both situations I had a delightful time pootling around nice gardens and peaceful forests. Watching the wildlife and sitting in the sun is just what everyone needs after a few weeks of intense stress. I’d recommend it to everyone to reorder their lives and to get themselves feeling more human.

 Also the bonus of being outside a capital city is that everything is cheaper - 50 cents for a bottle of water! It really does highlight the daylight robbery that goes on in my beloved metropole. Despite the Parisians snooty attitudes to les provinces I’d implore you all to visit the surrounding areas to this delightful city. It is hard to remember sometimes that France isn’t just Paris and harder still to remember that it’s really very easy to take a day trip away from the city.     

Time is an Illusion. Lunchtime Doubly So.

No dear readers I have not been frequenting the Restaurant at the End Of The Universe but I have decided to let you into the much more exciting world of Parisian restaurants and eateries. As a student I don’t get to eat out much as I am usually sat at home with a cup of tea and half a kilo of pasta trying to power through some revision or essay work, well either that or catching up on Game Of Thrones.

Since my time in this gastronomic city I have been lucky enough to visit some delightful places to partake in culinary pleasures. French food is often known as the best in the world and I can confirm that 90% of the time it is. You’d think that you could never get a Croque Monsieur wrong but apparently you can. In my not so humble opinion the best place for French food is Chartier - a traditional restaurant that has bene going since the Belle Epoque and doesn’t seem to be shutting down any time soon. If you want to get a three course meal of classic cuisine for 15€ then this is the place for you.

The Parisian waiter is usually known to be surly but oh no, not in some of the establishments I have frequented. Some have been positively jovial! From the man at Chartier who called me Princess Kate after the name I happen to share with the Duchess of Cambridge to the cheery gentlemen who worked in a restaurant around the corner from a hotel my parents stayed it who found it to be extraordinary that I could speak French, I would say that all you have to do with a Parisian waiter to get them on your side and to not spit in your moules frites is to flirt with them.  It may seem backward or degrading but a flutter of the eyelashes and a slight giggle at their jokes can go a long way and who knows you might even get free stuff! Who can say no to perks like that?

But it shouldn’t just be French food you eat in this the most culinary city. A little motto Mum and I coined when we first came to visit my old flat is “When in Paris, Eat Tapas” after finding a charming place called La Bodega on Rue Cambronne that I have visited around half a dozen times since that first visit. Italian, Spanish, Lebanese, Israeli and Japanese are just some of the styles of cuisine that you can sample in Paris, so why bother eating steak all the time when there’s falafel or katsu curry around the corner?

Something I never tire of is French supermarkets. Now this might seem quite sad and tragic but seeing half a cow’s tongue in a plastic box just next to the chicken breasts never fails to spark my excitement. The exoticism of continental food outlets always manages to make me salivate at what kinds of things I can delight my taste buds with. And on that note, what’s in the fridge?......

Education, Education, Education.

Many moons ago I sat some rather stressful and painful exams known to all as A-Levels. Now many language students are vexed by the kinds of stuff they have to learn as part of their courses when at school, but I can tell you some of these things can be very important believe it or not! I’m going to outline in this post exactly what I’m glad I learnt in Sixth Form and the vocab I wish I had known when I moved to Paris.

·         The Environment – when I was sitting my exams at the end of my school career no fewer than three out of my four subjects contained modules in the Environment. I was sick to death of saving the planet and renewable energy sources. Never wanted to hear about them ever again. But dear reader I am glad that I learnt all of those lists of words for it has helped me in this my adult life. Like the English love talking about the weather, the Parisians love talking about pollution. “Paris has worse smog that Beijing didn’t you know?!” and “I just need some fresh country air in my lungs” are not phrases that are unfamiliar to me when conversing with the natives. So thank you AQA, you have done me a massive favour for which I will be ever grateful for.

·         Plumbing – French plumbing is an interesting topic. In my old apartment it was certainly a thought-provoking topic due to the toilet that was so loud it could wake up even the most comatosed teenager. I wish I had known more about what the word for a block drain was or “How do I improve the pressure on the shower?” The main parties talk about Education reform a lot and all of them have passed over a change in the languages syllabuses. I urge them to reconsider and to implement more classes in which languages students learn more practical sentences which they can use in their travels around the world.

·         The Imperative – Those who haven’t had as many grammar lessons as me might be unaware as to what this term means, and for that I am quite jealous. It is the form of the verb you use when you are commanding someone to do something. Pretty useful eh?! After many, many lessons on this at GCSE I am so glad I know how to use it. It’s perfect for telling creepy men to “Get lost” and children to “Tidy their bedrooms”. So I would like to thank both of my secondary school French teachers for this particular nugget of grammatical knowledge. I am massively appreciative.

·         Meat and Fish – I love food. This may be evident to anyone who follows me on Twitter. I’m constantly asking for people to bring me different culinary delights, but I quite like cooking myself and not just people waiting on me hand and foot with mini doughnuts. Now most people can tackle a French menu, but can they tackle a French supermarket fish counter? I thought I could. Turns out I can’t really. Last time I tried to buy something from one I just pointed to whatever looked like a white fish because I had no clue as to what it was. Ended up buying a lovely piece of hake which was a pleasant surprise. I think school children should be given practical oral exams in dealing with surly supermarket workers and having to buy a shoulder of lamb as well as extracting the mother’s recipe for oeuf en cocotte from the man behind the counter.

There we have it. My shortlist of the things I had wished I had learnt at school and the ones I’m thankful I did. For all of you out there studying for exams that you feel are pointless, never fear they may feel like that now but I can assure you that snippets will be amazingly useful in the future. 

The Problems Of An Ex-Pat

I’ve been living in France now for just over 19 months and as what you might term an “ex-pat” I have encountered a few problems. Many people have a dream of living in a different country and that doesn’t mean they don’t love their home nation any less just that they wish to go and sample somewhere else’s culture. After recently writing a piece for the lovely people at the Franco British Chamber of Commerce and Industry about why I moved to Paris in the first place I started thinking about the downsides of being a foreigner abroad.

1.       Lack of Bacon – Not much needs to be said about this as all I have to say is the lack of this food of the Gods is in limited stock on the continent which is bad news for hangovers and quick dinners.

2.       Absence of Family/Friends – Even though there isn’t a massive time difference between France and Blighty but it does impact on when you can call up your nearest and dearest for a chinwag or for moral support.

3.       French TV shows – I don’t ask for much from a country but one thing I do require is a decent Masterchef-a-like programme of which France has nothing to offer. Finding sneaky ways to watch John and Greg eating strange taste sensations is just something you have to put up with as a Brit abroad who is in need of some cheeky, light-hearted entertainment.

4.       The Weather – Out in Liverpool today, I was commenting on the phenomenon that is sunshine in the UK. As soon as the rays of dawn grace our tired morning eyes we decide to don a pair of shorts and make the most of it. This eternal optimism just doesn’t happen on the continent. Partly because they get good weather most of the time but also because they can be reet miserable. I’d bet you any money that there is a Parisian still in a winter coat and knee high boats walking down Rue de Rivoli at this very moment.

So there you have it. My list of the problems one faces as an ex-pat in the Hexagon. It is by no means exhaustive however it certainly covers most of the main areas that we roast beef lovers have to deal with when living in the land of frog’s legs. 

End-Of-Term-Itis

It is the last week of term here at ULIP and across the UK universities are breaking up for Easter, which is also known in the academic calendar as the “quick I need to revise everything I’ve ever known” time. As a form of slight procrastination I have decided to explain a medical phenomenon that I have diagnosed in the student body with my wealth of medical knowledge and expertise in late night writing essays while simultaneously packing a suitcase for my return to Great Britain’s wondrous shores. You may only have a few of the symptoms they are as follows –

1.       Flasks filled to the brim with steaming hot black coffee clamped in the hands of tired looking students possibly with scraps of paper in the other hand and a crazed look on their faces muttering under their breath phrases like “no I can’t use the subjunctive there” or “Is this really a true representation of post-colonial history?”

2.       Long conversations between friends on Twitter during lectures asking the really deep and meaningful questions like “What are we even doing here?” and “What is life?” Not necessarily existential crises maybe just confusion about French dialects.

3.       People huddled over their laptops in the library sometimes shouting things at them (definitely never done that one in the quiet area…) surrounded with piles of books, half of which are philosophy based which make onlookers question whether they are there for an actual purpose or just to make the crazed essay writer look/feel really intelligent.

4.       Meaningless arguments about who had the last waffle from the vending machine because no one can be bothered with real food and tensions are so high due to a mixture of having seen these people constantly for nigh on ten weeks and excessive stomach rumblings.

5.       The printer is constantly being used by people printing off Boarding Passes and Eurostar tickets like it will make the day they are going home come quicker.

So some of these might be slightly ULIP orientated but you get the message dear reader, at least I hope you do. If you see a student in the next week or two and you think they look a little under the weather or like they need a decent meal in them, they probably do. Take them to the local KFC/Falafel shop/Michelin star restaurant and treat them in this, their time of need.

I Got All My Sisters and Me

On Friday night I went to go and meet a friend for a quiet drink. We’d agreed to meet in Pigalle which is around a 15 minute walk from my flat so I decided because the weather has been truly glorious in Paris recently that I would like to have a leisurely stroll down the boulevard. Now since moving to Paris I have become very used to comments in the street from men trying to get my attention. It hasn’t happened to me for a few months so I was slightly taken aback when two boys of a similar age to myself tried to get my attention by shouting things at me. In the wake of hundreds of demonstrations on Sunday for International Women’s Day I pondered about this kind of scenario which is so prevalent in some many major cities not just Paris. It truly seems shocking to me that I can’t walk to meet a friend without some kind of salacious remark being thrown at me.

I have grown up thinking that a woman can do anything she wants because I have never been told the opposite. Strong female role models in my life have proved to me that you can be successful in what you do as well as a wife or a mother. Or you can choose to be any of them. A common misconception of feminism is that it hates housewives, but this is contradictory to the concept of equality that is a core principal of women’s rights. To quote Beyonce “Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.” In my brief time on this planet I have encountered many people, incidentally including women, who have no idea that this is the fundamental idea behind feminism.

As someone who is deeply excited by politics I find it apocryphal that more women don’t exercise their right to vote. The women who fought and died for our rights deserve us to exercise those rights and to strive for a better world where I don’t get catcalled for walking down the street or where we still have to have a day dedicated to women’s rights. Evoking the French libertarian symbol of Marianne I urge everyone, not just fellow females, to make every effort to improve life for women not just in our own countries and societies but those across the world.

 *jumps off her high horse*