1.24.2007

C'est ca, la vie Parisienne....

Every day I encounter a myriad of things that strike me in some way and which I try to take a mental picture, but often forget....I wish I could share it all with you.

Today I started off my day at the local cafe two seconds from my front door...it is not marked and from the outside looks like a "members only" type place because everyone knows each other. It has a lot of personality from the furniture to the people who frequent it. I ordered tea which was brewed from real leaves stored in big bins (not a tea bag) and chatted with the server about the neighborhood and what I was doing in Paris etc. Then an older gentleman came in, shook hands with the server, and joined our conversation. His name was Pierre (hehe I know what you're thinking) and he had lived in the "quartier" (pronounced car-tee-ay) for a very long time. We talked about the differences between American and French culture and of course...politics. It was nice to meet two more people in my neighborhood and I know that I will hang out in that cafe again soon....

What I like about Parisian life is the preservation of a community/neighborhood feel that I believe dates back to the medieval times. "Mom 'n Pop" shops line the streets, each one specializing in something and has its own charm. For example, every day going to my class on the bus, I pass a shop that ONLY sells mirrors....bathroom mirror, full-length mirrors, decorative mirrors, vanity mirrors...you name it. That's all it sells. Another store nearby only sells rods for curtains etc. My neighborhood was traditionally the furniture district so there are many artisans and high-end modern boutiques. The result of this preserved aspect of the past is the importance of the customer/vendor relationship. Relationships in France are very different than the U.S. They are not superficial (as in "Hello and welcome to McDonalds, How may i help you?!!! *biiig smile* type way) but are based on consistent patronage which results in a personal relationship with the vendor. Visitors complain that there is no customer service concept in France....which is true in many ways, however, in the small shops you find in a neighborhood, it exists but in a different way. When you get to know the people you see on a daily basis, they know you and are willing to help you out, even go very out of their way to do so. Stores suddenly become very personal to the owner....demanding a refund and expecting that the "customer is always right" is an insult to their craft.

A good example that made me happy today: every day during break in class, we (students) go to this little sandwich/pastry shop nearby to eat. The first couple of times we went, the woman behind the counter (the owner) would ask us what we wanted with a straight face and that was that. Little by little, she started to recognize us and come to expect our patronage during lunchtime. Today, she smiled when we ordered and when my friend asked her where she could buy chocolate chips (because she couldn't find them in the grocery store), the woman answered and then gave her a cookie for free! At the end of the day, I was leaving class and saw the woman outside cleaning up...I said "au revoir, madame" and waved and she said smiled and did the same.

If there was a "theme" for today, I would say that it was breaking through the Parisian hard outter shells and getting to know more people in my neighborhood and figuring out the way to LIVE in Paris rather than be a tourist. The transition took me three weeks but I think I finally have it.....

~n.

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