Picture of the Day: View from the Top

I braved my fear of heights and went to the top of the Eiffel Tower! This is a picture taken from only the second level (there are three levels of the tower). I did make it to the very top also, I just don't have the pictures yet. This picture is of the Seine River cutting through the city. So beautiful!

Paris, je ne veux pas encore te quitter!

My summer in Paris is actually coming to an end (too) soon and I actually can't believe it. It feels like I just got here last week. I'm still not used to the lifestyle here and I guess it's meant to be like that. C'est la vie.

But I must admit, I've fallen so greatly in love with this city. Not so much the people or the social culture, but the city itself that is so beautiful. I know it's so touristy for me to say it, but it's places like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and the Notre Dame that make me love the city so much. The monuments are so unchanging, so unresponsive, so welcoming that it makes me forget the harsh realities of the cultural practices and norms of its people.

It is here in Paris that I've learned to appreciate just sitting on the grass and enjoying a picnic with friends. I'm so used to a fast-paced life where I always have to be doing something, that coming to Paris really helped me appreciate the art of slowing down.

Slow. Down.

Life seriously moves so fast! The life here in Paris is very fast-paced as well, but it's wonderful to know there are refuges where you could just sit and relax and enjoy and collect your thoughts.

All my life (and even my time here) I've learned so much about the history of Paris, something I have always been interested about. It was amazing to actually see the places where events happened, walk where kings walked, visit where revolutions happened. I got to celebrate a French national holiday with the French, watch fireworks at the Eiffel, drink beer with the locals, and yell "Sante!" with my friends at the bars.

It has definitely been an amazing time here.

Anyway, this won't be my last post. I was just getting sentimental thinking about leaving this place that I've grown to love so much after only 6 weeks. I will write again later!

Bon journee!
(Have a good day!)

Picture of the Day: Sacre Coeur

My friends and me at Sacre Coeur. It's a beautiful cathedral at the top of Montmartre, but it was a very controversial monument from the start. Apparently two men proposed its building in the late 1800s and created it as a symbol of repentance, strategically placing it at the highest elevation point in Paris so ALL of Paris will be reminded of their need to repent for their sins in destroying the monarchy and creating mayhem with their desire for a more democratic Paris (you can pretty much see the Sacre Coeur from everywhere in Paris!). It was bombed during World War II but its foundations are so deep and the material from which it is made is so strong that it remained standing. Very interesting!

Picture of the Day: Hall of Mirrors

Taken in the ever-so-famous Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. When King Louis XIV was in power, he moved government from Paris to Versailles in order to enable his security. He created this Hall of Mirrors in his palace with one wall full of mirrors facing a wall full of windows. When the sun rose in the morning, it created the effect of the sun all around in the room (soo beautiful). It's one of the reasons why Louis XIV was called the Sun King. Crazy, huh? I love the history of Paris (:

Pourboire?

Here in Paris, servers and hosts/hostesses work on salary, not on hourly wages, meaning customers do not leave tip on the table like we do in America.

When I learned that, I thought it would be sooo awesome because then of course, I wouldn't have to tip like we do in America. The only thing is, when you ask for the check (l'addition, s'il vous plait), tip is already included and factored into the meals' prices.

And of course with a tip already included, any sense of customer service goes flying out the window.

I forget how fortunate I am that restaurants in America are actually really concerned about their servers' customer service, people skills, etc. I know at Chili's you even have to pass a personality test to even be considered for hire! And it all makes sense. I've had the WORST customer service here in Paris over the last few weeks than I have in my entire life. Haha. Maybe someone instituted tipping in America cuz they came to France... Haha, just kidding.

But really, here in Paris you could wait 30 minutes before someone even asking for your order. If your waiter hates his job, he will NOT hesitate to show you. You could sit another 30 minutes for a carafe d'eau (pitcher of water), even if yours has been empty for a while and your server just doesn't want to acknowledge you. Haha. It's so awful but it is what it is. I end up involuntarily tipping (probably very generously with food prices so high) many waiters/waitresses who have let their rudeness really shine, only because it is already included.

Sigh. Makes me appreciate American customer service (which is not even the best!) soo muuuch more.

Of course there have been a few servers who have really left their impression on me. One of my first weeks here, my friend and I went to a restaurant where the waitress knew absolutely zero English, and at the time I knew little to no French. The communication barrier was soooo difficult to break through, but from both sides we both tried very very hard to understand each other. I knew she was getting frustrated but she didn't let it show. In the end we got some awesome food and she was able to show me that some French really ARE nice and that not all French are rude..

Also, my friends and I went to a restaurant last night and got some awesome customer service from a very busy waiter who still put in the time to throw in some jokes. Just when I was starting to think that all French had no sense of humor, this waiter came and changed my mind. It's extreeeeeemely rare to find a waiter who will really take time to make you smile.

Anyway, apparently when French receive exceptional customer service, they leave a little tip called a "pourboire." This is left on top of the already-included tip, and on top of the check. It usually is only 1euro-2euro max, and it literally translates to "for a drink." Basically you're giving this server money so he/she could buy a drink after work! Giving money for a drink. I think that's an awesome concept.

The rude customer service, however, is not cool. I miss American hospitality. I'm spoiled with being an American and frankly I absolutely loooove it. (:

Picture of the Day: Paris at my Fingertips

Taken in Montmartre, a city blessed with the Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge, and Chez Eugene, among many other awesome places to visit. This is one of my FAVORITE places in all of Paris, because not only is it a cute little old-fashioned village, but it is also SO beautiful from this spot, which is in front of Sacre Coeur, where you could see alll of Paris.

Culture shock pt2

After being here a good 4-5ish weeks, I've experienced the advances of the overly aggressive French men here.

If you thought American men were rude and pushy, wait until you come to France.

Everryyywhere I go, men are constantly cat-calling my friends and me. I don't know if it's because we're Asian, or American, or just women. But seriously, it is just so disgusting to feel so objectified here daily.

One of my friends got grabbed by a man on the street while she was walking in a group of people, and he tried getting her to talk to him and he wouldn't let go of him, and it was only after they yelled "Arrete!" so many times and pushed him off and ran off that he finally gave up his pursuit.

Another time I was at a flea market and this merchant/vendor guy tried stopping me and kept telling me in a VERY aggressive manner, "I like you so much, you are so beautiful. Where are you from? You are so nice, I like you I like you" in the very limited English he knew. I hadn't and didn't talk to this man at all, and was very stern in walking away from him.

And pretty much just walking ANYWHERE, men of all types will just cat-call like it's nothing. I've felt soooo invaded and uncomfortable so often here in Paris (which is why I am never, ever alone here).

Also, before coming to Paris, I was told by my orientation person that when I rode the metro, I would have to put my "metro face" on which means, no smiles, no laughs, no eye contact.. With anyone. Of course it isn't THAT crazy here, but there is a reason. Apparently here in Paris, if a woman makes eye contact and/or even smiles at a man on a metro, she's considered to be making advances at him.. An invitation of some sort. I was soo shocked.

I guess mostly shocked because it is the MEN here who are SO AGGRESSIVE and SO PUSHY and SO RUDE, but god forbid a WOMAN make eye contact with any man because then SHE'S by default inviting him, and it's HER FAULT! Wow. Seriously..

My eyes just have really been opened up here in Paris. It is definitely no easy task to be a woman in France.. Let alone an Asian-American woman. Coming from a culture where it's courtesy to smile at people passing by and in general just being really amiable to people you meet, it's been hard to adjust to many of the "rude" ways of French culture.. No smiles, no eye contact, no greeting people passing by.

Anyway, that's that. I guess I should just end this post with saying that I HAVE also met a number of very nice and friendly French men and women, who have helped me and my friends when we were lost, or when we needed a picture taken of us, or just when we needed a recommendation to a good cafe. Not everyone here is rude and aggressive, but the many I've encountered have just been so awful. There are MANY and probably much MORE nicer people in France, they just aren't the many who've cat-called my friends and me on the street.

Regardless, I love the city itself. It's very beautiful here and I am still amazed DAILY about how much HISTORY is in the walls and monuments of the places I've been visiting!

Anyway, will write again later. I've got a big test tomorrow and must commence studying.

Culture shock

It’s been so long since I last updated that I don’t even know where to begin with this entry!

Anyway, to start it off, I have undergone (pretty much on a daily basis) a culture shock—something new and alarming about the French culture that needless to say still shocks my American mind.

One of the reasons I decided to come study in Paris is because I’ve learned SO much about Paris and its culture and have been extremely fascinated with it. Paris is one of the most culture-conscious states I’ve ever heard of, where anyone could become a citizen as long as they adopt French language and values, rejecting all other non-French ethnicities and placing the French ethnicity before all others. As a Filipino-American I thought my skin color or physical traits wouldn’t matter, and thought that maybe the French would only regard me as American, not as Asian. I thought it wouldn’t have mattered.

Coming here, I was proved sooo wrong. As a Filipino-American woman the only hello’s I was taught were “Hello” and “Kamusta,” if even that. But everywhere I go in France, vendors and locals all say, “Ni hao” to me, as if I were Chinese. Now I don’t know if this is offensive to other French non-Chinese Asians, but being born and raised in America where skin and ethnicity shouldn’t matter, I found this very alarming and offensive. I’m not Chinese, and the fact that I have slightly slanty eyes and dark hair and tan skin doesn’t mean people should automatically assume that I’m Chinese. I’ve talked to some of my other Asian-American friends on the program about it, and apparently they get the same things said to them. “Ni hao, madame.” And when we say no, they ask, “Oh.. Japonais?” Seriously.. Shocking. Perhaps it is just me and that it’s NOT offense for every French person in France to say “Ni hao” to you even if you’re not Chinese, but at the end of the day I am STILL an American and I do not appreciate being placed in one category because of my appearance.

Ethnicity also became an issue one night as my friends and I attempted to go to a club here along the Champs-Elysees. What a waste of time! Apparently it’s free for ladies before midnight on Fridays, so my friends and I got there well before midnight in order to get in for free. We separated off into groups and pairs because clubs here don’t like letting big groups in at a time. I ended up staying back with my 2 Asian girl friends, and 3 of my guy friends (2 of them white, and 1 of them Mexican). The bouncers stopped us at the front, and told us we couldn’t get in. Right after us, though, they let in our 3 blonde friends and white guy friend. We thought maybe it’s cuz we were with so many girls.. So our three guy friends said they would leave and maybe we should just go without them. So when it was us 3 girls, we tried again but they STILL said no. We were waiting outside, and then 4 of our other friends came. They asked the bouncer if we could get in.. And he said, no. And when one of the girls (also Asian) asked why, he said no reason. And then he told her (the Asian) that she could either stay with US 3 Asians or go in with the other white girls she came with. WOW. I was absolutely stunned. I did not see one Asian person go in without the aid of a non-Asian girl friend(s), and even then it was only 1 at a time. Honestly, I was just amaaaazed.. I felt awful. I have never in my 21 years of life experienced that kind of racism in American! NEVER. I keep thinking that maybe there was another possibility as to why we didn’t get in, but it’s pretty plain to see, as we were extremely composed, we were in dress code, we were very respectful and speaking French (albeit, broken French.. our other friends didn't even try to speak French), and our guy friends even offered to pay for us.. It isn't hard to do the math. Needless to say I will not be trying to go back to that club. It’s not worth it.

The point is, I have never been MORE aware of my Asian ethnicity as I have been now. I'm not so sure this is a bad thing, but I guess coming to France with certain expectations about their culture makes it a bad thing. Firstly, they shouldn't pride themselves off of being blind to previous/original ethnic origins, if they're going to "Ni hao" every Asian person they see. Secondly, they shouldn't discriminate against a certain ethnicity when it comes to who should be let in to a certain place and who shouldn't. That's just wrong. To feel racially discriminated against in a country where everyone has the equal opportunity to become French regardless of what you look like doesn't make sense to me. I understand the occasional, "Are you Chinese?" in California, but I know that not all Americans are as diverse as California is. In this respect France has EXTREMELY let me down.

Anyway, I didn’t realize I had this much to say regarding the cultural experience I’ve been having here in Paris.. And this is only one of the aspects! It’s actually about 330am and I should sleep now since I’m off to travel to Versailles tomorrow. I am soo excited!

I’ll try to keep the updates coming without so much time in between.. Til then, au revoir. (:

Things to do in Paris!!!

So I've been in Paris for almost two weeks now and I've been doing a lot amid going to school and learning (way too much! haha, jk). Anyway, here's a good way to make sure I am taking advantage of things in Paris. To be added as I think of things!

[x] Visit the Eiffel Tower
[x] Go up the Eiffel Tower (yes, despite my fear of heights!)
[x] Picnic at the Eiffel Tower!
[x] Versailles!
[x] Louvre
[x] Arc du Triomphe
[x] Musee d'Orsay
[x] Warhol Exhibit at Grand Palais
[x] Notre Dame
[x] Go up the Arc du Triomphe at night
[x] Have a conversation with a French local (haha, we'll see!)
[x] Order a meal in French (more reasonable)
[x] Avenue de Champs-Elysees
[ ] Soldes!
[x] Sacre Couer
[x] Bastille Day's Eve balls
[x] Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower (:
[x] Jardin du Luxembourg
[ ] Eat more French desserts!
[ ] Ride all the Metro lines! (So far.. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
[x] Moulin Rouge
[ ] Hit every Arrondisement
[x] Pompidou
[x] Flea market
[ ] Catacombs
[x] Paris Opera!
[ ] Boat ride along the Seine
[ ] Paris plage

Umm.. That's all I could think of for now. If anyone could think of anything else for me, please do tell!

*Updated 7/25/09*

Picture of the Day: Arc de Triomphe

Me along the Avenue de Champs-Elysees with the Arc de Triomphe. After a loooong journey of walking down this street famous for its shops, we finally made it to the arc put up in commemoration for Napoleon I's armies. The arc itself is so beautiful and detailed, and placed against a sky so blue made the adventure perfect. (:

Picture of the Day: Notre Dame Cathedral

I was able to get a picture so close to the front of the cathedral since Cindy and I attended the Mass there and sat pretty close up (taken right before we were stopped from taking pictures :P). The whole experience was so amaaaazing.

Picture of the Day: Van Gogh

Went to the Musee d'Orsay in Paris yesterday, which a lot of people apparently regard over the Louvre. It was a remarkable experience, as I saw originals by Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh (among others).. Signatures visible and everything. This is a picture of me with Van Gogh's "Starry Night Over the Rhone." Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists and since I was young I had always wanted a painting of his "Starry Night" in my future house. We'll see about that though!

Picture of the Day: Chateau de Chantilly Stable

Last week I went to the Chateau de Chantilly, which is one of the castles here in Paris. It wasn't inhabited by REAL royalty, but by cousins of royalty and really rich nobles. Anyway, this picture is not of the castle itself, but of the castle's horse stable. Apparently the prince loved horses so much that he wished to be reincarnated as a horse, so it was necessary for him to build a stable worthy for a prince. Crazy, right?