I’m back! Boy, has it been a week. Before we dive in, I want to talk about the differences in communication that I’ve found while living in Paris compared to the U.S. To say the least, the communication cultures are very different at times.
France is a high-context communication culture, which essentially means that communication is more implicit, indirect, and subtle. In America, we are a low context communication culture, often speaking what we mean and having others understand us for exactly what we are saying, no need for extra signals or gestures in conversation. I am starting to learn how to communicate more effectively with my coworkers through learning this barrier; I try to use my hands more when speaking, and often maintain eye contact and nod my head a lot while listening, just to show them that I am engaged in the conversation and listening to them. Back home, I am also used to speaking very simply and explicitly, and others will always understand what I mean. Here in Paris, the French people I speak with often say things vaguely, with a lot of subtext that must be picked up on according to the culture. Sometimes it is hard to communicate because I simply do not understand what they are trying to say or explain to me. The communication barriers have been tricky to navigate, but I am slowly adjusting to the differences through my internship and just by meeting random people in Paris.
Okay, back to the fun stuff. Where did we leave off last time… right, Sunday night. Let’s start at the beginning of the week. Monday was the beginning of a Europe-wide heat wave, in France known as “la canicule”. All week, it was a struggle to get anywhere or do anything due to the extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 100 degrees mid-week. It was horrible! The metros were like little saunas, and on Monday, I had to rework my plans for the evening. There was simply no way I could sit outside and read at the park. Honestly, I was okay for a chill night in my apartment on Monday, because I had to rest up for the exciting week ahead.
Tuesday was equally as hot, and the air conditioning in the office at my internship broke, so it was a very long day. Alas, I got through it, and that night I met up with my friends to eat dinner by the St. Martin canal and go salsa dancing! It was definitely interesting seeing everyone jumping into the Canal… is it really clean enough to swim in? To each their own, I guess. We initially planned to attend the free class at 8 pm, but dinner took too long (it always does), and we ended up joining around 9 for some casual dancing. Though I am not a good dancer, it was really fun seeing all of the professionals on the dance floor. We retired around 11 due to the 45-minute commute home, and despite the exhausting heat all night long, I had an awesome night.
Wednesday is where the fun begins… my very special guests arrived in the morning–my roommates! They decided last minute to visit me in Paris for 5 days, and I cannot even express how excited I was to see them. It’s like a little taste of home (and not to mention the much-needed pick up after my mom left). They arrived Wednesday morning, settled into the Airbnb (the cutest little house right outside of Paris in Montreuil), and I met up with them after my internship. Because of the long travel day, we decided to metro into Paris to get a delicious dinner at Le Bistro Paul Bert (first Paris steak… absolutely phenomenal), eat some gelato outside the Opera Bastille, and call it a night. We knew we needed to rest up for the packed weekend ahead.
Thursday, after my internship, we met up in the Luxembourg Gardens, grabbed some sandwiches, and enjoyed the beautiful weather that came after the heat wave this past week. I seriously do not know how I would’ve survived if we had any more 90-degree days. That night, we saw the Notre Dame, walked around the Latin Quarter (surprise surprise), and ended up at Le Caveau de la Huchette, where we met up with my friends from the program and enjoyed the music and dancing! At some point, though I don’t have much time left, I want to explore the other jazz clubs in Paris… specifically one that’s not in a cave and 100 degrees. Nonetheless, it was a very fun evening spent with all my friends and enjoying the Paris nightlife.
Friday evening, we walked around Montmartre and got dinner from a little French place that our Airbnb host recommended. The name was La Vache et le Cuisinier, right at the bottom of Montmartre, and it did not disappoint. Funny story, though, halfway through devouring our food, the owner comes up to our table and says that we’re eating the food of the table behind us! At that moment, everything pieced together, because I could’ve sworn I ordered the duck and my friends the lamb, but sometimes French menus are confusing, and we thought maybe we ordered the fish and the beef instead. Nope! We were actually eating other people’s food. We told them over and over that it was okay and that we still enjoyed the food (honestly, I’m happy I received the fish instead of the duck), and they gave us a free dessert to apologize. We could not stop laughing about how we didn’t even notice our food was not at all what we ordered. Nevertheless, it was absolutely amazing and I will be recommending it to whoever comes to Paris. After dinner, we strolled through the streets of Montmartre (which I will genuinely never get enough of), did some touristy shopping for our friends and family back home, and got crepes to end the night.
The day has finally come… on Saturday, we went to Disneyland Paris! I convinced my friends to come with me, and I finally got to check off a Paris bucket list item. Though it was a long day, we had so much fun riding rides, walking around the park, eating the special Disney foods, and seeing the fireworks show at the end of the night before running to the RER A to beat the crowds. It was a perfect day spent with my friends, especially on my 2nd-to-last weekend in Paris (I know… crazy). Sunday was a rainy day, but we made the most of it. We walked around the Le Marais, shopped around a bit, and got some good coffee (and one of the best breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever had) at Maurice Café. Next, we headed over to Place de la République for the flea market that was happening, and though I didn’t buy anything, I swear I could’ve come home with a mountain of clothes and trinkets. I’ve been having to harness a lot of self-control recently… there’s only so much room in my suitcase. We then went to a Boulangerie for some pastries and sandwiches, and headed home for a little rest before heading out to dinner.
I took them on a little sightseeing route on Sunday night, first to the Arc de Triomphe, then the Trocadero, and of course the Eiffel Tower. We got dinner at this little Italian restaurant nearby called In Casa, and the food was amazing. Definitely the best pasta I have had in Paris yet. We even got free tiramisu because of how slow the service was (I do really feel for the single server working the tables outside, been there, done that). We then headed over to the Eiffel Tower to see her sparkle (never gets old), and then started our hour-long commute back to the Airbnb for some much-needed rest. Another 20,000-step day in the books!
For my 2nd to last weekend in Paris, I was so happy I got to spend it with my very best friends and show them around the city that I’ve learned to love these past few weeks. It’s so fun getting to show them my favorite spots and activities. Though saying goodbye was hard, I’m gonna be home before they know it! Less than 2 weeks left!
Well, that’s all from me this week. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for 2 weeks of straight chaos… I will be packing it in to make the most of my last days in Paris!
Au revoir! Je vous aime!
Hailey Krawczyk