Memoirs of a would-be-Parisian, vol. 2

Bonjour mes amies!

Well, my second day in Paris faired much better than the first. All in all, I have decided that I could, indeed, see myself living in this city. After meeting a new friend, Dominique (ok, not her real name but doesn't it sound fabulously French?!), I have found that having a translator is the way to do it. Just know someone who speaks the language, and you’ll be just fine. Dominique and I are working together on our European conference and I have decided that she is my new hero.

She is 33 and very hip (and not in the traditional brown, blah Parisian thing they’ve got going). Dominique and I went on our visit to the hotel where the conference is being held, yesterday. It is nowhere near downtown Paris. Following our 5 hour trip, we came back—the best of friends—and she offered to take me out and live the Parisian life for a night.

C’est tres bonne! We went to a bar called “Footsies” in the opera district and shared a bottle of wine. There I proceeded to find out that her boyfriend of 16 years is a paparazzi. Apparently he is very good. She also told me how she knew one day it will have to come to an end with the paparazzi boyfriend, even though she still finds him sexy. I asked why and she said, “Because you can’t be with one man for your whole life.”

I love this woman.

Following our pre-dinner drinks we went to a small café where Dominique proceeded to convince me that our waiter was in love with me, instantly struck by me or amazed I think she said. I laughed, until he came over, moments later with the change from another table. That was funny. He was cute, but about 21 and spoke not a lick of Anglais. Best quote of the night is when my new friend said “if you lived here you would be my friend.” How appropriate! I told her that is what my friends and I always said.

That was it for my glamorous night out, however, it did leave me with that “oh I could live here” feeling. No French fries for dinner, in fact, none at all yesterday or today. But well, I haven’t had dinner yet.

Today we went to the Musee du Vin. Or Museum of Wine. Typically I would think that this place was heaven, given it’s name. However, imagine the most dark, dank, humid cave you could ever go to. That was the Musee du Vin. We went on this tour that our customers will go on and Dominique and I were scared because of these strange old people that were like replicated and hanging out in these coves. It was really strange. I think I saw something like it in Charlestown in this old dungeon I went to once. Weird. It smelled.

Following our interesting visit to the innards of Paris we walked across the Seine and saw the Eiffel Tower. My Paris visit is now complete! I’m staying tonight at the conference hotel where I’m being treated like royalty. Of course, had this hotel been in downtown, I wouldn’t have ever come home.


Random thoughts for the day: 1) Paris is great because people still smoke here. I saw three old ladies yesterday at my hotel who could barely walk, but had no problem getting up from their Heineken’s & red wine and wobbling over to a trash can to empty out the ashtray. 2) I must look really funny to French people. Everyone stared at me when I would go anyplace. Not sure if it’s the boobs, the butt or just me in general??? Perhaps the bright colored clothes that NO ONE wears. 3) When on Metro be sure to people watch. Dominique and I laughed so hard last night about a man sitting on the metro in a red velvet jacket with matching red plastic tennis shoes (or trainers as they are referred to). Be sure to laugh hysterically about that. Maybe it was just one of those things you must see in person, but it was freaking hilarious. 4) When going to lunch with French co-workers, let them order for you. We went to a Spanish restaurant and everyone ordered these great looking meals—I inadvertently ordered tapas—which came to nothing more than 4 slices of baguette with olive oil, garlic and some sliced chorizo sausage. Everyone else had like, I don’t know…a meal? 5) You think pink, red, or blue Converse tennis shoes are out of style, but no. They are the HEIGHT of Paris fashion. Don’t ask me why, but apparently they are all the rage. And what is worse is that Dominique said the trend carried over from last year??? 6) When getting cash out of ATM look out for small Romanian kids who hit you with these magazine things and even after a French person tells them “NOH!” continue to berate you and then hit the French person. Instead of getting 40 Euros, I ended up with 140 Euros and a violent Romanian girl who almost walked away with it. I’m sure my checking account will bounce.

Well, I’m back in the US of A tomorrow and I will be arriving without any shoes or good Parisian wares in my luggage. I’m hoping to hit up the duty free store tomorrow in the airport for some new perfume and maybe, in a last ditch attempt, a Parisian (or just European) man in tow.

Au revoir et a bientot,
N