Upon unloading another passenger asked if I could help him carry some of his luggage in exchange for some cash. It turns out he had 6 pieces of luggage two of which had pretty much fallen apart. The suit case with two wheels had one of the wheels broken and a duffel bag with non-working zippers. Being the last person I decide to help him out. Between me and him we each had 4 items to carry. The suitcase was dragged along the sidewalk, a stump where the wheel was left behind a line of plastic markings. The guy was skinny and we took breaks frequently. Luckily his apartment was near the station.
After helping the fellow passenger with his items we headed up to this apartment where rested for some tea. He told me that he was working in London and had come back to Paris for some dental procedures as it was cheaper here. Since I had lost all sense of direction, he escorted me to the train stations and instead of money, we agreed on a metro ticket instead.
The subway in Paris is called the Metro. The subway in London is called the Underground/Tube. The first thing I notice is that London’s network of stops was a lot simpler than Paris’. There are many more lines and more frequent stops in Paris. A quick look at a tube/metro map shows their vast differences. The second thing I noticed was how much dirtier Paris’ metro is compared to London’s tube. The smells, sights, and traction beneath my feet all seem to indicate how much filthier it is here.
My friend and ex-coworker Giang has an apartment in Paris. It is near the Opera metro stop.
About a block over I finally find the entrance. The buildings are more elegant than those in the suburbs. It is more of what I had thought Paris would look like. The buildings are much shorter. The interior is much like previous apartment building I visited. A small elevator is in the middle with enough room for maybe 4 people, shoulder to shoulder, and a spiraling staircase wrapped around it. The French count the first floor as the zero level. So the apartment is actually the 5th level up. Here is a view from the kitchen area.
Since Giang was still at work I decided to go explore the surrounding area. There are many interesting things to look at. For example around every other corner there is a Velib station. This is a network bike stations where Parisians that participate in the program can rent a bike. There are numerous stations throughout Paris making this means of public transportation extremely convenient. While walking, I also notice that I need to watch out where I step even on the sidewalk.
There is dog poop everywhere. After finally getting use to cars driving on the left side of the road in Ireland and the United Kingdom, I once again feel like a fish out of water as I change my street crossing pattern once more. Parisians walk much slower than Londoner. I felt frustrated as I ran into slower walkers in front of me, much like riding a sport bike through Midwest traffic.
Another thing I noticed was how closely people parked their cars. At first I was quite impressed, but after seeing several cars that were literally bumper to bumper I knew that it was not as much skill as it was the fact that drivers actually ram into other car's bumpers in order to park. I was told that the police here even give tickets if your parking brake is up because people are expected to slightly bump your car to fit into a parking space. That fact alone means I cannot permanently live here.
After I return, I come to find that Giang has yet to eat dinner as well. We both catch a metro ride to the Vietnamese area of Paris and to grab some pho. We find an acceptable dining area and sit to order. The first waitress shows up and starts to speak French. I quickly gaze over at Giang expecting him to have some kind of French response only to find out that he doesn’t speak a word of French either. Luckily I find out that the waitress speaks Chinese. I order in Chinese and she quickly disappears. Minutes later we get the attention of another waitress as we attempt to order tap water. I order in Chinese and she gives me a blank stare. I quickly counter with some English which results in the same outcome. Finally Giang throws out some Vietnamese and she nods with a smile. After our food is finished we ask for the bill. A third waitress brings the bill, we both save “merci” remembering that we at least knew some words and she responds with “no problem”. What an interesting dining experience.
Welcome to continental Europe! I hope you will like it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your stay in Paris!