Thinking about Home!

Frankly I don't want to have to think about home just yet. I have had the best semester of my life, meeting new people and enjoying all that Paris and Europe has to offer. Thinking about home makes me miss my family but thinking that I have to board a plane to get home makes me want to unleash the waterworks. I love Paris and France like I haven't loved anything else. Living here has given me a new perspective on so many aspects in my life. Living in Paris for more than a month has been a dream come true. I will miss everything from walking around in the evening passing by Notre Dame or sitting on Pont des Arts with a baguette and cheese.
I have traveled a lot throughout Europe and one thing remains, Paris holds a special charm that no other city holds. Everything is bundled up to make this fantasyland for a fanatic of French culture like myself. Every place I have visited, I end up saying I miss home, Paris.
The people and the culture has touched me in a way that I never thought I would be touched by somewhere other than my hometown of San Diego. Even though I have no close family here, I have felt more at home than anywhere else. Even with the restricting accommodations of small showers, small rooms, and crappy beds, I had the most amazing time with my roommate and in that "petit chambre."
My life in SD will be very different from the one I lived in Paris. It's amazing to me that it can be such a drastic change of way of living. I will have to adapt to using my car again and hopefully finding more opportunities to take some nice walks around the picturesque sides of SD. I will miss walking through the Latin Quarter through an alley and having Notre Dame be the first thing I see when the alley opens up. I will miss sitting with a large amount of people on a bridge just relaxing and eating and listening to musicians. I will miss being able to travel to new and exciting places for great prices and discovering new countries so close to me. I will miss the stinky metro that I love so much. I will miss the falafels in the Jewish quarter. I will miss walking from the Champs-Elycee to the Louvre through the Jardin des Tuileries. All of these things are special things that I hold close to my heart.
I can't wait to plan to come back very soon. My goal is UNESCO Paris.


The city of lights will always hold a special place in my <3

Stereotypes

Being that this is the the third time that I have visited Paris, I already knew what I was getting myself into when I signed up to study abroad in Paris. The people, the culture, and the place have proven to be an enchanting package of magic that has enticed me over and over. I just can't get enough.

However, when I first came to Paris 7 years ago I definitely had a lot of worry and stereotypes in my head about the French. I had heard horrid stories about the French hating America and Americans in general, that they were stinky, and that they were rude. Although, I have experienced some truth to each of these stereotypes, I have also experienced the greater part of the French culture and people. While in Paris the past 2 times, I enjoyed the wonderful weather of July in one of the most romantic cities in the world: Paris. Although the weather resembled San Diego weather of beautiful days and the warm sun, the metro and the intimate spaces between people made the city smell an awkward and horrid smell of body odor. Sweating was a big factor in this smell and because I was not used to having my personal space violated like in the metro in the summer, the myth about the bad odor turned out to be true. Now having experienced Paris in the winter, I realize that body sweat is a large part of the city's odor. Sweat plus the various smells of the metro can provoke a person to try and hold their breath for a long time.

The other stereotypes was about the French people's demeanor towards Americans and towards foreigners. While it's true that Parisians are very busy, often times to say excuse me or to lend a helping hand, I have also learned that Parisians aren't true French. They are a special kind of breed of human species that are unlike anybody else. They are fashionistas who are always on the go. My first trip to Paris was surprisingly good but that had to do a lot with the fact that the whole trip was already taken cared of by a tour guide. The second time I arrived in Paris, I reserved a shuttle to take me to my residence on rue de condé because I was studying in the Institut Catholique for the month of July in 2007. I was on my own while roaming the streets of Paris, here to fend for myself. It was a growing experience that taught me the ways of the French. At first and even now, if they don't understand my French I tend to speak in Spanish because for some odd reason they love Mexicans. So while I'm here I embrace my ethnicity and use it to my advantage. I tend to notice that they will react nicer and more attentive, for example at a restaurant.

While the rudeness continues to be a part of the French culture I have come to understand it and embrace it as their way of being. It has also been countered by some great acts of thoughtfulness and helpfulness of complete strangers. Like for example when I took my luggage on the metro. A man offered to take up the stairs and up the stairs at one of my connections. I found that refreshing and it made me smile.

Every time I come to this magical place where Parisians live I am faced with all kinds of people that surprise me. I love this city with such a passion that I have come to accept that even though Parisians aren't "les vrai francais" they also possess a unique charm on top of their stereotypes.

Culture 3: Something that wouldn’t be in San Diego

Something I have come to love and admire from the French is that they stand up to what they believe in and what they feel to be unjust. Whatever the problem may be, the French, Parisians in particular, will march down the roads with microphones chanting and trying to make a stand. It is such a common thing here in France and Paris that our professor has even referred to it as a regional sport.

Les greves, as they call them in French, are common events in Paris. There are strikes for everything: the metro (transportation), the big companies such as TOTAL (the big oil company), and even teacher's strikes. Nowadays in San Diego or anywhere in CA, teachers would be scared to strike in fear of being another statistic in the unemployment sector. Yes, it's true we do have strikes and protests but nothing comes close to the ones held here in Paris.

Our strikes in California are most commonly referred to the ones we are most used to, the supermarket strikes for unjust treatment and benefits. As for the teachers of CA, they have suffered quite a bit in the last few years because of budget cuts and we often see these protests happen after many teachers get let go.
Like in Paris, these strikes are also organized but not nearly as elaborate as the ones in Paris. For one thing the strikes in CA don't usually involve a large number of people. The ones I am used to seeing are the supermarket strikes that are held outside the big food chains such as Ralph's and Vons. The workers congregate together to accumulate a total of maybe 10 to 30 workers max and hold signs putting shame on the supermarket. They do this to try to ward off business from the supermarket, passing out flyers, holding big banners, and chanting slogans.

Never have I ever seen such a demonstration like the ones in Paris for a strike. It was a normal day on a Tuesday not to long ago, I went to school hearing the slogans and chanting in the background and when I returned back to my residence, 5 hours later, the people were still marching down Avenue Daumesnil. My roommate and I decided to go see the commotion and found so many young people joining in on the cause. This particular strike had to do with the recent government decisions about school and work conditions. I started to think about SDSU's increase of tuition and chuckled because the French (Parisians) would never allow that to happen.

I was really surprised at the organization and the extent of the strike. It ran from La Nation to La Republique. I found out that that was a popular and symbolic road to march on. We went to go see a real Parisian strike. The whole thing resembled more of a parade than anything else. It was crowded with people exercising their right of freedom of speech. The roads were closed and so there were traffic jams before getting to those blocked roads. It was chaos at those intersections because there were very little police trying to block the cars.

The march had cars with speakers and people chanting with microphones hooked up to the speakers. They had balloons, signs, flyers, and banners. There were people of all ages, men with their children strapped on their chest, little kids walking alongside their parents, teenagers "sticking it to the man." It was entertaining to see all of these people congregate together to speak up against the government.

Since I have been here, I have heard of maybe 7 strikes that have occurred in Paris, most of which have not affected me in any way. Les greves in Paris are part of their culture and will probably remain. It's definitely something to experience while staying in Paris.

US-French Ties : The Importance of the Past

This last weekend was my third time visiting the WWII landing beaches of Normandy and I have to say every time I touch that sand and see all of those white crosses lined up so close to each other there's a feeling that comes over me, a feeling of sadness and unbelievable gratitude.

It really is crazy to imagine that not even 100 years ago so much blood was washed up onto shore and so many soldier's lives were taken on this amazingly beautiful place that stands today.

We started our weekend excursion with a trip to Caen to visit the Memorial Museum dedicated to the soldiers that lost their lives in WWII. The movie had the most impact on me, it showed real footage of real soldiers that didn't even have a fighting chance arriving at Omaha Beach. It was very moving.

When the US stepped in to help France fight Nazi Germany, the ties between France and the U.S. grew and created history with the allies fighting for humanity and freedom. That 6th of June when the American troops landed on Omaha beach and Utah showed the determination and unbelievable strength and braveness those soldiers had to fight something so unexpected.

Looking at the setting of those bloody battles just takes your breathe away. How can something so beautiful, calm, and serene now represent something so awful and bloody in the past. Having stepped on American soil in the American cemetery, I thought of my significant other involved in the military forces.

I definitely noticed a difference in attitude in the way we were treated in that region of France. The people in Normandy and in Brittany catered more to our needs and were more helpful even if were in big groups speaking loudly and in English. I got the impression that the memory of the war still lingers but now the memory is not one of sadness but gratitude and peace.

I had an amazing weekend, even if it was my third time visiting the region, every time I return I enjoy the sites, the people and the food. Overall the remembrance of the past events brings a feeling of endless gratitude and thankfulness because without those men who gave up their lives to fight I wouldn't be experiencing France.

Politics, French Style : Regional Elections

Politics are a major part of the French Culture, everyone is involved and everyone expects everyone else to be at least knowledgeable in the elections, candidates, and political parties. In the U.S. we hardly hear about the political parties unless its election time, that was a major difference I also noticed while in France. The people I have met are all passionate and hold true to the side they support and I came into this situation without a clue or opinion, I quickly found out I needed to be aware and also pick a side and defend it. As the semester has progressed I have talked to many French people young and old and they amaze me every time when we get to politics. I met a 20 year old who was so passionate about his region of Normandy and the political party that dominates at this point (PS) la parti socialiste.

France is a representative democracy, which means that the people elect the public officials of the executive and legislative. Like in the U.S. the French procedure also involves going to vote at the ballot box, although some larger cities, like Paris, use electronic voting despite the controversy of its safety.

The elections that have just taken over French conversations, newspapers, and televisions have been the Regional elections in France. They were held March 14 and 21 and the results probably have taken most by surprise. The left (parti socialiste) have taken every region except for the Alsalce. This has a significant effect on Sarkozy’s political party, the UMP, because his party has lost the regional’s elections. His growing unpopularity could be the cause to this drastic change from majority of votes for PS rather than the UMP.

On the side of the U.S., I have noticed some similarities to the French political scene in the sense of the media and coverage. When it comes to presidential elections and other regional elections in the U.S. the media covers all aspects to inform people so that voters show up at the ballot boxes. The French media coverage, whether it be in the newspaper or in the news, the elections are being covered. I have learned more about politics here in France because of it has been such an important topic among the young people here in France as well that, in return, have motivated me to learn more about my own government.

Everyday Life

Among many differences between the American culture and the French culture, the two main differences that have directly affected my lifestyle here in France is the amount of walking I do around the city as well as the food I eat and how I eat it.
First I must talk about the transportation and the amount of walking I do in the city of Paris and around Europe. Not having a car in the San Diego can really put a stop to any plans because without a car it is really hard to get around the city. Yes, in San Diego there are buses and a trolley but the public transportation does not even compare to that of Paris’. I don’t even miss my car at home because I am constantly discovering a new place around the city because of the need to walk. I can remember that it would pain me to have to walk even a block away from my house in San Diego and I realize why that was it. Here in Paris there a million things to see and just by simply walking around the city you can get anywhere and see half of those million things. There is nothing like walking by a river and seeing people out for a stroll and then coming to such a wonderful sight like the Notre Dame Cathedral. It’s a way of living here that is healthy and I love it.
The metro and buses are also excellent means of transportation; they run in every direction very late at night and early in the mornings. They are punctual and very efficient ways of getting across town if you do not choose to walk. I feel it in myself that I am 100 times more likely to walk around Paris than anywhere in San Diego and I’ve noticed that it has to due with the amount of people that are out walking and taking the metro. In Paris it is a significant cultural difference in comparison to San Diego.
Another main cultural difference I have noticed has been the type of food I eat in both places. When I first arrived I craved sushi like no other food but I quickly learned to love the boulangeries and creperies all around Paris. On special occasions when money isn’t too tight I am able to sit down and have a three, four or five course meals, those are my favorite. Each platter is the right amount of food and everything is delicious. The time that it takes to eat these kinds of meals would probably annoy 99% of Americans. I noticed it in my own friends when we went to a fondue dinner. I, on the other hand, enjoy the time to savor and not only enjoy my food but also the company of friends and family.

Multicultural Paris: “ La Mosquée de Paris”

Not too long ago I visited the Mosque in Paris. In our French class we have been discussing the relationship of the religion of Islam to France, so we took a trip as a whole to the Mosque and it really opened my eyes to new aspects on the religion of Islam and to controversial topics currently present in France.
When we first arrived to the mosque it was like Déjà vu. One of the scenes of the famous movie Paris Je T’aime took place in front of what I later found out to be a restaurant and not the entrance to the mosque. When we turned the corner, the true entrance was beautiful. It was large and it had the Islam symbol of a crescent moon and a star on the top of the green roof. We went inside and our guide explained a lot of things that I would not have understood without a guide. One of the most interesting things I found out was the symbolic meaning of the colors of the mosaic all throughout the interior of the mosque. For example all of the green represented vegetation and life, I found that detail to be incredibly beautiful and interesting.

We were able to see the library, the banquet room, where they hold wedding ceremonies, and the most interesting of all rooms the praying room. The praying room was unlike anything I had seen in person. There were a few men inside going thru the motions of the traditional praying. The guide also pointed out that there was a separate area shielded by some draping for women to pray in private away from the men. The separation of the men and woman became more aware as we went thru but the guide also gave me the impression that there wasn’t anything out of normal from having this separation.
Today in France we see the integration of Islam in the French culture more and more because Islam is the second religion in France and because of certain controversial issues such as the burka. There was a clear clash of cultures but regardless of the differences, I found the mosque an incredibly spiritual and beautiful place to visit and learn from.

High Culture

I went to see the exhibit titled « Personnes, Monumenta 2010 » by Christian Boltanski at the Grand Palais. When I entered the Grand Palais the first thing that I heard was a harsh thumping noise and the first thing I saw was a wall of rusty boxes that extended to the ceiling with a bit of lighting over them. This wall blocked the view of the rest of the room so in order for the spectators to see we all had to move around the wall. Once I moved around the wall I could see a big room of steel and clothes, I felt a sudden coldness. In the center there was a pile of many pieces of old clothes that reached high to the ceiling. On top of that pile of clothes was a crane that lowered every couple of minutes to pick up clothes from that pile and lift them just to drop them again.


Before getting to the big impressive pile of clothes that took up the whole center of the room there were squares of strategically placed garments of clothes that laid on the floor. Each squared space had four posts clearly marking the area and also had speakers that kept repeating that same harsh thumping sound. As we walked around the exhibit I had one image in my mind, the holocaust. Seeing all of the clothes laying on the floor and in that massive pile made me think of the time I visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC where I saw the pile of shoes in a specific dark room. But I still didn’t understand the thumping noise echoing in the large room.
It wasn’t until I explored more of the exhibit that I noticed that the loud thumping noise was the heart beating fast. There was even a room where we could also record our own heartbeat. The message was becoming a bit clearer to me. It was about humanity.
Reading the articles about the exhibit at the Grand Palais by Christian Boltanski brought a clearer understanding of his message through his art. Ghislaine Dunant wrote an article in Le Monde newspaper titled “Christian Boltanski et les monstrueux vêtements de la mémoire” where Dunant went into detail of Boltanski’s goal to portray the lack of humanity in history. Dunant goes on to explain Boltanski’s fascination with history and the word Shoah, which is Hebrew for destruction and dehumanization. Boltanski aimed to remember those who were victims of inhumane treatment through those beating heartbeats and showcase of clothes that were once worn by those victims.
In an art blog titled “Boltanski People” Max Mulhern wrote about the concept of the crane, which I found very interesting especially when he tied it to a Disney movie, Toy Story. Mulhern wrote, “The claw is our master,” to show that someone else controlled the people that once wore these clothes at one point just like the claw controls what it brings up. Mulhern concluded that the heart was the big machine in this exhibit and as long as there is a heart beating it will be capable of causing horrific events of dehumanization.
I had not read the articles before I went to the exhibit so when I arrived I didn’t quite understand the concept or goal of the exhibit. I found it very interesting to read about the meaning especially having studied such an important event in our history such as the holocaust where we can see a clear example of dehumanization.

Impressions of a New Culture

I was lucky enough to stay at a distant relative's home for about two weeks before I moved into the Bastille and I learned quite a bit at her place. Although she is Mexican she is now married to a French man who doesn't speak English or Spanish so I got to practice my French with them while at their home and at dinner. I also learned a lot about French homestyle. The Mexican traditional man is considered as the Macho Man, the bread winner if you will, and therefore the woman is responsible of taking care of the children and the household while the man is at work. In my own household in San Diego it is NOT rare for my dad to be cooking but it IS rare for him to be cleaning the kitchen and washing the dishes. I observed the family I stayed with and they shared all household duties. They both worked and both washed dishes, cooked, vacuumed, and went shopping for groceries. What seems so logical to me was also so strange to see in action.

I have moved into my room near the Bastille, which is a quarter of Paris in the 11th arrondissement. Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements beginning with the very first one in the heart and center of Paris where the cathedral Notre Dame and the famous museum that houses the infamous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, La Joconde, or more famous among us Americans, the Mona Lisa rests, the Louvre. The arrondissements disperse in numerical order from the center and out in a snail like matter.



So technically speaking I'm relatively close to the center, meaning walking distance to the Notre Dame and many major historical buildings. Place de la Bastille, alone has very significant history in the French civilization. Here is where the Bastille prison stood and where the famous "storming of the Bastille" took place on 14 July 1789. Today this quarter hold lots of that remembrance of the past but has mixed it with the new and modern amenities such as shops like Sephora and American fast foods like McDonalds, Subway, and Starbucks. Not that this quarter doesn't hold the special French charm with its local small cafes and small alleys leading to more shops and street life, this quarter is the place to be for a student like me.

I started school today and I have to say I really didn't want to start yesterday but today I am happy to be back in school. I needed structure in my life once again. After a month of being in Paris I have come to realize quite a bit in the past month and I am happy to have school to clarify the cultural differences I had not noticed before. Deeper issues that circulate the French government on a daily basis are what have got me conflicted. For example the whole Burka business here in France. Before this trip I never realized the significance of this issue in France relative to the world and of the women subjected to wearing burkas. This issue made me realize that Paris isn't really this magical place where everything is peachy and keen. Real problems of security exist all over the world.

In San Diego I had never really noticed burkas out on the streets and I always thought that if the women decided to wear it, it was her choice and that choice should be respected. What I didn't realize was the significance of the burkas as an image and issue of oppression of the woman. The security of France is being compromised because of the burka because of France's president decision to prohibit women to be oppressed by being forced to wear the burka. That decision has provoked threats to the security of France. I would have never known the significance of a burka in San Diego.