This week on September 16th, I celebrated my first full month in Paris, and wow looking back, was it packed with wonderful & exciting adventures! I want to share some of my first impressions as a brand new parisienne with you in French so you can practice at the same time.
And before we begin, I just want to say: Don’t feel bad if / when people talk to you in English when you are visiting Paris. I’ve heard so many students say to me: “I guess my French must be bad because as soon as I open my mouth, Parisians answer back in English.” To this I always advised not to feel bad because the truth is les gens ici adorent pratiquer leur anglais, whether your French is limited or advanced, they don’t care, they just want to practice their English. Donc il vous faut juste insister et expliquer que vous êtes venu ici pour pratiquer votre français. S’ils veulent parler anglais, ils peuvent faire le voyage ha!
But now here’s something I did not know before this first month in Paris. Lots of them just speak English, period, I guess because there are so many tourists it’s just easier. And maybe also because it makes them feel cool? Listen to this: They speak English TO ME THE FRENCH GIRL all the time! C’est fou, non? Last time I was in a café with my friend, we were both speaking French, the waiter could hear it, he still spoke to us in English. Nous avons répondu en français mais il continuait à parler en anglais, c’était vraiment très bizarre, et rigolo! Et ce n’est pas la seule fois que ça m’est arrivé! All of this to say, don’t feel bad and just speak French if that’s what you want to do, no matter how they answer you!
First day – Premier jour: le 16 août
Il y a un petit peu plus d’un mois, j’ai pris le TGV de Lyon à Paris, puis un taxi, afin de me rendre à mon nouvel appartement que je n’avais vu que son Internet… un peu fou, n’est-ce pas? Le manager, absolument adorable, m’attendait en bas de l’immeuble, à la grande porte d’entrée rouge, pour m’aider à porter mes valises. Je me rappelle ce premier moment de rêve! J’avais l’impression d’être en vacances dans un airbnb super chic, pas chez moi! Et pourtant, j’étais bel et bien chez moi!
First impressions – Premières impressions
Après ça, tout est allé très vite en fait: des amies sur place pour m’accueillir dans ma nouvelle ville, des rencontres avec de nouveaux amis, des balades, des musées, des nouvelles activités, plein de découvertes et de recherches, l’arrivée de ma colocataire, des amies qui viennent me rendre visite de Seattle, d’autres amis qui se marient sur un bateau sur la Seine… c’était magnifique et si romantique, regardez:
Et bien sûr avant le mariage, il ne fait pas oublier l’enterrement de vie de jeune fille (that’s a bachelorette party!) passé dans un petit village médiéval qui s’appelle Provins à environ une heure et demie de Paris. La prochaine fois que vous passez à Paris et que vous avez envie d’un petit voyage original, allez à Provins, c’est superbe! Et je vous conseille même de vous rendre dans le même appartement que nous avons loué. Un endroit magique parce que la propriétaire, Caroline, est magique aussi! C’est elle qui a entièrement peint et décoré ce petit sanctuaire que vous pouvez trouver sur booking.com au nom de “l’élégance au coeur du médiéval”.
Caroline est venue nous chercher à la gare de Provins, nous a fait visiter le village, nous a emmenées au supermarché pour que nous puissions acheter du Champagne, avant de nous faire découvrir “notre” appartement d’une nuit. Ses deux filles nous attendaient là et en fait tout le monde s’est tellement bien entendu qu’elles sont restées avec nous et nous avons toutes partagé nos histoires, nos cocktails, nos chansons, et nos danses. Quelle soirée! Nous sommes devenues tellement proches que Heather (la mariée) a invité Caroline et ses filles au mariage! Génial, non?
First birthday – Premier anniversaire
Et puis le 18 septembre c’était mon anniversaire youpi! Et grâce à mes amies et grâce à Paris, le meilleur anniversaire de ma vie! Une journée parfaite du matin au soir:
-salle de sport pour commencer la journée en force et en pleine forme
-les filles nous rejoignent à la maison et j’ouvre mes cadeaux
-déjeuner dans mon restaurant vegan préféré Carmen Ragosta
-visite du Musée des Arts et Métiers
-promenade dans le Marais en discutant des “2020 democratic presidential primaries” américaines parce que j’avoue que je ne suis (du verbe suivre, pas du verbe être) plus vraiment la politique américaine depuis que je suis partie en septembre 2017.
-dîner léger + kir royal à la terrasse d’un magnifique café à côté d’une église
-direction Le Perchoir, un bar / club sur le toit du BHV avec une vue incroyable sur Paris, l’Hôtel de Ville, la Tour Eiffel, etc. On a dansé jusqu’à 1h30 du matin (j’aurais adoré continuer mais malheureusement le club a allumé toutes les lumières pour fermer. Zut! Dommage! Tant-pis! I highly recommend this place, the views were to die for, the drinks delicious, and the DJ fantastic! So good that I decided to go back yesterday night!
First favorites – Premières préférances
J’écris “First favorites” parce que peut-être que cela va changer à mesure que je découvre cette ville et il me semble que je pourrais la découvrir pendant dix ans tellement il y a de choses à faire et à voir ici!
As frustrating as it may be pour ma colocataire américaine qui préfèrerait être immergée dans la langue française toute la journée, j’adore qu’il y ait tellement d’Américains à Paris! J’adore entendre parler anglais tous les jours! Je suis franco-américaine et j’aime mes deux pays, j’ai besoin de mes deux pays, ce qui n’est pas toujours facile. En France, les États-Unis me manquent. Aux États-Unis, la France me manque! Mais ici du coup j’ai un peu les deux donc c’est mieux! Et puis je ne connais pas encore vraiment de Français ici à Paris et pretty much all my friends are American, apart from a British one, which again adds to this cosmopolitan feel that I love so much having in my life.
Une des soirées les plus surprenantes et les plus spontanées que j’ai passée à Paris… un samedi soir, je n’ai pas de plan et je me sens un peu seule, je décide d’aller étudier dans un café du coin. Plutôt idiot d’espérer trouver un endroit tranquille un samedi soir à Paris mais bon, on ne peut pas toujours avoir de bonnes idées! Turns out it was an excellent idea! Vous connaissez la rue Oberkampf?
Je l’aime beaucoup elle est pleine de vie… et j’y ai même trouvé une adorable petite librairie (now watch out for the faux ami this is not a library!) d’occasion qui s’appelle Le Livre à Venir au numéro 88. J’entre et le vendeur me pose la jolie question suivante: “Vous voulez quelque chose de particulier ou vous recherchez la surprise?” et bien sûr j’ai répondu que je préférais les surprises. Il me voit regarder les vieux livres de philosophie et de théologie, me demande si je les étudie, je dis oui, et nous commençons une longue discussion qui se finira une heure et demie plus tard! Moi qui voulais un samedi soir original, je l’ai eu! Et évidemment, je suis repartie avec cinq livres!
Et bien sûr j’adore mon appartement, ma coloc, et notre super quartier à la fois chic et populaire! J’adore qu’il y ait des librairies PARTOUT c’est incroyable! Il y a aussi de tonnes de restaurants ou cafés et des magasins vegan! J’adore la beauté tout autour de moi, je suis éblouie par la sublime architecture partout où je tourne la tête. Et évidemment je ne vais pas répéter toutes les choses que j’ai indiquées plus haut, mais j’avais tellement hâte de célébrer mon premier anniversaire à Paris et, grâce à mes merveilleuses amies, je n’ai pas été déçue, loin de là!
That’s it for this week but more to come in the next blog posts! I love this new Paris theme, what do you think?
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