From Paris With Love

So ever since we visited Paris this past winter, I've been itching to tell anyone and everyone who listens about the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences between a city like Paris and a city like Chicago or New York.

Pace - For starters, lets talk about the pace of life. Early morning rush hours, commuter traffic, the literal stampede to get to work, the I-have-no-time-to-slow-down attitude all seems to be part and parcel of the lifestyle here. Which is why Paris came as a pleasant surprise in terms of the early morning commuters enjoying, and I mean enjoying!, their early morning coffees and walking, yes I mean walking! to work, with apparently all the time in the world. This was certainly a refreshing (and envious) new perspective on potentially how different a corporate culture could be.

Simplicity - Next would come simplicity in day-to-day activities. At a time when I can personally not imagine many things that are non mechanical when it comes to the commercial sector here, whoa and behold, what happens when you witness a single milk delivery man delivering fresh milk and dairy produce early in the morning to a classy Paris café? You are stuck with awe because you never thought you would witness this simple, good life again! But wait, theres more. The next thing you notice is a cellar door opening right in the middle of the café and a hand drawn rope pulley pulls up to take the contents that were delivered underground. No automation and no gimmicks.

Food - Since I briefly mentioned breakfast, I might as well go ahead and talk about The Food! If I had to describe it in one word - it would be Divine! None of the processed, mass produced foods that we have become so accustomed to. Just wholesome, homemade, fresh, out of the oven, simple, delicious, fabulous food! Be it a small roadside cafe, or a fancy restaurant - one thing was common - the quality and I believe the love and pride that went into making the food!
And I would also like to mention here the conservative attitude of the food joints. Seldom did I find a restaurant or café that had marmalades, butter or even tissues for that matter, simply lying around. This was surely a drastic contrast to what we are accustomed to here.

Fashion - Now can Paris be mentioned without a mention of fashion? I agree that we have more affordability here in terms of clothing et cetra as well as the infamous New York fashion weeks and so on for the couture savvy, but Paris has always been known for its fashion and rightly so! Any real connoisseur of fashion will definitely appreciate the beauty in the clothes, the shops, the shoes, and the people. Most of the locals seemed to be in the best shape of their lifes! Add to that the mile high Pradas, Louis Vuittons on almost every second person, and beautiful clothes, and you have a walking runway right before you.

Infrastructure - A little bit about the infrastructure. I once heard that you are never more than 500 meters away from a subway station at any given place in Paris. That's how well connected the city is in terms of infrastructure! Sure beats the I-need-a-car-to-go-anywhere motto.

Culture - And how can I not talk about the rich rich culture! This may not be a very fair point to compare and contrast against, since it is hardly a country's fault that it is fairly new or old. But one can't help but marvel at the beautiful and historic architecture, the monuments, the fountains, the cathedrals, and the museums of Paris. It suddenly made sense to me why this country produced some of the greatest artists of all times (read Picasso, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Manet) :-)

Language - Finally, one mention about the general disdain for English in Paris. I had heard a French actor mention in a movie once that he does not speak English even though he can because he doesn't like the way it makes his voice and words feel. I remember laughing out loud then but only now do I realize there is a lot of truth to that. Plus I did get the feeling the French were being troubled on my accord by having to speak in a language other than French. ;)

I do believe all cities have their unique traits and almost what can be called as distinct personalities. But the clear winner for me was set one cold winter day as I walked the streets of Champs-Élysées and sighed heavy with contentment - at the food, the culture, and the sights.