Springtime in Paris

*SPRINGTIME IN PARIS*
*March 20, 2003. 2:30 PM EST*	We're sitting in Logan awaiting our flight to Montreal -> Paris. I'm very excited, but not entirely joyous as Bush has begun his war on Iraq. As a traveler, this is unnerving for obvious reasons. Being abroad right now is disconcerting, especially in France where they are likely to be pretty anti-American (the anti-Bush sentiment is more than warranted). The airport TV screens are showing CNN...lots of information about our "unilateral action", although they do claim that our alliance is growing. I hate to say this, but I really hope that we find something in Iraq to "justify" this. Chemical weapons, biological weapons, whatever, I just want this to have some reason (even if I still don't agree with it). Currently, I'm embarrassed to be associated with this country's government. Wei is here (obviously) and that makes me feel better. Usually does. Bush is blathering on about something. Nevermind. Elly (Wei's boss) suggested that we eat at Parisian department stores because the food is good and cheap. I'm mostly looking forward to Paris because of the sensations it's likely to bring. Food, drink, sights, sounds, smells. Pretty cool. Hopefully it will give me lots to write about. I think it's important to consider who I'm writing for lately. Which feelings am I chasing and why am I having such a hard time finding them in my own home? I think that this trip is going to be very important for rediscovery. There are rocking chairs at Logan. I think that's a nice touch. The guy sitting in the nearest rocking chair to me was just on his cell phone checking his stocks. It's interesting how we view this war: mostly in terms of our own vested interests. I won't lie and say that I didn't hate this war partially because it threatened to interrupt my vacation plans. Of course, that's not the only reason, but it was one of them.
*March 21, 2003. 1:36 AM EST*	We are on our descent into Paris de Gaulle. I am pretty excited. We have seen a couple of news broadcasts that keep us updated on the war, but somehow I already feel very removed from it all...that didn't take long. Landing in Canada was kinda stressful for the both of us. Customs is never fun, regardless of whether you have anything to claim. What was even more unsettling, though, was the language barrier. Most people there spoke English, but it was primarily Francophone and it is just sort of humbling. I probably know enough French to get by (assuming they speak slowly and within the confines of my limited vocabulary) but I usually defer to Wei- in most travel-related things and it is not exactly going to work in this case (since his French abilities stop at "je suis un pizza"). Paris should be a hoot. I am a bit nervous about whatever attitude we will encounter. I've heard such horror stories! Task 1: Find a place to stay. At least we're getting there early.
*March 21, 2003. 2:30 EST*	Night #1, Hostel: MIJE Le Fourcy . I got my first gouter of Paris today. Not only is it beautiful and exciting and art-filled, it is also extremely friendly and manageable. Our hostel is clean, comfortable, centrally located (Marais), well-kept, and we have our own shower. We went to see Notre Dame , which was incredibly intense and ominous. Now THAT is a church. You don't know if you are seeking sanctuary within its walls or from the structure itself. It is patina-covered and dark and one can only guess what goes on in the tunnels beneath it. I want to photograph it at night, as that seems fitting. After that, we went to Restaurant Perraudin , which was recommended by the Lonely Planet guidebook as having authentic and reasonably priced French food. All I have to say is: mashed potatoes. Wine at noon, ha! Finally, we walked around the Latin Quarter and I decided that I had been up for WAY too many hours (26), so we went to the hostel and took a nap. That was the next 5 hours (oops). Now, feeling refreshed, I'm ready to go find some dinner. Then we're going to come back here and think about what we'd like to do next.
*March 22, 2003. 6:55 EST*	We just left the Louvre ...woah. That is way too big to even consider, never mind try to accomplish in 1 day (or a week, for that matter). I can see why the travel books call it the most avoided museum in the world. It is a bit defeating. What interests me most is what has become famous. To me, the Venus de Milo is beautiful, but seems no more special than any of the no-name sculptures, but alas, they remain no-name. Wei says that artists promote just as any other sort of businessman, and some just do a better job promoting than others. Somehow, I never considered artists as having to promote. I naively assume that brilliance is simply discovered and rightly rewarded. I think we're going to find someplace to eat now. A brief recap: last night we went to the Eiffel Tower , ate crepes, and slept like rocks. This morning, we found lodging for the rest of our stay and went to the Louvre. When I figure out what the PM brings, I'll write again.
*March 22, 2003.9:51 EST*	Wei and I have 2 French problems. 1. hiccups . I have them. 2. sweaty palms . Wei has those. Lunch was pretty great. We ate at a cafe facing the tremendous glass pyramids that serve as the Louvre's main entrance. The French waitstaff do tip themselvesquite generously for really crappy service, though: 19.6%, ha! Who knew?! Night #2, Hotel L'esperance in the Latin Quarter. We have a lovely, matronly, perfumed hotel keeper who keeps porcelain dolls in the foyer and insists on lodgers turning in their key when they leave the premises, for safe-keeping, of course. Chocolates are included in the price of stay. The most interesting part of this place was figuring out how to work the shower. I pretty much flooded the floor. Does no one believe in shower curtains here? Wei watched CNN here, as they had a TV. I avoided paying attention as much as I could.
*March 23, 2003. 5:41 EST*	We are sitting in our hotel in Montmartre , which is tres jolie. We spent the evening at the Eiffel Tower, this time ascending instead of just looking from below. We were able to watch the sun set over Paris, which was pretty darned cool from the 3rd level of the Tower. We walked down the stairs from the 2nd platform, during which we saw a dead chick on the stairs. That was weird but remains our favorite picture. Last but not least, we had an amazing French dinner at a restaurant near our hotel. It was really good, and I mean really. I had some poulet and Wei had cassoulet confit du canard , which was incredibly good. Anything where they cook it for hours in its own fat is bound to be good. This morning, we slept in until 9:00 then walked through the open-air market, had croissants and a baguette and made our way to the Musee d'Orsay . You can't go there with bags, so we Metroed over to and checked into our new hotel (we have our own patio, heehee) and now we're headed back out. Till next time...
*March 23, 2003. 10:10 EST*	We just finished seeing the Musee d'Orsay and the Rodin . I'm actually sitting in front of Rodin's Gates of Hell as I write. My favorite parts of the d'Orsay were the building itself (old train station with a clock overlooking the city) and the painting called "Le Lit". That one was really nice. It was just very intimate, capturing a moment between a man and a woman while they discuss their day and become even more vulnerable through sleep. I felt good in the d'Orsay because it was really nicely set up and spacious. How do curators know how to do that? " Le Lit " was done by an artist named Toulouse. The Rodin was something else entirely from anything I have ever seen before. His work is so much more sensual and emotional than anything I've seen elsewhere. My favorite piece here was "Je suis belle". From what I gather, it's about love as hunger, which is what love's madness tends to be. Wei put it nicely by suggesting that Rodin expanded on normal sculpture by giving it motion. That is nice. Lots of English speakers here. Must be museum day.
*March 24, 2003. 2:00 EST*	Last night is what I believe I'll remember most about Paris. We returned to Montmartre after a particularly gruelling, annoying march down the Champs Elysses . That road is decidedly NOT my favorite place in Paris. Lots of tourists, swarms of people, McDonalds, shopping, American movies, and throngs of women teetering on heels that were way too high. After a brief (but nice) visit to the Arc de Triumphe , we made our way back to Montmartre. This is where I would live were I to live here. It is quiet, narrow, cobble-stoned, hilly, and our place is perfect. After a bath and a nap (much needed after the dusty day), we went out in search of food. After wandering the streets of Montmartre, including the steps up to the Sacre Coeur , we happened upon a fondu place. THAT was great fun. We sat at long benches which les petites filles had to climb over the table to get to, we ate meat fondu and drank wine from baby bottles. We got into actual conversations with people from France (very nice folks who very well may have been mocking us, but who cares). We then toured around Montmartre and got a small taste (albeit touristified) of the Bohemian artist colony it once was. I loved it and after a look over the sleeping city from the steps of the Sacre Coeur, we went to bed. This morning, we ate breakfast (croissants, baguettes, tea, coffee) on our sunny terrace, which was beautiful. Now I'm sitting here, writing in bed, preparing for a nice poop. Could life get any better? Jen's list of things to do on last day in Paris: 1. get a picture of a Smart car 2. Sacre Coeur 3. Moulin Rouge 4. Pigalle 5. Modern Art Museum 6. eat a crepe 7. get souvenirs for mom, dad, erin Wei's list of things to do on last day in Paris: 1. Notre Dame Towers 2. Modern Art Museum 3. cemetary 4. Dali Museum 5. Sacre Coeur 6. Pigalle 7. Moulin Rouge
*March 24, 2003. 4:48 EST*	We're in line to ascend the Towers of Notre Dame. Wei and I are playing a little game where we guess the nationality of each tourist group. We are very accurate so far. Rules of Tourists: 1. If you're American, look slovenly, act dumb, trip on things, be sunburned, clamour for the attention of whoever appears to be most popular. Try to appear smart. 2. If you're Italian, think you're cool, look like you think you're cool, dress somewhat fashionably but like you never wash your clothes. Act cool. Have a popular guy lead your group. 3. If you're Asian, bust through lines of people, act like nobody else is there, even those who you are currently trampling over, speak loudly and quickly, ignore all, wear funny bright clothing. 4. If you're an American living in Paris, look fashionable by wearing fashionable clothing, attempt to look French but don't pull it off because you're too self-conscious and clean. 5. If you're French, just be annoyed but be brave about it all. Make sure that your hair is matted in the back and that it has at least 1 piece of fluff in it.
*March 24, 2003. 7:51 EST*	L'homme qui s'est envole dans l'espace depuis son appartement. by Ilya Kabakov. We're in the Centre Pompidou , which houses much of Paris' modern art collection. I liked the above piece. It was a room with a hole in the ceiling. The story that accompanied it was about a man who believed that there was a space continuum that one could join if launched into it at the precise moment it was open. He built a spring device and launched himself into it. That piece is fun. Across from it is a white, sterile environment with a child's playset inside. Hmmm.... wonder what they're trying to say there. As cool as those 2 pieces were, much of this stuff is pretentious crap. Wei: "It's amazing that, once you become famous, people will just buy everything you make." No Matisse cutouts, but many Matisse paintings. By the way, Parisian sandwiches (baguette, jambon, beurre) are killer, per Wei.
*March 25, 2003. 6:47 EST*	I am currently sitting on the plane back to Montreal -> Boston. Let's see, the last couple of hours... After the museums, we went out to the cemetary which was cool. I'm not exactly one for morbid fascination (except for the dead chicken, because that was just too weird to pass up), but the structures themselves were neat. Every tomb was above ground and the headstones were actually little buildings. Wei and I decided that that's where the dead people go for snacks. It was beautiful out. We found Jim Morrison's grave (lots of graffiti on neighboring tombs, I wonder if they feel unpopular). Other people we saw: Chopin Moliere Guy-Lussac lots of other dead people After that, we went to ascent Sacre Coeur's tower. When we got there, though, we decided that 5 Euros per person was way too much to go up there. Back at the hotel, we completed our daily ritual of washing our feet. This might be my favorite part of each day. I like rubbing my feet and reducing smell. Next, we took an adventure to Pigalle , the sex district of Paris. It was pretty much what you'd expect, for a sex district, although I did think a few things were different from our Chinatown district here: 1. European sex districts are much more explicit than American sex districts. I wonder if we're a bit prudish? 2. In having these places very much out in the open and available, I think France goes far towards making a much safer scene. Only way to do it, it seems. I think that by hiding it and making it shameful, the U.S. just moralizes and forces men (let's face it, the industry is primarily for men) to take their business underground, where things can only get more dangerous. 3. Pigalle remembers its residents. Yes, residents. People who are just going about their lives in Pigalle are offered a raised walkway in the center of the street so that they don't have to walk by the shops. Talk about being realistic and considerate! After Pigalle, we found a restaurant for dinner. I loved it. The place was very roschmantic with a curtain of lights flanking the entryway and a gossamer-like drape over the window. Wei: liver (foie, ha!), confit du canard, fruit tart Jen: sausages, steak-type thing, creme caramel My food was very very good. I think that Wei's was good too, but he still has a soft spot for the place in the Latin Quarter. Following this, we went to get a crepe, not because we were hungry but because it was on the list. A final kiss goodbye to Paris from the hills of Montmartre and we were on our way to bed (after watching an enthusiastic troubador get a little ribbing from the police, of course). By the way, the Moulin Rouge is skippable. It was dull compared to the rest of Pigalle with none of Baz Luhrman's pageantry. Ah, history via movies. By the way #2, airport workers are universally annoying but harmless.
*March 25, 2003*	Final Thoughts on Paris I was amazed at so many things in Paris, even more by ow few of them were site-specific: - The world melts away when there are no newspapers, emails, meetings, conflicts... - The important thing, Wei, came into clear view and sharp relief - Art that is touristy is often touristy because it is beautiful, but no more than any other art - I would live in Montmartre - Hedonism does not take long to adjust to - Sandwiches can be delicious, they only need good bread. - Walking is the only way to see a city. - Wei has a relatively solid vision of perfection, always for someone else's benefit. - It is important to me that my mom knows I'm ok. - Life exists amongst sex markets. - The people who say that Parisians are rude were likely either rude or idiots themselves. Parisians were amongst the kindest, most patient city-dwellers I've met. - A bit of language gets you a long way (at least in terms of essentials). - Kisses on 2 cheeks is a much warmer, more wonderful way to say goodbye than a handshake. - Public displays of affection breed love breeds public displays of affection. - Breakfast dans la chambre makes getting up tolerable. - The French don't work or bathe when they could be eating or kissing. - Next time, get the cheese fondu. - Arrive and travel with as few expectations as possible because disappointment is debilitating and heartbreaking. - Wei is my love.
*March 25, 2003*	Thoughts on Returning Home Returning brings with it its own set of feelings: - As soon as newspapers are in the vicinity, anxiety about "knowing" (and more strongly about not knowing) returns. - What is going on right now leaves me feeling ashamed and fearful and is nothing if not warmongering. - I am thinking about emails again - Now I notice how exhausting these feelings are and that making time for Wei and me is of the utmost importance. - I'm looking forward to being in my bed. - This trip home from Paris feels much different from the last time I flew through Paris on my way home. - I like stand-up showers better than European sitting nozel showers. - It will be hard to be apart from Wei after being together for 24 hours a day for so long. - Wei is my love.