The kind Parisian

The weather has not been very cooperative. Paris in the spring, unlike the saying, is very wet. However, the weather has been more than balanced by the good natured people of this city. Yes, you read that correct – all the Parisians that we’ve interacted with have been extremely helpful. This is in contrast to what we read in every guidebook we picked up, all of which wrote (with appropriate political correctness) that French can be perceived as rude, and that one should communicate in French first, because trying to blurt English at every opportunity is asking for trouble.

I’m not sure I buy into this whole haughty Parisian stereotype. There was one point this morning where Nuha started acting up and crying in our hotel lobby while we were trying to ask the concierge for directions. Before we knew it, one of the bellhops came over, took Nuha, grabbed apples from a complimentary fruit tray, and started to juggle for her. I’m not talking an amateurish three apples in the air at the same time – we’re talking Cirque du Soleil caliber theatrics. Not sure how many hotels back home have staff that receptive to a guest’s needs. You could argue that well trained hotel staff will look to help a guest at every turn, but I feel that the kindness we’ve been experiencing extends further. Every time I have tried speaking my halting French, I have been interrupted and spoken back to in English, without a trace of an attitude. In fact, I’ve felt that the person I’m speaking with has been more willing to speak in broken English to make it easier for me, rather than things having to be the other way around.

Communication in general has been very interesting. There have been a few occasions now where I have asked if the listener speaks English, and once told no, I am in turn asked if I speak Spanish. When I’ve said, we’ve suddenly discovered a language we’re both comfortable with. It makes for an interesting interaction – Pakistanis and French communicating in Spanish. Crazy world.

The Eiffel tower was really cool, literally and figuratively. The weather was brutal this morning, and reminded us of the blustery Chicago winter. We had purchased advance tickets, which meant shorter lines, but the French staff and tourists generous yet again, and offered us the opportunity to skip to the front of our line and get inside the visitor’s center where it would be warmer for Nuha.

One thing I’d like to highlight is that desis will be desis, no matter where you place them. The couple below was appropriately bundled for the day, wearing warm, puffy jackets, woolly hats, scarves and gloves. However, when it came time to taking a picture, they made their volunteer picture-taker wait 5 minutes as they slowly disrobed in the frigid weather, until the couple was down to something more stylish and appropriate for posterity.