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New words I've learned
since arriving
chauffage
centaine
accueil
conseil
forfait
télécharger
furieux
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April 12, 2002, 2000 hrs
I spent a poor night. Woken up constantly by a bad pain in the top of the instep of my left foot. I got home last night and went to bed with no pain but woke up in the morning and could barely walk. As you might imagine, having to find a place to live (and a job) as I do, this was not good news. I almost cancelled my morning appointment to look at an apartment in the 10th but I decided to try on my walking shoes and see if the support would help. It did, and as long as I wore the shoes I could walk. It still hurt, but nowhere near as badly. All I can imagine is that I must have laced my dress shoes too tightly yesterday am and bruised my instep. I made my appointment, after picking up my daily copy of L'Equipe in the Place d'Italie metro station, and checked out the studio - such as it is. It is about two-thirds the size of my current studio, but costs about 20% more. However, it does come with a TV with cable and a full-time connection to the Internet (cable modem). This could be important and so it factored pretty highly in my taking the place. Yes, I have found a place to live. The neighborhood is quite decent (up and coming as they say); a stone's throw from one looks like a good gym and the best cinema in Paris (the Rex). Also lots of shopping, groceries, affordable restaurants in the neighborhood and it comes with a "micro-onde" (microwave) and all the utensils and a double folding couch/bed. I guess I'm paying for the location - I decided it just wasn't wise to rent an apartment from the Web when the agency wouldn't let me look at it first (screw 'em I say). I'm actually kind of at a loss as to what to do next - this was such a major challenge I hadn't looked much beyond it. I had expected to have at least interviewed for a job by now, so I guess that's my next major challenge. I have to prepare myself for not getting one and eventually having to return to the States but right now I cannot envision that. I want to give this a really good shot (and get fluent in French) and that means I want to be here for at least two, maybe three years. I see posters in the metro for the magasin Carrefour saying "Satisfait ou remboursé, c'est vous qui décidez!" Which translates as, Satisfied our we refund you, it's you who decide". Funny, apparently the concept of the customer is always right is completely foreign to the French mentality and this sales pitch is considered novel. My new landlady is quite interesting. She sold her first apartment three years ago at a very healthy profit and then bought four others with the proceeds. She now rents them all out, and lives well off the proceeds. I did the math and figured that at what she charges, she'll pay all of them off in just about five years if she can keep up full occupancy. That's a heck of a deal and I've started to think about buying a place (if I get a job). Because even if I move back to the States I could use an agency to rent it out to tourists (as she does) and have it paid for in a couple of years. Of course, lots of others have this idea, but it is the number one tourist destination in the world right now. By the way, she recommended this remedy called "Synthol", which one can buy in a cream or gel form for bruises, etc. So I bought some and put it on my foot this afternoon and it feels much better. I'm trying to experiment with foods and new experiences while I'm here. I feel that I've become too habit-bound in the States (ma faut) so I tried those cornichons the other night and any cheese that looks interesting. Still cannot stand the idea of hard-boiled eggs - or any other kind of eggs - on my pizza though. Coming home on the metro tonight (after stopping by a store that sold just Corsican products - I bought some Corsican eau de vie that I have yet to try and some goat's cheese) I skipped the first train home 'cause people were packed in like sardines. The second train came in and they were packed in like herrings - just a little more room. So I squeezed on. At the next stop two more people squeezed in - we're standing room only and you can't take a deep breath - the rush hour in Paris appears to be after 7pm on Friday nights (at leasting heading in the direction of the main Montparnasse station). So just as the doors are about to close a tiny little French woman comes bundling onto the train - I could have sworn there wasn't any more room and she screeches "Allez-y" and everyone shrinks back and suddenly there is a little space around her. I'm not kidding, she came up to a little over my belt buckle. 4ft tall if she was lucky. This just cracks up the entire group of us in the car and we're all try to stifle our laughter so as not to be rude as she continues to mutter at all of us for until she gets off a couple of stations later. But what impressed me was the genuine good humour of the Parisians. I could tell they totally admired this little woman for her spunk (even though they thought she might be a little crazy). My foot survived the day, and I'm finally home, listening to the local Spanish/Cuban station (Radio Latina - 99.0FM). This city is full of speciality stores - I imagine that they can only really survive in really big, well-established cities. Like the aforementioned store selling Corsican products, or one specializing just in car and motorcycle books (in all languages) that I discovered this afternoon. I think that one of the joys of Paris will be discovering these gems of stores that serve your every whimsical desire. I think Paris really is a city that defines the term "monumental architecture". Partly, because some of them are so old, others because the Parisians have really tried to fit them into the cityscape. I read somewhere that the city fathers decided long ago that everything in the city had to be limited in scale, in order to keep it livable. Those of you who have visited Manhattan know how overwhelming the scale of the skyscrapers can be to those not used to it; I got a headache after a couple of days living in Manhattan and was told by my friends that this wasn't an useful effect for the city to have on visitors. Anyway, the Tour Montparnasse is 56 floors, with an observation deck on top and there is an advertising campaign afoot to publicize the deck. I'll probably give it a try one day just for the view. The other tallest structures in Paris are La Defense, La Tour Eiffel, the top of the Sacre Coeur dome on Montmartre, and maybe the top of the Arc de Triomphe (not that high, it's just in an area where you can see for a long way without anything blocking the view). I plan to eventually take photos from all of them.. one of these days. The Tour Montparnasse is just up the street from the Alliance Francaise, so I see it every day. But I thought it might interest you as its the only skyscraper in the city limits of Paris (La Defense is outside). Second photo is that of this neo-classical Roman arch I found in my new neighborhood (the 10th). According to my landlady it was refurbished last year 'cause bits of it started falling on pedestrians. It used to mark the bounds of the city (in the 17th century if my reading of Latin numbers is correct). Now it's well inside the city bounds.. Beautiful though.. (that's why I made it large). Looks as good as if it was just built last month. )
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