Monday, January 30, 2012

devenir (v.) ~ "to become"

When asked at our orientation session our goals for our stay in Paris, the majority of the students in my program replied with some variation of "to appreciate life like the Parisians," "to eat great food," "to live in a world of art and culture," and "to become French." While I cannot attest to the reasoning behind these statements, I would imagine that this desire to transform into someone who is more cultured, has better taste, speaks perfect French, and has can appreciate a life and a pace that is plus décontractés (more relaxed) is something that all of us here dream about at night. It's one thing to be an American with pretty good French who lives in Paris, but it is another to take the risks involved, to be vulnerable enough to try to really become French.

Funnily enough, the second that you set foot on French soil, your nose does not turn up in the air to look down upon others, you do not immediately begin to think existential and philosophical thoughts, and you do not begin smoking. At least that was not my experience. It seems, though, that there are certain things that I've been able to pick up upon that have helped to blur that distinction between obvious "guidebook and camera schlepping, tennis shoe wearing, English speaking, Starbucks drinking" American and les vrais Parisiens. The following are some examples:
  • I'm working on learning the abbreviations and special names for things in French. For example, when ordering water in a restaurant they might ask you whether you will accept San P (pronounced sahn-pay). If you are thinking about what that could possible mean, as I was the first five times I heard this at a restaurant, fear not! I am here to inform you that this is the cute name the French have given to San Pellegrino sparkling water! Why don't they serve the french Perrier? Good question.
  • Drinking coffee at all hours of the day and night is very common and perfectly acceptable here, which is wonderful for students like myself. Unless you want to drink your coffee at the same time as your meal, which is somehow impossible. I wanted to drink some coffee whilst eating lunch one day and despite my lengthy conversation with the waiter about how I really did, in fact, want the coffee at the same time as my food, it was brought out about 20 minutes after I finished. Moral of this story: coffee and food together after breakfast? Quel horreur!
  • As difficult as this may seem to my peace-loving California compadres, I have now solidified my belief that one cannot classify his/herself as Parisian without elbowing someone out of the way to get a seat on the Métro. I realized, when I felt a jabbing pain in my rib and looked to see a woman of about 75 running past me, that in this realm I must have no mercy. It's a rough world out there, folks.
Although it's difficult and I know that, if I'm lucky, it will take a lifetime to live the real vie parisienne, but I do find that each day I learn something new and it gets a little easier to understand the people, the culture and the mentality that makes up this crazy, wonderful city. I'll post soon about my weekend in the Charente region of France - three days full of beautiful countryside, a comic-book festival, Roman ruins, lots of cathedrals, and a whole lot of Cognac :)

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