Like most Parisians, I rushed out of my small apartment as soon as I could, ready for freedom and direct sunlight. This summer, I’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors, hoping to never be subjected to lockdown again. It’s a strange new world out there, with an extreme lack of tourists, and I’ve attempted to capture a bit of this period in photos.
In this post, I would like to explore France’s taboo surrounding the topic of race and the implications that this has for talking about and acknowledging racism.
Do I talk about food a lot? And if yes, do you have a problem with that? No? Good!
Here are some French food habits I’ve picked up over the years. As always with my cultural comparison pieces, I write from my own experience and from a place of love. Enjoy!
As we head towards the beginning of the deconfinement (French people literally just made this word up, and I’m following suit), I want to give you an update on the situation here in France, and specifically in Paris.
In this post, I will give you a quick overview detailing the progression of Coronavirus-related regulations in France, followed by my personal thoughts and experiences during the first couple of weeks in lockdown. If you’re not currently in the right headspace to look at anything Coronavirus-related right now, I encourage you to do whatever your mind and body need at this time. Go look at cat memes and do some yoga, or eat that bag of chips. There will be no judgement, and I won’t be offended either. If, however, you are ready for the perspective of someone quarantined in Paris, read on…
We often hear that traveling and living abroad opens our eyes to other cultures, but, just as importantly, it forces us to take a look at our own culture. When you’re abroad and you start interacting with people and watching the news, you get a good glimpse of how your country is portrayed and viewed from the outside looking in.
Naturally, I try to expose Jonathan to the great American culture whenever possible, which usually means presenting him with various preservative-filled and artificially colored food items. My main goal is generally to gross him out and/or shock him, but this seldom works.
When travelling, I think you should do your best to try new things and embrace the culture that surrounds you. However, now that I’m trying to make France my home, I have a slightly different view when going to the grocery store. I have yet to truly explore specialty stores, like co-ops and ethnic markets, but here are a few things that I have to get used to when shopping at the typical grocery store in Paris.
Happy hour may have originated in America, but France offers some fierce competition. Who does it better? Let’s compare the essential components.
This was by far one of the most frequently asked questions I received whenever I announced my big plan to move to Paris. Valid question.