How to become Parisian in 14 days
Easy. If you work or live anywhere close to a tourist landmark you'll behave Parisian in a short couple of weeks. My work is strategically close to the Tour d'Eiffel, the Arc de Triomphe, Trocadero and Les Champs Elysees. This fantastic location is tourist material par excellence.
So, every morning, afternoon, early evening, evening...always, dozens of tourists clog metro escalators, doors, crowd metro wagons, wander lost holding foldable maps. If you happen to be late, forget it. It appears Asian tourist do not know how to stand on the right side of the mechanical stairs. You will quickly start wishing Paris becomes an ugly city inhabited by you and your office colleagues.
Despite the tourist transit there is one moment I specially enjoy: watching the astonished happy tourist faces when they first see the Christmas lighting (still on) of the Champs and the magnificent Arc de Triomph bringing your memories to Napoleonic times. There I am not Parisian, I am just another tourist watching the tourists.
In Paris, like anywhere else you also have tourists playing the "holding-a-monument" effect with their cameras. If this does not tell you anything, just check the Pisa picture.
The other day a brave tourist was using a doll to play the "my-doll-lives-under-the-arch-de-triomph" effect. Priceless.
So, every morning, afternoon, early evening, evening...always, dozens of tourists clog metro escalators, doors, crowd metro wagons, wander lost holding foldable maps. If you happen to be late, forget it. It appears Asian tourist do not know how to stand on the right side of the mechanical stairs. You will quickly start wishing Paris becomes an ugly city inhabited by you and your office colleagues.Despite the tourist transit there is one moment I specially enjoy: watching the astonished happy tourist faces when they first see the Christmas lighting (still on) of the Champs and the magnificent Arc de Triomph bringing your memories to Napoleonic times. There I am not Parisian, I am just another tourist watching the tourists.
In Paris, like anywhere else you also have tourists playing the "holding-a-monument" effect with their cameras. If this does not tell you anything, just check the Pisa picture.
The other day a brave tourist was using a doll to play the "my-doll-lives-under-the-arch-de-triomph" effect. Priceless.
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