By: David Louis Edelman

David Louis Edelman — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:30:04 +0000

Thanks, Bertrand, for the French perspective. Ten days was far too short a time to spend in Paris. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to come back someday…

By: Bertrand

Bertrand — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:14:22 +0000

A french point of view :
Hi david, i’m Bertrand From Paris.
Your story is funny, specialy for a french. Your vision is so American.
I would like to help you to understand Paris (Just Paris) by explaining the several questions you wondered.
First sirens; It is not because of Riots in suburbs. The last riots of 2005 was very far from paris. The way it was exposed by the american TV, was surrealist. Nothings happens in Paris. If you heard a lot of sirens, is just because Paris is with London the two biggest cities of Europe… Even if it looks like a village, Paris concentrate a huge population. The place where you stayed, is also a main axis of Paris. The American sirens makes me the same effects of “muppets”. Your are not use to hear this sound.
The small car; You probably never had the opportunity to drive a car to Paris, but when you want to park it, you would understand why this car are so small. Streets and buildings were built before the car invention. So this car is the result of a darwin law : adapt or die. Smart cars adapt to the old European cities.
The different fixures : yes your agree. I feel the same in USA.
Smoking: if you want to come back to France (You are welcome), you would notice that smoking is restaurants, bars or disco is not allowed anymore.
The weight Gap: This following point is only my opinion about this difference. Even if French does’nt practice a sport, you probably noticed people likes to walk. Not as a sport but as a pleasure of walking in streets. There is a word for this “promenade”. An other fact, You are agree, people eats maybe more, but always at the same hours and a various type of food. Cooking “(Cuisiner)in France is not a word to prepare food, but a kind of pleasure.
Brand-free streets: In Paris, to preserve Paris beauty, advertising is located in some places authorised by the city hall adminitration.
I hope this explaination would help you to understand Paris
Bertrand

By: Emily

Emily — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:08:56 +0000

Oh, your funny. I laughed so hard when you talked about everytime you hear those sirens you think a muppets in trouble. Also about the fuckityouonlyliveonce fat Americans and also about the thuggish commercial advertising here. You make me want to go to France. Too funny.

By: Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast and Titus Alone (David Louis Edelman’s Blog)

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:30:05 +0000

[...] and as a result the type is often very difficult to read. I picked up these books in Paris, as I mentioned before, and I wonder if that has anything to do with [...]

By: My Trip to France (Part 2: The Wrath of Cannes) (David Louis Edelman’s Blog)

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 06:50:59 +0000

[...] My Trip to France (Part 1) [...]

Comments on: My Trip to France (Part 1)

By: David Louis Edelman

By: Bertrand

By: Emily

By: Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast and Titus Alone (David Louis Edelman’s Blog)

By: My Trip to France (Part 2: The Wrath of Cannes) (David Louis Edelman’s Blog)