Paris does not smell like Chanel no 5. The underground actually stinks pretty bad and the streets are dirty. I could of course go on with the list of things that make it an imperfect city but the same applies to all the big cities in this world.
Some say French are very arrogant and rude. I, for example, find it easier to cope with them than with the ignorance and stiffness of the British people.  Although I love everything French, I must admit London is way better for business and for doing things. London is also more vibrant, alive, easier to adapt and live in. But maybe it all depends on the things we want to look at and the projections of our misconceptions.
The fact that French people will measure you from head to toe and veto your outfit can be intimidating and annoying in comparison to the nonchalance of Londoners who rarely lift their eyes from the Evening Standard. On the other hand, it is unlikely to see a French woman plucking her eyebrows on the tube or many disgusting men who have never heard about the word ‘manicure’.

London can sometimes be too much. Too crowded, too loud and sitting in a restaurant where the people around you are speaking 10 different languages at the same time can drive one crazy. But Paris is pretentious, the waiters will be nicer if you speak French and some will even pretend they do not understand English. However, in both cities, if you establish eye contact with someone and you just smile with all your heart, in most cases they will return your smile. And if you abandon all your misjudgments and don’t expect people to treat you in a certain way just because that’s how everybody else says they will, you might as well have a wonderful time.

Despite my incredible love for Paris, I have chosen to live in London and I still am so amazed at how welcoming this city has been. I haven’t yet discovered a place that would make me scream with joy the way la tour Eiffel does every single time I stop and stare at it. I cannot jump out of bed on a Sunday morning and run to a boulangerie for a delicious croissant and be surrounded by handsome men. But if I did, I would probably took it all for granted and slowly lose my ability to marvel at all these things. And I cannot forget how easy it was to pack my bags, pick a university, apply for a student loan and just move to London without feeling like a stranger or an emigrant.

After a short escapade in Paris, my best friend and I have decided that the perfect scenario would be spending the week in London and the weekends in The City of Lights. I can’t explain the magic of Paris and I would never try to plead for a city in favour of the other. Still, the one thing I know is that sometimes I just need a place where the food is exquisite and they sell macarons even in McDonald’s. As with all things useless, such as art or beauty, the charm of Paris may be completely meaningless to some of us. But I am one of those who cannot be a human doing seven days a week. Paris reminds me that I actually am a human being.

Tagged: on Sunday, January 30, 2011 · 3 Comments »