A post on the perils of Paris.
So today I made a trip into Paris and saw Atonement. My train from Villers-Cotterêts was astronomically late, and I missed the 2:05 showing that I had planned to see, but in the end I didn't mind because I killed time waiting for the 4:30 showing wandering around Paris, which was nice. I'm planning to go back, probably on Friday, and visit the Paris Holocaust Memorial Museum. I'm not as scared of the city as I used to be, even though today was slightly marred by…
Scary Moment #1. After walking for over an hour, I go into a little park and sit down on a bench. Then this man sits down next to me and asks (in French) if he can talk to me. I'm a little wary, so I pretend not to speak French (which is practically true anyway), because I thought that would make him leave me alone. It doesn't. First, in very broken English, he asks me where I'm from, then he manages to explain to me that he's a photographer, he takes pictures of models for magazines, and he likes my face because I'm not wearing any makeup, and I could earn €200 an hour if I modeled for him, and would I like to make an appointment with him for tomorrow? (I am not kidding.) So I drop the I-only-speak-English act and tell him in my best French, "I do not know you, and I demand that you leave me alone." I got out of the park as quick as I could and walked around a very crowded tourist area for a good while in case he tried to follow me or something.
Scary Moment #2. I'm standing on the street looking at a metro map when a woman approaches me, holding her hand out for money and talking urgently in a language I can't identify. I could tell she wasn't going to go away, and I couldn't go away from her because I needed to look at this map. I had some spare coins in my pocket, so I put one in her hand (it was a 1€ coin, I think), but she still doesn't go away. She starts SHOUTING me - and again, I have no idea what language she's speaking - and pointing to the coat pocket I had taken the coin out of. I get scared and run away, coming back to read my map only after I make sure the coast is clear. And the moral of this story, children, is not to give money to crazy women on the streets of Paris.
But don't get the wrong impression, because overall it was a nice day. I actually managed to find a McDonald's! It was in a tall, narrow building, and its facade was decorated with carvings of a king, a stork, and an angel. It looked so cool. I also saw a sign about a protest for the return of the franc (the currency France used before the €), which I found hilarious. I'm not even French and I can tell you the franc is never coming back. And I enjoyed Antonement, although I was disappointed to no end when I found out the little theater didn't serve concessions (I had a craving for some nice movie popcorn). I'll talk about the film when I've had some more time to think about it, but right now I'm too tired out from my day.
Scary Moment #1. After walking for over an hour, I go into a little park and sit down on a bench. Then this man sits down next to me and asks (in French) if he can talk to me. I'm a little wary, so I pretend not to speak French (which is practically true anyway), because I thought that would make him leave me alone. It doesn't. First, in very broken English, he asks me where I'm from, then he manages to explain to me that he's a photographer, he takes pictures of models for magazines, and he likes my face because I'm not wearing any makeup, and I could earn €200 an hour if I modeled for him, and would I like to make an appointment with him for tomorrow? (I am not kidding.) So I drop the I-only-speak-English act and tell him in my best French, "I do not know you, and I demand that you leave me alone." I got out of the park as quick as I could and walked around a very crowded tourist area for a good while in case he tried to follow me or something.
Scary Moment #2. I'm standing on the street looking at a metro map when a woman approaches me, holding her hand out for money and talking urgently in a language I can't identify. I could tell she wasn't going to go away, and I couldn't go away from her because I needed to look at this map. I had some spare coins in my pocket, so I put one in her hand (it was a 1€ coin, I think), but she still doesn't go away. She starts SHOUTING me - and again, I have no idea what language she's speaking - and pointing to the coat pocket I had taken the coin out of. I get scared and run away, coming back to read my map only after I make sure the coast is clear. And the moral of this story, children, is not to give money to crazy women on the streets of Paris.
But don't get the wrong impression, because overall it was a nice day. I actually managed to find a McDonald's! It was in a tall, narrow building, and its facade was decorated with carvings of a king, a stork, and an angel. It looked so cool. I also saw a sign about a protest for the return of the franc (the currency France used before the €), which I found hilarious. I'm not even French and I can tell you the franc is never coming back. And I enjoyed Antonement, although I was disappointed to no end when I found out the little theater didn't serve concessions (I had a craving for some nice movie popcorn). I'll talk about the film when I've had some more time to think about it, but right now I'm too tired out from my day.