A common topic of discussion between Arianna and me as we walk to campus is how we feel, as Americans, living in Paris. One idea that has come up many times in these discussions is how it is possible to live your life completely as an American while in Paris. We've tried discussing this with others, but it seems that no one (especially international students) can quite wrap their head around the concept as we can. But we've really thought this through, and we know it's a possibility. The main points of our argument are that no one really forces you to speak French. Conceivably, a person could go the whole day avoiding ever having to speak French or have others speak French to you. For your morning cup of coffee, instead of sitting at a small cafe drinking espressos, you could opt to go to Starbucks instead, where the cashiers all speak at least enough English to comprehend an American ordering their vente half soy/half skim, extra foam, no whipped cream vanilla latte and bagel with cream cheese.
For lunch or dinner, there are establishments such as McCoy's or Breakfast in America. McCoy's serves as a small market where you can purchase truly American items grocery items as well as sit and eat characteristically American meals such as hamburgers, hotdogs, turkey clubs, blts, etc. Breakfast in America is the closest thing to an IHOP as I can imagine in Paris. Both establishments proudly display on their outside windows that English is welcomed there.
In terms of nightlife, there are a number of Scottish and Irish pubs as well as Canadian and Australian bars here. In any of these places, you'll find that everyone speaks English as well. This was perhaps the biggest shock for me. The first bar I ever went to in Paris was an Australian bar where a lot of AUP students hang out. I ordered a beer (in French, of course--what other language would one use in France?) and as I was drinking it, I realized looking around the bar that everyone was speaking English. Including the bartenders! I had no idea how to even comprehend the situation that I was in. It totally contradicted everything that I had anticipated about living in Paris.
I recently met a Scottish bartender who claimed to have lived and worked in Paris for nearly two years now and doesn't speak a word on French. I was shocked. He claimed it was true, though.
At museums, cinemas, and popular stores located in touristy areas, you'll easily find people who speak English. If you have enough money to shop at the designer boutiques on the Champs, I personally think they would speak to you in Klingon if you had enough money.
I was recently in the Marais with some friends. It was after 2 and the bars were closing, so we walked out to grab some late-night food at one of the many crepe/falafel/gyro/french fry stands. As the guy was fryin me up some good ol' freedom fries, he realized I was an American, and we struck up a conversation about Bush, Obama, and the War. I spoke to him in slurred French, he spoke to me in what I can only imagine was some sort of Spanglish. The guy was presumably of middle eastern origin but spoke very good French. I didn't think much of it at the time, but looking back, I don't know why he didn't speak to me in French. Clearly I knew enough French to converse with him, but he felt the need to speak to me in some sort of English because I was an American. Perhaps he's just so used to drunken American tourists demanding french fries and nutella crepes at 3 in the morning that he's used to speaking in English, but it just reiterates my point that you can really avoid French easily if you want to.
No one makes you dress like a European, no one makes you discuss pertinent issues like politics or the economy, no one makes you eat baguettes and drink tiny cups of espresso, no one makes you do anything that forces you to conform to French society.
Sometimes we feel like we're living our Boston lives in Paris, which I find a bit disconcerting. Paris and Boston aren't anything alike. I've met a lot of Europeans who claim to really like Boston because they feel that it's most like European cities. I mean, yeah, Boston is filled with a bunch of left-wing, quasi-socialist intellectual types who have no qualms with putting down the Bush administration, but in terms of living the life of a college student in Boston and living the life of a Parisian in Paris, there aren't many similarities. When I'm alone riding the metro or walking back from campus, I feel more like a Parisian then when I'm in groups. Even if I'm with a group of French people of French-speaking people, I still sometimes feel like I'm living out my Boston life in Paris. It's a strange feeling.
That brings me to my final point, a recent subject that has been on my mind for several days now. I haven't decided if I want to conform to French life here, or if I'm content living my life as an American in Paris. I don't get dirty looks when I wear my beat-up vans to class. I always speak French to the French, so no one gives me shit for speaking English and assuming everyone with accommodate me. I kind of like standing out while I'm here. If people look at me and immediately know I'm American, it doesn't really make me feel uncomfortable or like an outsider, it usually just makes me happy to know that I'm not like everyone else. It might be too early to decide for sure how I feel about being an American in Paris. Perhaps in a couple months when I really feel settled, I'll come to a conclusion. But for now, I'm just trying to live, trying to absorb everything I can, trying to make the most of the short time I have here. No regrets, man, no regrets.
