5 Things I Love (And Hate) About Living Paris

Hii!

As I mentioned a few times. I´m almost in the half of my Erasmus internship, and it makes me so sad. I´m not sure if I would really want to live there, but I do enjoy staying there right now. It´s hard to imagine coming back to the greyness of every day life but hey – at least I will get to resume all my dramas.

I came up with few great and few less than stellar things about this so called city of love.

I´m not lost if I enjoy the scenery

5. It Sounds Good
Okay, call me selfish, but I really like how stunned everyone seems by this :D. Internship in Paris sounds waaay more glamorous than it is, but I won´t try to dispute this. Even my sister likes telling about my newest occupance to people who know me. What can you expect from small town weirdo? I don´t have to prove myself to anyone, but thats doesn´t mean I don´t want to.

5. French
In a way, both language and mindset. I actually took a semester of French in my 1st year of University, and I plan to continue, but when someone native speaks it all I can say is „Ehh?“ Because it just doesn´t sound anything like it was supposed to. Accents and excetric speech patterns aren´t something you can get prepared for.
As for mindset, the strange gatekeeping and hatred of everything classically Parisian surprises me sometimes. I think it´s kinda like with Star Wars fans – No one hates Star Wars more than it´s biggest fans.

View from my home

4. Multiculturality

Listen, I´m from small town. Or, one of the bigger towns, but that doesn´t mean a lot for Czech Republic. I didn´t actually hold a full conversation with a person of colour (that wasn´t Romani) until high school. I got to meet people from different backgrounds in university, as I travelled for some projects, but I was never so endorsed in different cultures until now.

Also, I live in the middle of the Chinatown. I can comfortably leave my house, get some dim sums, catch metro to my favourite Lebanesse place and if I feel extra fancy, maybe even go to get some teriyaki chicken from Carrefour. Sadly, I don´t really do that because…

4. Living on Scholarship

Now, I won´t tell you that this is an expensive city. It is, and everyone knows it. I have no right to get actually upset about this – I decided to go there. But it´s so difficult to do more than just bare surviving here if you are on an Erasmus budget. And good luck if you end up surrounded by richer people – which I always do, ever since high school. In Olomouc, my university city and closest thing I have to home, I sometimes had up to three part time jobs to keep up with rent and actually have fun. That didn´t leave a lot of time for fun itself, but it had to be done.

It´s not really an opportunity here – I feel like even the part time jobs are proffessional here? So I just budget. Oh, I want to go out? Okay, I can get either two mocktails, or something to eat. You guys want to go to that „cheap“ place? Okay, I will get baklava. I already ate.

And don´t let me even start on rice. I´m drowning at it. At least soy and teriyaki sauce are just one Euro.

My favourite corset in Versailles -
and my baby cousin wore skirt for first time in years!!!

3. Opportunities

Do you want to go shopping, to park or to some gallery? Okay, modern, contemporary, medieval?... You can never run out of options here! Every day is definitely shaping my decision to move abroad to some bigger city after I finish school, because I can´t imagine living without all those neverending options.

3. FOMO

Okay, sometimes it´s actually too much. I feel bad about just chilling in my apartment the whole day, even if I really do need it. Luckily, my friends always come up with some plans, so I don´t get to rot in bed so much.

Sunset straight from Monet, near my office

2. History
There is something magical about reading Tropic of Cancer and Interwiev with Vampire while in Paris. Or watching Midnight in Paris, 400 Hundret Blows and all of those wonderful films. I really enjoy the legacy that cultural giants left for us. Some of it is even psychical – I´m preparing to go to Oscar Wilde´s grave tomorrow.

2. Weather
This city can never decide if it´s going to be a nice sunny day or downpour. Few days ago, I went shopping. I entered Monoprix with sun out and no cloud in sight. I had to run back home later, because it was raining so much. And temperatures are even worse – it was supposed to be hot here, goddamit. Now I´m freezing everyday bacause I didn´t bring a coat. Also, it´s freezing in some apartments. I actually go out to warm up a little bit.

Jardin du Luxembourg, supposedly with free wifi? 
(didn´t find it)

 1. The View From My Window
I don´t really have a kitchen, just stove. My toilette doesn´t really flush. But dear God, the view is gorgeous. I can see Pantheon, Notre Dame, the entirety of 13th, …  and I get blinded by the Eiffel Tower lasers some nights. I love this.

1. My Office
Okay, I couldn´t come up with another negative :D. I love my office and my job. As a young punk, corporate office desk job was my worst nightmare. Well, call me a sellout, but having AC and free coffee isn´t so bad. Of course, everyone in our office is nice, young intern, so that helps a lot. It really feels like catching up with friends every day.
As for my job, I´m a head of event department. That means I get to respond to a lot of emails from people that are not passive aggressive. I love that. All I have to do is be nice to them. I got so used to sign us

Source

I wrote all of this before I commuted to office today. Due to demonstrations, suprising repairs and late bus, I got to work one hour too late. How typical.
Why do I work on weekends? Don´t worry, they don´t make us, but it´s our festivals´ last day! Well, one of them. It´s in Kigali, Rwanda, so we don´t get so much of festival atmosphere, but at least we have lifestreams. Let me tell you - if you put your work to any festival, interns and employees do judge your films. We laugh if it´s bad, but we also stay deadly silent if it´s good or touching. 
In a sense it´s good to know - even if your film won´t get to any festival and no one else gets to watch the movie, someone will have to see it anyway.
I was sending emails to winners today, and it was touching. I felt strangely proud of them - after all those weeks of communication (or lack of) it was finally paid off!
I´m little sad it´s ending but hey, our Asian festival will start next month!

See you soon!