Why we love Paris

Some people have asked me why we would move to Paris, when we don’t know the language. In my opinion that is just a question of time and effort. If you put the time in to learn the language you quickly learn what you need to learn to get around, but to be able to work here you need some more time. I can see why people find it weird to move to a city where you don’t know the language, you don’t have any family, you don’t know that many people, and none of us are from this country. It is true that it would be easier to choose a country and city where they spoke a language that we know, but easier doesn’t necessarily mean better. I believe that you have to work for what you want, and that something worth having is worth working for. The thing about Paris is that it has so many things that we love.

Let’s start with the first thing you see when you get here: The buildings, the architecture. It is truly amazing! We love walking around in the city and looking at the beautiful buildings that are everywhere in this city (Simay a bit more than me). There is a beautiful building on every street. With the old architecture, as mentioned in my third post. 


Another thing you see right away when you get here is the fashion. People are generally more well-dressed here than in other European cities. We are both interested in fashion and being able to see the fashion capital of the World on a weekly basis is something we value very high. Although we are both students and can’t afford most of the clothes we would like to try on, we still love looking at it, and discussing the different clothes this city have to offer. Having the opportunity to one day work with fashion in Paris is definitely intriguing.

Another thing France is known for is the cuisine. For those of you who have been to Paris you probably remember all the delicious food you tasted (if you didn’t only eat Royale with Cheese). Now imagine having all that food available on a daily basis…
Of course we don’t have fancy French food every day, not even every week, but just having the opportunity to stop by the bakery for a fresh baguette or croissant every day is heaven to me. All the amazing pastry is reason enough for me to stay in France, it is magnificent. Bakeries in Norway tries to make croissants, but there are simply no one who does it as good as a French “Boulangerie”. The prices for French pastry are also way lower here in Paris than in Norway so that it’s easier to have it daily, not just on special occasions.
The positive thing about the food here in Paris is the portions, they aren’t as big as they are in the US for example. Its not about consuming the most food, it is about consuming quality food, at least in my opinion of the French food-consuming behaviour. And I love that, although I for sure eat a lot when I am back home in Norway, especially sweets. But in Paris it is easier to eat what your body needs, not just what you want.


For me, the fact that Paris is filled with great sports teams, and major sports events is a huge plus, like the world championship in handball which begins tonight. PSG, both handball and football, Issy Paris Handball, Stade Francais (rugby) are great teams that are playing on elite levels and brings a lot of action, fun and passion to its fans, myself included. Paris also have the Roland Garros French Open every year. To me, Paris wouldn’t be as good without the great sporting events.
Simay with Mikkel Hansen from PSG
The history of the city. Everything that have happened here over the years are purely fascinating. All the famous people you’ve heard about in school, read about in a book, or heard about in a movie or tv-show that have lived in the city. Napoleon Bonaparte, van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, Claude Monet, Γ‰dith Piaf, Voltaire, Auguste Rodin, Γ‰mile Zola, Charles de Gaulle, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel and Coco Chanel just to name a few. And to see all the historic places, from The Louvre and Place de Concorde to SacrΓ©-CΕ“ur and Versailles right on the outside of Paris is amazing.

From the gardens of Versailles

Last but not least, the people. I know a lot of you might think: “Wait, what now?? You mean those rude French people?” I know what you are thinking about, but the fact is that there simply are certain French etiquettes that you have to obey in order to get the polite French person. One simple rule for example is to be the first to say “Bonjour” when you enter a store. This is rooted in the history where say a clothing store would be in the house of the owner. Think about it, you wouldn’t enter someone’s home without saying “Hi” first. The fact that this is still an etiquette that exist can be up for debate, but that is how it is, and if you follow the simple rules like this, French people are surprisingly polite.
But what I am mainly thinking about when I say the people, is the mix of different people. I love the fact that Paris is filled with people from all over the world, both visitors and people living in Paris. I believe that this diversity is what makes Paris what it is today, and I love it. The fact that you have cultures from all over the world, food from all over the world, clothes from all over the world excites me. We love it!


Comments

  1. Besides all the things you mentioned in your post, Paris always reminds me Romy Schneider and Alain Delon ❤ even though she wasnt an original Parisienne, she was embraced as one by the locals and became one of the iconic symbols of the city... Romy's uniqueness, elegance and relevance of Paris always reminds me of Simay πŸ‘ŒπŸΌ I really enjoy following your posts Emil, make us feel Paris more and more πŸ‘πŸΌπŸ‡«πŸ‡·

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  2. I didn´t know that, Damla. Thanks <3 I will check out her movies!
    Thank you!

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