My wife and I had coffee with some American neighbors last weekend. The conversation ricocheted wildly between current events, where to find good Indian food, and the ins and outs of (them) raising two young children in Paris. We shared knowing nods about how different the city is for tourists: it’s a dazzling, romantic, breathtaking, … More The Difference Between Visiting Paris, and Living in Paris
One of the joys of Paris is running across little treasures that escape the itineraries of most tourists, and even some Parisians. One such ‘hidden gem’ is the Van Cleef and Arpels jewelry school, located just off the Place Vendome in the well-heeled 1st arrondissement. Here, aspiring artisans come to learn their craft from the … More Hidden Gems
I recently found myself out of place, i.e., at an art exhibition. My default strategy: grab a plastic flute of the free champagne, find a neutral corner, decline the hors d’oeuvres, ignore the art, watch the people. I was soon joined by a kindred spirit. The Brit was clad in the standard issue ‘English country … More How To Fill A Hole
When you arrive in a new city, especially one as unique and international as Paris, you become hypersensitive to your surroundings. At least I have. Paris is ‘foreign’ to me, in the sense that the natives do not speak English as their first language, and some of their customs and habits are unique. Unique not … More Paris…For Parisians
I was sitting in the airport in Houston, waiting for my flight, when the news came. A friend sent a message: Notre Dame was on fire. I forwarded the WhatsApp note with a “??!!” attached to my wife, who was at home, working in our apartment in the 4th arrondissement, less than 100 yards from … More Notre Dame: A Monumental Loss, An Inspiring Response
At a cafe in the gold-plated first arrondissement, the expatriate writer perched at the corner of the cafe counter. At a right angle from him sat the Parisian. The Parisian and the expatriate had always nodded, but, not unusual for cafe life, had never introduced themselves. The Parisian always looked like he’d slept in his … More Go Day
I was recently asked to comment privately about the pros and cons of living in Europe. My wife and I have lived in Paris for the past five years, and the Inquiring Mind wanted to know about the relative merits of the experience. After sharing the information privately, I thought it might be a good … More Why Live in Paris?
One of the benefits of spending time in a country not your own is the realization that not everyone thinks they way you do. Of course, you immediately say to yourself, not everyone speaks the way I do. They speak, in this case, French. But to get day-in, day-out exposure to a completely different way … More French Thinking
The nonverbal communications embedded in French culture are a never-ending source of fascination for me here in Paris. Because I’m not fluent enough in French to catch certain subtle, revealing turns of phrase, I miss that part of the ‘delivery’ that might carry double entendres or hidden gems of humor in conversation. I do, however, … More Message in a Buckle
After having recently applied with the Les Powers That Be once again to live legally in France for another year, I thought I’d provide an update on the Parisian Life. ‘Reseau’ was a word–and an important concept–that was introduced to me in the first week of living in France. It translates to ‘network’, the group … More Notes on the Parisian Life…Thus Far