Close your eyes and imagine a stereotypical Parisian. What do you see? Are you picturing someone in a striped shirt and beret holding a baguette? Perhaps riding a bike? While these are gross exaggerations of a typical Parisian, I do see a remarkable amount of stripes. A large population bike around the city and there is often a baguette poking out of their bags. I haven’t seen many berets, but I was pleasantly surprised to see most of these silly stereotypes come to fruition.

Paris moves slower than American cities of comparable size. At all hours of the day there are at least a few people enjoying an espresso or a glass of wine at little tables outside, all facing the street for prime people watching positions. You are often not allowed to use computers because the clacking of the keyboards and faces staring at screens defeats the point of cafes in Paris, the point being human connection and conversation. Cafe culture dates back to the 18th century when artists and intellectuals would gather at their neighborhood cafe to exchange ideas. They provide a third place for Parisians. Somewhere outside of work and home where people can linger. My professor told us that every Parisian has “their cafe,” the one that they sit at every morning. At Pitt, I usually get my coffee to go and bring it to class, sweating because I had to speed walk to arrive on time. That is not the Parisian way. I hope to implement this slower morning when I return to Pittsburgh.

Every morning, I purchase a croissant and a café crème from the patisserie across from my school building. My classes are on a lovely street, rue daguerre, in the 14th arrondissement. There is a seemingly endless collection of restaurants of all genres: French, Thaï, Vietnamese, Italian, Japanese. I tend to rotate between a Poke Bowl, a focaccia sandwich (it’s different every day and it’s always delicious), banh mi from the Vietnamese restaurant, and soup from the boulangerie. Once we’ve all found what we want, my friends and I convene at the boulangerie where we eat and buy a pastry for dessert. It’s impossible not to after we’ve seen the options. My favorite is the brioche suisse. We spend less than an hour sitting and chatting and eating lunch, but it is one of the happiest parts of my day. Similarly, the happiest part of my day at Pitt is when I meet up with friends for lunch or in the library and can be present with them. Paris provides more opportunities to be present with friends in these spaces where it is frowned upon to use your computer or talk to some on the phone. Sometimes we need to be forced to be present with our friends in this age of technology. I appreciate it.

On days that I don’t have classes, I often explore a new museum or neighborhood in Paris. This past Wednesday I went to the Petit Palais, the museum of Fine Arts, about a 30 minute metro ride away from my school. There were a variety of collections and exhibitions. A current exhibition had modern street art pieces right next to 18th century art, something I had never seen before. The art and culture present in Paris through museums and galleries is unmatched. This week I also went to Paris Photo, the largest international art fair dedicated to photography. I saw photos from 200 exhibitors from across the world. I was wowed. Earlier in the week I went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, an incredible view of Paris that includes the Eiffel tower and the Champs-Elysées. My classes have outings to particular exhibits that are relevant to what we’re learning, too. I feel immersed into the culture even during the week in between classes and homework. I’m inspired to explore more neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and integrate myself into the city. It’s easy to get swept up in the Oakland bubble and never leave the safety of my college environment, but I am discovering the value of stepping outside of that bubble this semester.

Though I can’t overstate my love of the museums and rich neighborhoods, some of the moments I have felt most Parisian have been underground. Elbow to elbow with hundreds of Parisians and tourists alike in the metro, there is a collective understanding. You stand when the metro gets too crowded, you get out of the way quickly when you notice someone trying to get off, you cover your bag to avoid pickpockets.

There is one metro experience that I think of often. My roommates and I were on the metro next to a big group of 8 year old girls, seemingly on a field trip or outing of sorts. Two of the girls kept looking at my roommate, Nora, and whispering to each other. We were amused but didn’t think anything of it. Then they said “Bonjour” to Nora and she said hello back but they asked a follow up question that she didn’t understand so she replied that she doesn’t speak that much French. They were even more intrigued at this revelation and asked where she was from. When Nora told the girls that she was from New York City their jaws dropped. I heard a gasp. One of the girls pointed to her friend and said, her voice filled with wonder, “C’est son rêve d’aller à New York” meaning “It’s her dream to go to New York.” and they all nodded enthusiastically, still looking at Nora in awe. Then they said, “On n’a jamais parlé à une Americaine,” meaning that they had never talked to an American before. I was struck with the realization that they are likely unaware that their home city is where Nora dreamed of going when she was their age just as they dreamed of going to hers. I had no idea that kids in Paris dream of going to the United States. I felt a cross cultural connection that I had not experienced before.

It is there, on the metro, that I feel like I learn the most about the people of Paris. I observe the fashion and friendships and family dynamics. I overhear conversations in English and French and languages that I’m unable to name. I try to spot the tourists and guess where everyone’s going. It’s there that I feel like I am living in Paris, not just visiting. I have a monthly metro pass and I don’t have to open Google Maps to get home. I know the unspoken rules.

Because I spend more time in transit in Paris, I have more of an opportunity to observe and reflect than I do in Pittsburgh. I look forward to being more present and observant in my community when I go back to Pitt.

Thanks for reading!

– Eliza