BY MAKI SOMOSOT

In print | Published December 2, 2010

It’s exactly one more month before I return to the U.S. as I write the last installment of this column about my semester abroad in Paris. Now that the culture shock has abated, I’ve been able to strike a balance between the positives and negatives of living in the City of Lights.
Since my initial criticisms might have been too harsh, I hope that documenting what is positive about Paris in this column has mercifully spared the Parisian dreams of some readers. I never set out to be the Grinch of Paris; in fact, I will reassure anyone that living here is ultimately worth going through all the cross-cultural drama and frustration.
Thus, I will list all of the experiences I will miss (and equally not miss) about Paris, as I down a glass of the latest Beaujolais Nouveau, one of the last French wines I will enjoy here before resigning myself to guzzling cheap college alcohol once again.
Will Miss:
1. The spatial proximity to culture and leisure. I’ll miss being able to explore a museum, gallery or historical monument, for little or no cost, during the weekends. This includes picnicking or strolling along the banks of the Seine and wandering the maze of conveniently interconnected streets throughout the city.
2. The café and restaurant culture. I’ll miss the conversation and cups of coffee with friends in a café to unwind and pass the time, after the activity in #1. Also, eating out at reasonably priced but excellent restaurants and brasseries and then taking at least three hours to enjoy a full course meal, dessert and a cup of coffee.
3. The laidback pace of life. People here know how to relax and unwind after a hard day at work, without ever feeling guilty about it. I’ll miss being able to take my recreational moments just as seriously.
4. The weekend philosophy. Weary of Parisian urbanite pretensions? Why not take off to the south of France, the Normandy coast or even to Switzerland for the weekend? Although I am a poor student, at least the possibility always exists.
5. The cinematic architecture. Paris is a living cinema set, wherein each building and street scene is always ready to be immortalized in a snapshot. I’ll miss walking past some of the world’s most iconic monuments and delving into the beautiful, atmospheric streets here.
6. The reliability and accessibility of the Paris metro. I will miss being able to hop on the metro and be guaranteed an efficient arrival at my destination.
7. La bonne bouffe. Otherwise translated as the “good eats,” this covers the wealth of excellent cuisine that I will miss in Paris. This means missing the easy availability of freshly baked baguettes, croissants and pastries, but especially the abundance of cheap Turkish kebabs all over Paris; they are the staple of my existence.
8. The nightlife scene. Enjoying live music and concerts. Going out until the crack of dawn and sleeping in all day. Barhopping. Repeating the same cycle every weekend without ever growing tired of the routine. Enough said.
9. My neighborhood. My Parisian neighborhood Menilmontant and Belleville, for its cultural diversity and authenticity. This includes the nearby French bakery, the Algerian pastry shop and the neighborhood park with the stunning panoramic view of Paris.
Will Not Miss:
1. The lack of Internet. I will not miss the inconvenience of living in a factory-like building without reliable access to the Internet, and being disconnected from the rest of the world in this respect.
2. The dirtiness. I won’t miss the institutional distribution of dog feces or trash across one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It strikes me as an unnecessary irony that Paris must contain so much litter when it would more picturesque without it.
3. The claustrophobic smallness. I won’t miss feeling like I never have enough personal space anywhere in this cramped and overpopulated city.
4. The complication of simple matters. I won’t miss the way the French can occasionally end up complicating simple matters like paying a hotel bill or compensating people for stolen laundry money. I have also noticed that diffusion of responsibility among French authorities occurs to a much greater extent here.
5. The “French” logic. I will offer a crucial rule of thumb. Patience is necessary for survival in Paris. If you don’t try to conform to this, you will feel hopelessly frustrated and never get anything done.
Eating fresh croissants, visiting museums every weekend and picnicking along the Seine is part of normal life in Paris. I imagine suffering from reverse culture shock upon returning to the U.S., but accompanying it will be a much more deliberate appreciation for traditional American lifestyle comforts. Like Internet access. And clean toilets. And occasionally, even American-style optimism.
Am I still a Francophile? Battered and bruised, yes, but finally much more educated about it.
Maki is a junior. You can reach her at msomoso1@swarthmore. edu.

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