当你怀孕的时候会期待什么... 去巴黎

光明之城. 爱之城. 风城. 等等，最后一个是芝加哥. Either way, 巴黎 is a city that plays many roles, especially for Americans looking abroad. Even if you’ve never been to 巴黎, you’ve certainly heard many stereotypes about it. That the people smoke constantly (true) and eat baguettes (true) while wearing a beret (false) and complaining (if necessary). Now that I’ve had some time to settle into my new role as a 巴黎ian student with CEA, I want to take a look at some of the expectations people have about the city, 和我所经历的现实.

期望一:人们很傲慢

This stereotype applies to 法国 in general, but 巴黎 in particular. Before arriving, I was warned that locals would be rude and brush me off. That they would be impatient with my French and switch to English as soon as possible. 实际上，情况正好相反! Most French people here are incredibly accommodating. 当他们意识到我是外国人, it’s true that sometimes they change to English (which they all invariably speak to some degree), but once I insist that I’m here to learn and I would prefer to converse in French they switch back. People in stores have even helped me shop for things, including one very friendly butcher who recommended the perfect kind of sausage for a pasta dish I was trying!

Expectation 2: 巴黎 is Hard to Navigate

巴黎 is known for its stunning architecture that winds through tiny roads and sprawling boulevards alike. It’s true that the city lacks a grid system, which makes it complicated to maneuver sometimes. 更不用说, there are arrondissements (like the 9th or 20th) and neighborhoods (Le Marais, Pigalle) that overlap but aren’t quite the same thing. I won’t pretend that 巴黎’s urban planning is self-explanatory. However, I will say that it is very easy to learn the metro system. 使用Bonjour RATP应用程序, you can see which lines are running where and when, and the fastest route to your destination by metro, 公共汽车, 或者步行. I strongly recommend getting the NavigoPass, which covers all public transportation. 最后, 如果你真的迷路了, the taxis here are very reliable and reasonably priced (cheaper than Uber, 太!).

Expectation 3: 家庭寄宿s are Restrictive

I wanted to broach this last expectation even though it does not only apply to 巴黎. 对于任何加入 留学项目 who is considering a homestay, it can be nerve-wracking wondering what the family will be like. 这学期, I am one of only three students (out of a group of 40 total) in 巴黎 doing a homestay. I was shocked by how many people chose not to live with a French family. The main reason the others cited was fear that the homestay family would be strict and would limit when they could go out, 他们能制造多大的噪音, 和更多的. This is my second time in a French homestay, so take it from me: it is so worth it! 家庭寄宿 families are prepared to discuss how you and they can be comfortable. 这是一种调整, 当然, 这里有规则, but neither family I’ve lived with has given me a curfew or treated me like a child. Furthermore, a homestay is absolutely the best way to improve in your chosen language. 我强烈推荐它.

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索菲娅·亚当斯 is the Fall 2021 CEA MOJO 博客ger in 巴黎, 法国, and is currently studying at University Of California-Los Angeles.