An American woman married to a Frenchman talks about her new life in Paris and the challenges of learning a new language and adjusting to everyday life, both as a foreigner and as a newlywed.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
some photos from my walks
We have had some really great weather lately, and a couple days ago I took a walk down to Notre Dame and listened to a Rick Steves podcast I have about it. I watched tourists get tricked into giving money to panhandlers and felt a little bad for them because I can always see it coming now.
YES!!! gypsies!!! for real, that's what some of them are. there are these girls with long skirts that walk around in major tourist areas like Notre Dame and the garden next to the Louvre, and they have a perpetually worried look on their face, and they say "do you speak English?" which is a really clever thing to say because those tourists who do are then encouraged by this after being surrounded by French all day, and they think, "wow, this girl must need to look at my map or something and I can actually help for once!" Then when you say "yes I do," they show you this paper in their hands written in English that says something about how they had escaped from their homeland which was abusive and war-ridden and awful and here they are now in Paris with no money and could you please help. The first time you see it, it really doesn't seem like they're about to ask for money. And yes, I think they're actually gypsies.
We definitely saw some sad stuff w/gypsies in Italy. Particularly in Rome and even in smaller resort areas like Montacatini. They have lots of small children and babies sometimes, and they use them to tug on your heartstrings.
I grew up in Delaware and had your average American upbringing. A few years ago a boy from France wrote to me on Myspace because we both liked the band Yo La Tengo. The rest is history. We wrote a bit back and forth, then more and more, then talked on the phone, then met and were engaged after a week together, and a year later we were married! I have never been happier, and now our life together is just beginning...I'm moving to Paris to be with him. My French is not too good yet, and I will have many adventures, I'm sure. I'd like to share them with you if you're interested! I am a podcast nerd, I like making collages and my own Christmas cards, I love cooking and museums and shopping in outdoor markets, I love cats and long walks.
whatever, if tourists have money to vacation, they have disposable income, so why not let them give money to the panhandlers.
ReplyDeleteso beautiful, i seriously cannot wait to get my ass over there. with peanut-related products of course.
ReplyDeleteHow are they tricked? Have you seen any gypsies?
ReplyDeleteYES!!! gypsies!!! for real, that's what some of them are. there are these girls with long skirts that walk around in major tourist areas like Notre Dame and the garden next to the Louvre, and they have a perpetually worried look on their face, and they say "do you speak English?" which is a really clever thing to say because those tourists who do are then encouraged by this after being surrounded by French all day, and they think, "wow, this girl must need to look at my map or something and I can actually help for once!" Then when you say "yes I do," they show you this paper in their hands written in English that says something about how they had escaped from their homeland which was abusive and war-ridden and awful and here they are now in Paris with no money and could you please help. The first time you see it, it really doesn't seem like they're about to ask for money. And yes, I think they're actually gypsies.
ReplyDeleteWe definitely saw some sad stuff w/gypsies in Italy. Particularly in Rome and even in smaller resort areas like Montacatini. They have lots of small children and babies sometimes, and they use them to tug on your heartstrings.
ReplyDelete