When I was considering visiting Paris during my Chinese New Year break, my previous concerns didn't even enter my mind. That having been said I was a little nervous about the fact that I can't speak French.
My trip to Paris started out interesting and even though this is my first evening here has continued to be interesting in several ways. First, I was surprised at the number of Europeans on the plane. Usually when I fly between China and the US, even if I fly an American airline, 90% of the passengers are Chinese. I would say this flight was only about 50% Chinese and most of the rest of the passengers were Europeans (When we got to immigration I could tell there were a number of non-Asian, non-Europeans based upon who got into the non-European Union line, but definitely the bulk of the non-Chinese passengers were in fact Europeans). I'm so accustomed to everyone in China looking at me and automatically knowing that I'm a foreigner that even as early as on the plane things felt a little weird. In China, if they can speak English, when they see me they at least try to speak English with me. (If they are struggling I speak Chinese with them and reassure them. If they speak English pretty well, I may or may not switch to Chinese- although I do ALWAYS bargain in Chinese and ONLY in Chinese) This is especially true in places like the airport and on airplanes (although one time it wasn't until the end of the conversation that I realized I had spoken Chinese the whole time and she'd spoken English the whole time). Thus, it was shocking when I boarded the plane and the first flight attendant directed me to my seat in French. I could tell from her pointing which way I needed to go, so the fact that I didn't understand didn't matter, but still. My seatmates spoke Chinese and French. Neither appeared to speak English (or French or Chinese, respectively for that matter). When the flight attendant came with the drink cart he spoke Chinese to the one seatmate but spoke French to myself and my other seatmate. After I replied in English he then spoke to me each time in English. Again as we left the plane the Chinese people were greeted in Chinese and I was greeted in French (it was only, "Merci. Au Revoir" so I understood just fine and replied in kind). Now to most of my readers, this may not be surprising. I was on an Air France flight to France and I look like I could be French, but you must keep in mind I'm accustomed to being in China. I get singled out as a foreigner. That doesn't happen here in France (until I can't speak French).
This afternoon I was sitting in a park beside the Notre Dame Cathedral people watching. I enjoy people watching, but I was also at that moment really too tired to do much else. I worked yesterday. Then I had a couple of rather stressful situations and then I flew out at about 1 am Beijing time, arriving in paris at about twenty minutes to five in the morning, local time. While I was people watching my mind wandered and apparently my expression showed that I was in deep thought because a French man walking by decided to comment. I of course, didn't understand him. He said a couple of sentences without stopping and then when I didn't respond he said (still in French) you don't speak French (or something to that effect, my very low French comprehension abilities understood that one). I replied, "no." He then came over the bench I was sitting on and said something in English to indicate that he was only going to be there for a moment (I think he was afraid he was going to make me nervous). He didn't speak English very well, but we chatted for about 5 minutes. I wrote out some numbers (years), relevant to our conversation (about China) on my phone and at one point he pulled out his phone (I'm pretty sure he had seen my phone was in airplane mode) and pulled up google translate to have me type in a word he couldn't understand. We had a lovely and very diverse conversation that included my telling him I would try to think happy thoughts so as to enjoy my time in Paris. To discussing my living in China and some things about the Chinese language to the flooding of the Seine (Now keep in mind, his English was very rudimentary and my French is non-existant so these topics were not discussed in depth and I don't know how much he understood of what I said). It really made my day though. When I visit Europe, I like to use the Rick Steves travel guides and one of the things Ricks Steves encourages is trying to have interactions with the locals; even if you can only communicate through gestures. I got to have that local engagement without any effort on my part (in initiating it). It was awesome and really went against the stereotype I'd always heard.
This evening I needed to find some dinner. I had gone to my hotel in the afternoon and taken a nap. (I set an alarm because by the time I laid down it was nearly 10 pm Saturday evening in Beijing. I had been up since 5 am Friday morning. I knew I couldn't let myself sleep through the Beijing night or my jet-lag would just be exacerbated.) Afterwards, I needed to find some dinner. I set out to go to an area I had seen restaurants in earlier, but as I was headed that way I noticed nearly all the pedestrians seemed to be headed in one direction. So I followed them. I found myself in this huge network of pedestrian streets. The only language I heard being spoken and the only language I saw written was French. Clearly, I was where the locals go on a Saturday evening. I decided to have a kebab (referring to food similar to a gyro rather than food on a stick). Not exactly local food, but also not something I can get in China. The restaurant was set up like street food, but they actually had places to sit down inside and after you ordered you sat down and they brought you your food. I was standing in front of the restaurant trying to decipher the French menu (not easy, but easier than trying to decipher a Chinese menu when you can't read Chinese - which, actually, I can- to a degree). Some things had pictures, other were just words. As I was standing there the man working there spoke to me. I assumed he was just trying to sell me on buying their food (maybe that is what he was doing, I still have no idea), but after a little bit I head, in English "Do you speak French?" I shook my head. "Arabic?" I shook my head. "But you speak English." I nodded. I suspect the man thought I was from somewhere other than a native English speaking country. I didn't speak a lot and I was rather hesitant about things. This is actually because 1) I was just getting to the saturation point on being overwhelmed and 2) it was 7:30 at night. I'd been on the go since 4:40 am and that was after having spent the night on a plane. Nonetheless, he was really kind. He clearly didn't know everything in English because there were some things he still said to me in French, but he would show me what he meant. I got a wrap with roasted chicken, garlic sauce, lettuce, and tomato. My meal came with a drink and he pointed to the cooler and asked me what I wanted. I told him water, but did they have water that wasn't cold (my family can tell you that living in China has made me adverse to cold water). He was so nice he went down to the basement to bring up a new case of water so that I could have non-cold water.
Going to a new country and experiencing a new culture is always an interesting and somewhat overwhelming experience. Somehow, despite having been to Europe many times I am finding this more difficult and odder because I'm somehow still in my China-mindset (I've never gone to Europe from China before). I figure after I get a good night's sleep a lot of it will be easier. It's just after 9 pm here so I'm going to go to sleep and hope my jet lag doesn't prevent me from sleeping through the night. I'll leave you with some photos of the gargolyes of Notre Dame Cathedral. Enjoy.
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