Darcy's Paris Blog

Day of shopping and meeting random French guys

Today I woke up and hung out at the apartment for a little bit before heading out. I got my once-weekly allowance of pain au chocolate next door, and walked to Abbesses to head downtown. I decided that today was a day of errands and shopping. I took the metro across the river to Odeon, near where I knew of this cute papeterie. (I was looking for blank cards to make French flash cards and a thank-you note for Sophie for lunch.) I wandered around there for a little bit and walked back across the river. My plan was to wander around and shop a little bit, but before I got too far into that, it started to rain. Hard. And I’d left my umbrella at home. Damn. So instead, I ducked into a little joint for lunch. I wasn’t planning on eating much for lunch, but hey, when I got stuck under their awning when it started to pour, I figured it was a sign. (Again, the waiters talked to me in English, and I talked to them in French. I know they’re just trying to be helpful, but I could use the practice.) After lunch I took the metro to George V on the Champs Elysees for a little shopping. Didn’t end up buying too much, just a couple of shirts and a CD I’d wanted (well-known French guy.) I tell you what, though, you gotta attack shopping on the Champs Elysees like it’s battle – otherwise you’ll get run down from the crowds in the shops and on the streets. After that, I got my apartment key copied at this little shop we’d found. Cost a fortune, but I understood why when I watched the guy machine it by hand on a mini-lathe. (Key copy doesn’t work, by the way – I’ll have to go back next Saturday.) After that I’d decided I’d had enough of the crowds, so I went to watch a chic flick I’d already seen – “Ready to Launch” (“Playboy a Soirir” in French) with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughey. I’d been told that the movies here that were left in their original languages are marked with a “VO” for versione originale – very useful information. The movie theater is one of the many on the Champs Elysees – this one has 14 screens, and I was certainly in the smallest – felt like a movie room in someone’s home instead of a real cinema – but I didn’t care. I was sitting, I was watching something in English (after weeks of French, familiarity is welcome,) and I was out of the rain. Good enough for me.

After the movie I had a quick drink at Charlie Mousy, where I was a little hoping I might meet some people. Didn't work out though -- pretty quiet at the bar -- so I metro’d back up near my place. I decided to go a different route and take ligne 2 towards Place de Clichy. This is where it gets interesting. When I got on the train, I took a flip-down seat near the door, next to a guy about my age. I brushed him pulling back my hair and said “pardon.” He made a gesture like he was hurt and dying, and he started talking to me. (Clearly this was in English by this point; I’d admitted I was American and didn’t know much French.) When he asked where I worked, I said Le Blanc Mesnil – the suburb where NI’s located here – which got a huge look of surprise and a hollering towards his friend on the train, who lives there. Apparently nobody knows Le Blanc Mesnil, so I guess it’s like a small club or something if you have any association to it. We chatted for a few stops, and he asked if I’d eaten. I said no, and he invited me to come with them to eat. I said sure, thinking it was just him plus the one or two friends – but no, it was me and nine other French (but English-speaking) people in this place called Indiana Café. (It’s a chain; I’ve seen several around town. American-style – they even have Tex-Mex and frozen margaritas on the menu, but I can’t vouch for quality.) Dinner was fun, for sure – a little awkward, but I was just grateful to not be by myself by the end of the day. The guy who struck up the conversation turned out to be a total ham – the class clown of sorts. Also seems typically French in that he kept wanting me to kiss him in various ways. Interesting. I’m definitely not used to that. I gave him my phone number when he asked, although I’m skeptical I’ll hear from him. His other friend, the one who lives in Le Blanc Mesnil (on the weekends) also asked for my number, and he seems a little more genuine. Hopefully I’ll hear back from him, and I’ll be able to count 3 friends who actually live here (Elizabeth, Averill, and him.) Completely random!

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posted by Darcy @ 11:45 PM