PARIS

I have this wonderful friend, and her name is Lisa, and she had a birthday last Friday. Her birthday celebration was in Paris, and she invited me; how could I say no to that? So off I went. I flew out of Bangkok Friday morning at 12:30am, landed in Cairo at 5:45am, left for Paris at 10:45am, and landed in Paris around 2pm local time. Took the metro into the city, finally found my hotel, and, champagne in hand, got ready and headed off to Lisa's birthday dinner/cocktail party on Rue du Louvre. The evening was lovely, filled with delicious food by a private French chef, endless bottles of champagne, serenades by Lisa's friend, and delightful conversations about life, traveling, and music.
My hotel's street

The Eiffel Tower at night

Lisa and me


Woke up around 5:45 Saturday morning(thanks, jet-lag). Had a delicious breakfast of croissants, yoghurt and coffee at my hotel, then headed out to Montparnasse Tower to get a 360 degree view of the city.


My handsome French friend Florian joined me at 11, and we hopped on the subway to hit the Eiffel Tower. It started snowing pretty steadily, and I stopped to buy a beret along the street to keep my head warm(and attempt to blend in more with the Parisians). Much to my disappointment, the Eiffel Tower was closed due to the snow, and we were not able to go up, even to the second floor; guess I'll just go up next time ;).




So instead, we got a few pictures in, then he graciously treated me to lunch at a cozy little Italian restaurant near Trocadero. Good food, excellent wine, snow falling outside and a handsome man across the table from me: absolute surreal bliss.


Following lunch we hopped back on the subway to the Louvre, where we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the exhibits, appreciating the Mona Lisa, and marveling at the exquisite architecture.






When we'd seen all we could handle for one day, we wandered down the street and around the corner to a warm cafe for a drink, as we were beyond parched. The city lights, the cobbled streets, and the muffled sound of the world around us was beautiful.


We finished our drinks, returned to my hotel, and said our farewells as I headed to meet up with Lisa and the others for our guided night tour around the city. We boarded a double decker bus, plugged in our headphones, tuned in to channel 5 for English, and enjoyed a relaxing two hours of Paris at night.

Champs Elysees Avenue

Arc de Triomphe


Sunday arrived all too soon(as I knew it would), as I again woke at 5:30am. Enjoyed my breakfast, finished packing my things, then headed to Notre Dame Cathedral, arriving just in time for morning mass. It added so much to the experience, and the music filled the entire cathedral.




Bought some gloves for my freezing hands, then rode the metro back to my hotel; while on the train, a street musician boarded with an accordian, and I had the pleasure of a Parisian musical soundtrack to go along with my view of the city out the window:

Florian and I met up for brunch around 10:30, and I indulged in a steaming cappuccino with an exploding plume of whipped cream and cinnamon. Ah..Paris.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and I bid Florian au revoir, and made my way to the airport. Sixteen hours of flight and two hours(yes, 2, UGH) waiting in line through immigration, I was finally back home in Bangkok. An exhausting weekend, but one I wouldn't trade for the world.

How does Bangkok compare to Paris? I'm glad you asked.

In Bangkok, the weather in December rests between 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
When I landed in Paris, the current temperature was 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Before it started snowing.


In Bangkok, everyone speaks Thai. I look like a foreigner, and speak very little Thai(numbers, greetings, simple questions, directions, select food dishes, and a few random words).
In Paris, everyone speaks French. I look like I could be French, until I open my mouth. And I know even less French(hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and excuse me) than Thai.
*I speak English, automatically revert to Spanish when presented with a foreigner, and think in Thai(and have programmed responses for things). I exited the airplane in Paris, and when the woman handed back my passport, I replied with "Korp khun ka!" Sigh..an American in Paris..speaking Thai. I blushed and hurried away.

In Bangkok, I can walk to the edge of the sidewalk, and five taxis, two tuk-tuks and a motorbike are eagerly waiting to chauffeur me to my destination.
In Paris, taxis don't stop unless you jump in front of them waving flaming torches. Or you catch them at a red light(what I finally resorted to). And you can't tell if they've got passengers until they're ten feet from you(I know, I know, the light on top, right? Yeah that proved unreliable).

In Bangkok, there is one subway line, and two skytrain lines. They are easy to use and the 30 or so stations can get you to several key locations for a reasonable fare.
In Paris, there are 22 Metro lines, with 284 stations. It is a MAZE; fortunately, reading maps is one of my fortes, and I navigated those tunnels like a pro. And if you can brave the subway lines, it will take you anywhere in Paris, for 1.7 euros per ride(one "ride" being when you enter the first station to when you exit your final destination station and go through the gate again). Or you can get an all-day pass. By far the most efficient and affordable way to get around Paris. Especially when it's freezing outside.


In Bangkok, katuys(ladyboys) roam the streets.
In Paris, men are men and women are women.

In Bangkok, garbage cans are scarce on the street. And the streets and sidewalks are filled with food vendors, motorbikes, beggars, and soi dogs(strays).
In Paris, I never had trouble finding a garbage can, and the streets and sidewalks are filled with street musicians, florists, and women in fur coats walking their fluffy little dogs.


In Bangkok, I have to pay the foreigner price for entrances to museums, temples, and state parks(unless I have my work permit on hand).
In Paris, everybody pays the same price.

In Bangkok, people greet me with Sawasdee ka, and hover while I browse their shop.
In Paris, people greeted me with Bonjour, Mademoiselle, and let me be while I browsed.

In Bangkok, I have a home, a job, and the independence to travel when and where I please.
In Paris, I am but a humble tourist.