I'm still overseas. I reached back to SG on Sunday and less than 24 hours, I'm on a plane again following my wife on another biz trip. It's in Malaysia now so I'll likely be able to start posting again more regularly.
My trip to Paris has been more enlightening than I thought. For the first 2 days, my wife was with me, and we travelled to the usual areas.
So we went to the arc de triomphe, walked down Champs Elysées, went to see the Effiel Tower and visited the Louvre.
Now anyone who's been to Paris would have been to these places. And when I asked people for recommendations, they mainly suggested that I visit these places.
We spent $1500 on my flight and another $600 on accommodation for the days which were not covered by my wife's biz trip and around $700 on misc spending. Mainly gifts for family and friends and my food and transport.
My wife was telling me... Dear. We spent quite a bit on sending you (me) here. On the days when I'm not around, don't just stay in the hotel, make sure you make the trip worth it...
I'm quite a kiasi person so I don't really like to move too far, but she was right. It wasn't a cheap trip and it's one of the countries which I wouldn't visit on a normal basis. (Very much like our UK trip earlier this year)
So... Yeah fine. I decided to make the trip really worth it. There were 4 days which my wife would be at work. On the first day, I asked the hotel reception to recommend places to visit. So she pointed out a couple of areas.
I didn't take much train and did most of my travelling on foot. I think I covered around 40km on foot on those 4 days.
I visited the open market at Ternes. There's a street selling fresh produce there. Went to the Moulin Rouge to take a picture of that place, went thru some rough areas with I think is middle Eastern and Africa areas. They had groups of black guys hanging around street corners and I was actually quite concerned about getting mugged or experiencing some racist event. Lucky nothing happened. Doubt I would have gone thru those streets if I had known it was in the rougher areas.
Another day I walked through the older areas of Paris, with more old buildings. That area is significantly better cos it's the student area. A number of universities are in that area. Many beautiful and old buildings.
I think I visited over 10 cathedrals or chapels... Some of them look nicer than cathédrales de nôtre dame.
There's also a statue of liberty along the river Seine in Paris.
(FYI the French gave the statue of liberty to the US)
I encountered 2 groups of 4 African guys trying to tie a "friendship band" on me. For those familiar with this scam, they try to distract you or shake your hand and before you know it, they tie a band on your wrist and will insist you pay them for the band. Luckily I managed to get away from them without much issue.
There also are Spanish girls, quite young ones, sweet young things. Who approach unsuspecting foreigners, and they ask for a signature and a small donation. Just €1-€2 to support the deaf and dumb. I was wondering how this scam worked... Until I saw it right before my eyes. They are pickpockets. Right before my eyes, I saw a HK girl take out €2, she was quickly distracted and the Spanish girl deftly picked an addition couple of notes from the HK girl's wallet. I had goosebumps there and then.
Actually I was quite impressed. The tactical distraction and the deft fingers. And I managed to see it right in action.
Then I saw the poor and homeless as mentioned in my previous post. Cold and miserable and hungry. I wonder how the kids would grow up. It's a sad sight. The kids would likely have a lack of formal education and a rough childhood. I reckon some of them are also refugees from the middle East.
I gave some food to a homeless guy and his young daughter. Just a couple of snacks which I had in my bag.
The amazing thing was that I felt quite comfortable in Paris. Much more than I was in the UK. Even though I dont speak much French.
Generally, I feel the city was more hospitable than the UK. People smile a bit more, greet each other, even if it's just a formality, I think it does make a more gracious country.
The 4 days I spent alone, I learnt that Paris is so much more than the shopping, the Louvre, Effiel Tower, Champs Elysées.
There's really the good the bad and the ugly. When my wife rejoined me again, we hardly had any other place to go, cos I think I visited quite a large area of Paris during my days in foot.
I do like Paris. There's more space. I feel less claustrophobic. In the UK, even though it's a large country, I felt that the roads are narrower and the roads and pavements are packed with people. In Paris, I find that the crowd is still there but there's more space to fit the people. But maybe it is also due to the time I wander the streets.
It was a very interesting trip. I think I got much more than I expected. I never thought that I would see so much of Paris. Each of my meals cost €5 for a sandwich. I think that's pretty normal. Train trips are €2. Pretty expensive. We didn't buy any branded stuff in Paris. Amazing isn't it. LOL. It's just not our style. Most of our misc spending is due to buying small gifts for some friends and family.
When I commented that stuff was expensive to the receptionist, 2 of them looked at me incredulously saying... "You're in Paris, everything is expensive."
They mention that they have to take notice of how they spend their money. That they live slightly out of the main circle of Paris. Where things are generally cheaper. Two of the hotel receptionists which I spoke to has 2 jobs. It's pretty different from Singapore.
I don't know... Paris has left a very strong impression on me. I think it's cos I went around by myself and managed to do stuff and explore more things. Usually with my wife, we move a lot slower and I don't see and learn as many things. So I think Paris is one of my more memorable trips.
But no. I don't think Paris is what everyone describes of it. It's not the city of love. I didn't feel anything romantic about it. It was unexpected, but I found Paris to be full of character. Absolutely not the usual tourist trip which I had expected. And I'm very happy to have seen this other side of Paris and not just the pretty surface.
It's like learning about someone. There are people who you only see the surface and only the nice stuff and they only say the right things, then there are some people who you can get closer to and they don't always say the nice things but you understand them better and they are more human cos they don't try to just show a picture perfect image. And I think I managed to see the honest side of Paris and I'm happy for that, even though it was not the picture perfect, romantic city which I had expected.
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Did you like this post? If so, could you "blanjah" me 1/4 cup of my morning coffee pls.
Many thanks for continuing to come to this blog to read my posts.
My trip to Paris has been more enlightening than I thought. For the first 2 days, my wife was with me, and we travelled to the usual areas.
So we went to the arc de triomphe, walked down Champs Elysées, went to see the Effiel Tower and visited the Louvre.
Now anyone who's been to Paris would have been to these places. And when I asked people for recommendations, they mainly suggested that I visit these places.
We spent $1500 on my flight and another $600 on accommodation for the days which were not covered by my wife's biz trip and around $700 on misc spending. Mainly gifts for family and friends and my food and transport.
My wife was telling me... Dear. We spent quite a bit on sending you (me) here. On the days when I'm not around, don't just stay in the hotel, make sure you make the trip worth it...
I'm quite a kiasi person so I don't really like to move too far, but she was right. It wasn't a cheap trip and it's one of the countries which I wouldn't visit on a normal basis. (Very much like our UK trip earlier this year)
So... Yeah fine. I decided to make the trip really worth it. There were 4 days which my wife would be at work. On the first day, I asked the hotel reception to recommend places to visit. So she pointed out a couple of areas.
I didn't take much train and did most of my travelling on foot. I think I covered around 40km on foot on those 4 days.
I visited the open market at Ternes. There's a street selling fresh produce there. Went to the Moulin Rouge to take a picture of that place, went thru some rough areas with I think is middle Eastern and Africa areas. They had groups of black guys hanging around street corners and I was actually quite concerned about getting mugged or experiencing some racist event. Lucky nothing happened. Doubt I would have gone thru those streets if I had known it was in the rougher areas.
Another day I walked through the older areas of Paris, with more old buildings. That area is significantly better cos it's the student area. A number of universities are in that area. Many beautiful and old buildings.
I think I visited over 10 cathedrals or chapels... Some of them look nicer than cathédrales de nôtre dame.
There's also a statue of liberty along the river Seine in Paris.
(FYI the French gave the statue of liberty to the US)
I encountered 2 groups of 4 African guys trying to tie a "friendship band" on me. For those familiar with this scam, they try to distract you or shake your hand and before you know it, they tie a band on your wrist and will insist you pay them for the band. Luckily I managed to get away from them without much issue.
There also are Spanish girls, quite young ones, sweet young things. Who approach unsuspecting foreigners, and they ask for a signature and a small donation. Just €1-€2 to support the deaf and dumb. I was wondering how this scam worked... Until I saw it right before my eyes. They are pickpockets. Right before my eyes, I saw a HK girl take out €2, she was quickly distracted and the Spanish girl deftly picked an addition couple of notes from the HK girl's wallet. I had goosebumps there and then.
Actually I was quite impressed. The tactical distraction and the deft fingers. And I managed to see it right in action.
Then I saw the poor and homeless as mentioned in my previous post. Cold and miserable and hungry. I wonder how the kids would grow up. It's a sad sight. The kids would likely have a lack of formal education and a rough childhood. I reckon some of them are also refugees from the middle East.
I gave some food to a homeless guy and his young daughter. Just a couple of snacks which I had in my bag.
The amazing thing was that I felt quite comfortable in Paris. Much more than I was in the UK. Even though I dont speak much French.
Generally, I feel the city was more hospitable than the UK. People smile a bit more, greet each other, even if it's just a formality, I think it does make a more gracious country.
The 4 days I spent alone, I learnt that Paris is so much more than the shopping, the Louvre, Effiel Tower, Champs Elysées.
There's really the good the bad and the ugly. When my wife rejoined me again, we hardly had any other place to go, cos I think I visited quite a large area of Paris during my days in foot.
I do like Paris. There's more space. I feel less claustrophobic. In the UK, even though it's a large country, I felt that the roads are narrower and the roads and pavements are packed with people. In Paris, I find that the crowd is still there but there's more space to fit the people. But maybe it is also due to the time I wander the streets.
It was a very interesting trip. I think I got much more than I expected. I never thought that I would see so much of Paris. Each of my meals cost €5 for a sandwich. I think that's pretty normal. Train trips are €2. Pretty expensive. We didn't buy any branded stuff in Paris. Amazing isn't it. LOL. It's just not our style. Most of our misc spending is due to buying small gifts for some friends and family.
When I commented that stuff was expensive to the receptionist, 2 of them looked at me incredulously saying... "You're in Paris, everything is expensive."
They mention that they have to take notice of how they spend their money. That they live slightly out of the main circle of Paris. Where things are generally cheaper. Two of the hotel receptionists which I spoke to has 2 jobs. It's pretty different from Singapore.
I don't know... Paris has left a very strong impression on me. I think it's cos I went around by myself and managed to do stuff and explore more things. Usually with my wife, we move a lot slower and I don't see and learn as many things. So I think Paris is one of my more memorable trips.
But no. I don't think Paris is what everyone describes of it. It's not the city of love. I didn't feel anything romantic about it. It was unexpected, but I found Paris to be full of character. Absolutely not the usual tourist trip which I had expected. And I'm very happy to have seen this other side of Paris and not just the pretty surface.
It's like learning about someone. There are people who you only see the surface and only the nice stuff and they only say the right things, then there are some people who you can get closer to and they don't always say the nice things but you understand them better and they are more human cos they don't try to just show a picture perfect image. And I think I managed to see the honest side of Paris and I'm happy for that, even though it was not the picture perfect, romantic city which I had expected.
<<PREVIOUS POST // NEXT POST>>
Did you like this post? If so, could you "blanjah" me 1/4 cup of my morning coffee pls.
Many thanks for continuing to come to this blog to read my posts.
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