June 25, 2010 by Tory Hoen
It’s time to address a theme that has become a highly controversial component of my Parisian life: the smile. When I first moved to Paris, I couldn’t figure out why people seemed to pick up on my non-French status before I had uttered a word. Finally, a friend informed me: “You smile too much.”
Apparently, I was blowing my own cover. And it’s true: just as Parisians have a reputation for being particularly scowl-y, the French think Americans are too quick to put on a happy face. From the French perspective, the law of diminishing returns applies to smiling—the more often you do it, the less potency it has.
But despite having spent a considerable amount of time in Paris, I can’t seem to train my facial muscles into submission. It doesn’t help that I have a LOT of inside jokes (with myself), so it’s not uncommon to see me cracking myself up on the Metro or as I walk down the street. I understand this makes me look like a crazy person and might be confusing to outside observers, who often stare at me as if to say: “What’s so funny, American interloper?”
The answer: pretty much everything. (Except French advertisements, which try to be funny but are actually just weird and / or creepy).
Last time I was in Paris, I stopped at a tabac for an espresso. This was a legit tabac—the kind where grizzled old French guys convene to drink beer at 10am. I could tell the men at the bar didn’t really know what to make of me. It was definitely a “one of these things does not belong” situation. And while I’ve thought a lot about what it means to assimilate in Paris, I also get a kick out of subtly taunting the French and making them feel confused on their own turf. So I am pretty much in my element when surrounded by perplexed, drunk, old French guys. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 18 Comments »
April 4, 2010 by Tory Hoen
Sometimes I think about my early days in Paris, and all I can do is shake my head with amusement. The blog I began then, A Moveable Beast, now reads like a textbook tale of an awkward (albeit determined) American, attempting to conquer Paris one hard-fought lesson at a time. I quickly found that the best way to “learn” Paris was simply to laugh my way through all the confusion (and to encourage everyone else to laugh at me as I did so). This was my first post—and the beginning of an awesome adventure. Enjoy! – Tory
I live in Paris now. I know this because every morning when I wake up, I experience a brief moment of panicky, delighted confusion… I have no idea where I am!
I remain disoriented until I ask myself the following questions:
Question: What are these sharp things in my bed?
Answer: Baguette crumbs. They were probably stuck to my face when I fell asleep.
Erica Berman
Question: Are there alien babies in my room?
Answer: No, just French babies in the courtyard, their voices glittering in the morning light.
Question: Is this butter-infused air I’m breathing?
Answer: Actually, yes. There’s a patisserie next door. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 5 Comments »
March 29, 2010 by Tory Hoen
I’ve been back in New York for three weeks and I still can’t stop. Whenever I spend time in Paris, I pick up a habit that is nearly impossible to kick. No, it’s not smoking; it’s worse… it’s the double air kiss (standard Euro protocol for both hello and goodbye).
This maneuver—which generally involves touching cheeks but kissing the air near the other person’s ear—is so ingrained in my muscle memory that it has become completely involuntary to me (much to the chagrin of my American friends). I try to catch myself, but it’s always a split second too late. It happens again and again: the unsuspecting American person I’m double-kissing stands there, utterly bewildered, as on-looking friends roll their eyes and say something along the lines of, “Oh, Tory thinks she’s sooooo Euro now.” Or worse, the other person sort of tries to go with it, and we do an awkward head-dodging thing, and then inadvertently end up making out. Ooops.
Huffington Post
I promise I am not trying to be Euro. In Paris, on fait la bise (we do the standard Parisian double-cheek kiss) every time we say hello and goodbye. If you’re entering or leaving a group, you have no choice but to go around to each person and kiss him or her individually. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 9 Comments »
March 23, 2010 by Tory Hoen
One of our favorite Hip Paris bloggers, Tory Hoen, also has her own blog – A Moveable Beast – on which she chronicles her more bewildering encounters with French culture. Quirky, insightful and always hilarious, we’re happy to be able to share one of her memorable meetings with the French metro here.
Now I’ve done it. This is probably a story I should bury in the “Secret Annals of an Awkward American in Paris.” But what fun is public humiliation if you can’t share it with your friends?
Yesterday was beautiful. When I woke up, there was literally a small French child singing “Frère Jacques” outside of my window. I quickly exited happy-daydream-mode when I stepped into the metro car and realized that something was not quite right. I looked down. Ah, yes. One of my shoes was missing, and I was standing in the middle of the train with one bare foot. Quite strange, really, because this foot had had a shoe on it not two seconds earlier… I was sure of it. I turned around just in time to see the little bastard slip into the gap between the platform and the train—plummeting to its death on the tracks below.
I didn’t need to gasp in horror because everyone around me on the train had already done so. So I just froze in a state of stupefied shock. Luckily, there was a go-getter next to me who pulled me back onto the platform and immediately started scheming about ways to get the shoe back. Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 6 Comments »
March 16, 2010 by Tory Hoen
littlebrownpen.blogspot.com
I’m not the first writer to have moved to Paris with a gleam in her eye and a dream in her heart; nor am I the first writer to have scoured the streets in search of free WiFi (pronounced wee-fee in French) a.k.a. wireless Internet. Hemingway may have gotten the job done with pencil and paper in an ice-cold garret, but we modern-day Hemingways prefer slightly cozier digs in which to indulge our literary fantasies and writer-ly rituals.
And so, I give you the list of HIP-tested, HIP-approved, writer-friendly Parisian cafés complete with free wireless Internet (WiFi). For the cost of a mere espresso, you can spend hour after hour writing (or planning to write… or thinking about planning to write…. or, let’s face it, just procrastinating… but at least you’re procrastinating in Paris). This list is just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s enough to get you started. Now get out there and go for it. Your novel’s not going to write itself! Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 10 Comments »
March 12, 2010 by Tory Hoen
For Parisians, lunch is where it’s at. Breakfast usually consists of coffee and cigarettes (and maybe a tartine), and weekday dinners are often simple affairs as well. But lunch is the moment when many kick back and enjoy every last second before returning to the office. Weekday lunches can extend to 1.5 hours and weekend lunches are nearly interminable. Both often involve wine, philosophizing, and simultaneously savoring / complaining about life (a finely tuned Parisian art). But unlike dinner, you then have all afternoon to walk, nap, or work it off. In case you couldn’t tell: I am a fan of lunch.
Le Miroir – Maggie Battista
More importantly, lunch is also the best time to sample some of Paris’ best cuisine at reasonable prices, as many restaurants offer a prix-fixe lunch menu that highlights the day’s specials. While your options are limited, they will likely feature the freshest, most seasonal ingredients. So kick back and relax, knowing that you are in gastronomically capable hands. My top 5 picks are as follows. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Restaurant Reviews | 7 Comments »
March 9, 2010 by Tory Hoen
Photos Erica Berman
One of my favorite times of year in Paris is the transition between winter and spring. It’s that miraculous moment when the gray dampness lifts and the first rays of warm sunlight begin to creep their way along rooftops, through windows, over bridges. It’s still coat weather, but hope is in the air.
More importantly, it’s the moment when droves of Parisians emerge from indoors after months of hibernation. A few months from now, they will undoubtedly look healthy and bronzed and full of life; but for the moment, they are pale and wan (and still dressed in black) and seeking sunlight as if it were their lifeblood. I remember walking through the Jardin du Luxembourg on the first warm day last year and being convinced that the city was awash in a sea of vampires. I had never seen so many black leather-clad beings, their skin sparkling beneath the first rays of springtime sun.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Parisian Living | 4 Comments »
March 8, 2010 by Tory Hoen
It’s easy to eat well in Paris, but to truly eat like a local is a whole different endeavor. At the heart of the Parisian culinary experience are the city’s markets, and eating like a Parisian means knowing where to get the “best” of everything—the freshest produce, the most interesting wines, the best baguettes, the most unique specialty products. The preparation of a perfect at-home meal is a nuanced process that involves the assembly of carefully selected puzzle pieces—not to mention the actual cooking, plating, presentation and consumption rituals.
Luckily, there is a short-cut in the form of Paule Caillat’s Promenades Gourmandes: personalized culinary excursions that allow anyone—from novices to gourmands—to access the pleasures of French home-cooking done right. Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Tours and Classes | 2 Comments »
March 3, 2010 by Tory Hoen
Erica Berman
Ah, life in Paris. One day, the city is invaded by the cat-walking, champagne-sipping Jet Set; and the next, it is overrun with guys dressed up as life-sized vegetables (literally). Yes, the Salon International de l’Agriculture is here, and eco-friendly agriculturists and the gourmands who love them are in town to partake in the year’s biggest agricultural extravaganza. In thinking about it, this week strikes quite a nice equilibrium for those of us who can appreciate both a killer stiletto and a tub of artisanal foie gras. After all, isn’t balance what life is all about? Continue Reading »
Posted in Events, Green | 1 Comment »
March 2, 2010 by Tory Hoen
womensmafia.com/tapisserie-jdsavoye.com
Brace yourself, Parisians! The Jet Set is about to descend upon the city for yet another fashion week. This year’s Ready-to-Wear shows run from March 2-10, but as we all know, fashion week is about much more than just the shows themselves. It’s about exclusive parties, insider meetings, an endless flow of champagne, and looking ultra-stylish at all times. In other words, c’est trop fashion. (Yes, in Paris, we actually use the word “fashion” as an adjective).
For those of us not directly involved in the fashion industry, Fashion Week can inspire one of two reactions: 1) dress to the nines and try to get in on the action by talking your way past the velvet ropes (good luck!). Or 2) hunker down and keep a low profile until the mayhem subsides. Whether you’re an action-chaser or an action-avoider, we have some tips for you.
Photos: Photo Agency; Sojones.com; L’Express.com
Continue Reading »
Posted in Shopping | 2 Comments »
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Dave Bloom, Ko An
