It hit me today...

I do like Paris! First I must warn you that I will blog a lot this weekend to compensate for next weekend when I'll be away.

Back to my epiphany... I decided to go for a walk this morning in search of my USB cable and to survey my new neighborhood. What I realized is that Gare D'Austerlitz isn't much of a neighborhood. It has a few restaurants, cafes, the train station, a natural history museum and the Jardin de Plantes, but it's not really a hot spot. HOWEVER, it borders multiple other hot spots. I walk half a block one way, and there's the Seine River. I cross the bridge and I'm in the Bastille area. I walk 10 minutes the other way, I'm at St. Germain.

I chose the route across the bridge (over the Seine) to the Bastille area today because there are several camera shops (no USB cable found but the nice Nikon man suggested a memory card reader he promised was better and faster and he was right!). The first month's shock most have finally worn off because, for the first time, I could really see that I'm in Paris and it IS beautiful. The river, the old buildings and historical landmarks at every turn, the people walking their dogs, more often than not holding a freshly baked baguette. It's wonderful to walk around Paris!

I think I'm starting to fit in more as well...at least 5 people in the past couple of days have asked me for directions, and I'm 4 for 5 in knowing the answer! I felt like that scene in Renaissance Man were Danny DeVito is asked directions around the army base, and without thinking he blurts them out in ''army speak,'' and then gets this surprised look on his face, like, that was me? Those words came out of my mouth? And I felt comfortable enough to ask a couple if "vous voulez me prendre une photo de deux." They were taking pictures of each other so I asked if they wanted me to take a picture of both of them, and they were really happy.

My biggest epiphany today is that French people are actually nice. I knew it was mainly the cultural differences that manifested themselves as rudeness toward Americans, but finally I truly understand those differences. Americans are nice for many reasons - they want to be, they feel they have to be, it's part of their job, they're just being fake, etc. French people are only nice when they want to be. They never feel they have to be nice. In a way, it's refreshing, because you know when they are nice, it's genuine.