02 Apr Ask an Au Pair: Sarah consumes the sophistication, style and FOOD of Paris!
This week, we asked Sarah, a 23-year old from BC, Canada. She lives with her host family in the 7th arrondissement. Here are excerpts from her responses.
What inspires you about Paris?
Paris incarnates the essence of sophistication and style. The great importance people accord to living life down to the smallest detail and putting art & culture among the top of priorities keeps me in constant awe of how one city can sustain such a way of being.
What tools, information or tactics did you find helpful in supporting yourself and the children after the terrorist attacks in Paris?
I talked to my host parents about what they had already discussed with the children and tried to match my approach to theirs. Being honest and remaining calm and optimistic I suppose sums it up. The fact the Parisians were refusing to change their way of life helped me out a lot and quickly reinstated normalcy.
What is the best way to meet Parisians?
You often have to be the one to make an effort, and being willing to put in the time to get to know someone. It generally takes longer to become good friends with someone in France compared to North America, but once you are friends, you are always friends. Try signing up for a class or team in something you enjoy. It gives you a hobby in a new country and you have something in common with everyone already.
How do you improve or master your French language skills?
I jump at every opportunity to speak French and encourage people to correct me constantly. I love making mistakes because it means I am about to learn something new and I know the people who correct me care about me and my desire to become perfectly fluent. Participate heavily in class and listen to French music/ watch TV. You can listen to the way things are pronounced/ the expressions used and imitate them.
What is your favorite neighborhood?
Le Marais
What is your favorite café and/or the best meal you’ve had in Paris so far?
I’m currently a big fan of Le Bar du central right by my place in the 7th. It’s more for a quiet night but they have delicious cocktails, wine and food – I had life changing foie gras pasta there once. Great ambiance, music and cute and polite servers.
What is your favorite shop?
Marais vintage boutiques, florist shops on Rue Cler
What is your favorite museum?
Musée d’Orsay, Le Palais de Tokyo has a seriously cool vibe
What is your favorite secret Paris spot?
Not so secret – grab a pastry from Du Pain et des Idées and eat it next to the Canal St. Martin with a friend.
What do you dislike most about living in Paris?
Bus etiquette. People often don’t move over to the window so there are always blocked available seats and lots of people standing.
What advice would you give to incoming au pairs?
People often cite that a bad day in Paris is better than a good day elsewhere. This can sometimes be helpful when there are bad days… but you are allowed to have bad days because you are human. It is easy to feel guilty about feeling sad because of how lucky you are, but that is a lot of pressure to put on yourself. This isn’t a vacation; you are living and working here and it is completely normal that not everyday is out of a movie.
ASK AN AU PAIR SERIES
Get to know Paris, from an au pair’s perspective. Our “Ask an Au Pair” series was so popular that we’ve decided to continue it with our next round of au pairs! We pose a dozen questions about the City of Light to those who are seeing it with fresh eyes and learning all of its wonderful intricacies. And, we decided to expand this series by adding a question about adapting to life in Paris after the 2015 terrorist attacks.