Parisian Quirks

So after living here for over a month, I think I can provide a little bit more insight into the random little things that make Paris, Paris.

The metro smells like pee. Why does the metro smell like pee? You ask. Because people pee in it all the time and I seriously mean all the time, not just drunkenly at 3 AM. I saw a regular guy peeing at the entrance of my metro one day on my way to school at around 9 AM. Weird, I know.

People are OBSESSED with their dogs. They truly love their canine companions. Parisians take their dogs anywhere and everywhere: the metro, stores, cafes, you name it.

Because people take their dogs everywhere, there is dog shit everywhere! Apparently, the pooper scooper didn't make it big here. So, watch your step!

Audience decorum: When watching a symphony there is NO clapping between songs. Instead, you wait for the pause between songs to cough, sneeze, blow your nose, sniffle, and perform all other noisy bodily functions during this allotted time. Also, the French are very into encores. We saw a crazy string quartet performance in which there were four encores. You think they would be done, the performers would bow the stage would get dark... and then they would start to play all over again!

Picnicking is VERY in. As soon as it gets sunny and warm, people get their lunches to go and finds a bench, a bank, or a grassy area to sit and eat. It is quite lovely.

I know I continue to harp on this, but PDA is pretty much a way of life in Paris. It is out of control! I went on a date with a French boy who insisted on trying to kiss me at a cafe, in the metro, in a park. I had to remind him multiple times that I am American and only think its appropriate to make out in public AFTER I have had a few drinks.

People don't have dryers here. Therefore, my pants are permanently falling off because I have no means of shrinking them!

Smoking is not as in as it used to be in France. I remember the first time I came to Paris eight years ago EVERYONE smoked incessantly. Since then, they passed a smoking ban in restaurants and bars. Although, there are still way more smokers here that back home its not nearly as much as I remember and its mostly the young people that smoke.