One thing my husband and I really hate saying to each other is "You want
to go into Paris?" We've decided to stop saying that as it only increases our pain.
We even find excuses to revisit our old neighborhood in 75008- still using
the same tailor, the same dry cleaner, eating at the same restaurants and
shopping at "little" Monoprix when there's one right
here down the street in 92300 !
One of my good friends, an American who hails from San Francisco, used to live in
Paris. Then she moved to Meaux and now she's moving even further away to
Tours. I asked her: "How could you do this?" As if she had just eaten
the last piece of chocolate I bought from Lenotre or something. For
some people, it perfectly suits them to be outside the city limits. Not me.
But then again, my Uncle Johnny always said I'd be a city girl.
So I wonder, what is it about Paris and being within Paris proper that is so
alluring to many? One article couldn't describe it and if you're reading
this, then you probably already know anyway! I dared complain to one of my
friends who lives in New York. She very quickly put things in perspective
for me.
"Are you serious? Are you (censor necessary! She is a New Yorker)
serious? I have to take a plane. You're (censor) a measly five minutes away!
Who cares! I'd give my (censor) left arm, and right one too to live there
and have your place. Hey, you wanna trade?"
Okay, so maybe I won't complain anymore, at least not to an American who's aching to
live here. Okay, not to a New Yorker. So then I decided to try it with one
of my French friends who lives in a great Parisian neighbourhood herself.
Her response was even worse.
"Tu habites en Levallois, pas Marne-La-Vallée. Levallois est deux minutes de Paris,
donc, pour moi, tu habites à Paris, quoi ! En plus tu as un bel appartement
avec une vue magnifique. Attends…mais tu es folle ou pas ?
Translation:
"You live in Levallois, not Marne-La-Vallée. Levallois
is two minutes from Paris, therefore, for me, you live in Paris. Besides
that, you have a beautiful apartment with a magnificent view. Wait…but are you crazy or what?"
Second translation- she really does think I'm insane.
[Marne-La-Vallée -located approximately 32 km or 18.6 miles from Paris.]
The conversation continued.
My French friend who lives in Paris: "What about
all the calm in your new neighborhood, would you trade that to move back to
Paris?"
Me: "I'd trade it."
MFFWLIP: "What about not having to dodge every dog's
dinner in Paris?"
Me: "Trade it, trade it!"
MFFWLIP: "And your huge apartment"?
Me: "Trade it, trade it, trade it!"
MFFWLIP: "And your view of La Tour"?
Me: hmm….let me think about that one."
MFFWLIP: "Voila! That's what I thought."
