Erin Kim, our student at Learn French Brooklyn, spent a summer in Paris working remotely as well as enjoying a few weeks off. She sat down for the fifth episode of our podcast series to share her impressions.
According to Erin, a big takeaway is how her time in Paris has influenced the way she structures her daily routine:
“There’s something about the city and the way people live that begs for me to take my time. I don’t think it’s a city or a country you get to know in a weekend. If I want to get to know French culture, I have to take my time too”.
Hence Erin’s will to spend a whole summer here. Getting a taste of the rhythm, and the way people live, does require several months. Erin was lucky to have the option to work remotely. Thanks to the time difference, she had most of her days free and would work in the late afternoons and evenings.
The long lunch during workdays, the strolls down the avenues or the parks, the art of finishing your coffee one sip at a time while lounging, it does look like Paris has its own rhythm, and it pushes people to slow down and take part in this more relaxed lifestyle.
While Erin was getting accustomed to the French pace, she also noticed that she was able to have nice interactions with people, in the streets or in stores and restaurants:
“People are pretty patient when I’m trying to talk and struggle. They’re glad to see me trying. I got a lot more confident, I’m able to communicate (...) and I’m able to forge relationships”.
The idea that French people wouldn’t bother to listen to you if you're not fluent, or automatically switch to English, is an old cliché. While visiting Paris, most people are pleasantly surprised by the quality of interactions you're able to get in a single day. All it takes is the courage to dive in, put your thoughts together and open your mouth!
