Out of Africa

We flew out of Douala last night and arrived in Paris early this morning! After dropping our stuff off at the hotel and cleaning up a bit (in a hot shower…with water pressure and everything!) we went to small café nearby. In the spirit of culture we had coffee (or tea) and crepes for breakfast. Yumm.

The first thing that struck me as a “you’re-not-in-Cameroon-anymore” moment was as we drove to our hotel. The cars were all within their respective lanes and moved in an organized fashion through street lights and roundabouts. There is still some debate whether pedestrians should be given right of way, but generally drivers will slow down if you find yourself in the middle of a pickle. Another thing that made me chuckle was an older women walking with her dog to the market and hanging the least on a hook outside the door. Now I also saw other people bring canines into the shops. In Cameroon, you don’t touch the dogs; they’re not friendly, cuddly or domestic and many of them have diseases we’d just prefer not to share. And here’s this older woman taking her boxer with her to buy groceries? It really stands out to me how different the two places are, though both are wonderful and beautiful in their own way.

I’m really enjoying my time in Paris: soaking up the food, fashion and sights! Today four of the girls and I took a walk to the Eiffel Tower. No big deal. (Eeeek!!) Tomorrow a group of us will go to mass at Notre Dame. Also, nothing to get excited about (Eeeek!) As we navigated our way around the city we couldn’t help but laugh at ourselves: five lost American girls, crowded around a map in the middle of the sidewalk trying to figure out what street we’re on and how can we direct ourselves to the Eiffel Tower. (Thankfully we saw it peaking its pointy little head off in the distance and were able to use that as our guide, but for a while there we thought we were in trouble). At one point we decided to be really adventurous and try our hand at navigating the Metro system. I’m happy to report that we were ultimately successful in arriving at our destination in a timely-ish manner but everyone could tell we were  new at this as the ticket gate backed up as we tried to figure out which way the ticket goes in. It’s times like this when it’s so important to laugh at yourself and ask for help. “I realize I look completely ridiculous—but could you help me?” It’s remarkably effective.

We have been trying to fit in through fashion if nothing else. Word to the fashion-wise: 1) boots are a must in any size, shape, color or form, 2) coats must be practical and stylish because it’s pretty darn cold and 3) hats follow the same rule as coats, fashion and function must work together. There are some great little boutiques near our hotel which has proven to be a dangerous (but oh so stylish) combination. Thanks to the sales racks I look like a true Paris girl! …As long as I don’t speak. And the camera permanently attached to my hand may give it away… But other than that, I blend right in!