Found this in my drafts as well. Might as well post it!
I have decided to compile a list of things about Paris that people who have not been to/lived in Paris probably wouldn't know about it. I'm going to try my best, since some of these things have actually become normal for me now.
Those are all I can think of for now, I'll keep adding as I think of more!
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I have decided to compile a list of things about Paris that people who have not been to/lived in Paris probably wouldn't know about it. I'm going to try my best, since some of these things have actually become normal for me now.
- They have pink toilet paper! As well as blue and orange, and ones printed with math equations and stamped with women in ballgowns. No joke. My washroom is always stocked with the pink though.
- Jay walking is second nature to people. Pedestrians rarely pay attention to the crossing signs; as long as there are no oncoming cars, people will cross the street.
- Drivers are crazy. The way Parisians drive is ridiculous. Some cars run red lights, some are just in the middle of the road when it is the opposite side of traffic's turn to drive, and people are able to manoeuvre through small narrow roads... All I know is that I would never be able to drive in Paris (especially since I don't know how to drive manual cars).
- Some toilets do not have seats. I guess these are what people call squat toilets? They are by no means a hole in the ground, but they are just uncomfortable as you can't sit down properly or else you'll fall into the toilet.
- Many people beg on the train/metro. People get on the train, asking for money or restaurant tickets, usually by placing a piece of printed paper with a small explanation of why they need money. I always feel bad when I see people begging, but sometimes I wonder how they managed to find a printer and type up and print what they wanted to say. There are also people who hop on the metro or train and start playing their accordion, in hopes that you will enjoy their music and give them money afterwards.
- Admission to museums and some tourist attractions are free on the first Sunday of every month. For example, the Louvre, Musée D'Orsay, the towers of Notre Dame, and admission to the top of the Arc de Triomphe.
- You do not need to tip. Tip and tax are included in the price of the meal, so you do not have to pay any extra to what the price listed on the menu is.
- There are washrooms where you must pay to use them. This includes the "luxury washrooms" in Printemps and Galeries Lafeyette (where you can choose your own toilet paper), and the outdoor washroom stations scattered throughout the city.
- They do not have proper milk. All the milk I have tried have either been half-creme, or just taste plain disgusting, even though they are supposed to be skim milk. They also have milk that just sits on the shelf, unrefrigerated.
- Eggs are not refrigerated in the grocery store. I guess this goes hand in hand with the milk? Not sure why they do this.
- Bread is never served with butter. Never have I ever had butter with my bread at any restaurant in Paris. If you ask for it, they'll just laugh at you or just tell you no.
- People walk around carrying baguettes. This is one stereotype that is actually true. People pick up baguettes from the boulangerie and just carry them around with the top part of it exposed to the world. Sometimes you'll see people carrying two or more.
Those are all I can think of for now, I'll keep adding as I think of more!
