Made in Japan, Outsourced Globally

My first exposure to French as a language began in a bar called "Mes Amis," which means "My Friends." It was exactly in this manner that I had the most delightful weekend with my friends in Paris.

Now, this story has 3 main characters: Holly, the energetic jet-setter from Perth (Australia), currently spinning out her own destiny in London. Clement, the suave Parisian (in fact, in looks alone, he has been compared to Kobe Bryant), itching for another international adventure. And moi, the Japanese/American living amongst sheep in England.



It was at some point early in our journey that I said, "we're walking through Europe's treasure chest." You cannot walk around in Paris without coming face to face with an architecture of historical or artistic significance. The city itself takes on an air of style, luxury, and decadence - all in good taste. You cannot help but feel a tinge of jealousy at the wealth of this city. A wealth not measurable by financial means, but by the richness and depth of culture.

I have always been told that Paris is beautiful, Paris is wonderful, Paris is great. But a stubborn side of me always said, "well, I'll see it for myself and then decide."



From La Tour Eiffel, Chateau de Versailles, Le Louvre, Notre-Dame, Basilique du Sacre-Coeur, Musee d'Orsay, and even the Moulin Rouge, I was left with a grunt of defeat at their magnificence.

I savoured every moment spent in this magical place. When I was in high school, I often fantacized about being born during the Revolution. "What kind of a life would I have led if I was a peasant?" "What if I was born as an aristocrat?" As one of the most violent uprisings in history, the French Revolution piqued my interest as a teenager reading the likes of "A Tale of Two Cities."

Chateau de Versailles
I was equally intrigued by Louis XIV, the Sun King. He was a 17th century enlightenment king who was feared as a rising power in Europe. One of his most famous accomplishments, Chateau de Versailles, is a palace of sheer opulence. The chateau was decorated with countless chandeliers, royal portraits, and sculptures. There were many paintings that are now in the Louvre, including the Coronation of Josephine by Napoleon and several paintings of the Last Supper, anachronically juxtaposing Jesus with French aristocrats in clothes from the 17th century (quite laughable, actually). There were many portraits and sculptures of the King (including a most impressive sculpture by Bernini that looked as if wind was billowing through his hair and garment), which made me ponder if the king was as good-looking as he was in the art as he was in real life.

I took my sweet time mosing down the Hall of Mirrors, an open expression of the King's ego. Louis XIV called himself "the Sun King" and wanted to reflect as much sunlight as possible, so he built a hall with large windows and mirrors to let as much light come in and refract around him. I also adored the gardens, which had countless sculptures with ancient Greek/Roman dieties and mythological tales (thank goodness I polished up on Greek mythology after my trip to Greece!). The weather was perfect, and it almost felt regal, as the garden boomed with baroque music on the speakers (Sunday visitors' service, I suppose). The photos really do not do justice to show the size of the entire palace and the amount of artistic wealth accumulated there.



Chateau de Versailles - inside the chateau, Hall of Mirrors, fountain, and a small lake in the garden where people can row boats and cycle around (I could imagine Georges Seurat being inspired here).

Our Lady - Notre-Dame


And how could I forget Notre-Dame? I'm not an avid church-goer, but its grandeur absolutely floored me. When we stepped in, a Mass was going on, so we quietly observed the service. Inside, rays from the stained glass windows and candle light delicately illuminated the grey pillars and arches. And as soon as the service ended, the most wicked organ music began - dark, elaborate, and complex - it echoed inside the hollow church, filling the space with gravity of sound. I could feel goosebumps immediately forming on my skin. The gothic gargoyles eerily decorates the periphery of the church, as the heavy tolls of the bell conjur an image of Quasimoto in the towers above.

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?

And we could not have passed up an opportunity to visit the risque parts of town - we were off to Pigalle to go see the infamous Moulin Rouge. Well, the photo above is as far as we got (the actual show itself was a bit expensive for our thrifty-traveler budget at the moment). The entire area is a quasi-redlight district with various peep shows, cabaret theaters, and X-rated shops. It was actually quite amusing to see a pack of Japanese tourists (mostly 60s and above) looking wide-eyed and shamelessly gawking at the area. But you have to hand it to the French, it's all done with class. Exhibit A: the Virgin mobile advert on a cafe table. The catch-copy reads: "SMS Unlimited" - you're hands will be tied up with all this unlimited text messaging, so you better start using something else to, ahem, tend to your girlfriend (or something of that effect, as I can't read French). Witty, sassy, and elegant.

Mes Amis - what goes around, comes around

On our way to Versailles, we had a very pleasant surprise. On the platform, we saw a beautiful doe-eyed Romanian girl. It was none other than our dear friend Gabi - another Hong Kong connection (Clement, Holly, Gabi, and I all worked in Hong Kong at one point). She is now working for Saatchi & Saatchi in Bucharest (well done!). We also became friends with Taran, a Ukranian-Canadian who had arrived in Paris the day before (and we dragged him out to go to Versailles with us). Here in the picture, we are scarfing down some yummy egg, cheese, and ham crepe while waiting for the metro.


Sitting at a Cafe, watching the world go by.

I really enjoyed Paris - and it wouldn't have been the same without Clement and Holly. The evening drive through the center of Paris (listening to Taiwanese rap), the wonderful tour ("What's that?" "A church" ;-)), the deep conversations about culture shock, and getting a haircut in Paris. They were all enjoyable.