Americans Abroad
Throughout the millions of years of development that planet Earth has undergone, the strong survive. Strength not as brute force or power in numbers but strength of will, the ability to move, change and react in any situation ‐ the ability to adapt.
Story Highlights
- Fitting In
- Getting Around
- The Paris Metro
- Walking and Biking
Fitting In
While adaptation is the key to travel in any respect, it is of paramount importance when you’re creating a life and a community abroad. Who are you when you walk into a room? Are you loud and boisterous or do you slide around incognito? Are you in control immediately or do you relinquish responsibility and give in to the ebb and flow? Are you the one doing the approaching and more importantly are you approachable?
Part of cultural adaptation is learning how best to present oneself in different circumstances. There are times to be the center of attention and offer your expertise, and there are times when it’s best to hang back, learn, and go along with the initiative of others.
The old adage ‐ if you can’t beat them join them ‐ holds true and I think it helps to think of this in terms of participation, as opposed to abstinence so get a new jacket with zippers and buckles, eat a piece of raw cow and play your part in every scene. In other words ‐ be a ninja chameleon, but a balanced ninja chameleon.
Unlike what the Borg would have you believe in Star Trek ‐ resistance in is not futile. You shouldn’t abandon your core values or suppress your obscure personality traits, just to fit in. After all the wise Mahatma Ghandi once said: “Adaptability is not imitation. It means power of resistance and assimilation.”
Getting Around
One of the biggest challenges I faced was learning how to move. This applies to both the dance floor and public transport. I mean do you go with the salsa hips or the dice move first? Is it about fancy footwork or riding the slow grooves? These questions plague the outsider, but I have since discovered that dancing abroad comes down to owning it ‐ what ever it may be.
Getting around town is another story. Most Americans outside of major urban centers have never had the luxurious option of public transportation. Reliable (for the most part), easy to use and cost effective are just some of the reasons to utilize buses, trams and subway systems.
The Paris Metro
The rich, the poor, the drunk, the accomplished, the prudish and the homeless all take the Metro in Paris. On occasion you’ll even find yourself sharing a carriage with a live music act or an animated soap box speaker, addressing social injustice and the woes of the world. You will find yourself next to beautiful people with intoxicating aromas as well as smelly creatures with gnarled features. It’s on the Metro where I’ve felt the most connected and the most alien, during my time here in Paris.
An unbelievably detailed and eccentric cross section of society travel on the underground trains. Certain lines also seem to take on personalities. For example Line 1 is clean, high tech and constantly full of tourists heading from East to West ‐ along the banks of the river Seine. Line 5 on the other hand is colorful and dilapidated with brown pleather seats that look like they were plucked from a mid 90s, yellow school bus. No matter the personality, the Metro is the best way to get around Paris with over 300 stations making it accessible from anywhere in the city.
Transport systems such as the Metro in Paris and the Tube in London might seem overwhelming but in reality the layout is simple. Once you know your stop, all you need is the line and the direction ‐ as indicated by the terminus. Different lines are different colors and they all have names or numbers. An attentive glance at a map will reveal the quickest route and any necessary transfers.
Walking and Biking
Walking is more poetic, especially in a city like Paris where adventure and human accomplishment from every age, lie around every corner. History, culture, loss and triumph are etched into every stone facade and cobbled street. Personally I’ve given myself over to the bike life, finding I can get almost anywhere in the city on two wheels ‐ faster than I can on foot or on the Metro. Furthermore every time I bomb down Boulevard St.Germain I feel like Luke Skywalker attempting his run on the Death Star. That being said, I still walk and take the Metro pretty often ‐ enjoying both for different reasons.
Once you start communicating effectively with the world around you and begin adapting to your surroundings, faces in the crowd become friends. Gray areas on the map become familiar. Suddenly you know where you’re going and there’s a purpose to your movements. So drop into your new favorite corner store, pick up some fresh citrus, open the door, turn on the soul box and have a seat. Welcome to your home away from home.
‐ Ned Phillips
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