Week 1 - Welcome to Paris!

Bonjour from the City of Lights! 

After a flight delay from San Diego (SAN) to San Francisco (SFO), followed by a grueling 10-hour flight to Charles de Gaulle international airport (CDG), I finally made it to Paris in the midst of a heatwave. Despite the sweltering heat, my studio apartment in a student housing building located in the 20th Arrondissement doesn’t have the creature comfort of A/C—a surprisingly common situation in Paris. 

The day after our arrival (Monday), we had orientation at the CEA CAPA Education Abroad Paris office located in the 3rd Arrondissement. It’s the same place where our classes are held. We were presented with a lot of useful tips and tricks to make life comfortable for the next 5 weeks, including the dos and don’ts of living in Paris. Orientation ended with a scenic boat cruise on the Seine where we saw the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and many other incredible buildings and monuments as we floated on the water, passing under the many bridges that gently arc over the river. Everything looked gorgeous despite the intense heat!

The Eiffel Tower as viewed from the Seine

We took a walk along the banks of the Seine after the cruise and admired the many bouquinistes in their

iconic green “boxes” that line the riverbank. These booksellers are a cultural tradition dating back to the

16th century. They sell collectible and antique books, vintage posters and postcards, and similar items to

souvenir-shopping tourists. Bouquinistes are as iconically Parisian as the Eiffel Tower, and their location

along the riverbank has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

A bouquiniste along the banks of the Seine

The next day (Tuesday) was our first day of classes. My Global Seminar focuses on the origin of ASL
and deaf culture in France and the US. As an ASL minor with a penchant for history, it was very
interesting to learn how American Sign Language was derived from French Sign Language (LSF). 
On Thursday, we toured Institut National de Jeunes Sourds (National Institute for Deaf Youth), the first
deaf school in Paris. In our ASL classes at UCSD, we were introduced to the origins of the school and its
founder, Abbé de L’Épée, who is known as the “Father of the Deaf” in France. As we toured the campus,
we learned more about the school’s history and Abbé de L’Épée, as well as about the struggles of deaf
kids in France during the Enlightenment. Ironically, “enlightened” people viewed those who were hard
of hearing or deaf as a “punishment from God” and believed they were incapable of pursuing formal
education. 

I only have classes 3 days a week from 11-4, which gives me plenty of time to explore Paris. It was an
exciting challenge to learn how Parisian public transportation works, and it took me a couple of tries to
fully grasp the intricacies of the metro system that connects Paris’ 20 arrondissements (administrative
divisions) and beyond. I also took some time to get used to a few cultural differences: I have to make an
effort to remember that (as in other parts of Western Europe) tipping is very uncommon in Paris (and
generally in France as a whole) because those who work in the restaurant industry are paid a livable wage
and don’t have to depend on tips to supplement their income unlike in the US. Since I’m in Paris (after
all!) I explored a few Parisian boulangeries on the way to class. I obviously had to (repeatedly) try the
phenomenally good classic butter croissant. It never disappoints!

Week #1’s Most Surprising Observation:If something costs only 1 euro, then it only costs 1 euro! All taxes are included in the price you see.
Imagine that!  

I can’t wait to see what Week #2 has in store for us!

À bientôt!

Brayden