Through NYU I’ve had the opportunity to start my first year in university in Paris. Freshly out of high school, being thrown into an environment where all was new including the language was a fantastic challenge. For me, New York is just the same. As a second year international student from London, this megacity poses similar challenges and rewards. An outsider in both places, it is interesting to observe and compare these radically different cities.
1. Pace of life
There is no sense of urgency in Paris— Parisians take their time. Each moment is savored, lunch breaks last for two hours (many restaurants shut during lunch) and much of the day is punctuated with lengthy coffee breaks. New York’s rhythm is a whirlwind. Crowds of people stream by within minutes in an endless succession and you're pushed along. Here, time is money and people aren't afraid to tell you to get a move on. In the Big Apple, there's no time for sauntering; take your coffee in hand and be on your way.
2. Type of Food found
Paris is sprinkled with Brasseries, quaint cafes on every main street, where people dine on simple french dishes like Croque Monsieur. There is a huge abundance of boulangeries (bakeries).The city really delivers on the popularized image of baguettes and escargot. Whilst there is some variety in food, you can find some great Vietnamese and French fusion restaurants. There is a China Town and prominent Japanese area. Overall, it is incomparable to the eclectic range of food littered across New York. Though NYC’s restaurant scene isn't dominated by a particular cuisine like the French kitchen in Paris, that's not to say the Big Apple doesn’t have a staple food: dollar pizza, bagels and halal kebab stands dominate.
3. Access to Food
In Paris late night snacks take the form of crepe stands and kebab shops and all sit-down places close at around 10pm. New York is bursting with desert bars, Insomnia Cookies and many restaurants that are open up until 2am. The city never sleeps and neither do the peoples' appetites.
4. Food etiquette
In Paris, the act of eating is treasured and is allocated time; munching on the go is a no no and is seen as inappropriate. In my first few weeks, I would get many stares and comments for eating my crepe on the go. In New York eating in transit is a must, you scoff down your bagel to satisfy your hunger and move onto the next appointment.
5. The people
People in Paris are endearingly sarcastic and far from warm and smiley. Parisians generally mind their own business and shop assistants are reluctant to get involved with you. In New York, I was caught off guard by how random pedestrians would invite themselves to my conversations. One person even stopped to ask me and my friends if he looked presentable for his date and told us how nervous he was.
6. Smelly metro or Absurd subway
The number of times I’ve taken the wrong subway either uptown or downtown is embarrassing. The New York subway system doesn't make sense and even native New Yorkers conceded to this fact. A train going one direction can stop and reverse, and that's just mind-boggling. I was warned about the dirty state of the New York subway before my arrival but it's nothing when compared to the urine-infused air of the Parisian metro; I’d take New York’s confusion over that any day.
