My second trip to the capital of France made me realise this one hilarious thing that could never be seen in London – and it’s the art of minding in other people’s business
One thing that I love about travelling is learning about other cultures and lifestyles. In my last trip to Paris, I realised something that until this day is making me smile, and it’s something that you wouldn’t see in the UK.
To add to the list of spontaneous activities, I went to Paris for the weekend. You’d think I wouldn’t have been able to do much, but I actually did a lot. Since I had already been there, I wasn’t really interested in seeing the tourist attractions. This trip was more about enjoying the sunshine and the Parisian atmosphere.
As my friend and I were walking through the crowded streets, we realised that the majority of bars had their chairs facing the street. At first, I thought it was weird because I thought I was being watched by others. Turns out, that’s the whole point and what makes a true Parisian-local experience.
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In Paris, and other European cities, people-watching is a thing, and it has been deeply integrated into their culture. It’s basically sitting outside a café whilst sipping a drink and watching the world – and people – go by.
As we sat to have a coffee in what they call a bistro café or a sidewalk café, we finally understood the joyous feeling of just seeing what other people were doing. It was so obvious, but it felt less ‘creepy’ because everyone else around us was doing the same. It was pure entertainment.
Another thing that I realised is that life in France moves at a slower pace. What in London would be to grab a coffee and get on with your day, in Europe, you could sit on the terrace with your friends and talk for hours and hours without feeling like you’ve wasted your time.
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I’ve been living in London for over a decade, and I’ve never seen such a thing – and I don’t think the UK is the type of ‘people-watching’. Everyone always seems to be in a rush and barely have time to see what goes around them – let alone sit in a café for hours just to overhear other people’s business.
One thing about travelling is that you have to adapt yourself as to how people do things. What might be considered rude and uncomfortable in one country, it might not be in another. London and Paris have a lot of differences but also similarities.
Nonetheless, I still think it’s a fun activity to do. My main takeaway about this trip is that in France, people would rather be starred and feel their presence noticed, rather than ignored and not acknowledged – which makes total sense.
