Paris Metro and Cafe Culture, France

Paris Metro Culture

The subway is the most concentrated middle class in the city, especially during rush hour. Through the subway, a window reflecting urban culture, we can understand many things in the city and culture. During my work in Paris, I had to change lines three times a day to and from work, and it took 3 hours to take the subway back and forth. Therefore, I was deeply impressed by the Paris subway and had a unique understanding of Paris through the subway.

Paris has a very deep literary and artistic atmosphere, which can be reflected in the common people's love of books. Whether waiting on the platform or sitting in the carriage, most men, women and children quietly hold a large novel or poetry collection to study, unlike Hong Kong MTR where everyone reads horse scriptures and reads newspapers full of unofficial history of singers and movie stars. I don't know what kind of transportation in which city can still see the scene of collective reading novels?

Paris subway station covers an area of small, do not stress style, but each station has its own characteristics, such as the Bastille station walls covered with pictures of the storming of the Bastille prison and placed with some historical relics, as if you receive a "revolutionary tradition" education; in the Rodin Museum near the station is erected Balzac and Rodin sculpture, as if an art class; Louvre station directly connected to the Louvre entrance pyramid, the layout is also the most special.

Some stations are decorated like submarines, and some display products such as clothes and shoes. The themes are different and the ideas are different. However, every station has a large advertising picture, with fashion and cosmetics advertisements as the majority. Of course, although the design of advertisements is ingenious, the models in advertisements are mainly young and beautiful ladies, wearing less or simply naked.

Beggars are often encountered in the subway, but the beggars here do not humble themselves to you, nor do they "linger". Most of them eat by craft, usually playing the violin or accordion or guitar. After a song is finished, they tour the train for a week, and then go to the next carriage. There are also waiting for rabbits at the subway entrance. The empty underground space, melodious music, is very nice, but also has a different atmosphere. The French are art-loving and compassionate, and there is something to be gained from a carriage. It has been observed that women predominate among donors. As Europe's economy continues to slump, more and more people are unemployed, and many beggars have had good jobs before. As soon as he got on the bus, he gave a speech saying that he had a lot of wives and children, and that he was waiting for rice at home. Not only did he not feel embarrassed, but he was quite justified. After the speech is also in the car tour for a week, willing to take the bait, never force.

Impressive is also the Paris subway station entrance is generally planned for a larger parking lot. For most French people, the price of a new private car means only three months 'salary (of course, it is cheaper to buy a used car), so the car has become a necessary tool for every family, even more than one. However, it seemed that they had used their carts to the cutting edge. Since public transport in France is already very developed, many people prefer to use public transport to and from work. In order to reduce air pollution and reduce traffic congestion, the government also encourages citizens to use public transport as much as possible, so many office workers will generally drive to subway stations and then take the subway to and from work.

Paris began to use the subway in 1900 and has a history of nearly one hundred years. Parisians who come into contact with it proudly claim that they have had the subway since the last century, and you can read a hundred years of age from the yellow M sign in the palace lamp style and the ancient architectural style of the subway station. The fashionably dressed passengers are telling you that they are stylish and modern. If you are interested in understanding all aspects of French society and know all kinds of Parisians, take the Paris subway too!

Cafe Paris

Bars and cafés abound in Paris, and on a fine day tea stands stretch from the back to the sidewalk. Parisian cafes are characterized by small chairs, while the French are tall and worried about whether they can sit steadily. The French also drink coffee in a strange way. A person who wants a cup of coffee can sit idly all day, quietly enjoying the sun and watching passers-by coming and going. The passers-by also appreciate them and occasionally smile.

The famous Latin Quarter of Paris is a place where university students gather from all over the world, and here is a concentration of many famous cafes, which were frequented by rich celebrities in those years. The café is decorated with a special culture, ancient tables and benches that seem to tell history, pictures and text on the walls, and I once sat where Sartre, the founder of existentialism, sat.

They say the French nation is a romantic nation. It is easy to feel romantic in France, flower shops everywhere in the suburbs of the city, candles flickering in cafes or restaurants, lovers sipping coffee in the sun, whispering, heading to the beach, forest on weekends or holidays... Romantic Frenchmen are always associated with roses, champagne, wine, kisses, perfumes and beautiful cars. There is a story about a French young man who spent his last bit of money on bread to buy a bunch of flowers for his girlfriend. It seems that he can not eat without romance. Therefore, the French have been exposed to the "kiss culture" since childhood. Tourists come to France, whether they are in the city or in the countryside, and they can see kissing performances in places where there are people. Lovers don't choose secret places to make out. On the contrary, the larger the audience, the more exciting. On the streets, on the subway, and even in the queues for shopping, you can see pairs of passionate men and women who quench hunger and thirst with each other's lips. French people kiss not only the opposite sex they are in love with, but also babies, cats and dogs, and even roadside flowers. Once you make friends with the French, you have to accept their wordy kissing etiquette. Once, I was invited to visit a French friend who was very close to me. There were more than 20 guests on the same day. When I met each of them kissed others 4 times, each of them was kissed back 4 times by others. When I said goodbye, I started all over again. So estimate down, only this activity will kiss with people a hundred times!

Café is the best footnote to French romanticism. There will be a lot of stories in the cafe, there are more extreme statements, said a pair of men and women met in the subway or street, chat speculation will meet to go to the cafe, while the sun while sipping coffee, when the lights are on, discuss the beautiful scenery to you or me to enjoy, once the conversation is not speculation can immediately friendly end.