On the Culture of Metro and Cafe in Paris, France

The subway is the most concentrated place for the urban middle class, especially during rush hours. Through the subway, which reflects the culture of the city, we can learn a lot about the city and culture. While working in Paris, I have to change lines three times a day and take the subway back and forth for three hours, so I am impressed by the Paris subway and have a unique understanding of Paris through the subway.

Paris has a very deep literary and artistic atmosphere, which can be reflected in the book addiction of ordinary people. No matter waiting for the train on the platform or sitting in the carriage, most men and women, old and young, are quietly holding their books of novels or poems, which is different from the newspapers and periodicals in which everyone in the Hong Kong subway reads the Horse Classic and is full of singers and movie stars. I don't know what kind of transportation in which city can still see the scene of collective novel reading?

The subway station in Paris occupies a small area and does not pay attention to style, but each station has its own characteristics. For example, the walls of the Bastille station are covered with pictures of the capture of the Bastille prison and some historical relics are placed. It seems to let you receive a "revolutionary tradition" education; in the station near the Rodin Museum, there are sculptures of Balzac and Rodin, like an art classroom. The Louvre Station is directly connected to the pyramids at the entrance to the Louvre and is the most specially arranged.

Some stations are decorated like submarines, while others display goods such as clothes, clothes and shoes, with different themes and different ideas. But every station can not do without a large number of advertising pictures, mainly fashion and cosmetic advertisements. Of course, although the design of the advertisement is ingenious, the models in the advertisement are mainly young and beautiful ladies, dressed less or naked at all.

Beggars are often encountered in the subway, but the beggars here will not be subservient to you, nor will they "cling to each other". Most of them eat by craftsmanship, usually playing the violin or accordion or guitar, touring the car for a week after one song, and then going to the next car. There are also waiting at the entrance of the subway, open underground space, melodious music whirling, really good to listen to, but also have a different atmosphere. The French are artistic and compassionate, and if you get off a carriage, you can get something. It is observed that most of the people who unpack are women. As the European economy continues to be in the doldrums, more and more people are among the unemployed, so many beggars used to have good jobs. As soon as he got on the bus, he gave a speech, saying that he had a lot of wives and children, and waited for rice to be put in the pot at home. Not only did he not feel ashamed, but he was quite justified. After the speech is also in the car tour for a week, those who are willing to take the bait, never force.

What is also impressive is that large parking lots are generally planned at the gates of subway stations in Paris. For most French, the price of a new private car means only three months' salary (it is cheaper to buy a used car, of course), so a car has become a must-have tool for every family, or even more than one. But people seem to use all the cars on the blade. As the public transport industry in France is very developed, many people prefer to use public transport to get to and from work. In order to reduce air pollution and reduce traffic jams, the government also encourages citizens to use public transport as far as possible. Therefore, many commuters generally drive their cars to the subway station and then take the subway to and from work.

It has been nearly a hundred years since Paris began to use the subway in 1900. Parisians who come into contact with always proudly claim that they have had the subway since the last century, and you can read the vicissitudes of life from the yellow M sign of the palace lantern and the ancient architectural style of the subway station. And well-dressed passengers are clearly telling you that it is fashionable and modern. If you want to know all aspects of French society and know all kinds of Parisians, take the subway in Paris.

Paris Cafe

Bars and cafes abound in Paris, and when the weather is fine, teahouses stretch from the inside to the sidewalk. According to the characteristics of the Paris Cafe, the chairs are very small, while the French are tall and tall, worrying about whether they can sit firmly. The way the French drink coffee is also strange. If a person wants a cup of coffee, he can sit idle for a whole day, quietly enjoying the sun and watching the passers-by come and go, and the pedestrians on the side of the road also appreciate them. occasionally with a knowing smile.

The famous Latin district of Paris is a place where college students gather all over the world, and it is home to many famous cafes that were once frequented by wealthy socialites and celebrities. The special culture of the cafe, the ancient tables and benches seem to tell history, and there are pictures and illustrations on the walls. I once sat down where Sartre, the founder of existentialism, sat down.

It is said that the French nation is a romantic nation. When entering the country, it is easy to feel the romance of France, with flower shops everywhere on the outskirts of the city, candlelight flickering in cafes or restaurants, lovers sipping coffee in the sun and whispering, heading to the seaside and forest on weekends or holidays. Romantic French people are always associated with roses, champagne, wine, kisses, perfumes and car beauties. There is a story about a French young man who spent a little money on bread to buy a bouquet of flowers for his girlfriend. It seems that he has to eat and be romantic. Therefore, the French have been exposed to the "kissing culture" since childhood. Tourists who come to France can see kissing performances in places where there are people, regardless of whether they are in the city or in the countryside. Lovers do not choose a secret place to make out. On the contrary, the larger the audience, the more exciting they will be. In the streets, subways and even queues for shopping, you can see pairs of enthusiastic men and women who quench their hunger and thirst with each other's lips. French kisses are not limited to the opposite sex they are in love with. They also kiss babies, cats and dogs, and even flowers growing on the side of the road. Once you make friends with the French, you have to accept their extremely wordy etiquette of facial kisses. Once, I was invited to the home of a close French friend. On that day, there were more than 20 guests, each kissed four times when they met, and each one was kissed back four times. When I said goodbye, I did it all over again. With such an estimate, this activity alone will have to kiss people a hundred times!

The cafe is the best footnote of French romanticism. There are many stories in the cafe, there is a more extreme saying that a couple met on the subway or on the street, chatted together and went to the cafe, sipped coffee while basking in the sun, and discussed whether the night scenery would be enjoyed by you or me when the lights were on. Once you don't speculate, you can end up friendly immediately.