Hailing back from Paris and though transient, it was truly a gratifying experience and everything I ever imagined it to be. The city is entrenched in cafes, boulangeries, and structures of the most enthralling facades I’ve ever seen. Without a doubt, the sublimity of the city must have mandated only the utmost creative minds and adroit hands to bring it all to life. There’s as much history to be seen and felt in person tantamount to the European history books we once spent countless hours rifling through in high school. As a matter of fact, so captivating that I’m endowing Paris the title of the most beautiful and chic city to ever exist. Not that I’ve been to many, but I’m sure most people would agree.
Anyway, taking it a step back some…
Upon arrival, I was welcomed to a rainy morning and met one of my aunts for the first time. I was lucky enough that she’s a cab driver in Paris and happily became my temporary means of transportation. No American-hating nightmares to tell here so I’m sorry to disappoint if you’ve had to live through it.
I met Zanita early that morning at the grand AirBNB apartment we were staying at and my god was it magical – had my head and eyes wavering back and forth in awe. Back at home, I’m used to spacious rooms where you can pretty much roll endlessly through, but in cities like Paris (and NYC), the idea of spacious is rather interesting – anything that allows you to walk more than 20 steps across is deemed roomy. Jokes aside, we wasted no time. I was attending my first ever fashion show. In PARIS. Who gets to do that? I nearly died *still dying*. Prior to doing so, we promenaded the dreamy cobblestone roads that our made our feet patter with each step and finally entered Chalayan. The show was held in a beautiful room with one of those faux Michelangelo paintings, still lovely nonetheless. Saving the details of the show for another post so more on that later.
It’s interesting, but I have a pretty large family in France courtesy of the Vietnam war. I spent my first and second night with them and several of them for the first time ever. Many of my them drove between 1-5 hours just to see me for a total of 2.5 hours…who would make such effort in America? French culture is much different than American as I observed – their hospitality and generosity are unparalleled. I don’t think I’ve ever been treated with such kindness nor seen families as involved in the housework as I did when I was there. Maybe I’m biased and this is just a hybrid of French-Hmong culture. Regardless, it was extremely refreshing and I have to admit I’m rather jealous.
My account of Paris is getting unusually long so I’ll end by saying I ate lots of pastries, tasted the infamous Pierre Herme macarons (an obligatory trip when in Paris), drank too much cappuccino, saw the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower that dazzled me inside out (I didn’t make my way to the top though…it was unbearably cold and windy), and assisted my first editorial photoshoot. The work on the backend of a fashion shoot – OH MY GOD – so much respect for everyone involved from the photographer, model, hair + makeup artist, and even little ol assistant everything (aka moi). Lots of first-times for me on this trip, but hopefully not the last.
Three days in Paris and two words to describe it: tres bien. If you’ve never been, go!
