08 Feb Ask an Au Pair: Whitney has figured out how to speak French with Parisians!
What inspires you about Paris?
I love that Paris is a horribly organized city, meaning that there’s no grid system and every left turn is a new street and part of town to explore. Just don’t expect to wind up where you started! I also love the international atmosphere. Most people I’ve met are following some kind of a dream here and it’s definitely inspiring to be among them!
How would you suggest meeting Parisians?
When it comes to meeting and befriending native Parisians, I would suggest being your full self and doing all the things you’d usually do, but in Paris. When I lived in NYC I loved going to museums, concerts, the movies and an occasional meetup or two so that’s what I continued to do in Paris. I joined a photography meetup group, went to a concert and roamed a few museums and wound up having great conversations (in my best French!) with a cool mix of Francophones (from Paris and elsewhere). I think language exchanges are also a great and fun way to meet people, but it can get exhausting after a while!
How do you improve or master your French language skills?
Improving my French is so important to me! Living in Paris is a dream but I’m also on a mission to gain some mastery over the French language, which has been surprisingly doable. My weekly routine includes speaking with my host family in French, going to my French classes and doing my homework, using my time on the metro to study geography in French with the Seterra app and verb conjugation with the Conjugaison app, watching English and/or French movies with French subtitles (thanks Netflix!), and reading Le Monde, which my family has delivered on Sundays!
A favorite museum?
My favorite so far is Musée d’Orsay! You’ll find the original Van Gogh paintings like his well-known portrait and Starry Night. There’s also a beautiful clock on the top floor.
What is your favorite secret Paris spot?
La Gaîté Lyrique is definitely my favorite spot in Paris so far. It’s a library, resource center, event venue and a really great place to hang out after my French class. There’s free wifi, an affordable cafe and there’s always a nice hum about the place.
What do you dislike most about living in Paris?
The only thing that’s been a bit hard to get used to is the metro closing overnight and most restaurants and things being closed on Sunday.
What advice would you give to incoming au pairs?
Being an au pair is really great way to be immersed in French culture in every sense. I think I’ve learned so much from my family and little girl, linguistically and also just about the ways of the French. I’d say to be open and curious and set personal goals for what you want to accomplish while you’re here!
Get to know Paris, from an au pair’s perspective. Our “Ask an Au Pair” series was so popular that we’ve decided to continue it with our next round of au pairs! We pose a dozen questions about the City of Light to those who are seeing it with fresh eyes and learning all of its wonderful intricacies.