Seduction in the City of Lights

Volume 1, Issue 12, December 10-16, 2010

International Tribune

If there is one word I can describe Paris, it is seduction. Seduction by the mind, seduction by the heart, seduction in every sense. This is a city where all our five senses are sublimely heightened by the beauty and allure this place offers to its visitors. Charles Dickens once said, “I cannot tell you what an immense impression Paris made upon me. It is the most extraordinary place in the World!” It is almost a year since I moved to the "City of Lights" and each day spent has been a different adventure. From learning its beautiful (and sometimes incomprehensible) language, discovering its delightful cuisine, adjusting to its culture, and dealing with its (Parisians) strike- I just cannot get enough! I am an urban explorer who has been seduced by this great city around the River Seine.

Newcomers in Paris, undoubtedly, have visited the city once or twice. They have been captivated and bewildered by something or someone which inevitably draws them back to the city. The first part of the seduction. Along my adventure, one place that makes a lasting impression on me was my French language school, the Institut de Langue Française, by the Arc de Triomphe. This is the place where I have met most of the new friends I have in the city. And to my amazement, I was impressed with the amount of Asians enrolled in this place. My classmates came from various parts of Asia - China, South Korea, Mongolia, Thailand, Pakistan, and Japan, to name a few- eager to learn the language of Molière.

The Kiss by Robert Doisneau

Each day, as we all learn how to conjugate our verbs and attempt to pronounce the French words properly, we also share our stories, experiences, and the reasons on why we are in Paris. Some are here for fashion, some are here for music, and some for culinary and wine-making adventure and some moved for love. Some of them rave about the city, some are still in shock with their new surroundings, and some are completely frustrated perhaps because of difficulty to communicate with ordinary Parisians who invariably but unreasonably expect foreign visitors to speak their language. Overall, their description of the city is almost like reading a novel. And whether they like it or not, they have surrendered to the spell that this City of Lights can shower in the most literal sense. Paris, pleasant or not, offers them a sanctuary where they can explore the arts, reinvent themselves, and pursue their passions in life. The second and most important part of the seduction.

Unlike my first immigration to New York from Manila, to join my family in search for a better life, this time, I moved to Paris because of love- like the new wave of Asians giving Paris a shot. I am a newlywed, and 'oui', to a Frenchman. Oh l'amour, l'amour...What is it about this city? John F. Kennedy once quipped, “I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris, and I have enjoyed it.”

The end of seduction.