When I went to Paris for the first time in 1984, all I knew of the city was from pictures in textbooks or travel guides, and scenes from movies or documentaries or travelogues. Everything I saw was new. I remember getting off the plane at Orly and being taken by the telephone booth. The phone was so different from ours. The first two Es sported acute accents.
Every street. Every shop. Every signpost. Every object. Surprises were everywhere. It was sensory heaven.
Today, though, there are so many sources of information. Thousands of images document public and not-so-public spaces. Faraway places become familiar with a mouse click.
When I think back to my first 24 hours in Paris, there were some things I would have benefited from knowing in advance: how to buy things in a department store, how to navigate francs and centimes. But if I had known how to use coins, I would have missed out on one of my most memorable interactions: the clerk in a small stationery shop on Blvd. du Montparnasse stopped what she was doing, pulled out a coin rack and gave me a lesson in how the coin system worked. I was never confused again. Needless to say I bought all my notebooks, paper, pens and pencils there for the rest of the year!
As I’m learning about Japan and Kyoto, I’m grateful to know certain things. Knowing there are strict rules regarding trash disposal and recycling, as well as etiquette will save me embarrassment. Finding a running path close to my apartment is very helpful to know in advance.
But I still want to be surprised by the little things. It will be a delicate balance to strike.
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