Paris: Overrated?

Don't get me wrong, I love Paris. What's there to dislike about lounging on cool grass in front of the Eiffel Tower at dusk with a bottle of cheap wine? Who could hate that wondrous feeling the first time you witness the iron lady light up like a 1,000-foot Christmas tree?

(Let's all pretend that I filmed this video sideways on purpose to give it an artsy feel, rather than that I had no clue what I was doing.)

There's a lot to love about Paris, but there's also a lot to hate. Like crowds of tourists and McDonald's franchises. But tourists flock to any place worth seeing. And there's just no escaping McD's. I wouldn't be surprised to climb Mt. Everest or K2, and just as I reached the summit, I'd see the golden arches rise up out of the mist ready to sell me greasy cornburgers and carbonated sugarwater. These are problems that arise in every country, and so surely are not the reason for my less-than-loved-it feelings toward my experience in Paris.

Some people complain about the lack of hospitality shown by the French. Honestly, I didn't experience this. I found the locals warm and forgiving of my American ignorance if I smiled and attempted some form of "bonjour, parlez-vous Anglais?" Even in the rare instance when a Parisian was not friendly, I can understand why. How would we Americans react if every year millions of foreigners flooded our cities, ignoring our laws and customs and insisting that we accommodate their every need, from speaking their language to serving only foods they eat back home? I'll tell you how some Americans react: they get really racist and develop a strong hatred toward the foreign intruders. However, many other Americans react with hospitality, happy to show off their city and use the situation as a chance to gain fresh perspective on the world outside of their own small lives. I think Parisians react in a similar way. Yes, there are the few bad apples who hate you just because you're a foreigner. However, the majority seem to abide by a simple rule: if you are nice and respectful toward them, they will be the same toward you.

So what is it? Why do I feel disappointed, like somehow Paris has let me down? Perhaps I came to Paris with too high of expectations, or perhaps the wrong expectations. Before I even set foot in France, I had a mental picture of exactly what my experience in Paris would be like. In all the cities I've visited, I've never started with such a narrow view. I've always made a point of keeping my mind open to the possibilities. When my experience in Paris didn't turn out exactly the way I had imagined, I guess I felt let down. If I ever get the chance to return, I'll be sure go with no expectations and just let my feet take me where they will.

That being said, I still very much enjoyed my visit to Paris. Someday soon I will share my experience. For now, here's just a taste:

Whaaaa??

Ljubljana - A Pleasant Surprise

Never heard of it? Me neither.

Until last summer, that is. I went on a study abroad trip with my school and spent some time in the Slovenian capital.

So... I know the big question on everyone's mind is how in the heck do you pronounce Ljubljana. Well, according to www.Ljubljana.info, it's pronounced lyoo-BLYAH-nah. Now that you still have no idea how it's pronounced, I'll try to explain. Just pretend that the j's are y's. Then draw out the first a as an "ah" sound. Yeah, that still didn't make sense. Just go to Merriam-Webster for an audio clip: http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?ggljub01.wav=Ljubljana

Got it? Great. Now back to business. This city rocks. Literally. I somehow managed to find a sort of wild underground night club (disco?) with a d.j. and lots of grungy backpacker types.

 Above ground, Ljubljana is a city of contrasts. Soviet-era concrete eyesores compete with intricate and beautiful Baroque and Vienna Secession masterpieces. Not sure what I'm talking about? Here's some pictures:

View from the castle: courtyard and a mixture of buildings.

Dragon Bridge. Rumor has it he flicks his tail whenever a virgin walks by.

View through a castle window.

I filmed the short video below from the tower of the Ljubljana Castle. Sorry for the shakiness, but what can I say, I was super excited by the view!

So as you can see, Ljubljana is incredibly beautiful. But this city is so much more than that. After taking the day to explore and see the sights, my friends and I decided to see if we could uncover a different side of Ljubljana. And boy did we!

While searching for adventure, we ran into a couple of English blokes who invited us back to the hostel where they were staying. The hostel was packed with young European backpackers. Everyone sat around in the courtyard, drinking and smoking while a local band rocked out on a small stage. As we walked in, the group loudly welcomed us and invited us to partake in copious amounts of strong, Slovenian beer. These travelers, while coming from all different backgrounds, were united by a feeling of having discovered the wonderful little gem of a city that is Ljubljana.

After a couple hours, our new English friends told us they were headed to a bar that was just down the street from our hotel. We agreed to go with them and that's how we ended up in the crowded, steamy basement of a building, sweating through our clothes and dancing to house beats churned out by the d.j.

Underground, locals mixed with travelers. I managed to hear a good eight languages spoken. I was sure the feeling of camaraderie and youthful abandon that consumed the place would leak out and fill the entire city. Or maybe it was that the city was leaking in and filling the entire basement. Either way, it was a magical night in an equally magical city.

The last thing that impressed me about Ljubljana was the art. Wait! Don't stop reading! Trust me, I find art just as boring as the next person, but bear with me. The art I saw in Ljubljana was not your typical, snooty, I'm-better-than-you-because-I'm-an-artiste type stuff. It was alive and vibrant. The art was not contained in a gallery, rather the city itself was the canvas:

Street art in Ljubljana

The white design was raised, creating an interesting texture against this black, ugly side of a building.

Even the more traditional art was anything but traditional:

I found this in the castle. Don't ask me what it's about; I have no idea.

Even the anti-establishment folks contributed to the art scene:

Capitalism: F*** it.

All in all, I loved my visit to Ljubljana. I would go back in a heartbeat. Before I went, I had never even heard of this little city. It just goes to show that great things can be found in the most unexpected places.