Romain Sinclair, Sciences Po Exchange, Fall 2013
In one’s time in Paris, one cannot go without noticing the incessant rain that, in my opinion, plagues the city. This blog entry is dedicated to this exquisite phenomenon.
Having constant rain truly changes the experience of living in Paris. When looking at what is to be a new home, college bound students must consider the weather when choosing colleges. The same applies for a four-month trip abroad. This is because the weather patterns strongly shape the activities that one takes part in. For instance, at Northwestern, it is terribly cold so people stay indoors at the library and study. At Sciences Po and in Paris, when it rains it’s just not as motivating to go out and sightsee what Paris has to offer. Still, the biggest letdown for me is related long boarding. I am an avid long boarder. I’m always riding at Northwestern. In Paris though, I can’t long board. The rain messes up the metal bits inside the wheel and this causes one to lose control.
On the other hand, rain can be good. The cup always has the potential to be half full. Having rain gives one time to sit back and have a coffee, or three (3 is the magic number today). On the positive side, staying in due to rain has greatly helped me with my planning abilities. In my rain-time, I’ve searched cool French movies, TV shows, and bars. Finding movies is good because then I have something to do for my other rainy days, which are inevitably right around the corner. The highlight has got to be the cool bars that rainy days allow me to research. I’ve discovered dozens of ethnic food bars, tapas bars, cocktail bars, the list is endless. It’s great because this is something I definitely could not have access to back home.
In one way then, one could say that the rain has replaced one hobby of mine with another. Instead of longboarding, I go to bars. Yet, that wouldn’t do it justice. The rain in Paris is more symbolic than that. It’s taught me some things. I mean, it’s not pleasant, but it’s not going away. When it’s cold and rainy outside you plan for when it’s not. When it’s sunny and bright, you do the things that you wanted to do before. In sum, the rain has taught me patience.