Tale of Two Cities

London and Paris. Two wonderful cities known for their glorious history. Separated by a 3-hour train journey through the English Channel, but still worlds apart. While London is typical of its English male-dominated culture which can be experienced throughout the city, Paris, on the other hand, is very feminine. Though the whole of England and France are also similar respectively, these two cities stand apart in showcasing their respective cultures. Everything that you see in these two cities, speaks volumes about the cultural influence they have had over the previous centuries.

The moment you set foot in London, the orderliness and clarity of things amazes you. There is minimal ambiguity in information transfer. You dont even have to go to a "May I Help You" desk to ask for instructions. Although we Indians are never used to doing that because almost all the "May I Help You" desks in India are vacant!!

Strangely enough, the moment I set foot in Paris, it was reeking of urine. It took more than an hour and a half to get out of the railway station, since the ticketing machines do not accept Euro notes, but only coins (which we did not have)!! Even otherwise, unless you know French, Paris is very hard to roam around. And the first couple of people we asked for directions refused to utter a single word, after getting to know that we dont speak French. Such arrogance about their language!! This does not mean that the English are not arrogant, but atleast we speak their language, which makes it much more easier!! :)

So the reason behind my updating my blog, after more than 7 months since the last post, and writing about London & Paris, is because, it so happens that I am in Paris right now. Not the Parry's in North Madras, but the French capital Paris. So other than identifying the cultural dissimilarities, there are a few other highlights too, behind this trip and this blog post.

1. This is my first blog post from outside India
2. Mani's unassailable lead in the 'prasaddhi' list has become shorter now. I am in range to beat him, given that he does not get out of Indiana for the next 2 years!!:)
3. I get to see all the Parisien monuments, not to mention the gorgeous 5-foot-somethings found all over the city!!;) Well, London is not that blessed with these monuments, though still watchable/****able (i meant 'starable', u ugly minds!!) :P

And for my readers (are there any??!!) I promise that I will post more often!! (I am not a politician. Believe me!!)