A Big City, a Big Adventure
A French woman interning at Marie Claire blogs for MarieClaire.com about her experiences living in New York City.
The Diary of Marie Claire's French Intern
My name is Barbara and I'm 25 years old. I just finished studying French literature in La Sorbonne, a university in France. I knew everything about my city and my friends, and now I live on the Upper East Side near Central Park and work as an intern at Marie Claire magazine. It's a big change! And so much to discover! My editor asked if I would share this adventure with you. Of course! So for the next three months you can see how a French girl lives in New York, a city huge and incredible compared to Paris. I'll be in the first row to understand my new environment, which is really exciting.
Last week I didn't realize how quickly my life was going to change. My first impression was that New York is so punchy and the people are so open-minded! I started to understand how New York can be crazier than Paris. For example, last weekend, I was walking down the street exploring the shops at Union Square when suddenly I saw people without pants. Then, I saw others on the subway and again near Greenwich Village — men and women without pants. Yes, in their underwear! When I asked what was going on, someone told me that it was "Wear your underwear day." Nobody but me seemed to pay attention to these people, pantless in the snow. I can't imagine what would happen if something like that had been organized in Paris. I think everybody would have been taken to the police station for an "attack on decency." That's what I like about New York — people do what they want, wear what they want, and nobody judges them.
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