I was recently in Paris for a few days to stay with my folks from Openverse for one of our annual meetups. The week before the meetup began, I took a couple of days off to walk around some neighborhoods I like, go to KB (one of my favorite coffee shops) and buy some bags, and visit two bookstores I’d been keeping an eye on: Librairie Sans Titre and Aaapoum Bapoum. I’ve had the privilege of visiting the city several times over the past three years, but this time was truly special because, against Parisians’ bad reputation, I met some cool people in unexpected situations.
I had forgotten a bit about the community vibe the neighborhoods have and the bunch of illustrations visible everywhere. A couple of days before the trip, I looked for a sketch meetup to go with my tools and meet local artists and designers, but I found out that Drawing Now Paris, an annual event about drawing, was happening that weekend. I had no idea what it was about, and at first, I was a little reluctant to go because of the pricey ticket, and the place looked too fancy for me. I also didn’t want to wander around the city or go to museums and galleries I already knew, so I finally went to the exhibition, and it turned out to be a very, very good event. Highly recommended.
Among all the galleries and artists exhibiting, I met Alireza Shojaian, an Iranian artist based in Paris who explores themes of masculinity and traditional Iranian symbolism in his paintings. He happened to be there and approached me to explain his work. We chatted for a while, and he told me about how male symbolism is always portrayed through strength, and the fragility dimension seeks to be hidden even though many male bodies are represented in groups and almost naked. The tension he created between the erotic and the sexual to challenge the idea of masculinity was very interesting. His work is very interesting, and Alireza is also very friendly.
After exploring the halls, I went to the cafeteria to rest for a bit, and a few minutes later, Myriam Andrew sat next to me. A Parisian artist who was also visiting the exhibition who had been practicing her Spanish for a while because she fell in love with the way it sounds. When she found out I was a native Spanish speaker, we chatted and practiced for a few minutes. As I write this, I remember her message on Instagram that I need to reply to to see if we can schedule a video call.
Since I didn’t outline a careful plan for those days, I found myself walking through neighborhoods and streets that seemed interesting, and I came across several small markets selling fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and other secondhand stuff. I had the opportunity to buy and eat a couple of cheeses while forcing myself to say a few words in French. People always appreciate it when you try to speak the local language, and in the end, with some combination of French, Spanish, and English, you can somehow make yourself understood. I was even gifted with a fruit for asking questions and gazing at the stalls.
One day, while getting off the metro, I ran into a line of people waiting to buy croissants at an award-winning shop. I got in line because “if there are people, there’s a reason.” Luckily, a girl joined behind me who was also curious about what they were selling and turned out to be Parisian, having no idea about the place. We started chatting as the line moved, and she pointed out two bakeries where she assured me the croissants are always good. When we reached the cashier to order, she went ahead, ordered two croissants, and gave me one. I wasn’t expecting that lovely gesture at all. I thanked her very, very much; she wished me a safe trip, and we said goodbye to each other. It made my day.
In those days, the only plan I couldn’t set aside was meeting Eva, a Parisian friend I had met years ago on a tour in Budapest during my Eurotrip. We quickly connected and met several times while I was in Hungary. Years later, Eva came to visit me in Santiago when she was living in La Paz, Bolivia. Now that I live closer, I’ve visited her twice. Last year, she welcomed Maria and me into her warm home, and we celebrated my birthday together with her cat, Oslo.
Eva is genuinely friendly, utterly welcoming, and always discreetly smiling. Her work is very interesting. Although we don’t see each other often, we always talk about everything, and I have the fortune to learn a lot about France and Paris. It’s a tremendous pleasure to see her and know that our friendship has lasted through the years.
Of all the bookstores I visited, I think I bought a fanzine or a small illustration edition at each place. Now that I’m drawing more often and feel like I’m just starting to achieve things I like, I’m tempted by the idea of creating artwork that isn’t just a single image. It’s hard to work on an idea that breaks away from the structure I live within day to day while designing for the web.
On the last day, I was almost desperate to try beef bourguignon. A couple of weeks ago, Ingrid and her dad, both French and from the region where the dish is traditional, taught me how to prepare it according to a recipe they use. I had seen online that Polidor prepared it very well. Apparently, the place is one of the few traditional ones that hasn’t changed much due to the effects of tourism. But unfortunately, the dish was horrible. The meat was dry and the mashed potatoes lacked much flavor. Some of the worst meat I’ve ever had.
The only good thing about the place was that a woman next to me started chatting with me, and she had Chilean friends. By the way, Paris is full of Chileans. She talked to me for a long time about how the neighborhood where we were had changed and that my next time in Paris, I should visit Montreuil, a really cool neighborhood. When she stood up, I noticed a Palestinian flag pin on her breast. I asked her if she knew about the Palestine-Chile relationship, and she stuck around for another couple of minutes chatting with me while I was trying to eat one of the worst pieces of meat I’ve ever eaten.
I hope there’s always an excuse to return to Paris. The city is very interesting. Eva will definitely find time for us to meet, and I hope to plan better so I can finally attend a drawing meetup.
Oh, and finally, I never tire of taking the metro, getting off at the Trocadéro station, and seeing the Eiffel Tower from that esplanade that faces it directly. I’ve gone solo, with Maria, with my mom and dad, and with my friends from Openverse. It’s been amazing every time.
