7: Gym

Our program leader, Kevin, found an awesome outdoor gym. It’s half an hour away up in the 10è unfortunately, but its an awesome little park right on the river with bodyweight stuff (dip/pullup bars etc). Funny mix of inner-city parisian hood rats, gymnast hipsters, and flamboyantly gay bodybuilders, all of whom are in unbelievable shape.
plus there’s a great burger joint across the street called The Munchies, and a wonderful little bookstore on the corner–just got a couple books, including le petit prince and a french book on the use of war elephants in antiquity
Working out there has been an amazing cultural experience–for example, when you show up, you go around and say hi / shake everyone’s hand, and repeat the same ritual before you leave. Its a really nice atmosphere, unlike the awkwardly silent and freezing Davidson gyms where you avoid all eye contact.
On the vein of cultural differences, here are a few that have stuck out to me:

tips are not a thing, and everyone knows you’re a tourist who’s gunna leave soon, so people are not very nice/attentive in the service industry

public bathrooms are scarce and require money

when you talk to people, you need to begin with a sentence that uses really complex french or else they will respond in english because they think you’re a tourist–and even then they may keep using english, so you’re both awkwardly talking in the other person’s language

do not talk loudly on public transport. also why on earth does the metro close at night?

one crosswalk will have multiple signals, so you’ll walk to the middle of the road then have to stop and wait to cross the rest. forgetting this will end badly

self-deprecating jokes about being american absolutely kill with europeans (jokes on them #leadingthefreeworldsince1945)