Saturday, August 10, 2013

The Paris Syndrome !


This may sound like an April fool's day joke, but apparently it's not! The Paris Syndrome is a - mostly - Japanese disorder that happens when people realize that Paris is not all about sipping wine at a terrace on a quaint square while playing the accordion and dancing with a Parisienne in the middle of the street (even though it happens, like in this photo that I took at the Vendanges de Mélac last September!). According to this article and this Wikipedia entry some people cannot cope with this bad news and are so disappointed that they have to see a psychiatrist... Like I said, it really sounds like a joke.

17 comments:

  1. Quelle surprise - my eyes have been opened! I haven't heard of Paris Syndrome before; how sad that many won't experience scenes like the one you've captured in your photo and will suffer for it!

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  2. Oh, I hope it will not happen to me when I visit Paris! I am not Japanese, I don't drink wine, and I want to dance with my hubby, not a Parisenne. I might be safe. Looking forward to seeing the Eiffel Tower, having lunch in a cafe, visiting the Musee de Orsay, shopping on the Rue Cler, and lunch at Laduree and a croissant at Fauchon. How does that sound?

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    1. Sounds expensive! ;)

      Tomate Farcie

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    2. LOOOOOOL Tomate! No Christie, no worries, all this is perfectly affordable!

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  3. I refuse to even contemplate that Paris might not be all sipping wine and dancing with gorgeous French men in the streets. :) Bon weekend, dear Eric.

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  4. It DOES sound like something the Onion (a satirical publication of purely pretend news) would publish. But New Yorkers would never say the chance of getting shot is part of the fun; we'd say "dems the breaks." I must say that I have found most Parisians neither disdainful nor rude. Actually, downright helpful as I stood on a corner, map in hand trying to decide which direction I might want to go. Kinda like New Yorkers, in fact (who do have a reputation throughout the rest of the USA for being unfriendly, but really are not). Of course, I haven't been mugged there, yet. (I'm really more of an Avignon fan, anyhow.) As for dancing and accordions, perhaps the next time I'm in the area, I can have a little waltz on one of the quays with one of you other PDP fans. Maybe even with the founder. I dare to dream.

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    1. LOOOOOOL I'd love to make your dream come true Sasho!

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  5. I am in agreement with Miss Sherree on this Eric.
    ; )

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    1. ;-) The dream part or the Parisians are not all rude part?!

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  6. No, seriously? (Though I may have experienced Stendhal Syndrome when I took the ex to the Louvre and he had to spend at least 15 minutes looking at EVERY SINGLE painting in the Richelieu wing.) And everything Sasho said!

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    1. Did you have to see a shrink when you returned?!

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  7. I had to laugh because it's funny! But they're right, Paris is not some magical place, it's an enormous city with all the attendant problems of an enormous city. I have traveled a fair amount and have lived abroad, so I visited Paris without my rose-colored glasses on ;^) I must say, the things I found most enchanting were the food and of course the eternal beauty of the city. The things I found most disappointing were the graffiti (I will never understand spray painting on centuries-old buildings and monuments!) and the ever-present smell of piss! But of course, it's all part of the experience. I hope anyone who visits Paris comes away with a broader world view and lots of great memories.

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    1. Funny you mention the smell of piss Tamera as I had this discussion very recently with a friend of mine who lives in Montmartre and was telling me that in some areas it was really bad. I never noticed it so much, but I spend more time in front of my computer than in the streets of Paris!
      Anyway Paris is as beautiful as a museum in some parts, but it's not just an open air museum, it's also a place where people actually live! And they're not all educated, well brought-up, rich, well behaved... (and don't all wear berets, BTW!)

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    2. Ha! I was in France again last year, but only for a quick visit to Divonne Les Bains (my trip was really to Switzerland). It was very picturesque and fresh smelling, and it seemed to be very affluent. Ha ha. So maybe the disillusioned tourists can just make a little side trip to Divonne Les Bains and their spirits will pick up again ;^)

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  8. Wait. It's not?

    I liked everything about Paris (except graffiti, I agree with Tamera). Even the dirt is historical.

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