My cat allergy notwithstanding...
I started this blog a month or so ago to serve as a more diary-like alternative to the comparatively journalistic pieces on my movie blog. However, as film plays such a key role in my life, the two are hardly mutually exclusive. So while the film reviews/remarks of the "XXX was awesome/sucky and why" variety will still be posted over there, occasionally a film will elicit a deeper personal reaction above and beyond an aesthetic one, and such reactions will be posted here. Such was the case with Chris Marker's THE CASE OF THE GRINNING CAT (2004). I think that we can by now accept that Marker's works will almost always be awesome, and this one certainly was. But I somehow doubt that most viewers' extra-filmic responses to this were as profound and striking as mine.
Full disclosure: I've dreamed of living in Paris ever since I was young. Ever since I got into art and music and I began taking French classes back in middle school, there has always been something inviting to me about Paris. It wasn't even the romanticized "City of Light" mystique sold to audiences by Hollywood. I've never really bought into all that- seemed too tourist-y for my tastes. No, what struck me was the city's richness of culture and history, both of which Paris wears proudly on its sleeve.
Not even a spring break trip in high school could dissuade me from my dreams, although it certainly tried. For my first couple of days in Paris, I was travel-sick, not least because of the physical adjustment to the unfamiliar time schedule. But once I stopped barfing, Paris was more attractive to me than ever. While many of my classmates rushed around from landmark to landmark trying to cram in as much sightseeing as possible, I took my time to explore the city itself- exploring the streets, walking through the parks, riding the Métro, drinking in the architecture. "All that other stuff could wait," I thought. "I'll see it next time."
What THE CASE OF THE GRINNING CAT made me realize above all was that what I find so alluring about Paris isn't simply the art and the culture, but the passion that the city represents. In Paris- or Marker's version anyway- political activism is as strong as ever. Too often in the USA political involvement means letters to the newspaper or a bumper sticker reading "F the President." But lest we forget that the root word for "activist" is "active." Marker shows us hundreds of people taking to the streets to demonstrate for causes that mean a great deal to them.
As so often happens, where activism goes, so follows art. It was around the time I fell in love with Paris that I also concluded that the sixties were infinitely more awesome than the eighties or nineties, and in retrospect I'm not sure that was a coincidence. So much of the cultural contributions I consider great from the late sixties sprang directly from the social and political unrest of the period. Art doesn't exist in a vacuum, after all. Given our current climate one might think such a countercultural quake might have happened again in this country, but thusfar it hasn't- certainly not to the extent it did back then.
However, this spirit seems to be alive and well in Paris, which seems now more than ever to be the place for one goes to live passionately. And passionate living has been in short supply in my life of late. Unlike the whiny-ass heroes of THE LAST KISS who yearn to escape from a future that's staring them in the face, I can't begin to guess how my future could possibly pan out. I'm guess that this is because I have so little going on in my life in the present- obviously, or else I've have more to post about here, right? Ever since I graduated from college (five years ago... yeesh) I've been in kind of a holding pattern, waiting for something to come along and change my life. Even theoretically this is a lousy strategy- see also: Newton's First Law of Motion. So maybe a drastic change in venue, and the infusion of passion it could bring, is exactly what I need in my life.
So what's holding me back? Not too much, to be honest- no significant other, no kids, no long-term career path to speak of. I do feel the need to stay close with my family, especially my grandparents (all are still alive, and the youngest of them is 87 years old). But beyond that, it's mostly the practical concerns that worry me. To begin with, I haven't taken a French class in a decade, so I'd really need to brush up in order to be comfortable enough to move to France. This wouldn't be too big a hurdle, since I could always take evening courses and my parents have always been willing to support my educational endeavors. The trickier part for me would be finding a source of income in Paris. Sure, I might get an initial rush from living in Paris, but once that begins to wear off I'll have to eat and pay the rent.
So I beseech you, my small but devoted readership. What do I do? How do get to where I want to be? Is there anyone out there who has any experience along these lines, or who could steer me toward someone who has? My fear is that by not pursuing these I'll end up living my same lifestyle indefinitely, and years down the line I'll be bitter and frustrated by having put off my dream for too long. Even if I go to Paris and end up hating it, at least I'll have made the effort, and that in itself could be valuable. And if I love it as much as I think I will, well, all the better.
3 Comments:
http://workabroad.monster.com/articles/paris2/
The best way is to become a student over there..That's much easier than just showing up to work (which they generally don't appreciate foreign workers there)
US citizens have the right to remain in France for up to three months without a visa. Upon arriving in France, you must obtain a carte de séjour. Obtaining this permit is a theoretically straightforward process, but it usually involves long lines, many papers and at least two trips to the préfecture.
A carte de séjour entitles you to be in France but not work there. In order to get clearing to work or study in France, you need a visa. Visas can be acquired either at a French embassy or consulate in the states. The French consulate of New York's Web site provides more information about obtaining visas for work and study.
The American Citizens Services of the United States Embassy of Paris Consular homepage is excruciatingly thorough and contains an abundance of information about topics like obtaining a driver's license, replacing a passport and marrying a French person. The site features the mammoth Guide for US Citizens Residing in France in PDF format, and it is updated once a year.
As for Finding a Job, You can get direct access to more than 5,800 jobs in France on Monster.com's French site, Monster.fr. The site also features tips on writing CVs and cover letters and interactive quizzes that provide you with personalized information about your job search.
Internships and Study Abroad Programs:
Almost every American university either has a study abroad program of its own in Paris or endorses that of another university. In addition to semester abroad programs, there are hundreds of intensive summer courses in French language and culture in Paris.
The American University of Paris is the largest English language university in the city and has excellent humanities programs. For more information about semester abroad programs in Paris, contact your university.
The Institute of International Education offers a variety of grants and scholarships to college students, recent graduates and professionals at all levels for work and study in Paris.
The Association for International of Practical Training (AIPT) is a nonprofit organization that helps students and professionals receive on-the-job-training throughout the world. AIPT's training program can help you obtain clearance to work in France.
Monster.fr also lists internships or stages, which you can find in their offres d'emploi section.
The weekly magazine French USA Contacts (FUSAC) features articles about living and working in France. It also contains apartment and job listings and other classifieds. The FUSAC Web site offers features, message boards and interactive French quizzes.
I dunno; for me my passion manifests itself in fulfilling plans that take a long time to come to fruition. I recently finished up a Master's degree in order to change careers, for instance, and that was also linked to my several-years plan of improving my financial situation in order to get married.
I guess if I were you (OK, that doesn't really make sense; I guess if I were some me-you amalgam) I would make as detailed a plan as I could about what I needed to do to move to Paris, and then do it. But I'm not sure what you plan to do once you're in Paris. What sort of a job are you looking for? What skills do you have?
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