Parisan Wine vs. French Wine

by: Charlie Jungwirth

Before I left for France I had my preconceived notions about the city, the culture and especially the wine. I envisioned everyone drinking wine and eating cheese at every street corner. The cafe part was correct but the wine aspect threw me. I figured that being in France, a country notorious for their wine, that the capitol city would have wine overflowing the streets. Boy was I wrong.

They have wine, but its not as cheap and readily available as I thought. Each restaurant offered a variety of wine, not so different from here in the States. I had this idea that Paris had it's own wineries where they make great wine that is local and only available in Paris and nearby towns. Again, I was wrong.

I went to the only known winery in Paris in the Marmont area of the city. The winery was nothing special, as it was the middle of the winter. Being a business, I expected there to be a storefront where I could ask questions and possibly buy a bottle of wine, again I was wrong in my thinking.

Fortunately the Marmont area is full of little wine shops. I went in to a few and asked for local wine, they said that they don't have Parisian wine but wine from nearby towns. I settled for that. In one shop in particular I got to chatting with the store owner, a woman in her mid 30's. She said that Parisian wine is not good and there isn't that much produced each year, so finding some in the winter is almost impossible. But she did have several wines that are produced from towns close to Paris that are much better.

I didn't get my Parisian wine like I had hoped, but I did end up getting locally made wine from France. The experience just goes to show me that things don't always go the way I want them to, but if I try hard enough they'll work themselves out in the end.

Late night crepes

by Courtney Hopper

From the very beginning of my Parisian excursion I always told myself that my feature story would fall into to my lap. With out a doubt that is exactly what happened. Who would have thought that the inspiration for my feature would be just around the corner, literally?

Just 20 steps from the Hotel Brebant was a street stand that sold a French cuisine classic, crepes. At least once a day I would stop by and pick up one of these thin delicate pancakes. The best part about them was the fact that you could fill them with virtually anything: chocolate, orange, carmel and strawberry are among the few. With only three to five euros they are one of the best values in France.

No matter what time it was, the stand would almost always have people waiting in line, especially late at night when all the bars were closing. I thought to myself that crepes were the drunken food of Paris—like Taco Bell or McDonalds would be for us. Open late, really cheap and very filling: a perfect late night treat.

On the day I shot my standup, I was frantically getting ready memorizing my bridged stand-up. I was nervous because I didn't know what some of the people would say. Here in Chicago sometimes you are told to leave, or that you need permission to shoot in the area but that is far from what happened. In fact Gino Ameretto, the street stand owner and his wife were far from cruel. They were delighted and even let us get right behind the glass to shoot them making their crepes. Gino was dancing around showing us how happy he was—they even gave me a discounted crepe price.

This experience also correlates with my theory that the Parisians are more than willing to become your friend despite the rumors that are spread throughout America. With only the Atlantic Ocean spread between us, I advise everyone to take a trip to the historical city of Paris!

The Mystery of How the French Stay Fit

by: Kimberly Trefilek

After all of the excitement of leaving for Paris wore off, one question remained: will I be able to handle not working out for nine days? For most people working out is a chore and they count down the days to get a vacation from it. However, for me, it’s my life. Rumors were going around that there wasn’t a gym in our hotel because it was too small. I also heard there weren’t many gyms in the city at all. Those two statements boggled my mind and I couldn’t stop wondering how do the French stay fit? So, I packed my suitcase with a jump rope, running shoes and an idea for my feature story.

My Observations

This idea had been on my mind the whole eight-hour plane ride. As soon as I got off the plane, I was constantly observing people’s body shapes and keeping my eyes open for any sign of a fitness center.

The U.S. is constantly full of gyms and full of personal trainers and ads for getting in shape. In Paris, it was non-existent. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I noticed that there were a variety of different body types and though most people were thin, none had very good muscle tone.

My Troubles

Suddenly it occurred to me that this story might be a real challenge, due to the fact that there was not one gym in sight. I did notice, however, that people did run outside in the cold, which is barely seen in the U.S. Those who were really dedicated to being in shape, seemed to use what they had around them.

How I Found My Answer

I resorted to talking to people in bars and the answer I mostly got was that they don’t really think about working out and are too lazy to worry about it. I did notice, the younger people were more active because of sports they played, such as volleyball.

Thanks to Jim Bitterman from CNN and sources from the Herald Tribune, I found out exactly what I needed to learn about Parisians and their fitness. The answer is in my story. Stay tuned.

Travel Blog: A shopping bag in every Parisian hand

By John Lendman

Paris’ old money still strong

The January temperature was at a brisk 20 degrees, which is quite cold for Parisians, they would say. I was standing in front of a Dolce and Gabbana on Avenue Montaigne—surrounded by the largest collection of high-end boutiques in Paris—holding my reporter’s notebook and a recorder. I was determined to talk to wealthy Parisians about their shopping habits during the recession, but I felt like a deaf-mute with a press pass.

After smiling politely at mink and Hermes Birkin bag-clad Parisians holding shopping bags from Cartier, Dior and Lanvin, I realized nobody smiled back—they looked at me like I was crazy.

“Um… Excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais s’il vous plait?” I’d say, which basically means, “Hey I don’t know French, do you happen to know English, I’m kind of desperate.”

The well-to-do elite of Paris shopped on what seemed like a much larger adaptation of Oak Street in Chicago or Madison Avenue in New York City. Many stores were in cruise-wear mode, showing swim-suits and sunglasses.

The lavish display windows showed no sign of “soldes” or sales like the rest of Paris during its biannual government-sanctioned retail sale period. Nobody seemed phased by economic turmoil on these cat-walk-like avenues, their confident strides and loud high-heel clacking could attest to that.

Paris’ Soldes, You couldn’t find anything not on sale

The long strip of shops on the Avenue Champs-Elysees by the Arc de Triomphe on the other hand—which is as commercial as Michigan Avenue in Chicago or Fifth Avenue in New York City—was swapped with “soldes” and “soldissimes” signs and bargain shoppers. The Galeries Lafayette, which is like a seven-story Macy’s, had even more insistent “soldes,” some displaying as low as 60 or 70 percent.

It was like the United States’ tax-free weekends in August. Throughout Paris, the streets filled with a lively consumer-driven vigor. On the dawn of French recession, for the Parisian middle-class at least, “soldes” couldn’t come at a better time.

Blogging about the Feature

by: Bertha Serano

Street musicians serenade the streets of Paris

After attempting to research and read about what life in Paris would be like before we left, I was still clueless about my story ideas. Sure, the tips and lists of places people recommended seemed intriguing and exciting but I didn’t think they were worthy of a feature story. I wanted to get there and take it all in. After arriving, I found myself snapping pictures of everything I saw, from the graffiti on the walls to the license plates, forgetting I needed ideas.

The first couple of days were so exhausting my stories were the last thing on my mind. When Tuesday came, we went to talk with a lady who worked for a cultural center in Paris. I tried brainstorming for something, in order to ask her for sources and hopefully get a quote from her. When my turn came, I simply asked her about the street musicians in the metro.

Back home, I had written a story about the different permits they needed to avoid getting arrested and I wondered if musicians in Paris were in the same situation. So much for my luck, she didn’t know too much about it. She said it would be interesting to write about the differences between street musicians in Chicago compared to those in Paris.

I took her advice. Throughout the next days, I took pictures of all the street musicians I came across. Lucky me, every time I went into the metro, there was one playing in my section. The only problem was communicating with them. As I tipped them, I would ask them if they spoke English or Spanish but I always got no for an answer. Aside from some decent pictures and videos, I don’t have much to work with for this so I’m getting worried. I’m hoping that the student we met, Sigo, can help me out since she knows a lot of musicians. I’m crossing my fingers on that one.

Losing Stories, Finding Paris

By Regan Crisp

In Retrospect

I arrived in Paris confident and convinced that after putting in some hard work and solid reporting I would return home with a healthy list of sources and all the quotes I needed to bring my stories to fruition. Now, 10 days later, I can see that my journalistic nativity was clearly a result of both sleep deprivation and prolonged cabin pressure.

I still hadn’t settled on the topic of my feature story on our last day in Paris. In the grips of extreme exhaustion and a sadness having to leave France so soon, I was feeling lost on more than one front. Fortunately, it’s impossible to leave Paris without having grown culturally and intellectually. For me, the stories lie more in the experiences that found me that in those that I looked for.

‘Gaza’ Spelled Out In Candles

Paris is a feature-writer's dream. The city is overflowing with history, art and culture. Perhaps most intriguing is how the French approach the world differently—they have a consideration to detail I’ve rarely seen in the United States. Parisians seek out the best in all aspects of their lives, whether it’s the best wine, clothes or education. In their humble strive for perfection the French have an appetite for protest that is inspiring to witness. In the last few weeks that protest has been centered on the conflict in Gaza. Parisians blocked traffic, streamed through the Metro and lit up the city with public outcry while we made our way to various cultural landmarks. If it hadn’t been for a scheduled trip to Doctors Without Borders, which I nearly missed thanks to Metro security, it may have never occurred to me to write about what I witnessed. Finally, the topic I chose for two of my stories was also probably the most newsworthy.

C’est la Vie

I’m glad I saw as much as I did and didn’t waste a second in Paris, even if I was left without time or energy to generate and research new story ideas when my old ones fell through. In the end the stories mercifully came to me, in the form of a press conference. I only wish I’d had more time to expand them and to take advantage of the inspiration that Paris has to offer.

An Unlikely Tourist Stop

By: Caroline Rowland

Where fans come to mourn

While this may seem weird, I've always been fascinated with cemeteries. So while I was in Paris, I had to see one of the world's most famous cemeteries, The Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

Pere Lachaise is now home to Jim Morrison, Chopin and Oscar Wilde, as well as some of the most monumental people in French History.

The cemetery was the largest one I have ever seen, every grave had so much detail, so much thought, and was so gothic looking. It was beautiful. It almost looks like a little town, the way the streets are designed.

In the week we were studying in Paris, I hadn't really seen or met a lot of American tourists, especially young ones. But when I went to Pere Lachaise on Day 5 of my trip, I ended up meeting a group of young men that were backpacking through Europe who had the cemetery on the top of their places to see.

Of course they had come there to pay tribute to one of their favorite musicians, Jim Morrison, and they were not alone. It seemed surprising to me that so many tourists had made a cemetery a destination while on vacation. But after walking around the cemetery I understood.

In fact the crowds have remained permanent at the cemetery partly because of Jim Morrison. When I was there, I did not see any vandalism on the grave but there has been a history of it.

I was told that this has caused tensions of families of less famous people that are buried at the cemetery. When walking through the cemetery there are arrows purporting to indicate the direction toward "Jim," but many are pointing in conflicting directions.

On the anniversary of Morrison's death, devout fans still come to pay tribute to the former Musician.

While it may be thought of as contradicting to say that a cemetery is beautiful, but something about the Pere Lachaise Cemetery keeps visitors with no connections to the deceased coming back.

I have to say of all the typical tourists sites in Paris, this was one of my favorite sights to explore. If you do travel to Paris, the sight is a must see for a view on how the more fortunate are laid to rest.

Finding a Feature story at a Flea Market in France

by: Kaitlyn McAvoy

Flea markets are scattered throughout Paris, but the one at Puces St. Ouen, located north of the city, is among the most famous and biggest.

A fan of flea markets, who regularly visits them in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, I decided that I couldn’t miss the opportunity to visit one while in Paris last week. And since I was taking the time to travel to it and check it out, I thought it would be fitting to do a feature story on the outdoor market.

Despite having to walk around in the freezing temperatures that froze my toes and fingers, I really enjoyed the market filled with vendors selling antiques, fabrics and jewelry.

However, I did encounter some problems when it came to producing a feature story out of the experience…

Finding Sources in a Foreign Country

Before we departed for France, our class was told almost everyone in Paris speaks English, and we wouldn’t have a problem finding people to talk to.

Not true.

I found it difficult to find sources at the flea market. When I asked: “Tu parlez Anglais?” many times the answer was “No.”

And when I did find a source, though they were chatty, their English was not always clear.

Personal Interest

Like I said before, I am a fan on flea markets. I am drawn to old, used crap.

St. Ouen has over two thousand vendors, so needless to say, at first I was overwhelmed and at times more concerned with seeing everything then working on a story. I wasted a lot of time walking around doing personal shopping.

There is a Future Feature Here

Despite the challenges, I did end up finding sources who spoke English and did take good notes that will become a feature story, a good one I hope. One that is full of vivid detail and captures the feel of the flea market that has become such a part of French culture.

Everlasting Memory

by: Kristine Siapno

I stepped off the plane and already, a whole new world was right in front of me, it was breathtaking. I never thought that I would be in such a beautiful place called Paris. It was that moment, when I knew this was going to be an adventure I never would forget.

As we got on the bus to tour the city, I was amazed by all the large and glorious architecture that surrounded this ancient city. The streets were filled with people walking and talking, carrying their shopping bags, eating their crepes in another,the roads were packed with cars and buses, making its way all across the city, and in the distance stood the famous Eiffel tower, standing tall and strong in the very heart of the city.

The Barrier

Each day I was there was filled with a new experience, but probably the most difficult experience I had, was the language. Most people these days know at least 2 languages if not more, but in my case the only language I know is English.

It was very difficult for me to communicate with many people during my time in Paris because most people only knew French. There were some occasions where I would meet a person who spoke very good English but that was very rare. I considered my self lucky to even find someone who was able to talk a little English, it was during those times that I felt like an outsider, only now understanding the many millions of people who come to America and do not know English. But gradually as the days continued I was able to pick up some of the language, which made my stay a lot easier.

According to Plan

Something that caught my attention was their train systems. Back home in Chicago, we all know, our train systems suck, slow travel, delays all the time, construction at about every station and fare increase, but here in Paris their train systems run according to plan.

The train system in Paris is one of the major ways of transportation, because most French either walk or take the train to get to the different parts of the city, since most people can't drive.
The train stations are spacious and they have a sign that shows when the train is going to arrive and how long you have to wait. It definitely beats the Chicago CTA.

My favorite part of Paris was taking the train all across the city, walking around, taking in all of its beauty by admiring the buildings, the people and eating their delicious pastries.

Paris is something I will never forget, it will be an everlasting memory that can never be forgotten.

Paris – Fashion Capital

by: Jackie Soto

I decided to revolve my feature story around fashion in Paris. I specifically wanted to concentrate on how the economy in France has had an impact on the fashion designers and the consumers as well. I was able to get a wonderful interview with a fashion journalist and producer of fashionfile.com, Madeleine Czigler. I got many quotes, great advice and information on the latest trends from her.

French fashion sets the trend with icons such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Hermes, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, and many more. Nearly all French fashion icons have their main store on Rue Due Faubourg Saint-Honore, near Champs-Elysees Avenue. I had a wonderful experience walking around these streets with high-end fashion boutiques, and in particular down Champs-Elysees. I got to experience and see with my own eyes how big and inspirational Paris fashion is.

I walked into Louis Vuitton and saw hundreds of people shopping in the four-story high store, as if there was a huge sale. Surely enough, Louis Vuitton never has sales, and neither do any of the other high-end designers like Dior, Chanel, Fendi, Yves St. Laurent, etc. As I walked around the city streets, I noticed huge signs hanging outside the windows of fashion boutiques, and designer stores that read “SOLDES” which means “SALE” in French. This time of year is the best time to shop in Paris. All the stores and, boutiques around the city have a huge sale starting from 50 to 60 percent off all merchandise.

According to Madeleine Czigler, she noticed around Christmas time that the bad economy was having an impact in the fashion industry as well. She never saw sales occur before Christmas, and this year the majority of the stores had sales starting at 30 percent off during Christmas shopping season for the first time. The big shopping centers in and around Paris have many French fashion shops with affordable prices.

Tres chic, or tres cheap?

by: Molly Lynch

After arriving in Paris and taking all of the obligatory Eiffel Tower pictures I could stomach in one afternoon, I knew that I couldn't possibly travel over 4,000 miles to the City of Light and not explore what makes Paris truly dazzle – its love for fashion.

Since visions of haute couture and designer labels would have to be just visions for me, I reluctantly settled on roaming the cobblestone blocks for some good, old-fashioned window shopping.

Those who have visited Paris before know that the city is divided into many broad sections when it comes to shopping. From the bustling department stores like Galeries Lafayette and Les Printemps situated in the 9^th Arrondissement to the chic and posh shops of Louis Vuitton, Dior and Hermes in the Faubourg Saint-Honore district, I quickly discovered that the Parisian shopping experience is a mosaic of many colors, tastes and price ranges.

Let the floodgates open

With major discount season in full swing, locals and tourists alike are taking the initiative by heading to their favorite stores to take advantage of great buys. After walking through Galeries Lafayette one afternoon, I couldn't help but find myself completely stunned (and, to be frank, irritated) with the masses of people crowding the store.

One of our guest speakers mentioned that sales in Paris are state-regulated and exist during two periods of the year: winter and summer. I've always wondered how Parisians maintain such impeccable style: price tags on designer loot are slashed down to sometimes 80 percent!

Recession Ain't No Thang

With so many urges to buy, I found myself wondering if Parisians are as bombarded with the same type of recession news as we are in the US. When talking to different locals, I gathered that while there is a definite bite in their economy, many find it silly to live in constant fear that they are going to enter an economic depression. For once, I felt as though life and the media existed without talk of money and the end of the world as we know it.

lost in translation

by Lena Hampton

Simple Confusion

I pulled out my video camera and l looked in my lens to see a woman staring back at me. Her face intensified with astonishment and horror. If there was ever a moment that I wished I’d freshened up on my French more… it was now. I was confused… she was confused and we were lost in translation. I tried to dissect her every word picking out the ones that sounded familiar. She took a moment to calm down when I gave up and said “Parlez-vous Anglais?” She sighed and sharply said you can’t tape here! It’s insulting to videotape in public! This was just the start of my quest to understand French culture.

In this amazing city filled with couture and Chanel, I expected the stone pebbled streets to be an everyday runway. Even though I would love to rock Versace from head to toe, I can’t afford it … and I know I’m not alone. So I wondered where locals shop to save money and look just as fabulous.

Forks

I asked people on the street where I should go and as soon as I brought out my camera I got the samehorrified look as before. Maybe there was some truth to what the woman was saying earlier. But I had to get the footage for my story. I was finally able to set up a few interviews and they next stop was Paris Sabron. I finally got off the metro and I was suppose to meet them at a café around the corner. The only thing… there was a café on every corner and I was facing a 6-way intersection. I didn’t have a cell phone, map, or even a contact number. All I had was a name. A lot of lefts and far too many rights later … I reach café across the street from where I started! Go figure.

Exhausted with cloudy mind

by Stephanie Taylor

I have writer's block and am exhausted from the long plane ride back to Chicago. I'm really not sure what my feature story is about yet. I may do a profile on a feminist group who is in favor of girls being allowed to wear head scarves in Paris' public schools where they are currently prohibited.

Brainstorming over obstacles

So I figured the feature should be on a group for or against it. This idea is still being ironed out, though. I did speak with Angela, in person, who is on maternity leave from the Associated Press while I was in Paris and she had a rough idea of this feminist group. I tried calling her several times to see if she found out more but I couldn't get through for some odd reason.

I also spoke with Katrin Bennhold of the International Herald-Tribune on the news story and also tried contacting her but couldn’t get through there either. I wanted to know if she knew of any organizations that are for or against this issue in the public schools. I plan on emailing and/or calling both women on Tuesday after the holiday.

Ending

I feel much better about my feature now that I ironed it out for you all. I have some research of my own to do and I am looking forward to it. I know that there will be more obstacles to come. It would not be journalism if the tough times did not exist.

Is the economic crisis affecting the restaurant/bar industry in France?

By Samantha Frontera

I came up with this idea for my feature story because one of the first nights the group was there we had a girl’s night out and about eleven girls from the group. We went around the corner and saw a sign that said, “Martinis 5 Euros!” Well, of course we decided that we had to stop in at the Brasserie le de Cardinal.

When we walked in we were greeted by a very friendly woman named Diane—but in French it sounds like Dien or can be mistaken for Jen. She spoke amazing English and was very kind to my friends and me.

Since everything in Paris was very expensive, we felt we were getting a good deal, so we ordered champagne and some drinks off the menu with the special.

Of course, the drinks were way too tiny and we figured out why it was so cheap but there were attractive men bartending who knew a little English so we continued to order off the regular menu this time.

Everyone enjoyed themselves at the brasserie but I noticed we were some of the only customers there. I wondered if they weren’t receiving as many tourists since the euro is worth so much more than the American dollar. I even thought the advertisement was quite clever. I asked Diane if I could come back and interview her and told her I was a student journalist—she seemed thrilled to help.

I came back a few days later and it was a much busier evening and she said I could videotape inside the restaurant. She asked if I wanted to interview bartenders, servers, or managers—I said I would love to interview as many people as I could that spoke good English. I then interviewed her and our waiter, Christophe but it was much harder to interview him because his English wasn’t as good. Sometimes when I asked him questions he didn’t fully understand them so I’d have to find another way to ask.

Diane told me that the restaurant business is being affected by the economic recession but she tries to remain optimistic. She also said they have loyal customers who always come in.

The last day I was there I went to the Eiffel Tower to shoot a stand-up and met a man originally from the U.S. He said the restaurant business was most definitely being affected by the economic crisis and tourists aren’t coming as frequently or staying for shorter visits. He even said French people aren’t going out to restaurants as much anymore and are trying to cook meals at home instead to save money.

French Transportation

By Nicole Caccamo

I chose to write my feature story on transportation and how France is different or the same as the American transportation system.

Difficulties and Challenges

Of course, there was a language barrier when asking questions to the experts and passengers; it was probably one the hardest obstacles to get through. I also wanted to find a French traveler who has also visited Chicago and used our elevated trains and could compare and contrast the two, but that was very difficult to find out as well.

Ways to get from here to there

The “Metro” or “Metropolitan” elevated trains are much like ours except for the fact that the passenger must press a button, or pull on a handle (depending on the train) to exit. They have transfers to other trains and their ticket system is a little bit different too and the speed is around the same too.

I did experience a police officer issuing a ticket inside the station to one of our very own Columbia students because she did not have her issued entry ticket from that day. So needless to say they have strict security checkpoints at random.

Buses are also an option but can be very confusing. A couple students and I got on a bus to go to the Louvre but ended up exactly where we stared.

Taxi cabs seem to work on the same rates as ours do but tipping is not customary to the French.

Differences and/or similarities

Their trains are much like ours as well, but unfortunately there seemed to be only one conductor (if any) since the doors were closing on me and another student. There was no one to signal to keep the doors open.

I will add that most of the French people I have interviewed or talked with were very accommodating, knew English well and were very cooperative. They were very knowledgeable on any topic we discussed about their ways around the city.

Overall I think the French transportation system would be easy to catch onto but I prefer Chicago’s Red Line, the 151 bus or the Metra LaSalle station any day.

Paris: History, Fashion and…Perfumes?

By Kasia Dworzecka

Traveling to Paris for the first time, I was only knowledgeable about some of its history, landmarks, and fashion. What I learned through being there is that France as a whole also loves perfumes. On our class trip, we had a scheduled tour of a fragrance museum called Fragonard Parfumeur. Before our class, I had no idea there was even such a thing as a fragrance museum. It is not something you see or hear much about in Chicago, so it interested me greatly to learn more about it.

The museum tour

When we first walked in we got a tour of the museum. It turns out Fragonard actually has been making its own fragrances since 1926. The museum tour consisted of a great amount of history, the process of making the fragrances and even a room where one can test his or hers senses trying to guess if certain perfumes smelled like lemons, roses, cocoa, coffee, lavender, strawberry, mint or orange. The museum also includes a small shop downstairs where one can buy original Fragonard fragrances.

The feature story process

After many tries to come up with a good feature story about Paris for class—from French architecture to French fashion—the unique history and characteristics of the museum are what drew me to write a profile piece on it. One customer even said that he would not have come into the store itself if there was no museum showcasing its history. The fact that fragrance stores are seen in abundance around Paris also interested me to learn why the Fragonard museum was even created in the first place.

Fragonard was really a good experience and a closer look into French culture. Needless to say, I myself bought a few sample fragrances from the store as souvenirs of these originally made perfumes.

Where Has All the French Music Gone?

By Cristina Aguirre

One of the toughest obstacles I've faced while covering my feature story in Paris, France is finding the time to speak to people, finding the right people who spoke English and getting the right people who knew about my topic.

I've changed the topic of my feature story numerous times while speaking to freelance fashion journalist Madeleine Czigler during lunch at a French restaurant. At first, I wanted to cover fashion shows at malls like Galeries Lafayette, which has free fashion shows on Fridays at 3 PM on the 7th floor of the main Haussman store by the Opera Garnier. They have a team of six models who show off the hottest trends by renowned designers, according to the Galeries Lafayette web site.

Czigler had no idea about those fashion shows, so I really didn't get her opinion on it. Off to the next feature story topic. After the unsuccessful attempt of achieving interviews for my story I heard, “How can you see into my eyes like open doors. Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb.” It was the song ‘Bring me to Life’ by the American rock-band Evanescence.

After humming to the music in the classy French restaurant, I heard American rapper, Akon being played next. I wondered, ‘Why there was American music playing at such a traditional French restaurant?’ I would expect French music to be played—such as the popular folk-singer Marie Laforêt. But I heard nothing of such kind.

It hit me that my feature story should concentrate on how France is influenced by popular American music. I saw four-foot concert ads for the pop/rock band Snow Patrol in many of the Metro train stops. Even a boutique store on Grand Boulevard playing Michael Jackson's ‘Thriller’ could be seen on their flat-screen TV.

It was quite interesting to see all these popular American artists and no French artists emerge on the speakers or on flat screen monitors. In almost every store I entered I heard songs being played in English.

I wondered, ‘Where has all the French music gone?’ So I asked this question to Fannie Malaurie, head of communications and development for CulturesFrance in Paris. She told me that French music is still going strong and there is no transition of a change in Parisians taste in American music.

But how come I heard so many songs in English are being played across Paris? She told me to check the radio, which played tons of French music. I didn't have a radio to listen to so I couldn't check. But my feature story drafted again. How could I possibly report on after my second attempt to get sources to compliment on my question drastically failed? Well, I guess it's time to transcribe all my interviews for a common bond of interest. Maybe I should start listening to popular French music back home since I lacked it in Paris.

I Went to Paris and All I Got Were Lousy Story Ideas

by Annye DeGrand

Just because things are foreign, doesn't mean they are interesting.


Everything is interesting in France, right? I mean, for the first few days of being there, it was pretty much overload in the 'new and interesting' department. With so many new things to see, do, experience, take in, and enjoy—the inspiration is definitely not lacking in the City of Light.

Yet, every story idea I came up with, I couldn't help but feel as if anything I had to say would do any justice to the experiences of my travels. Not only that but with so much going on, how was I going to narrow down my topic ideas to a single piece worthy of 500 words?

The Best Advice

If there is a single most important thing I've learned in journalism school, it is to write about what you know. Yet, unfortunately my list of things I know about French culture and society is quite limited. However, one of the topics that made my list is something I feel quite passionate and serious about. Something I do quite well at myself, and would love to learn more about. That topic? Why, shopping of course.

But isn't shopping one of those ‘been there, done that’ topics? How can you learn more about shopping? I needed an angle. I needed something to make shopping timely—after all, people have been shopping for centuries.

Thinking Inside the Box

Looking for my angle, I thought about what is going on with shopping in America—which is something I'm obviously familiar with. Then I realized people aren't doing a lot of shopping today. For one reason: The word that has rung around the world—economy.

So what do you get when you mix the hottest topic in U.S. news with a tried and true past time of people everywhere?: A solid article on the effects of the economy on shopping in Europe, particularly France and Paris today.

Now that the hard part was done, all I had left to do for the rest of my trip was to "research." Which means I'm allowed to do lots of shopping . . . right?

Economic downturn hitting fashion capital?

by Megan Ferringer

Crowding through the revolving doors of the Galeries Layfayette, avid shoppers and fashionistas coming from all corners of Europe stand shoulder to shoulder, pushing their way to the bright yellow signs exclaiming “Soldes!” covering racks of clothing and accessories. Outside the department stores and designer boutiques, the amount of shopping bags carried by pedestrians dotted the busy sidewalks—it seemed a giant shopping spree was in full force.

The sight was a shocking one. Before leaving for Paris, I had been under the assumption that Paris, let alone all of France and Europe, entered a recession similar to ours, and as a result, were weaning back from less than necessary purchases.

This was at least the basis for my feature—to figure out how Europe’s down-turning economy was affecting one of the largest fashion capitals in the world. Are people shopping less and are big-name boutiques like Chanel and smaller, privately owned boutiques seeing a significant decline in sales?

The story’s concept seemed simple enough, but once arriving to Paris I found the answer was far less cut and dry than I had hoped. After speaking with several Parisians, such as students and store owners, I found that Paris was indeed suffering from a poor economy and that many shoppers were becoming over-cautious of where their spendings went.

Wanting to get a glimpse of the economy’s mean grip on boutiques and department stores, I headed to the shopping center of Paris. A seven-story department store marked the area’s center, and surrounding it were stores like H&M, Louis Vuitton and Chanel.

Every store was overflowing with frantic shoppers, starkly contrasting the claims I heard earlier on in my trip.

It wasn’t until I sat down to lunch with fashion writer Madelein Czigler at a small French bistro, that I realized how complex my story really was. The truth of the matter is, no matter how horrible the economy gets, people will always find a way to shop at their favorite boutiques and designer shoes and handbags will always hold their importance to many people.

The only negative effect that Czigler has noticed came for the smaller boutiques. Though many will forever have their loyal customers, the privately owned boutiques are having a smaller and smaller place in Paris fashion, while large department stores should continue to thrive.