LOUVRE

Four days passed since I came to Paris as well as youth hostel close to Bastille. In the evening people at the public space in the hostel starts to talk. I am normally sitting on the table and making something to eat with finding a person who want to talk.

As you know most of the Japanese people they are apt not to talk a lot with the people, which they are back to their room soonly. But for me, I really feel confortable in some part to meet a new people at there.

Yesterday I talked with a student from US and then started to talk Mexican couple and then a girl from Brazil and Tlinida-do tobaco joined us, which was really international to talking with them. My room mate was the guy from US and another man from Benezuera. From the view point of politics they were really bad as far as I heard but we enjoyed talking.

Even people say that in France people speak French and they don't want to talk in English. In my four days experience that is not true. Still English is the most important language to talk with the people who are from all over the world. However, when I want to talk with the man at the hostel I have to speak French. Since my French has been still poor, it is hard to communicate with them unfortunately.

At breakfast, I talked with a girl from Indonesia and I told her that for the past four days I was in Paris and only walking from hostel to library and haven't been any touristic places. In addition, I have been trying to cure my throat.
Then in this morning she told me with a little anger that I should visit somewhere in those touristic places! And I finally decided to visit Louvre with the American room mate.

It was funny for me that a lot of Japanese people who are staying at the hostel they really want to visit museum. I personally not the person who really like hanging around museums when I was in Japan because those pictures and statues looks same for me.(Am I boring person?) If I really try to understand what is the statue or scaluptures I have to know about the history which is hidding behind the back. Even I am in Paris I don't have to visit those museums but I feel that I coulnb't sometimes catch up with those conversation which we make with the people at hostel.
That is not isolation. I would say that the differences between people who come to Paris as a tourist and a person who want to take some rest.

Anyway, we were in Louvre. I didn't feel anything special when I was in front of La Joconde. The reason was it was pretty far from her and there are a lots of people took pictire to her. I didn't feel why she has good reputation? She is not so cute neither beautiful. She was there, that's it. Or no?
Just before visiting Louvre, I bought a post card of Renoir "La lecon de piano" and Van gogh "Le cafe le soir", those peinting looks much better than the rial Monariza.

The value to visit Louvre for me was the entrance fee in this time. Normally when you go to Louvre you have to pay 9 euro except for late evening both Monday and Wedensday. (6 euro) I was thingking the possibility to buy something cheap because it didn't feel good price to go to the museum for 9 euro one time. And then I saw an ad. about one year pass for Louvre which was 15 euro under 26 and then I finally decided to buy that one. When I was at the ticket counter the woman told me that I can buy that ticket only with 13 euro since I show my student card to her.

Yes! so I can visit everday in Louvre with special cards and I can come with my freind in the late eveing for both Wedensday and Friday. I haven't decided by when I am going to stay in Paris but it would be nice to touch French as well as european culture from arts.

One place where I really want to visit is the gate of Triumph which must be one of the symbol of Paris. But before recovering my sickness I will be in library and maybe in Louvre escaping from bad sickness.

Yuji @ Paris, France

PS. Even Today is a week day but Louvre was a full of people because of the one year pass? Maybe??