Each morning we would face the crowd of Parisians on their way to work and getting a seat was out of the question. When you’re wedged between an accordion player and a French business man, even breathing becomes a challenge. To get to the OECD headquarters, where a few of us work, we catch the 8:30 train from Cite Universite to Notre Dame, changing to RER C (the yellow line) towards Boulanvilliers. My favourite part of this journey is between Champ de Mars and Avenue Du Point Kennedy. We pass it every single day, but somehow, this 270 degree panoramic view of the Eiffel tower, just casually chilling in the Seine, still gives me goosebumps every time.
The station is a 5 minute walk from work through the Eastern Suburbs equivalent of Paris, Arrondissement 16. We pass rows and rows of cafes and the smell of hot baguettes and croissants in the morning has become part of our daily routine into work. Usually we stop by the same patisserie every morning to order a ‘café de crème avec un pain aux chocolat’ or something to keep for lunch. BMWs, Mercedes and Jaguars are all parked along the side of the road, so close they’re almost touching. I would hate to try parallel parking in Paris.
Author: Gloy Tuchinda, current student at the University of Sydney Business School
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