Paris Too Hardcore for the Japanese? {Gadling}

Oct 29th 2006 2:52PM I'm an American (also from Ohio, like the other person who has commented) and have lived and worked in Paris for 16 years. I think the problem people have when they visit Paris is that they have a naive expectation of some 'mythical, Hollywood rendering' of Paris (everyone in berets, accordian players, can-can dancers), or they believe that everyone is cute and pleasant like in 'Amelie' or something. The thing is, Paris is a real-life, hard-working, hard-playing capital city, not that much different to London or New York. I have no sympathy with people who approach Paris with the expectation that it will be like a Disneyland. There are GREAT things here, and the people are generally no ruder than New Yorkers, Londoners, Berliners, etc, etc. Capital cities throughout the world have a reputation for being a little 'curt', and Paris is no different.
So I think that Japanese (or anyone) visiting will have a MUCH better time if they regard Paris as a busy, thriving, capital city, and not as a Gene Kelly-inspired, Hollywood soundstage.