May 20, 2009 II- Paris- Embarrassed to be a Tourist

So we travelled to Notre Dame this afternoon and stood right where this photo was taken (not my photo). Huge, amazing, really beautiful stained glass windows, pretty cool info on how it was built then saved and immortalized by Victor Hugo. But we were there at noon Mass. Now, as most of you know, I'm not christian or catholic and don't generally agree with views of either church. But walking through a huge sacred space with worshipers attempting to achieve some calm or connection generally makes me at least respectful if not a little "woo-woo". But moving through this church with this crowd was like watching people at pike place market: people on the telephone, people exclaiming, laughing, talking loudly, flash photography, mimicking the priest, kids running and screaming, people touching everything. I came out a little sick to my stomach and overwhelmed. Everyone treated it just like Disneyland, and i felt embarrassed to be intruding or to be part of that crowd. Maybe that's just my weird Ms. Manners/ propriety streak that obviously everyone doesn't share.

Also had a weird, "oh that's where the stereotype came from" moment.  Since I've met him, Paolo has been very negative and derogatory about Gypsies. I thought it was just northern Italian cultural bias. Then Rick Steves had a warning, "watch out for the gypsy women, they are asking for alms with one hand and picking your pocket with the other." But at Notre Dame, they were everywhere. They start with, "Excuse me do you speak english?" and then hand you a written note with a story about hard times and please help (think cardboard signs on the freeway ramps). We eventually just started answering in Italian and they left us alone, but i watched about 6 of them work the crowd. Targeting the obvious Americans, mussing their hair and adding a very demure/beaten demeanor. I didn't see any pick-pocketing, but then I'm guessing i would have missed it even if i was happening. When they would gather together, their appearance and posture would shift so that they looked like every other person in the square. It made it so clear that it was an act, a good one and maybe with honest roots, but an act none the less. I still don't think that this applies to all Romany but, i get where the horrible bias comes from. It's just very weird to have a stereotype played out so baldly.