Paris is not a place, but a lifestyle. You think of a Parisian lifestyle and what comes to mind is fine luxury, elegantly dressed women, cafe culture and people living a life on their own terms. France is known for its great work-life balance. According to a recent BBC article, French people have 16.2 hours per day to live their own life. Even in a bustling city like Paris, Parisians are known to make time to live and prioritise their non-work life.
We catch glimpses of the art of living like the French in Emily in Paris, where Sylvie (Emily’s French boss) asks her to come to office as she joins her back and exclaims to her - Dont be early! People in France start their work day much later and end it earlier as compared to North America and Asia. We see Emily in Paris characters reiterating to Emily, episode after episode that its illegal to call your co-workers on a weekend and work over a weekend in France. We also see them take long and relaxing lunch breaks that last a minimum of 45 minutes.
With Paris as the backdrop, let us decode three wellbeing concepts from the French language that are deeply embedded in the French lifestyle.
Table of contents
Meaning of Flaneur a. How to be a Flaneur in Paris as a tourist? b. Can you be a Flaneur in India?
Meaning of Joie de vivre a. How to experience joie de vivre as a tourist in Paris? b. Bring home a little joie de vivre back to India
Meaning of Bon Vivant a. Experience the Bon Vivant life as a tourist in Paris b. The Indian equivalent of a Bon Vivant
Flaneur
The meaning of Flaneur is a person who meanders the city streets without a specific agenda and observes society. You may end up spotting a lot of Flaneurs in Paris primarily due to two reasons - Paris is a dense city with tiny living spaces and people often step out for some fresh air and Paris has beautiful buildings and walkable broad pathways making the walk enjoyable.
Parisians like to commute by foot and they are also known to go for a walk post their meals. Taking a walk post a heavy meal (trust me a Parisian meal is indeed heavy) is known for its physical and mental health benefits. Closer to home, in Ayurveda, we have this concept of shatpaavali which is to walk a 100 steps post every meal to aid digestion and avoid feeling sluggish after a hearty meal.
How to be a Flaneur in Paris as a tourist?
The best way to be a Flaneur in Paris is by taking a walking tour of the city either with a guided group or self guided. After all, the whole point of travelling is to enjoy the journey as against the destination, in this case by foot.
Can you be a Flaneur in India?
Lets face it, Indian metros are chaotic with not the best pavements, loud honking and buildings that cannot be romanticised as easily. However, each city would have those tiny streets, parks, walkways by water bodies waiting for us to be discovered to be a Flaneur in our own cities once a week, if not everyday.
For example, there are the by-lanes of Juhu scheme or Bandra in Mumbai. There is Hauz Khas in Delhi and St. Mark’s Road in Bangalore. These streets may have hidden gems in the form of cafes, stores or nothing at all, just lined with trees on both sides and a warm homely vibe.
2. Joie de vivre
The meaning of joie de vivre is literally the joy of living. It is about feeling alive on a daily basis over simply surviving and only looking forward to major milestones in life which effectively translate to only a few days of your life.
Our life often revolves around our work which leaves us burnt out like a hamster on a wheel. However, in Paris it is normal to prioritise life over work commitments. You do have the power to say no. You’re not guilty of living your life and having healthy boundaries. We may argue that it may be the privilege of the French or some may attribute it to their social security benefits. However, it is more of a mindset over any other economic privilege.
How to experience joie de vivre as a tourist in Paris?
You can find joy in living and simply being by the smallest of actions. It can start with saying Bonjour with a lot of enthusiasm such that it is almost infectious to the one being greeted.
You can start your day early, the dangling carrot to help you get out of bed in the morning being that delicious handmade croissant from the boulangerie next door to where you are staying. If you’re a croissant addict like myself, you can even take a croissant making workshop during your time in Paris.
Look forward to your long and lazy luncheons at terrace restaurants while you observe the chic fashion sense of Parisians passing by. Two iconic cafes worth a visit in Saint Germaine are Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots.
Bring home a little joie de vivre back to India
Romanticise your daily life by dressing to kill and incorporate a little treat to pamper yourself in some form or the other on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. It could be an occasional cappuccino from a homegrown coffee brand that delivers at your doorstep or it could even be an Ayurvedic massage every other month. Do have something to look forward to from time to time as that is what makes life worth living. Another takeaway from our counterparts in Paris is come what may, you should never rush your meals. Traditionally in India we would all sit down together for our meals and as our society was Amercianised we started embracing the grab and go culture. Go for that sandwich or burger, but sit down, dig into it, savour it and pause for a while. Don’t compromise your dedicated lunch hour to get something else done. Relish and cherish each bite.
3. Bon Vivant
The epitome of a quintessential Paris lifestyle is a breakfast table laid with a latte, some croissants with an Eiffel tower view. French living is all about starting your day with some good coffee only to end it with some fine wine.
French parents start young when it comes to educating their children about the variety of French wines and cheese pairings. French people are so obsessed with wine that it is believed during the middle ages when their drinking water was polluted, the French took to wine each time they got thirsty. Moreover, drinking in public is legal in France and you’d find a dozen locals and tourists picnicking by the banks of the Seine with a bottle of bubbly.
Parisians support local boulangeries and fresh, handmade viennoiseries. Their daily staple is the baguette. While French cuisine to us is tantamount to Michelin start restaurants, it is really about daily affordable indulgences over something that needs deeper pockets and fancy plating. Almost all your favourite desserts may have some connection to Paris. Right from your macarons to creme brulee to eclairs to mille feuille, its all passionately baked in France. After all, Parisians don't count calories, and after all their indulgences they are Flaneur.
Experience the Bon Vivant life as a tourist in Paris
As a tourist you have to take a wine tasting tour in the city or even better in the actual wine growing regions of France which are a few hours away from Paris. We enjoyed some French wine in charming chateaus in the Loire Valley in Central France which was a day trip from Paris.
The Indian equivalent of a Bon Vivant
Being a Bon Vivant is all about living the good life rooted in time tested practices and being proud of our own culture. In India, we are a culturally rich country and we must enjoy our local food, not shunning the ghee in our daily staples and in the occasional mithais. Another attribute of adding a layer of the good life to our life in India is to embrace our warm desi breakfast (who doesn’t like warm food!) and not trade it for cold smoothies and unfulfilling cereals.
Last word
I was first introduced to the French way of living through a YouTube channel by an astrocartographer named Helena Woods. There are a lot of similarities between the slow living movement that originated in Italy and the French lifestyle. In fact the Vedic way of life takes it to the next level fostering balance and harmony at a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. For now let's eat like a Bon Vivant only to be a Flaneur and experience the joie de vivre!
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