Is Paris Really That Romantic and Classy?

First of all, the media (TV, movies, books) and advertising marketing really has done a great job in portraying Paris as the most romantic city in the world. No wonder it ranks as the top tourist destination.

But is Paris truly as what you see and hear from the media? Have you heard the term "Paris Syndrome"? It is a transient mental disorder in describing an extreme cultural shock to some tourists that Paris is absolutely nothing like what they expected it to be.

Here's the truth, not everyone smells like Chanel No.5, not everyone dressed like they walked off a ccatwalk on the street, and not all the places are clean.

Even the Parisians complain about their own city, so what do you as a foreign tourist expect the city to be like with millions of tourists flocking to the capital of France? Paris, just like any other city in the world, has its share of homeless people sleeping on the street or park, pickpockets in tourist spots, people trying to scam you with roses, hand bracelet in exchange of some money from you.

The metro and buses are old and dirty, not every metro station is new, most of the tunnels are dark, unlit with lights, some with graffiti on the walls and inside the train. When I was there, I have experienced metro breakdown, smoke coming out resulting in sudden stop and all passengers have to step out to the platform, the labour union strike making no train available, and many more.

These are the things that you will only experience first-hand if you're there. Honestly, every city in the world has its beauty and ugly side to it, so my advice is, don't go to Paris expecting it to be all romantic and classy or you'll be disappointed when the truth hits you.

Paris has many beautiful historical architecture, great food, huge park for you to walk and relax, and the locals that I met are very helpful whenever I'm lost asking for direction. On the first day after reaching the city centre from the airport, the metro that I was supposed to take to my hostel was not running so I had to take a bus but I didn't know where's the bus stop and what bus number to take. A local woman took me to the bus stop and told me to wait for bus number 31 and my destination is the 4th stop.

It was so kind of her and I'm so grateful and thankful for her help. So, like I said, there are always both sides to everything in this world. If you're planning to visit Paris, just go with an open mind and enjoy every moment with a positive mindset.