Lately, without any school or reason to get up early, I've been sleeping in WAY too late. Back in the states, I was always up by 8 am, off running or doing something productive. Here, I'm lucky to be out of bed and dressed by 11!!! I can't stand wasting my days (especially in Paris!) so hopefully I'll get over this bump soon enough!
Also, it could be because I have no been exercising regularly. I know I feel so much better after a long run, but its just so difficult in Paris. I am not exaggerating either. Before I started this blog, when I was training for the Dublin marathon, I had HORRIBLE experience. I didn't want to share it in case there were any "readers," (if I have any yet! ha) who were thinking of studying abroad.
In the beginning of October, before I lived in Neuilly, I lived right next to Belleville (a bit of a harder, more workign class part of Paris) There was a great running path that I ran just about everyday that went though Villette park and then followed a canal out of Paris to a "suburb" called Pantin. Paris has been putting a lot of money into Pantin to beautify it and try to better the area, so I had no idea I was running through the equivalent of Harlem everyday! The was always a lot of other (male, older) runners and mommy's pushing babies in strollers, so I never had any reason to feel unsafe!
Well, one day at around 4 pm I laced up to go on a longgggg run, when I left the house I had an uneasy feeling, but I just decided to shake it off. Running down the streets of Paris is always an "experience," as you have men who dont think a woman should be running, not too mention how packed and tiny they are. I LOVED running along the canal because there was no cars and seemingly just other runners! It reminded me a lot of my favorite run in Philly, along Kelly Drive.
Once I got past the normal cat-calls of the street and into the park, I still couldn't shake the uneasiness. In hind sight, I should have turned around, but when it comes to running, I'm pretty hard core and don't like to "give-up," so I just kept truckin'. As I continue through the park, at about mile 9, I hear more cat-calls. I do my best poker face and ignore. Next thing I know, I'M IN THE AIR then IN THE CANAL!!!!
The canal is very deep and wide (and DIRTY), but I still managed to hurt my foot upon landing (thank gosh I went feet first!) When I rose to the surface, I swam to the edge and saw an 18 year old GIRL pointing and laughing at me. Along with her was a gang of 7 boys of the same age (18-22ish), all laughing as well. As you can imagine, I was more than a little confused! I tried to climb out, but the wall was just to high, so I shouted "Aidez-moi!!," and two younger boys run up from another direction. I drop the ipod out of my hand in order to raise it to be pulled out. What do you know, they steal my iPod and run off, leaving me in the freezing water!!
Meanwhile, I'm still being laughed at by the gang and becoming quite the spectacle to the others in the park (which is still heavily populated) In the defense of the passer-bys who don't help me, I can't really blame them. I too would have been frightened of the scary gang, but did no one have a cell phone to call the police?! I waited 5 more minutes in the water (felt like 20!) until finally a young, brave man pulled me out. I was so angry at this point, that I didn't even thank him, I RAN UP TO THE GANG and started yelling like a craZy person (in English of course, ha). Thank gosh for France's anti-gun laws or else I am sure I would be dead right now!
"Luckily" for me the brave man pulled me away from the gang, but they jumped on the scooters/vespas and started CIRCLING around me! Can you imagine 4 scooters (with 2 people to a seat) circling you?! The young man who helped me, quickly evaporated and left me to myself again. I have never been so scared in my life, as they circled me, but eventually an older woman told them off and they crossed a bridge and continued to follow me from the other side of the canal. This said woman, gave me a metro ticket and wished me "bon courage" on my journey. Thanks for your generosity, m'am! I mean a SOAKING wet, shivering american girl who barely knows any French yet, and a metro ticket is all I get. BTW- the next metro station is about 5 miles away. Oh, and it was Paris' fashion week.
By now I'm sobbing, making an even bigger spectacle of myself. I passed many people who just kept skirting away from me like I had the plague. After about 2 miles of walking soaking wet, a young man on a bike spots me, does a double take and decides to take pity on me. He rode ahead to get canal security. After a day spent at the hospital and police station and some blood test (i drank the water, GROSS!), the rest is history!
Most people ask me two questions after hearing this (LONG) tale:
1.) why did you not book your first flight back home?!
2.) YOU KEPT RUNNING AFTER THAT?!
I didn't run home crying because I was not going to let it ruin my experience here. Like I said before, I would NEVER run through North Philadelphia or Harlem. The girl who pushed me in was SO surprised that I was American. She only pushed me in because it was her boyfriend who catcalled at me. Also, there's a huge class problem in Paris. I probably looked like a rich, white girl running through her turf. This could have just as easily happened in America, but it probably would have ended with me getting shot!
I kept running because, well I AM a runner. Nothing was going to or is ever going to change that. I just needed to find a new route. That being said, it has been hard to find a "safe," easy to run route here, so I am thinking of joining a gym to run on a dreaded treadmill. Especially after reading Megan over at runnerskitchen.com take on the how to survive it!
Sorry for this long, ramble-y post but I just wanted to share this little gem of a story. Anyone have horror stories or similar experiences with catcalls gone wrong?
Have a happy and SAFE New Years Eve! What are your plans? Staying in with close friends and family or going buck wild?! Me, I'm going to my friend's family house for a quite night!
Bisous!
Morgan
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What a story Morgan! And good for you for not letting it deter you from running, and at least now you know where to run and where not to. But (and this is not to scare you) keep alert everywhere. Last January in Paris, I was grabbed in the most disgusting way by a man while I was walking down the street in a decent neighborhood (dressed rather conservatively) and it took a long time to shake that feeling off.
ReplyDeleteWay to keep smiling and keep running :-)
yeah, definitely a lesson well learned! The week before that, I was on the metro and got grabbed too! I just think they're idea of personal space is a wee bit different!
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