Parisians are slowly waking up to the fact that the Olympics are home…
PARIS: “This way, sir.” The tall, burly man flashed a huge smile outside the Main Press Centre at the Palais des Congrès in Porte Maillot. “Which country? Oh India. Viva India.” He kept smiling, shook hands and then suddenly turned serious. “We need to check your bags, please. Phone, wallet, coins out in the tray.” That familiar security drill done, the first steps towards Paris 2024 had been taken.
The hall on the second floor was buzzing – journalists busy on their laptops, writing stories, downloading pictures from their cameras or simply chatting over a coffee, catching up with old friends. With two days still to go for the opening ceremony on the Seine, it was house full here on Wednesday evening. Yes, the world is here.
Outside in this City of Love, people are still waking up to the fact that the Olympic Games are home and so near. On arrival, the Charles de Gaulle airport was surprisingly quiet, but the volunteers were welcoming and the security check was a breeze. Fawad, the Uber driver, was the first person one got to have a conversation with. A football and basketball fan, the young man with Tunisian and Algerian roots sounded excited about the Games but was not so sure about what it meant for business.
“Too much security means blocked roads. You will discover that soon. A lot of Parisians have moved out or are moving out to the city’s outskirts or other towns and cities. I’ve got to make a living, so I am going nowhere. Paris, I hate your traffic,” he groaned. The Zinedine Zidane fan then sighed: “I would love to watch some football.”
The Seine riverfront has been barricaded over a long stretch and traffic snarls will indeed make the already congested downtown roads difficult to move through, at least on Friday, the opening ceremony day.
Alexandra, our host, said she had no such luck when asked whether she would get a paid holiday like many other Parisians over the coming fortnight. The artist who teaches contemporary dance forms moved to her father’s home with her daughter and pet cat after welcoming us in.
“No buzz? You may feel that it is business as usual out there on the streets, but things will change suddenly. Paris has a very vibrant sporting culture. Many of us would love to watch the opening ceremony or catch some action inside the stadiums but can’t afford the tickets. We will watch it on big screens, which will come up at various places in the city. You’ll be surprised by how quickly the city changes,” she said.
Outside our apartment in the Belleville neighborhood, one could see a crowd of young boys playing football in a corner, and another bunch knocking the ball around on a makeshift basketball court, shrieking and shouting in happiness. Sports does that to you, young or old – brings you unbridled joy, and sometimes a lot of pain. We will see several of these mixed emotions when it all begins in the arenas of this historic city.
PARIS: “This way, sir.” The tall, burly man flashed a huge smile outside the Main Press Centre at the Palais des Congrès in Porte Maillot. “Which country? Oh India. Viva India.” He kept smiling, shook hands and then suddenly turned serious. “We need to check your bags, please. Phone, wallet, coins out in the tray.” That familiar security drill done, the first steps towards Paris 2024 had been taken.
The hall on the second floor was buzzing – journalists busy on their laptops, writing stories, downloading pictures from their cameras or simply chatting over a coffee, catching up with old friends. With two days still to go for the opening ceremony on the Seine, it was house full here on Wednesday evening. Yes, the world is here.
Outside in this City of Love, people are still waking up to the fact that the Olympic Games are home and so near. On arrival, the Charles de Gaulle airport was surprisingly quiet, but the volunteers were welcoming and the security check was a breeze. Fawad, the Uber driver, was the first person one got to have a conversation with. A football and basketball fan, the young man with Tunisian and Algerian roots sounded excited about the Games but was not so sure about what it meant for business.
“Too much security means blocked roads. You will discover that soon. A lot of Parisians have moved out or are moving out to the city’s outskirts or other towns and cities. I’ve got to make a living, so I am going nowhere. Paris, I hate your traffic,” he groaned. The Zinedine Zidane fan then sighed: “I would love to watch some football.”
The Seine riverfront has been barricaded over a long stretch and traffic snarls will indeed make the already congested downtown roads difficult to move through, at least on Friday, the opening ceremony day.
Alexandra, our host, said she had no such luck when asked whether she would get a paid holiday like many other Parisians over the coming fortnight. The artist who teaches contemporary dance forms moved to her father’s home with her daughter and pet cat after welcoming us in.
“No buzz? You may feel that it is business as usual out there on the streets, but things will change suddenly. Paris has a very vibrant sporting culture. Many of us would love to watch the opening ceremony or catch some action inside the stadiums but can’t afford the tickets. We will watch it on big screens, which will come up at various places in the city. You’ll be surprised by how quickly the city changes,” she said.
Outside our apartment in the Belleville neighborhood, one could see a crowd of young boys playing football in a corner, and another bunch knocking the ball around on a makeshift basketball court, shrieking and shouting in happiness. Sports does that to you, young or old – brings you unbridled joy, and sometimes a lot of pain. We will see several of these mixed emotions when it all begins in the arenas of this historic city.