Greetings from Bonjour Paris

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Greetings from Bonjour Paris
It’s a yearly tradition for the Bonjour Paris team to thank our readers, writers, contributors and all the others who are part this very special site about France and all things French. This community is our strength. Some people have been a part of the site since it launched more than 14 years ago on AOL while others found us when we migrated to our own home on the Internet—and both are family.   As with families, there are no rules. Read B.P. every week or look us up when you’re planning a trip and want to know what’s new and what’s hip or perhaps only what our writers have unearthed in your absence.   One of Bonjour Paris’s goals has always been to help people coming to France to spend their money wisely—even frugally—and given the current state of the economy, this is more important than ever. There are many ways to save euros. Rent an apartment and skip eating every meal out. A continental breakfast can cost a family of four $50 or more if eaten in your hotel or even a café. Make coffee yourself and go to a bakery—they open early—or bread or croissants. If you’re with children who might have an immediate craving for Coca-Colas, carry a couple of cans with you that you’ve purchased in a grocery store. Ditto for water, some fruit or essentials to tide you over until your next meal. Bonjour, power bars.   As many of us are feeling the financial crunch and jangling nerves, now may precisely be the time to come to France. The Internet is filled with special deep-discounted package deals that include airfare, hotel rooms, breakfast and much more. Because business travel is down, airlines still have seats to fill and hotels don’t like empty bids. Flexibility on your part is important. You may not be able to score a non-stop flight from your local airport to Paris or leave on the day of your choice, but it’s worth looking into. I’ll tell you why.   I am writing this from Asia. To be honest, if the trip hadn’t been planned months ago, it probably would have been cancelled for a variety of reasons. But because of the money we would have lost and we were primed to go, we decided to forge ahead and we’re glad we did. Each time I leave the U.S. or France, I come away with a totally different perspective and one that enriches my frame of reference as well as my knowledge about the world. Each trip is a chance to learn and gives me added assurance I can cope on my own or with a friend.   It’s during these trips when I meet people from different countries with contrasting perspectives and undoubtedly different values. But when travelling, a type of bonding forms. Preconceived prejudices are more easily dropped. Entering a mosque or a Hindu or Buddhist temple is more than a tourist experience: it gives depth and understanding about the way others go about living their lives. Experiencing how other people live in different parts of the world is a real eye opener. How I wish every American teenager were required to spend a semester in a developing country in a work-study program.   Some people have decided not to travel because of terrorism. This is understandable. The attacks in Mumbai, India, were tragic as is the civil unrest in Bangkok that caused the airports to be closed. Now there are protests and demonstrations in Greece. Yes, people should be careful and stay away from volatile situations. Avoid demonstrations and places that are known to be targets. You need to decide how much risk or uncertainty you can live with, but life is uncertain even if you stay at home.   As usual, I send my warmest holiday greetings, my hope that everyone will be blessed with health and happiness and, most importantly, may there be peace and greatest acceptance of others throughout the world. It may sound maudlin but how I wish everyone would reach out and make contact with a person with whom they’d probably never come into contact. As former Secretary of State Colin Powell said this week, the world has changed because of the Internet and its strategic implications and how people communicate. Please feel free to communicate via Bonjour Paris. We want to hear your thoughts.   © Paris New Media, LLC December 2008 [email protected]
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