I guess I'm now La Parisienne but proudly Kenyan

I had never visited a European country before and for the first time, I kind of had a blast.

This time around I had the opportunity to be in a space that I enjoy, African creativity.

Going to Paris is almost everyone’s dream and mine came true in its own time.

Of course, I had expectations, c’mon this is France, but they were neither high nor low.

Landing at l’Aéroport de Paris-Charles de Gaulle was very exciting as I arrived in the morning therefore everything is slowly unfolding in daylight.

At this point, the excitement had a blend of jitters but guess who was in Paris?

I was so accustomed to the normal French life in Kenya based on different encounters, but this time I was experiencing life as a Kenyan-La Parisienne (Kenyan, Parisian lady).

I think having black taxis pick people at the airport comes with some sense of class and this is something I have noticed with countries in the West.

Best believe that when I was picked up at the airport, the car was a Mercedes E 450 4MATIC saloon in a shiny black colour.

Yes, the pride.

Since the trip was around the time when the capital was hosting the Rugby World Cup, I learnt from my host that getting an apartment for our stay was a challenge.

I alongside other journalists from across Africa were being hosted by the French government ahead of the Forum Création Africa event.

The apartment where we were staying was around the 13th arrondissement and where the event was, was in the 3rd arrondissement.

Paris has 20 districts (les arrondissements) that revolve around the historic city centre to form a snail.

Those who know the city well, know that where we were staying is the new side of Paris.

It was quite evident as a lot of construction was going on and most of the buildings around were new, as was our apartment.

Again, if you know Paris well, where we were staying was like the Ongata Rongai of the capital.

For the first few days, we were provided with a Mercedes van to ferry us to the different venues were going for meetings but as soon as the actual event debuted, we had to use the Métro to get to different locations.

The distance to the different places was huge but this did not deter me from making the most out of my trip.

Not even the bedbug outbreak in the city could keep me from enjoying my stay.

I did not, however, encounter them.

The stay and the tours I made were really eye-opening, the Parisian life was interesting, the different means of transportation used were really nice to see, the nightlife was intriguing, and the people were warm.

What was fascinating to see was the number of Africans and French people of Afro descent in Paris.

I could walk in different streets and meet a couple of black people which was really nice to see.

Another fascinating thing to see was the good-looking young men and women who serve in the forces.

Whether police or military, the men and women I saw looked very youthful.

I did not see any senior citizen in a cop uniform.

Lest I forget, the effortless beautiful fashion in the streets by different people.

It made a lot of sense why Paris is always linked to fashion and brands.

Parisians are also big on cycling. I think almost everywhere in Paris, there are paid-for bicycles that people use to get from one point to another.

On the flip side, not everything was rosy. The traffic was crazy and life in the city of love was very expensive, starting right from food.

There was also a time when my fellow African journalists and I were profiled but being African, we effortlessly turned what was said into banter.

What I was not ready for at all was the smell of pee in the places I visited.

Something I noticed about Parisians is that they are big dog owners and they are fond of going everywhere with them.

As they walk their dogs, the pets, relieve themselves on the sides of the road which makes it sometimes hard to walk by a place without smelling pee.

I am sure you can create the picture for yourself.

Again, life is super expensive so in case you are planning to visit the pink city, go mentally prepared.

All in all, my stay was beautiful even though I did not fully experience the city but it is worth remembering and going back to.

Can you imagine going to Paris for the first time, getting a chance to visit a section of the Palais de l'Élysée, meeting the president of France and even taking a photo with him, how cool is that?

My first visit and stay were memorable and I wouldn't mind visiting France again, but this time round, maybe a place outside the city.