Paris is famous for its romantic springtimes, iconic buildings and grumpy waiters. But it’s far more than just that. Since the Revolution, the French and particularly Paris, have absorbed people and influences from across the world. Today, it’s possible to spend a week in Paris and hardly meet any French people!  (although you might be missing something there).

By the way, the waiters are far less grumpy with tourists if you attempt to speak some bad French – especially if you’re American).

Here’s a quick splash of the non-French things you can find in the French capital.

Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute)

Housed in a stunning building on the Left bank of the Seine, the Institut du Monde Arabe or Arab World Institute was established in 1980 to encourage cultural exchanges between France and the Arab world and to promote the Arabic contribution to the world particularly in terms of science and technology (modern medicine has its origins in the Middle East).

Bollywood in Paris

Fancy some Bollywood-style classes? Menaka de Mahodaya and her Bollywood Passion are some of the rare specialists in traditional Indian dance and modern music this is going down a storm with young Parisians. All with incense and bright costumes. Bollywood Passion (in French/machine translation available)

Capoeira in the park

Capoeira I hear you say? It’s a Brazilian type of martial arts that also includes music and dance. It was brought by African slaves and mixed with Portuguese and Indian flavours that make it . On a Sunday morning when the weather’s good, you’ll probably find participants huddled round in a circle in the parc de La Villette watching to of the fight it out in the middle. A mixture of dance and combat, between Africa and America.

A taste of Africa

Forget the run-down look of the buildings, just follow the flow of people. Come out of the Château-Rouge metro station and you’ll walk straight into a real African market*. Everything’s there, catfish on the fish store, neat’s feet (beef equivalent of pig’s rotters) front the butcher’s store, plantain and manioc adorn the grocer’s. It’s not all food though, sellers of “pagnes” fabrics and false hair

* Web site in French

Learn to write Chinese?

Au Comptoir des écritures is both a store and a school. Apart from an impressive range writing and calligraphy implements from China and precious paper from Iran and Syria, it also boasts a “school” to learn the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy. The web site is in French with a translation of sorts. “Welcome, enjoy and please do not hesitate to ask if you need further explanations as this is a real human beings’ website”, pity they didn’t use a human being to translate it.

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Paris: the world in one city | World First Travel Insurance Blog