Technology + Paris = Expanding Horizons in an Ever Smaller World

As une femme d’un certain âge I have not always had the best relationship with technology. I tend to dread getting a new phone, roll my eyes over the latest upgrade to Facebook, and shy away from downloading new applications because I just don’t want to have to learn one more thing. An aspect of this techie world that I have embraced, however, is YouTube. I can enthusiastically say that this free online video sharing platform has opened up an entire world of discovery for me -- making learning utterly painless, and honestly, a big thrill to explore.

Most notably, YouTube has provided me with a window into the world of expats living in France -- something which, if you’ve been paying any attention at all, you will know by now is my most fervent lifelong dream. There are hundreds of YouTube channels created by “regular” people telling of the trials, tribulations as well as the joy of everyday life in France.

Paul Taylor is one of these expats; a British citizen living with his French wife and daughter in Paris. Taylor, who is distinguished by his ability to speak fluent French with no discernable accent, has made a name for himself in the world of standup comedy. With his quirky French/English (aka Franglais) delivery onstage and his cheeky jabs at the French language and culture, he has amassed a large enough fan base to tour the world performing hour-long shows in front of sold-out auditoriums.

As with most live performers, Taylor’s career was put on hold during the French lockdown in the advent of COVID in March 2020, so, in frustration, he resorted to putting out a daily live stream, called Paul Taylor’s Happy Hour Live, on which he streamed himself sitting in his living room, bantering with his viewers via Live Chat, and featuring various friends and guests, mostly other standup comics, via Zoom.

Over time, I have connected with many other performers and content creators, such as Jay Swanson, Oliver Gee, whose podcast is the award-winning The Earful Tower, and other standup comics living in Paris, like Sebastian Marx, Sarah Donnelly, and Podcasters Luke Thompson and Amber Minogue.

One of the wonders of travel is that I can now connect the virtual world with the real world. Bob and I have sought out these English language comics and attended several standup events while in Paris, typically in tiny spaces seating only a handful of people. But last November, we had the opportunity to attend Paul Taylor’s “Work in Progress,” at a sort of incubator-type venue called La Scala in the city's 10th arrondissement. In an in-the-round auditorium containing approximately 100 people, Taylor held forth for an hour on a number of subjects, from life with a precocious 3-year-old to the theft and single-handed recovery of his prized and very pricey laptop, to his recent decision to take a break from alcohol and the gory details leading up to that decision.

Taylor’s energy was contagious that evening and much appreciated by the crowd, including Bob and myself, as well as the group of Parisian locals we had met up with for the event. You see, as much as I sometimes cringe at technology, it is in fact the source of my joy in so many ways. I now have a whole new group of international friends, most of whom I have only met virtually, but who all share a common interest with me. More specifically, we’re all “language nerds,” and loyal Paul Taylor fans.

After the show, Taylor actually came and sat at our table in the upstairs restaurant and chatted amiably with us for a half-hour before heading home on his motor scooter, the preferred mode of transportation for so many Parisians. What a genuinely friendly and down-to-earth guy! I had never actually spent time chatting with a celebrity before. Quelle excitation!

During my recent February trip, my travel buddy Bobbi and I attended the polished and finalized version of Taylor’s “Work in Progress” show at the glitzier La Nouvelle Eve cabaret in the notorious Pigalle neighborhood, the erstwhile red-light district of Paris. While lacking the intimacy of the compact La Scala space, I was still thrilled to see Taylor again, to experience a bit of la vie Parisienne, truly living life like a Parisian.

One of the advantages I have realized and now appreciate so much in my travels is that visiting Paris is not just about tourist attractions and fancy food served in white-tableclothed restaurants. It can also be about expanding and pursuing one’s interests in ways never previously imagined. For that I thank France, the French people, and my very good friend YouTube.