The Shadow of Great Britain

Based on Arthur's experience, if you want to blend in with Parisians, having a drink with them is definitely a good way. But even without the influence of alcohol, the lively nature of Parisians at heart is still very approachable.

When you're with chatty Parisians, there's always an abundance of topics to discuss.

After all, living in such a sunny and bustling city, don't the authentic old Parisians always have some fresh topics to share?

When facing the Parisian gentlemen of high society, you can freely discuss art with them. Whether it's the latest trends in music, painting, or literature, they can talk about it with some flair. However, the annoying part is their equally strong vanity; they always manage to casually bring up their travels in Europe last year, the private salon of a certain Marquis they attended last week, and some notable individuals they met during those events.

As for the working class scraping a living on the streets of Paris, even though their lives are tough, issues like work, wages, prices, and housing are frequent topics in their discussions. Just take a stroll and have a casual chat with them, and you'll quickly get a sense of the market prices. If you run into some enthusiastic ones, they might even teach you how to appropriately cope with the financial pressure of rising rents.

Even those in the darkest corners of Paris, the underworld criminals are also quite talkative.

They can tell you all about the side hustles, the trending crimes of the year, and where the clueless Paris Police are often operating lately.

If you are meeting a Parisian for the first time and can't determine their social status.

My good friend, then talk to him about politics and affairs!

Whether it's in the Saint-Germain district, where the upper class gathers, or in those rural suburbs that haven't left many impressions on tourists, discussions about government changes, revolutions, elections, and social injustices are heard in Paris's cafes and bars everywhere.

Criticisms of government policies, the King, Republicans, Bonaparte Party, and anti-nobility sentiments are endless. After they vent, those citizens, who were just at each other's throats over political differences, will turn around and start discussing marriage, the dilemmas in love, emotional entanglements, and the changes in social customs like old friends.

Everyone agrees that the world is changing too fast, the moral decline of Christianity has turned Paris into a fallen Hell, and people shamelessly flout their marital vows.

But don't take these words seriously and rush to act as a moral guardian, because soon, those who were lamenting the decline of society will turn around and start comparing how stunning their new lovers are.

If you dare to criticize them, you'll be instantly mocked as an old-fashioned relic. At times like this, the derogatory term 'Bohemian' in the French context is often used by them as a shield, claiming that, like those artists, they have the 'Bohemian spirit' of yearning for freedom and individuality.

However, if you want to earn their forgiveness, it's not a hard task.

Keep a few jokes about priests, nuns, or noble ladies handy for light moments; though they might seem crude, they can always help you out in social situations.

Arthur has such a treasured joke, one he learned from his old friend Talleyrand before leaving Britain.

According to Talleyrand himself, this joke wasn't his original; it was told to him by Voltaire.

It's said that back in the day when Voltaire was still alive, someone once invited him to a notorious gathering of debauchery.

Everyone thought Voltaire would certainly refuse, but to their surprise, the renowned scholar accepted the invitation readily. However, when they invited him again the next evening,

Voltaire mysteriously said, "Oh, my friend! Attending such a party once is not unworthy of a philosopher. But going twice, it seems like I'm being complicit with you all."

Every time Arthur tells this shameless joke in Paris, it always garners applause, and he occasionally discovers a number of philosophers among the cheering crowd.

However, as everyone knows, the situation in Germany is different from Paris. Though there are many philosophers in Germany, they are undoubtedly not heading in the same direction as Parisian philosophers.

Parisian philosophers attend orgies, British philosophers like to complain about England being too urbanized, and German philosophers like Mr. Hegel often like to muse, "Look! Minerva's owl takes flight at dusk!"

In conclusion, making friends with a sober German is nowhere near as simple as befriending Parisians.

Moreover, even among Germans, the difficulty of interactions between Northern and Southern Germans varies greatly.

In terms of religious beliefs, Northern Germans follow Protestantism, while Southern Germans adhere to Catholicism.

From a wealth perspective, Northern Germany is far less affluent than the South, with even their nobility often living in impoverished rural areas.