ENJOYING PARIS - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 239

PARIS, ANY TIME OF THE DAY
There's always something to do in Paris, any time of the day or
night. From cultural opportunities to shopping, from sports to
educational courses in just about anything you might want to
know, Paris does not disappoint. It's a city of some 50 museums;
a place where classical music is as important as popular music,
where 300 films are shown each week in a variety of languages
and where discos start to swing at 1:00 am. Two hundred
and fifty theatres show anything from plays to the naughtiest
revues in late-night cabarets. In fact, cultural activities of all
sorts are important to the French and are allocated about one
per cent of the country's annual budget—more than what
most other nations spend. The mairie also subsidises cultural
festivals throughout the year, some offered free of charge.
People who do not speak French should have few problems
finding where and when everything is. The city of Paris has
an extremely detailed website (http://www.paris.fr), as does
the Paris Tourist Office (http://www.parisinfo.com).The mairie
(town hall) of your own arrondissement will have information
on all aspects of the district, from shopping to sports, and
just about anything you could want. It's up to you to figure
out what suits you best.
FINDING OUT WHAT'S NEW
Parisians eagerly await the publication of the weekly events
guides. Available each Wednesday morning at news-stands,