I’m currently on vacation in Paris – and yes, I stayed here during the attacks on November 13. So I thought I’d just give you all a brief update from what is currently one of the most talked-about locations on earth.

The first thing that comes to mind is: Business as usual. Not only are the French – and the Parisians in particular – a resilient crowd. But Paris is also a big city – and you can’t just close down a big city no matter what tragedy happens to occur.

The museums and the Eiffel Tower are closed, on some tourist hotspots you can just catch a glimpse of armed guards, and when entering a department store you may have your bag searched a bit more thoroughly, but that’s about it! I’ve never experienced a “state of emergency” before, but in this case it has little if any effect on the average citizen: Stores, restaurants and cafés are open – if there are fewer people in the streets it’s by a very small margin.

I can’t even claim that the mood is particularly gloomy. Of course, many have lost friends and relatives in the attacks or know people who have, but mostly the reaction is one of wonder: Why did it happen? Why would anyone do such a thing? Of course the Parisians discuss the attacks over café cremes and Gauloises – but afterwards they turn to more uplifting subject. No need to dwell on the horror and the sadness.

Life, as they say, goes on.