The magic of being trapped as an Internet refugee was broken by a miraculous encounter with a Japanese exchange student, and I was back to being a casual Japanese tourist again, and could afford to stroll down the Champs-Elysées, which stretches from the Arc de Triomphe.
I was surprised to see that Pikachu has also made inroads into this Champs-Elysées (or is it imposter of Pikachu, if you look closely?).
McDonald’s has been expanding into every city in the world, and I spent some time admiring the stylishness of the Champs Elysées store.
Then, I found an “Apple Store Champs Elysées” as per Apple’s sales strategy (see Amazon vs. Apple in the previous article) to expand into branded areas around the world, so I went inside the store to look for the broken Wi-Fi charging cable.
This Apple Store on the Champs Elysées was very spacious, with many staff members serving customers, and they seemed to be very courteous.
He told me that he did not carry my charging cable because the standard is different from Apple’s. He also told me that there was a store nearby that sold consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment, and he showed me the location on Google Maps.
This was the same store that Inazu, a foreign student in Paris, had told me about, which is similar to Yamada Denki in Japan, a home electronics store.
And I could obtain the desired charging cable.
Now that the other system of internet connection was ready to be restored, I took a break at a cafe that has been in business since 1889 (the middle of the Meiji era!).
It was after the rain, but I was able to fulfill one of my long-cherished wishes to have a cup of coffee at a cafe on the Champs-Elysées, reported to Inazu-kun, and took a break while watching the crowds of people passing by on the street.
In the morning , I walked down the street toward the Arc de Triomphe with a heavy heart, but I was relieved to know that my problem was solved when I met a Japanese exchange student on the day I left, and that I had also accomplished sightseeing on the Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe, and was on my way back to the hotel.
