Let's get straight tot he point: "The French are rude". This one is totally a subjective one, quite hard to tackle in a yes or no answer. To also narrow this down even further, we have to dispel the idea that that 'The French' as a whole are rude. The stereotype should read, "Parisians are rude". Each time I leave the city to the French country side I encounter nothing but nice and friendly people. Paris however you have to keep in mind that it is a massive city and with that comes a city mindset, like that of New York or LA. After a year abroad living in Paris, I have really never met a nicer city of 12 million people. Paris is full of helpful, kind, generous, and frankly friendly people. This stereotype my friends is false! You also have to take into consideration what your perception of nice is: Are you the type of person where you need to be smiled at all the time? Said hello to by passersby, have small chats with complete strangers? Paid attention to and have your ass kissed at retail stores and restaurants? Well then, Paris and most of Europe is not for you. This I want to shine some light on is a MAJOR cultural difference between Americans and France that for many suburban, small town, overly friendly Americans don't stop to realize or even educate themselves about. The French, especially the Parisians are a very private people, a culture where all of the above that is common in America would be utterly bizarre and frankly rude here. Despite you being a stranger, someone on the metro will gladly help you find your way, help carry a piece of luggage up the stairs for you, help you up if you have fallen or drop something.In Paris, this is what we call being polite.
Here in Paris, we notice the little things in the kindness people show when it is truly genuine. Overly kind life at home really makes it meaningless. I enjoy the mindset here where if you need help, you will ask for it or you wont get it. I have grown extremely fond of the Parisian lifestyle and mindset: cold outer demeanor, but warm and kind on the inside. To crack this outer shell is really just the life of living in a major metropolitan city. There are roughly 12 million people in Paris (not including tourists), there are all varieties of people, there are bound to be some bad apples who are inherently rude or filled with bad energy. Come to Paris with an open mind and know that you are not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.
(PandorasInspiration.blogspot.com)
Second Stereotype: French people don't like speaking English with you. Here's the run down. Learn a few words and key phrases before setting foot on that plane and they will be glad to speak English with you, actually prefer it since mostly everyone here speaks English, some not well, but certainly far better than your French is. Please make a serious attempt to learn: Bonjour Madame/Monsieur, Merci, au revoir, s'il vous plait, excusez-moi M/Mm, Parlez-vous anglais? These will do you wonders and automatically gain you much more respect with those you happen to speak with. There is nothing more pathetic (actually quite funny for me to watch) than the dumb helpless American in the street saying "Does anyone speak English? Does anyone speak English?"...Well, perhaps the annoying Gypsies who say the same thing and try to pick pocket you as you stupidly respond and go over to them. HAHA.
Thirdly: French people smell. Okay, this one is such a funny one because...(I'm sorry to any of my French friends reading this haha) but yes this stereotype is quite true. Not 100% for all the people, but god damn, for a lot of them for sure! Deodorant (good kinds) are nearly impossible to find and if you do, they are terrible and last about an hour. French people in the masses smell like awful B.O. and well, it can hit you like a brick wall, especially on the métro. Granted, most of them are smelly North Africans or the banlieu immigrants, but come on people!!! It really gets terrible in the summer time. Really, really awful. I remember sitting in class at ESSEC and the entire classroom reeked like a dirty boys locker room and it was barely 11am....this, everyone, is not a stereotype. TRUE! Though for those who do smell great (all of my French buddies xoxo) embrace the wonderful idea of showering and wearing wonderfully scented perfumes. Merci
(PandorasInspiration.blogspot.com)
Last stereotype: French people are the best dressed people in the world. Do I even have to write more than a sentence about this?? TRUE TRUE TRUE, indisputable. Don't even try to argue this. The end.
Bisous.
3 comments:
LOVE the photos! Carine = who I want to grow up to be!! Christine = amazing. She's on my blog, too. And of course your Sartorialist shot is perfection! xx
PS.. the gypsy comment about them all saying "YOU SPEAK ENGLISH" made me laugh out loud. Thats the worse! Its like Hell No I dont speak English!! What do I look like -- an American?! Oh and those guys with the rings of the Eiffel Tower keychains.. so annoying, but such a part of Paris ;)
I lived 1 year in Paris following 2 years in Nice on the Cote d'Azur. Compared to Southerners, Parisians didn't strike me as particularly rude or unhelpful. If anything, they're more hardworking, authentic and frank than people in the sunny south, where you do get a feeling that they are kind of superficial and laid back. The only people I found really rude and unkind were the youngsters at university.
I loved the rhythm of life in Paris, the fast walking on the pavements when in Nice I was fuming at the pensioners who slowed me down. I loved the rides in the (sometimes stinking) metro. I loved the attitude of the people because they don't adopt you immediately, at first they ignore you. But when they do accept your presence, it feels like a seal of recognition. After a while most people in my neighborhood would greet me, even the guy from the nearby restaurants, though I rarely ate at their restaurants!
I've been to London, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and Parisians beat them hands down when it comes to dressing up. Maybe Londoners have more variety and freedom in the way they dress but there's no shortage of that in Paris either.
But hey the French do smell eh :) I agree with you 100% on that. On the one hand you have girls smelling as though they had emptied a whole bottle of perfume on themselves and on the other, people in the bus (especially males) stinking like mad. Fortunately, the smell of the metro often neutralizes unpleasant body odor!
I left Paris six months ago and had some tough times there, but still love it Truly Madly Deeply.
Post a Comment