Anyway, over the past week I was thinking hard about what to write about in this week's entry, and I thought that a good topic to cover would be addressing some (no, not all) of the popular stereotypes I, along with many other Americans tend to have about the French.
A little side-note: everything in this post is solely based on the experiences I've had so far. These are, by no means, the end-all-be-all explanations of them. Remember, I've spent my time here only in the south of France. The culture differs greatly further north (you know, around Paris).
Ok, here we go...
1. The French Hate Americans: This is probably the most popular stereotype Americans hold about the French and it is 100% false, as far as I'm concerned. However, it makes sense as to why many people (myself included) think/thought this. The French are extremely proud of their heritage and of their culture. Does that sound familiar? Does that sound like how we view our own American heritage and culture? It's not so much that the French don't like Americans. It has more to do with the fact that two extremely proud cultures tend to butt heads when put together.
I found one simple remedy to this conundrum (if you can even call it that): I am embracing the French culture and paying attention to as many social queues as I possibly can. Not only do the French immensely appreciate this, they often can't even tell that I'm not from France.
I must say that this is the one stereotype I was happiest to learn was untrue. Of course I have a huge amount of pride being American, so France was always kind of a sore subject before this trip. I would always joke with friends before leaving that I would definitely pretend to be Canadian. I can happily report that I can tell people that I am American without any trepidation.
2. All French People Smoke: This is one incredible exaggeration, but it's not far off....As I mentioned in my last post, I absolutely cannot stand how much cigarette smoke I have to walk through on a daily basis. However, not everyone here smokes. I have seen some French people have a similar reaction as mine when walking through someone's secondhand smoke.
The main difference between America and France, I think is the stigma associated with smoking. In America, it is seen as an annoying habit that no one should ever take up, unless you're drunk, of course (even then, I don't see why it's a good idea). However, here, there is no negative stigma associated with smoking. Sure, there is the routine warning on every pack of cigarettes, but it's almost a social symbol here.
To my host-mother's credit (she does smoke, unfortunately) because when she asked if I smoke when I arrived and I told her no, she commended me for avoiding it. That told me that the French do know it is bad for them, but many just don't care.
3. The French People Are Arrogant and Rude: This is just not true. They are, however, more standoffish than most Americans are used to. Think of the last time you walked down the street or across campus. How many people did you exchange smiles with? A lot? A few? Chances are you exchanged smiles with a number of friends and strangers. People in America are generally quite friendly with each other. A simple smile on the street is just a gesture of goodwill.
It is completely different in France. Here, exchanging courtesy smiles on the street just is not part of the culture. A smile on the street might mean something completely different and might have an ulterior motive associated with it. This is one of the main reasons why, I think, people see the French as arrogant and rude. They just don't smile much. It is not a reflection of anyone's character.
This took me at least a week to get used to. At home, I smile at nearly everyone I pass on the street or on campus at DU. It took me by surprise to a certain extent when I wouldn't get any smile in return on my walk to school. Once I realized that it was just the French keeping more to themselves and it wasn't a reflection of what they saw in me, I got used to it and I have embraced that way of interacting with strangers, at least for the time being.
4. The French Smell Awful and Never Shower: No. Just no. In no advanced civilization is this actually socially acceptable. Even my host-mom wants me to shower everyday and she makes sure it happens. I can't even have the occasional lazy day!! I have not passed by someone who smells extremely awful once. Sure, there are some people who have bad body odor, but there are people who are cursed with that everywhere.
As far as I'm concerned, I think the French are MORE aware of their hygiene than Americans. People in France care about how they present themselves. From their finely coiffed hair, to their (usually) great sense of style, to how they smell, and even how they walk, they care about how others see them. I think this is a quality more people in America could embrace.
5. The French Have No Sense of Urgency: This one is absolutely true, especially in the south of France. I won't say that there are no such things as deadlines, but there is just no urgency to get anything done. This would drive many Americans and most of my friends absolutely crazy. Coming here was a complete change of pace from America. Things just don't move as quickly here.
For example, over the weekend, we went on a day trip to Marseille (I know, SO far away, all of a 20 minute bus ride away). After we spent an hour at a GORGEOUS chapel overlooking Marseille, we went down into the city for lunch and to check out the city. We were pretty hungry, so we decided to sit down and try some of the Marseillaise cuisine, AKA seafood. We ordered, and about an hour and a half later, our food arrived at our table. This would never be acceptable in America, but here it is practically expected (thank goodness no tip is expected here...). The mussels were delectable, but, from an American point of view, they really weren't worth the wait. From a French point of view? It was just another lazy Sunday.
This way of life permeates life beyond the restaurants. There is a huuuuuge project happening downtown on one end of the Cours Mirabeau (big street that is kind of the center of Aix). They are improving the sidewalks and planting some new trees and making the entire thing look amazing. They've been working on this since at least a month or two before we arrived and they've barely made any progress. I haven't had a chance to see when they were planning on finishing this project, but I know that in our fast-paced society in America, they would be feeling the public's pressure to pick up the pace. Here? It's normal. It's really not a big deal to the locals.
To be completely honest, now that I've gotten used to it to an extent, I rather like the change of pace. Everything is always GO GO GO at home. It has been nice to slow down and experience the present rather than always thinking and worrying about the future. If nothing else, the past two and a half weeks have taught me that the future can wait; it's coming no matter what I do to prepare.
Now, here's a little update on what I've been up to over the past week and what's on tap for the coming week:
This past weekend, we went on two day trips around the south of France. On Saturday, we spent the day in Nice and went to the beach. It was absolutely GORGEOUS. Then on Sunday, we spent the afternoon and evening in Marseille. We saw an AMAZING church which happens to sit on the highest ground in Marseille and provided some amazing views of the city.
This weekend, on Saturday, I'm going to Saint Tropez with a number of people from IAU and some other friends from other study abroad programs here in Aix. Don't worry, I will definitely be posting some pictures from that trip on here next week.
While we were at Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseille over the weekend, I said a prayer for everyone back home living through the rains and the flooding and I lit a candle for you. Even though I am over here having the time of my life, I haven't forgotten home and what has been going on. You have been in everyone's thoughts and prayers here. We all hope that you're safe and sound.
I hope you all have a great week ahead and I will be shooting another one of these out to you in cyberspace next week!!
It is completely different in France. Here, exchanging courtesy smiles on the street just is not part of the culture. A smile on the street might mean something completely different and might have an ulterior motive associated with it. This is one of the main reasons why, I think, people see the French as arrogant and rude. They just don't smile much. It is not a reflection of anyone's character.
This took me at least a week to get used to. At home, I smile at nearly everyone I pass on the street or on campus at DU. It took me by surprise to a certain extent when I wouldn't get any smile in return on my walk to school. Once I realized that it was just the French keeping more to themselves and it wasn't a reflection of what they saw in me, I got used to it and I have embraced that way of interacting with strangers, at least for the time being.
4. The French Smell Awful and Never Shower: No. Just no. In no advanced civilization is this actually socially acceptable. Even my host-mom wants me to shower everyday and she makes sure it happens. I can't even have the occasional lazy day!! I have not passed by someone who smells extremely awful once. Sure, there are some people who have bad body odor, but there are people who are cursed with that everywhere.
As far as I'm concerned, I think the French are MORE aware of their hygiene than Americans. People in France care about how they present themselves. From their finely coiffed hair, to their (usually) great sense of style, to how they smell, and even how they walk, they care about how others see them. I think this is a quality more people in America could embrace.
5. The French Have No Sense of Urgency: This one is absolutely true, especially in the south of France. I won't say that there are no such things as deadlines, but there is just no urgency to get anything done. This would drive many Americans and most of my friends absolutely crazy. Coming here was a complete change of pace from America. Things just don't move as quickly here.
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| View of the city of Marseille from Notre Dame de la Garde |
This way of life permeates life beyond the restaurants. There is a huuuuuge project happening downtown on one end of the Cours Mirabeau (big street that is kind of the center of Aix). They are improving the sidewalks and planting some new trees and making the entire thing look amazing. They've been working on this since at least a month or two before we arrived and they've barely made any progress. I haven't had a chance to see when they were planning on finishing this project, but I know that in our fast-paced society in America, they would be feeling the public's pressure to pick up the pace. Here? It's normal. It's really not a big deal to the locals.
To be completely honest, now that I've gotten used to it to an extent, I rather like the change of pace. Everything is always GO GO GO at home. It has been nice to slow down and experience the present rather than always thinking and worrying about the future. If nothing else, the past two and a half weeks have taught me that the future can wait; it's coming no matter what I do to prepare.
Now, here's a little update on what I've been up to over the past week and what's on tap for the coming week:
This past weekend, we went on two day trips around the south of France. On Saturday, we spent the day in Nice and went to the beach. It was absolutely GORGEOUS. Then on Sunday, we spent the afternoon and evening in Marseille. We saw an AMAZING church which happens to sit on the highest ground in Marseille and provided some amazing views of the city.
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| The center candle is the one I lit |
While we were at Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseille over the weekend, I said a prayer for everyone back home living through the rains and the flooding and I lit a candle for you. Even though I am over here having the time of my life, I haven't forgotten home and what has been going on. You have been in everyone's thoughts and prayers here. We all hope that you're safe and sound.
I hope you all have a great week ahead and I will be shooting another one of these out to you in cyberspace next week!!
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| Beach in Nice |
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| Same Beach in Nice |
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| Inside Notre Dame de la Garde |
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| Ceiling of Notre Dame de la Garde |
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