Thursday, August 25, 2005
The Good and Bad things French.
Bonjour everyone. Today I am completing four full weeks in France and am getting ready to leave the first town I have lived in. I feel fully qualified to comment on my first encounter / "French Experience". It of course will remain the truely unadultered experience partly because I lived 4 weeks with a French Family. (exception:the weekend trips). So I am going to tell you what I think.
Stereotypes and my view
1. French people are not friendly.
The most untrue and unfair stereotype of all I think. I have lived for over a year in three countries and have spent over 2 weeks (enough time to verify stereotypes) in over half a dozen. The French easily fall in the top quartile (the top 25%) in friendliness. Of course the language barrier does make it difficult but then after attempting to learn this language I can already imagine how difficult it would be for them to learn the other "rough languages".
2. French love their Cheese and Wine.
This is true. They are great cooks. Love the way food LOOKS around here. I love this food. I only wish I didn't have a very restrictive diet or I would be in a total exploratory mood.
3. They are all artists
After four weeks if I walk into elementary school and asked a student in random "What do you want to become in life?" My first guess for an answer would be "Gardener". How else could they have so many well maintained gardens on the streets, in the house, in the castles, in the office, on the banks of rivers etc etc etc? all in full bloom and beautiful.
4. Business is laid-back / Too bureaucratic
Well well well, all people I have spoken to so far stick to a 35 hour work schedule (legally, spiritually, emotionally and physically). My bank hasn't moved on from 1985. For changing my Euro travellers cheques into currency notes, the post-office executive had to fill in atleast 2 forms (with atleast 4 copies of each). Judge for yourself.
5. They are socialists.
With the taxes at probably the highest levels in the world and most of it done to distribute to the "have nots" I think this is very true (and different from all countries I have seen so far). It is scary. One gets often motivated to NOT work because the perks are high.
Besides, they seem proud of history, much more aware of world affairs than the "Average" world citizen. In short I love it here. Mais, will I stay here for ever? Peut-etre non.
A Bientot.
Bonjour everyone. Today I am completing four full weeks in France and am getting ready to leave the first town I have lived in. I feel fully qualified to comment on my first encounter / "French Experience". It of course will remain the truely unadultered experience partly because I lived 4 weeks with a French Family. (exception:the weekend trips). So I am going to tell you what I think.
Stereotypes and my view
1. French people are not friendly.
The most untrue and unfair stereotype of all I think. I have lived for over a year in three countries and have spent over 2 weeks (enough time to verify stereotypes) in over half a dozen. The French easily fall in the top quartile (the top 25%) in friendliness. Of course the language barrier does make it difficult but then after attempting to learn this language I can already imagine how difficult it would be for them to learn the other "rough languages".
2. French love their Cheese and Wine.
This is true. They are great cooks. Love the way food LOOKS around here. I love this food. I only wish I didn't have a very restrictive diet or I would be in a total exploratory mood.
3. They are all artists
After four weeks if I walk into elementary school and asked a student in random "What do you want to become in life?" My first guess for an answer would be "Gardener". How else could they have so many well maintained gardens on the streets, in the house, in the castles, in the office, on the banks of rivers etc etc etc? all in full bloom and beautiful.
4. Business is laid-back / Too bureaucratic
Well well well, all people I have spoken to so far stick to a 35 hour work schedule (legally, spiritually, emotionally and physically). My bank hasn't moved on from 1985. For changing my Euro travellers cheques into currency notes, the post-office executive had to fill in atleast 2 forms (with atleast 4 copies of each). Judge for yourself.
5. They are socialists.
With the taxes at probably the highest levels in the world and most of it done to distribute to the "have nots" I think this is very true (and different from all countries I have seen so far). It is scary. One gets often motivated to NOT work because the perks are high.
Besides, they seem proud of history, much more aware of world affairs than the "Average" world citizen. In short I love it here. Mais, will I stay here for ever? Peut-etre non.
A Bientot.
