For now, I will just write jot down some initial culture differences I've noticed.
I think my favorite aspect of Paris is the leisure time which seems to be much more important here than in the States. This is sparked alongside the lack of materialism among the French seeing as working less means less money. My host family seems to be pretty well off, but it seems like they only spend money on the necessities. The French do place a high monetary value on fashion, but besides that, they really aren't a consumer group. They really prize their paid month long break from work for holiday every August. Taxes may be higher, but if the money's going to create public parks with eloquent rose gardens and charming fountains creating the perfect atmosphere to go hang out at with friends, so be it. Speaking of taxes, I'm in such a mental political conflict over government fiscal control. After being in a socialistic country for a little while, the positive elements of the other side are being lit up all of a sudden. I have much more to learn about it though before I start talking about it.
So the biggest myth I've debunked here so far is that the French hate Americans. Every french person I've met has been so nice, even the neighborhood shop owners that I've actually introduced myself to as an American studying abroad. The key to making good relationships here is showing enthusiasm for assimilation into the french culture: always speak French, be polite, and try to follow the rest of the behaviors of the culture (such as speaking quietly in public). The myth however becomes a reality when you don't follow these rules. I was out some friends and these two American women in their early 30s from Arizona sat down right next to us. They heard us speaking English and started up a conversation. They told us how french people have been really rude to them for their entire stay and the service has been terrible. Well I can totally understand that because when they came into the place, the waiter came up and greeted them in French and they just obnoxiously yelled at him "Uh...Drinks and Dessert!" like it was an order. No attempt to speak French, not even a Bonjour. The waiter looked a little pissed off, which is justified because of the differences in how one treats the waiter. In France, it is customary to treat the waiter with the utmost respect because he's the one in c
ontrol of your food. To get by and make friends, even if you don't speak a word of French, just have respect for the culture. And if you must speak English, don't be proud and loud about it. Understand that you're forcing the other person into a language that's not the norm in France. It's not that they hate Americans, it's just that a lot of Americans don't understand the culture and come off as rude. There are a lot of people here are so enthusiastic about the US and speaking English. When I was out with some friends, we met the owner of the bar who could not talk about how much he loved the states. His friends were the same way. One of them said, "Although my origin is of France, my heart is in America". Although to be fair, it's important that I mention that these guys were probably in their late 20s and definitely of a different stereotype of French (one of them proudly told us that he was married in Vegas and had not seen his wife since).Well, the week long language intensive French class that I had is now over and real classes at IES start tomorrow. Although they will be in French, I'm not too worried about them since all of the other students in the IES classes are studying abroad from America as well and will be struggling to comprehend as well. I am taking an Economics class at a University in Paris though, a little anxious about that, but I still have a week before that one starts.
