Looking Out My Back Door

France is not as nasty as some would have you believe

Ah, the French. So stylish, so sophisticated, so misunderstood.

I have been to France five times now, and it remains one of my favorite places. Some people think the French hate Americans. Up to now, when true, it's been because Americans can be just plain rude when visiting foreign countries. Now, of course, they hate our government (and about 49% percent of voting Americans do, too, so you can't fault them on that).

My theory on the "Ugly American" stereotype is that the French people are just not used to strangers coming up to them and jabbering away in English, expecting them to understand every word. How would you feel if you were in their shoes? (And here's the irony of the situation: people educated in Europe usually speak at least one or two other languages besides their own. Can we say the same?) In fact, they may speak English. But it's rude to assume that they do.

My own skills in French are not as good as they should be, but I make sure to practice a little before going there. (There are always key phrases that you should know in any country's language before traveling there, not limited to "please," "thank you," "how much is this?," and "hello." It's called common courtesy. ) My French is limited, but with certain key phrases and a smattering of the language, I have always been able to make myself understood. Plus, they are very flattered when they see you are at least attempting to speak to them in their language, no matter how badly you muck it up. Often, people have gone out of their way for me when they realize that, hey, at least I'M TRYING.

It's also important to realize that other countries do not have as lax a dress code as we do in the U.S. When on vacation, it's normal for us to "dress down," but our idea of dressing down just doesn't cut it in a lot of other countries. Leave the t-shirts and funny hats at home. It's OK to wear jeans when sight-seeing, even sneakers if you're walking a lot, but they should be clean and not ragged. At least most countries don't make women cover themselves entirely when in public (and it wouldn't be a lot of fun to visit those countries, anyway).

By the way, countries other than France have similar standards, so don't just pick on France. You can, however, single out France for its rich history, fine food and wine, glorious art, fabulous chateaux, fashion sense and design, cultural contributions (music, writing, etc.), and more. Plus, if not for the French, we'd be supporting Jerry Lewis in his old age, so I think they deserve some credit there.

posted by Hopster @ 9:46 AM