Culture Clash

Things I’ll never get used to

Kissing on the face to say 'Hello': For someone who has trouble making and maintaining eye-contact, a part of me will always hesitate a bit when going in nose first with a total stranger for "bisous".

Directions: Since this is the first time I’ve ever really had to use a map (lord, how I miss you GPS) it is a huge emotional milestone for me. I simply CANNOT format aerial perspective into the real world. I hope I’m just ‘artsy’ and visually dependent, but spending 3 hours lost on a bus last week tells me it's more like my lack of attention to my surroundings.

French Salespersons: No cliché have I found to be truer than the FACT that French salespeople are rude. Yeah, I said it- and I’m 100% correct! No one has put me on the spot more than the fast-talking, straight to the point, no-nonsense breed of Frenchies that is the “vendeur/vendeuse”.  In it’s natural habitat, the salesperson has a hospitable air. The French breed, though, become hostile (at least in my experience) upon the detection of an American accent and attentive smiles fade into rolled eyes.This is most evident in the well-touristed areas. To avoid being followed and/or “that American", I now say no more than “Bonjour”, “Oui”, “Non” and “Merci” to anyone with a nametag. 

Things I could get used to

French sense of timing: 8:00 PM really means 8:30 (no-more like 9ish… no, not even- 9:30. Yes, definitely 9:30) and having dinner at someone’s house practically turns into a sleepover.

Stimulating conversation: While I love to talk about the latest celebrity gossip with my phone in hand to co-narrate my account, it’s superficial conversation. It’s very refreshing to experience the tangents that one goes on when talking about politics, comparing cultures, films, food, everything and nothing. Yes, the French are very opinionated, yet they aren’t offended when yours counters theirs. It’s a passive respect that allows free flow and exchange without verbal persecution; something practically unheard of in America (specifically Texas).

Having 6-course meals… EVERY DAY: Okay, maybe not everyday, but definitely every once in a while. The gluttonous part of me can’t help but be giddy every time the I see the hors d'oeuvres, THEN the entrée, THEN the plat principale, THEN more wine, THEN cheese & salad, THEN the liqueur, THEN 2 types of dessert. It’s like a sensory parade where one seemingly outrageous dish complements the next seamlessly. Might I add that most dishes are as pretty as they are palatable. Yes, the French make eating and drinking an art form; a cliché I’m happy to find true, and will be disheartened to leave. Something tells me this will be the hardest habit to break once I’m back in the land of drive-thrus.