The French Ways of Thinking/Being/Interacting

As we've all heard or will soon hear, culture shock happens in many ways and in many forms. Yes it's normal to be overwhelmed by a new area, atmosphere, and just external things seen on a daily basis... but, one form of culture shock that is seldom experienced in a short vacation are the differences of the way of life, attitudes, and habits of the locals in a given area. Luckily, with a study abroad program you're able to delve into all the nitty-gritty details of how the locals live their life.

SO, WELCOME TO FRANCE!

First off, saying "Welcome to ______" is a very popular phrase. Whether it be a city, a museum, a school, a shop or another else you may enter at any given time, the locals love saying bienvenue as opposed to just "hi" or "hello" like in the United States. I can't count how many people have told me "Welcome to Rennes" when I tell them I'm from the US. It may just be me, but typically "oh cool" would be my response to people visiting the US from other countries.

Let's Eat!

The French LOVE a long lunch and dinner. Every day we have an hour for lunch at school. I don't know about you, but when I was in high school, I had a max of 30mins for lunch and sometimes less! Even in college I manage to grab something to go and eat in less than 30minutes for lunch. If nothing else, lunch and dinner are a process in France.

Let me take you through a typical restaurant experience in France:

1- Sit down (typically seat-yourself style)

2- Wait 20 minutes to get any service because this is typically the time people use to initially catch up and chat for a bit

3- Order an aperitif or drink

4- Sip and munch on your aperitif and continue to chat

5- Order your meal

6- Eat said meal

7- Order either a palette cleanser, coffee or tea

8- Continue to sit and wait for the check

9- Split the check at the table with your friends because no restaurant in France splits the check per person... even if you ask.

10- Wait to pay

11- Pay and leave

I'd say that's quite a process! Contrary to what you may think or how it sounds, a long lunch (if taken advantage of) is a really nice break in the middle of the day to sit back, relax and enjoy a meal with some friends.

Dinner is a whole other story though. Little by little, small plates of food are served. But, before any food, there must be an aperitif (especially if there's company over). After about 5 plates later and 3-4hours passed, dinner is over and it's nearly 11pm. I could go on about the dinning habits of the French but alas, we must move on.

Controversy? Bring it on!

In the United States it's fairly taboo to speak openly about controversial issues... especially politics and money. However, in France, those topics are far from controversial. In fact, they're encouraged in a normal day to day conversation.

I can't count the amount of times I've been in a setting with multiple French people and politics come up. At first it caught me off guard because a) people in the United States aren't as open with their political views and b) arguing in a public and dinner setting is typically frowned upon in the United States, whereas in France, it is completely normal and people don't get offended.

Enfin,

There's real value in getting to know other cultures. Knowledge and experience allows you to appreciate your own culture more as well as learn new things about different cultures. In the grand scheme of things, the French are just like everyone else... but with more cheese. 

 Brittany Lindsey

Utah State University