Cathinjoetown

ted, I agree, but that's how our instructor wanted it although we always addressed her and each other by our first names.

Pvoyageuse

"if you and your classmates addressed each other by your first names, it would be anomalous to use vous. Your teacher should have made the switch long ago, IMO. If you were Monsieur and Madame to each other, that's a different story."

I beg to disagree. You can very well address people (your colleagues at work for instance) by their first name and still use vous.

tedgale

Anyway, verb endings are more predictable in the 2nd P. Pl. That's why I've always preferred it.

Nikki

I think it would be very useful to address classmates as tu. I never get a chance to practice the familiar form of verbs and would be pretty clueless if I were in a situation that called for it.

CopperandJade

I’ve just reread the OP. A troll, as suggested by Kerouac? Perhaps. This subject has been discussed endlessly in many threads. I have a problem with the essential question of the OP. Do you honestly see the complexities and subtleties of the two countries so simplistically?

To respond in kind: (simplistically)

Yes, I have had some negative experiences in Paris. By far, my experiences have been been rich, exciting,and wonderful.

Be strong, curious and welcoming to new experiences. Don’t allow yourself to be 'shut down' before you even set foot in Paris, and in the rest of France. Stop being ruled by preconceptions, or a poll of ‘how you should experience your own life’.

Cathinjoetown

When thinking about it, we call most of our neighbors by their first names as they do us but it's "vous" all the way round. Maybe there's a progression, first Mme or M. and of course vous, then first names and vous, then first names and tu!

dogster

As rolfene hasn't replied to a single post since 2006 I rather doubt, copperandjade, that you'll get much of reply.

daveesl

I must say, it is true. Absolutely. Without a doubt. Frank people hate Amercians. It begins small, a rise of the nose, a wince of the eye and before you know it...yep...crepes in your pants. Mostly it comes from those that were born in the Petit Mime regions, near the villages of Marceau and Marcel. Amercians locked them all in boxes when they were little and would not let them out. To this day the hatred simmers. They did get some relief though when they brainwashed Walt Disney and had him create the Small World ride...the song, the horror...



dave

sassy27

I don't think rolfene is a troll becuase I remember my first trip to Paris years ago. I was told by some people, one was a relative, who told me why go there? The people are rude. Funny when I know they had never visited. My friend who went with me didn't like it and never told me why but ended up living there for 2 years.

On my second trip to visit her, I took my mom with me who had a bad experience. While getting on the bus to my friend's flat, a Parisian woman would not move out the way that is reserved for bikes, strollers or things with wheels. Well, of course, that was were we went with out luggage. Sure enough the bus turned and one suitcase took my mom out at the knees, knocking her into the woman. The woman wasn't old and boy did she start cursing in French. As my mom went down she hit her head and couldn't get up. The woman was ok and she stepped over my mom and went to an open seat which there where plenty of. My poor mom was laying on the floor and I could barely help her up. My mom felt horrible and kept trying to apologize and the woman kept cursing at her until my friend finally said real loud in English, she should apologize to you for not moving out of the way. At that point we knew the woman spoke English and we know she heard us when we got on the bus and said how she should move as there was space for her to move to. We got on the bus at the same time.

That one incident in Paris in less than 24 hrs on arrival, has caused one person to really dislike Paris and the people. Now would all Parisian's have been like that? Probably not.

Aduchamp1

We were in Edinburgh two weeks and Mrs Adu thought one guy was speaking Bulgarian until he said, "Aye."

ParisAmsterdam

rolfene,

Leave your husband at home and go yourself.

scatcat

Good idea ParisAmsterdam!

cigalechanta

I've been all across France and had many moments of kindness that the French went out of their way to be helpful.
Americans who go unprepared of the basics will get what they think is rude. Knowing basic French words for hello, good bye thank you, will get you far. I've seen Americans yell at waiters for their check, a no, no, Pick up merchandise in a boutique, a no, no. Order something they didn't know what it was and complain.

colduphere

I didn't know what a duvet was, or whatever those things to clean your butt are called, on my first trip to France. So I washed my clothes in mine. I got snapped at for doing that. How was I to know?

cigalechanta

duvet is a blanket, I think you mean bidet but I think it's trolling you are doing 9as usual)

nsalerno

Unsubstantiated bigotry!

kerouac

How long will this pointless thread continue?

xyz123

One of the most poignant days of my life occurred about three years ago when visiting the American war cemetery near Normandy and there were many French school children there standing at complete attention as they played the US National Anthem and each placing a flower on one of the graves. It almost brought tears to my eyes and should dispel this silly notion. Lots of American boys lie in cemeteries in France and gave their lives so that France might be free and the vast majority of the French people know that.

isabelsnana

Open your mind and heart, Paris is possibly the most fabulous travel experience out there. Go to Normandy, there is an American flag flying in every village and new memorials to our soldier/liberators being built every year. Don't buy into Faux News. The French people may dislike some of our government's policies( doesn't any thinking person) but they certainly don't hate us. There are rude people everywhere, probably even in your own neighborhood! Life is what you make it and if you can afford to see France it is definitely your loss if you don't. Read "Is Paris Burning" and contemplate what could have been destroyed. Or just forget a fascinating place and go to Hawaii, now there is an interesting place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5alive

Open your minds...I think Kerouac is right! I went and looked and Rolfene (kind of sounds like rolfing or throwing up) has not replied to about 10-12 threads she's started since 2006. And she's gotta be loving this one--about 75 entries?