Student Now Living in France .. observations
Oct 20th, 2002, 08:45 AM
#45
Guest
Posts: n/a
Dear Genesea,
My 15 yo daughter wants to go to a Paris summer program that is run by an American org. It includes living with a host family in Paris and there is the
"opportunity" for unsupervised, afternoon time in the City. She is very responsible and cautious. Should we be concerned due to the political climate? Lack of supervision (she does travel alone around our City shopping etc)? The program is very reputable etc.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
My 15 yo daughter wants to go to a Paris summer program that is run by an American org. It includes living with a host family in Paris and there is the
"opportunity" for unsupervised, afternoon time in the City. She is very responsible and cautious. Should we be concerned due to the political climate? Lack of supervision (she does travel alone around our City shopping etc)? The program is very reputable etc.
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Oct 22nd, 2002, 04:35 AM
#50
Guest
Posts: n/a
First of all, if any of you are interested in emailing me questions, I would be happy to reply!
I hope to answer everyones questions in this mass post:
Jack R. -- the weather has been rainy for one day here, two days there ... nothing too bad. The wind has kicked up today, but the temperature feels like it is around the mid-70s F, and it sometimes feels a little humid. I dress in jeans, long sleeve shirt, Pumas, and I bring a sweater just in case. It's not too warm and not too cold -- perfect! If you visit my website at www.geocities.com/truckzter/links there is a link to the daily Pau weather.
Alan -- I miss SALADS!!!! The French are supposedly "so healthy" but fruits and vegetables aren't a big part of their meals -- at least in my family and at the university and various restaurants. I'm used to eating healthy salads two times a day. I also miss "light foods" because everything over here is so starchy and full of carbohydrates. Meals consist of rice, pasta, meats, potates, and bread ... I can get my Mexican, Chinese, Italian ... so I don't really miss any food in particular.
"mom" -- I was a responsible, cautious kid at fifteen too, but ... there was nothing about Paris that "scared me" per se, and I know enough French to survive, but it is one of those things where you never know. There is no "political climate" over here. Everyone is very lovely towards Americans (especially towards the female sex). Like I've mentioned before, the Franais don't hate Americans -- they just don't like the politics. So there aren't any hard feelings. And talking about Paris: my friend and I met many people on the street willing to help us with directions; some guys even carried our luggage up the stairs! I traveled with my girlfriend to the touristy places, and we took the RER (like the Metro) and there wasn't a problem -- lots of families, tourists, etc. BUT there are also lots of thieves/beggars asking "do you speak English?" (especially little kids around the Notre Dame) and wanting to get you to stop and talk to them. I'd suggest that your daughter takes a friend wherever she goes until she gets a feel for the area and can use the language.
Diedre -- my family doesn't always eat breakfast, but when they do, it's cereal, bread and Nutella, or fruit. Lunch is something like hamburgers, chicken, beef .. or whatever frozen food they bought. For dinner we've had moroccan with couscous, rice and beef, duck breast and potatoes, mutton and pasta ... the meat varies, but there is always a type of starch. Then for dessert they have plain yogurt and add sugar, or ice cream, or sometimes a homemade flan ... but generally they have yogurt.
Germaine -- I'm not really surprised at anything; my French family could be an American family because they don't fall into any French stereotypes. What I've noticed though, besides my family's lack of napkin use, is that my "father" is VERY sportif and goes hiking every weekend. And right after work, he plays sports with his friends -- tennis, basketball, etc. The boys (ages 17 and 24) in my family cook, clean AND IRON .. which is very cool because I don't know many guys in the states that will iron and wash dishes. The other difference is that everyone goes to bed so late over here. Dinners aren't until 8 or 9 PM and on the weekends people don't go out until 11 or 12am to the bars .. and then no one is at the discothŽques until 1 or 2 AM ...
Sheila -- The Blvd des PyrenŽes does have CafŽ Russe, The Irish Bar, The Australian Bar Winfield ... My friends love Winfield because of the music, but CafŽ Russe has great plush chairs ..
Cheers!
I hope to answer everyones questions in this mass post:
Jack R. -- the weather has been rainy for one day here, two days there ... nothing too bad. The wind has kicked up today, but the temperature feels like it is around the mid-70s F, and it sometimes feels a little humid. I dress in jeans, long sleeve shirt, Pumas, and I bring a sweater just in case. It's not too warm and not too cold -- perfect! If you visit my website at www.geocities.com/truckzter/links there is a link to the daily Pau weather.
Alan -- I miss SALADS!!!! The French are supposedly "so healthy" but fruits and vegetables aren't a big part of their meals -- at least in my family and at the university and various restaurants. I'm used to eating healthy salads two times a day. I also miss "light foods" because everything over here is so starchy and full of carbohydrates. Meals consist of rice, pasta, meats, potates, and bread ... I can get my Mexican, Chinese, Italian ... so I don't really miss any food in particular.
"mom" -- I was a responsible, cautious kid at fifteen too, but ... there was nothing about Paris that "scared me" per se, and I know enough French to survive, but it is one of those things where you never know. There is no "political climate" over here. Everyone is very lovely towards Americans (especially towards the female sex). Like I've mentioned before, the Franais don't hate Americans -- they just don't like the politics. So there aren't any hard feelings. And talking about Paris: my friend and I met many people on the street willing to help us with directions; some guys even carried our luggage up the stairs! I traveled with my girlfriend to the touristy places, and we took the RER (like the Metro) and there wasn't a problem -- lots of families, tourists, etc. BUT there are also lots of thieves/beggars asking "do you speak English?" (especially little kids around the Notre Dame) and wanting to get you to stop and talk to them. I'd suggest that your daughter takes a friend wherever she goes until she gets a feel for the area and can use the language.
Diedre -- my family doesn't always eat breakfast, but when they do, it's cereal, bread and Nutella, or fruit. Lunch is something like hamburgers, chicken, beef .. or whatever frozen food they bought. For dinner we've had moroccan with couscous, rice and beef, duck breast and potatoes, mutton and pasta ... the meat varies, but there is always a type of starch. Then for dessert they have plain yogurt and add sugar, or ice cream, or sometimes a homemade flan ... but generally they have yogurt.
Germaine -- I'm not really surprised at anything; my French family could be an American family because they don't fall into any French stereotypes. What I've noticed though, besides my family's lack of napkin use, is that my "father" is VERY sportif and goes hiking every weekend. And right after work, he plays sports with his friends -- tennis, basketball, etc. The boys (ages 17 and 24) in my family cook, clean AND IRON .. which is very cool because I don't know many guys in the states that will iron and wash dishes. The other difference is that everyone goes to bed so late over here. Dinners aren't until 8 or 9 PM and on the weekends people don't go out until 11 or 12am to the bars .. and then no one is at the discothŽques until 1 or 2 AM ...
Sheila -- The Blvd des PyrenŽes does have CafŽ Russe, The Irish Bar, The Australian Bar Winfield ... My friends love Winfield because of the music, but CafŽ Russe has great plush chairs ..
Cheers!
Oct 29th, 2002, 04:41 AM
#54
Guest
Posts: n/a
Well ... I am back again. =)
This past Sunday my family took me hiking to the Peak du Midi du Pyrénées in one of the national parks. Now, I must qualify that my "father" is a hiking fanatic -- snow, rain, etc. I, on the other hand, don't hike; the last time I was hiking was 4 years ago. So anyways, we had my friend Emily, my maman, papa, and family friend François. And I thought I was going to die. Okay, so I wasn't going to die -- and, yes, I am athletic -- but I wasn't prepared for the 5 hour hike we went on up and down mountains. Man, am I sore. Very sore. Yes, the mountains were beautiful with the snow .. but for me, the landscape isn't that beautiful for another hike like that. =)
After the hike we drove 20 minutes into Spain and stopped at a bar for drinks. Then we milled around some shops, and then it hit me: we don't have Oreos in France!!! Here they were in this Spanish supermarket .. and I had totally forgotten about them. But I bought some, and Jean, my papa, said they were "Super Bon." And in thinking about what I miss (I don't really miss Oreos, but it's cool to see American food in Europe), I realized that France doesn't have Dr. Pepper either! So I'm going to see if my parents can send me some Dr. Pepper.
Another interesting cultural difference: I wear sunglasses pretty much all the time because my eyes are sensitive -- but sunglass wearing is very normal in the US and especially in California. I don't consider it rude if people are outside wearing sunglasses --inside a building, yes. And it's very normal when outside to wear sunglasses while conversing with friends, etc. However, twice when I have been wearing sunglasses outside while talking to French people, they will take the sunglasses off my face without asking. The first person who did this was my "brother" Laurent, so I did't really mind -- but I was a little surprised, though. The other person was also a guy who I don't know very well. And I was definitely annoyed that he would take the liberty to remove my sunglasses .. for me, I feel violated (and I think it is rude) when strange people, especially guys, take the liberty to touch my face. And I don't know if my feeling is an American thing, or a female thing, or just a personal preference. I understand that the French see it as rude to talk to someone with sunglasses on -- but why don't they ask me to remove the sunglasses instead of doing it themselves? Hmm ...
I had another similar experience when a group of my friends were talking with some students at the residence halls. There was a guy from Mayotte (an island next to Madagascar) who wouldn't stop talking to me and some others around me. Once I started listening to another conversation, he reached over and touched my cheek and indicated with his fingers that he wanted my attention completely. I was pretty shocked because the conversation had nothing to do with me, and he wasn't just talking to me. My reaction was to tell him that I didn't want him touching my face. His behavior, and of the other guys, just seems real forward. I've never experienced the same behavior from people in the US ..
I'm beginning to miss salads (or just vegetables) more and more ... I can't believe how unbalanced of a diet people have over here ... it's just meat and carbos ... vegetables if you're lucky.
Anyone have any healthy eating suggestions?
Well ... I'm off to class ...
Cheers!
This past Sunday my family took me hiking to the Peak du Midi du Pyrénées in one of the national parks. Now, I must qualify that my "father" is a hiking fanatic -- snow, rain, etc. I, on the other hand, don't hike; the last time I was hiking was 4 years ago. So anyways, we had my friend Emily, my maman, papa, and family friend François. And I thought I was going to die. Okay, so I wasn't going to die -- and, yes, I am athletic -- but I wasn't prepared for the 5 hour hike we went on up and down mountains. Man, am I sore. Very sore. Yes, the mountains were beautiful with the snow .. but for me, the landscape isn't that beautiful for another hike like that. =)
After the hike we drove 20 minutes into Spain and stopped at a bar for drinks. Then we milled around some shops, and then it hit me: we don't have Oreos in France!!! Here they were in this Spanish supermarket .. and I had totally forgotten about them. But I bought some, and Jean, my papa, said they were "Super Bon." And in thinking about what I miss (I don't really miss Oreos, but it's cool to see American food in Europe), I realized that France doesn't have Dr. Pepper either! So I'm going to see if my parents can send me some Dr. Pepper.
Another interesting cultural difference: I wear sunglasses pretty much all the time because my eyes are sensitive -- but sunglass wearing is very normal in the US and especially in California. I don't consider it rude if people are outside wearing sunglasses --inside a building, yes. And it's very normal when outside to wear sunglasses while conversing with friends, etc. However, twice when I have been wearing sunglasses outside while talking to French people, they will take the sunglasses off my face without asking. The first person who did this was my "brother" Laurent, so I did't really mind -- but I was a little surprised, though. The other person was also a guy who I don't know very well. And I was definitely annoyed that he would take the liberty to remove my sunglasses .. for me, I feel violated (and I think it is rude) when strange people, especially guys, take the liberty to touch my face. And I don't know if my feeling is an American thing, or a female thing, or just a personal preference. I understand that the French see it as rude to talk to someone with sunglasses on -- but why don't they ask me to remove the sunglasses instead of doing it themselves? Hmm ...
I had another similar experience when a group of my friends were talking with some students at the residence halls. There was a guy from Mayotte (an island next to Madagascar) who wouldn't stop talking to me and some others around me. Once I started listening to another conversation, he reached over and touched my cheek and indicated with his fingers that he wanted my attention completely. I was pretty shocked because the conversation had nothing to do with me, and he wasn't just talking to me. My reaction was to tell him that I didn't want him touching my face. His behavior, and of the other guys, just seems real forward. I've never experienced the same behavior from people in the US ..
I'm beginning to miss salads (or just vegetables) more and more ... I can't believe how unbalanced of a diet people have over here ... it's just meat and carbos ... vegetables if you're lucky.
Anyone have any healthy eating suggestions?
Well ... I'm off to class ...
Cheers!
Oct 30th, 2002, 06:09 AM
#55
Guest
Posts: n/a
Your observations are so wonderful!
Is there much of a selection of fruits and vegetables in the grocery store? If so, wouldn't your host family let you purchase some salad goods that you, alone, could have for lunch or dinner, or you could introduce them to this refreshing accompaniment to a meal?
You could consider carrying fruit with you for snacking.
As for the 'forward behaving' men, do you notice them treating other women or young women in the same way?
Also, have you noticed if it's all men regardless of age or only men of a certain age?
I remember years ago in Athens that both men and women were rather 'in your face' with me. But, I also noticed they treated each other that way. And I mean good and bad 'in your face'.
Keep your observations coming!
Alan
Is there much of a selection of fruits and vegetables in the grocery store? If so, wouldn't your host family let you purchase some salad goods that you, alone, could have for lunch or dinner, or you could introduce them to this refreshing accompaniment to a meal?
You could consider carrying fruit with you for snacking.
As for the 'forward behaving' men, do you notice them treating other women or young women in the same way?
Also, have you noticed if it's all men regardless of age or only men of a certain age?
I remember years ago in Athens that both men and women were rather 'in your face' with me. But, I also noticed they treated each other that way. And I mean good and bad 'in your face'.
Keep your observations coming!
Alan
Nov 1st, 2002, 06:36 AM
#57
Guest
Posts: n/a
Genesea, I LOVE reading your posts. It reminds me of my year abroad in Germany. One of my American friends was the son of an army officer and he had access to an army base nearby. We used to "raid" their store for all things American that we missed-Oreos, M&Ms, Doritos, Salsa, etc. Don't know what to say about the forward men. All the times I've been to France I found the people to be very flirtatious-but I enjoyed it! If it bothers you, stick up for yourself and tell them to take a hike. Sounds like you have anyway. Keep the posts coming!
