So how do you feel about the French?
Discussion
I have been here for 7.5 years now.
During that time I have changed my mind again and again in relation to the character of the French. Sometimes I just think that they are being direct rather than rude, that they don't pussyfoot around with niceties and are therefore not hypocritical so at least you know where you stand with them.
Othertimes I find them rude, cold, slovenly, insensitive and generally standoffish.
After a recent trip to the UK the latter is starting to gain ground in this Gaule tug of war.
How long have you been here and which interpretation is winning in your game?
During that time I have changed my mind again and again in relation to the character of the French. Sometimes I just think that they are being direct rather than rude, that they don't pussyfoot around with niceties and are therefore not hypocritical so at least you know where you stand with them.
Othertimes I find them rude, cold, slovenly, insensitive and generally standoffish.
After a recent trip to the UK the latter is starting to gain ground in this Gaule tug of war.
How long have you been here and which interpretation is winning in your game?
I find that the French culture is very introverted in general.
Even the "anglo-themed" places and events are frenchified to the Nth degree, and this is backed up by legislation.
I'm extremely fortunate in that I have been a French speaker since my childhood, so have never had the experience many ex-pats have in adapting to the language etc.
I think attitudes towards foreigners will vary from region to region.
Certainly in places like the Lot-et-Garonne and the Dordogne, there is a distinctly "fed up with foreigners" mentality in some towns.
The biggest difference in establishing friendships with the French is that they will take much longer to develop, but they will be far more meaningful. French people may appear standoffish at first, but I have found them to be far more genuine once you get to know them.
Even the "anglo-themed" places and events are frenchified to the Nth degree, and this is backed up by legislation.
I'm extremely fortunate in that I have been a French speaker since my childhood, so have never had the experience many ex-pats have in adapting to the language etc.
I think attitudes towards foreigners will vary from region to region.
Certainly in places like the Lot-et-Garonne and the Dordogne, there is a distinctly "fed up with foreigners" mentality in some towns.
The biggest difference in establishing friendships with the French is that they will take much longer to develop, but they will be far more meaningful. French people may appear standoffish at first, but I have found them to be far more genuine once you get to know them.
Edited by PottyMouth on Wednesday 13th January 09:56
Driller said:
How long have you been here and which interpretation is winning in your game?
I think it also depends on where you are. We're fairly rural in the southernmost tip of Charente Maritime and I've found almost all of the locals very warm & welcoming. Not quite the same when you go into some of the towns in the Dordogne.We've lived off and on in Beaulieu-Sur-Mer for the past few years and whilst the French certainly have a low tolerance threshold for the tourists, they do come around after a while. I presume you speak quite a bit of the language by this stage so surely that can't be the big barrier...... Like anywhere, peoples attitudes differ, they don't all respond with a short whistle before spitting out their olive stone .... !!
Mmmm, looks like my impressions are not shared by anyone else here (as usual-ha! 
).
I'm also the only one in Paris though so that may be the reason. I was in a queue to pay this evening in Galeries Lafyette. When I went to leave after paying there was still a long queue behind me but on my way out I passed another checkout hidden from view with only one person waiting.
So I go back to the huge long queue and say (in French) "excuse me everyone, there's another checkout over there with a much smaller queue".
A few people turn to look at me as if I'm a
and then look back towards their checkout. Not a word. I turned and left with my arms in the air.
).I'm also the only one in Paris though so that may be the reason. I was in a queue to pay this evening in Galeries Lafyette. When I went to leave after paying there was still a long queue behind me but on my way out I passed another checkout hidden from view with only one person waiting.
So I go back to the huge long queue and say (in French) "excuse me everyone, there's another checkout over there with a much smaller queue".
A few people turn to look at me as if I'm a
and then look back towards their checkout. Not a word. I turned and left with my arms in the air.Edited by Driller on Thursday 21st January 18:10
As a frequent visitor to La Sarthe, most here are cool, although there are miserable bastids wherever you go. The Postmaster in Brulon is like that non smiling feckwit from the band 'Sparks'
Most of the yokels are a very friendly bunch towards the Brits who live and visit here but they do have a great disregard for Parisians (as do most) and they are not exactly enamoured with the number of African players in the French footie team.
Most of the yokels are a very friendly bunch towards the Brits who live and visit here but they do have a great disregard for Parisians (as do most) and they are not exactly enamoured with the number of African players in the French footie team.
Wow how can you go on such a generalisation - how do you find the french!! People are people, you have good and bad everywhere. We live in the Aude and previously in the Herault. The main reason we moved was for our children. The lack of aggression, drug abuse, better climate. The bad experiences here have actually been with British people who have not looked to integrate. We have many French friends - most of Spanish decent, just how it has happened.
floatingjimi said:
Wow how can you go on such a generalisation - how do you find the french!! People are people, you have good and bad everywhere. We live in the Aude and previously in the Herault. The main reason we moved was for our children. The lack of aggression, drug abuse, better climate. The bad experiences here have actually been with British people who have not looked to integrate. We have many French friends - most of Spanish decent, just how it has happened.
How long have you lived here for?I would say that in Paris - you do not have the same friendly approach - that is the locals view anyway. When you walk anywhere here and you meet someone you always say bonjour, upon entering a shop, business etc : Monsieur - Dame Bonjour, and you are met with a courteous reply. I remember a friend told me, he had gone to Paris and upon entering the local boulangerie said the same thing and was met with a steely silence. He said again a bit louder- same thing. On the tird time louder still, he finaly had a reply. When he got to be served, the baker said - you are from the South aren't you.
the Cote d'azur can be extremely stuck up sometimes.
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