Weird humans... by Thomas

Today in the bus, i was looking around... people's attitude, and so on. And I realised something. We might be a social animal, but we hate contact with strangers...

People sit as far from eachother as they can, when forced to sit in between two persons, either they stay up or they will reluctantly sit making sure that they are not touching the other people. Also, people can't help looking at eachother, yet when eyes cross, they turn away as quick as possible. Guys can make the analogy with the public restroom - same...well not the eyes, but you always do your business, first as far away from the door, if someone has taken that spot already - as far as you can...

And you know what, the bigger the city, the more the phenomenum... Actually if you think about it, people in smaller villages know intimely more people than the ones in big cities.

We indeed are a weird social animal.

Ceux d'en face... by Thomas

Not sure everyone speaks French, but in substance it means: the ones on the other side, the other team...

Interesting what is going on in french politics these days, a real campaign... take away the balloons, the flags waving, and you will see the exact same thing as the previous American presidential elections. And I have to say what shocks me the most, what makes me soooo mad is when these supposely elits of the Nations that want to govern us say things like that. the other ones, the ones in front, these people... Ah! do they forget that roughly 50% support the right side, and 50% support the left side (the figures vary from times to times 45-55 then 55-45).

And when I hear a politician being so arrogant and so sectarian that he would actually exclude and look with so much contempt these others, and pretend to be the president of all the french, my spine shivers. That has some link with a previous post where I was saying that politicians are so arrogant that they actually think that they are always right, while THE OTHERS are always wrong - and they explain to you very seriously when they actually lose elections that YOU voted badly, that YOU didnt understand, and that YOU made a mistake. So rather than putting the french together so they work together, they make sure that there are two France, the left one and the right one - Tactic old as the World - in french we say: diviser pour mieux reigner... divide and rule

Here in America, the names change, the tactics are the same. America and France may be very different, but when it comes to idiots, we surely are so similar....

Little note for these so-called Great men: One man, brighter than any of you once said: "Divide and rule, a sound motto. Unite and lead, a better one." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Rude French...by Thomas

I have read in a lot of blogs about how French rudness being more of a myth, and that you have rude people everywhere...and so on. I will not argue about that last point, but I would like to comment about the case of the French.

I have noticed that most of the foreigners defending the French are people living in France and who discovered the hidden side of France, if I shall say. Yet, I do think they missed a little point, that I am willing to discuss about here.

The main things that I heard about the French all around the world are that they are rude and arrogant. Everyone who really knows the French will definitelly disagree with it. So where does it come from. It can't be a collective hallucination as not only Americans are thinking so....I heard this from a lot of nationalities. So why? Most of the people with such a stereotype have visited France, and when I asked them where they have been, 80-90% replied Paris...AAAAAHH PARIS, BEAUTIFUL PARIS! The city of lights! One of the most beautiful cities I should admit. Could the problem be that simple? Well my answer is.." It explains a lot!!! I, myself, have been about 5 times in Paris, and I have been shocked every single time.

Before anyone starts saying anything, I should mention that I know France, as this is where I was born, where I grew up. I come from what real parisians may call sometimes with some disdain, "la Campagne" (countryside). The South West of France, a city of 100.000 inhabitants (so much for the countryside). Where everyone speaks with a strong accent. Where "une poche" is also a plastic bag. Where the foie gras is not some kind of paté in a can, but a thick slice that you grill. Where the national sport is Rugby and not Soccer. A real French (at least from the South West).

So yes, it is true that I don't reconize myself or anyone I know in the stereotype (we may be blunt and stubborn at times, but always polite). But if you ask me what I think about people in Paris...yes they are rude, yes they are arrogant. I went to Paris either as a tourist or because I had to (everything is centralized in France), and I have never been sent packing as much in my life as when I was in that city. At the airport RCDG, talking to a guy tyding the trolleys, because I got lost: Excuse me , Sir! Could you tell me how to get to the Terminal D! Answer: Hey, why dont you look at the sign, (in that tone that means, dumbass).... Another time, I am looking for a street, and ask this guy who sells newspapers on the Champs Elysees if he can tell me...he tells me he isnt a tourist center. Result, I ask to people who apparently dont know much but still send me in some directions, and end up walking during 1 hour under the rain to discover that the street is not even 50 metres away from that newspaper guy... DIOU BIBAN!!!! I could go on and on and on. So yes I do agree that Americans could try to speak a bit of French when they come visit France ( or any other foreigner), and maybe that could be the cause. Oh wait guess what, I speak French, I am French and they treat me like shit too. Even my own sister became this arrogant, Iknowbetterthanyoubecauseyouarejustalittlecountrysideman bitch (sorry for the ones the word could offend) after she moved to Paris.

So yes this is not how French people really are when you know them, but I won't blame the tourist for thinking that the French are rude or arrogant after a visit. It may be generalizing, but come on...if a french can end up with such prejudices about other french, Imagine a foreigner. (Désolé les parisiens, mais c'est vrai que des fois, vous abusez)

First day in "the land of the crazy people"..by Thomas

I will let kim talk about all the blabla about us, I wouldn't be good at it. But since I have to write things in here, I guess I will discuss about situations the way I lived them. I read a lot about Americans in France, and thought it would be interesting to somehow reply here. North America through the eyes of a Frenchman.

I will remember my first day in the USA my whole life. It was around christmas 2004. Kim picked me up in canada, and we were talking about everything and nothing...till I saw it! The sign saying "Bridge to USA". Do you remember the first time you took an important exam or interview, I was probably more nervous at that time. Thoughts and questions were spinning in my head. "Oh my God! I am going to USA. What if they arrest me? What if I say something wrong and they shoot me? Why am I going here again?". Before I continue on my story, I think I need to explain few things that would actually explain why I was asking myself all these questions.

There are lots of stereotypes about the French in USA, and eventhough I never fully understood where some came from, every little americans have heard about them. I should say that we do have some stereotypes about americans too. I will not talk here about the fat american with a ketchup stained shirt, a hamburger in one hand and a chubby kid with mickey mouse ears in the other. I want to focus about one idea that is very popular in France... USA HATES FRANCE. I often hear Americans saying French are not grateful for being freed and so on. But here is an interesting point. From both points of view, we will all agree that America played a decisive role in liberation of France. Yet, that is probably where the misunderstanding starts. During my education, here is what I learned! After D-Day, Eisenhower talked to the french radio saying that France was now under American control and therefore should obey any laws promulgated by the American High Command...Wait a second, does that mean that German occupation now becomes an American occupation? De Gaulle stepped in and made clear that France had to be under french command. American troops stayed till 1966, when they finally got kicked out. After that, it would be too long to list all the disputes as the US government never forgave us, and made sure that the American people would think alike. In the end, there is no real anti-americanism in France. Just a defensive reaction conditioned by what we learn in school or what we hear in the media. "America hates us, and wants to decide what we eat, what we should do, how we should do it and so on"

So here I am, very close to the american border, remembering all these stories about this french arrested at the border because his name sounded muslim, these french journalists handcuffed because they were missing a paper in their visa, or even this french lady killed in florida by a lifeguard truck... Gosh, I am so lucky, that I really wonder what will happen to me. At that point of the story, I am not sure I still have nails.

When we arrive, the border officer looks very... like in movies...ready to shoot at me. He asks for the passport and paper, looks at me...Damn he just asked us to park over there and go inside of the building...After awhile, they took my photo and my fingerprints and YAY, I am free to go...er I mean clear to go.

So here we are finally driving in the land of the crazy people. I would love to tell you that at that point I was feeling great, but I was still nervous. Kim probably noticed it as she kept asking me how I was. "Come on, I am in the land of the crazy people, where everyone has a gun and shoots at eachother". She laughed, and explained to me that not everyone had a gun and as a matter of fact she knew only one person who had a gun. Well BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!! While she was making that speech, we saw two guys walking along the road...with guns on their shoulders.

GULP..can you see on my face I am french?