Hello, French here. About french being rude, it is mostly if you go to touristy areas, especially in Paris. Restaurant staff might be rude because they have to serve hundreds of people per day and some of them are not the nicest ones so they get burnout pretty quickly. Also the fact that management in those restaurants is a nightmare makes things worse. Go outside of tourist areas and most people are pretty nice, even though they rarely speak english well. The business hours can be a bit diffucult to follow but you mainly have to be careful around sunday, monday, sometimes tuesday and on some rare occasions wednesday. Just check the business hours of places you wanna go to on the internet before going there. For monday, it's mainly because people don't go shopping or to other outside activities on the first day of the week. All the businesses I know have way less clients on mondays than other days of the week. When you go to a restaurant, you can stay for 3 hours if you want as long as you arrived at the correct time. 11:30am-12pm for lunch and 6:30pm-7pm for dinner. French do love to take their time eating. Whenever I go to restaurants with my family, we stay for around 3 hours, eating, talking etc... And lunch breaks at work are a minimum of 1 hour. Since restaurants are closed during the afternoon, they don't need to push away the clients who have finished their meal so that they can seat other clients with quick rotations of clients during the entire day. They get on client per seat at lunch, and one at dinner, and it's enough for them. Finally, when you come, don't look like a tourist, especially an american one. Don't go out with a basketball jersey for example, if people see you're a tourist, you may get attacked by pickpockets and scammers, especially in touristy areas or in the metro. Dress like a french, jeans and shirt, and don't talk to loudly as we tend not to do that, and you're good to go.
Hi Kyle, I really enjoy your videos, as it is very nice to see how "real life" Americans can be and behave through your videos! I am French, and there are two things I can provide a bit of context to, since you do seem to really be interested :-) First, the closed on Mondays thing. It is absolutely true for two kinds of businesses. 1. Small businesses, because by closing on Sundays and Mondays, they get to have 2 days off as most people have. Time off work is important and "sacralized" in France. 2. Big businesses that are open on Sundays for whatever reason (typically, due to local rules to give people the opportunity to shop on Sundays). Mondays off are then instead of Sundays off. And then, bakery shops are in a league of their own. They are small shops, but closing two days a week is too much lost business, and Saturdays and Sundays are their biggest days when people are off. So they just rest on Mondays! Second, the children begging phenomenon. It is unfortunately true, there is a very specific group of people that does this, historically if I can put it that way. It is valid in many European countries nowadays, and has been in France for 20 years or so (not at all when I was growing up in the 80s/90s for instance). It is horrible, but there are many legal ways to not have your child go through this, even if you yourself no resource at all. But you must allow it, if not this is where the system grips. Personally, I do not get why there is not yet a law defining such a child treatment as child abuse so it does not matter what parents want. Most people do think as I do, but in the end this is how it is for now, unfortunately. Please keep up the great videos about how the whole world does have surprises to offer to all of us!
Hi, one question to begging. So these are French children? I just can tell about Munich, Germany. Only passive begging is allow, so just sitting and having a shield. No active begging is allowed ! And most of people were transported by gangs e.g. from Romania to beg here for some months. That's the reason you shouldn't support them. The gangs taking the money at the end of the day.
@@rairei It is exactly the same thing as what you are describing, unfortunately. And supporting them is really a bad way to continue this circle of evil, because it is just what it is at the end of the day, a truly terrible act to involve children and not try to take them out of their misery using the country's solidarity resources.
i am using English in France, too.... but i am German, we have 9 countries bordering with us, and because i am born in the far north, i learned Danish in kindergarten... Danish isnt helping while visiting France... and because i know history, i almost only talk to younger folks or people with immigrant background! but i got also ask by people if i talk American...they are not French but by their accent, they had to be Americans! and also, everyone in Europe knows, that a language called American dont exist!
Seeing beggars is one thing but you might also have to deal with them because some of them can be quite aggressive. I'm French and (believe it or not!) less than a week ago a black guy, after asking people for money in the subway, POOPED in the car before leaving. That was...something!
the french can be seen as rude to americans is maybe also we don't have the same expectations for politeness. For example, if you enter in a shop or if you want to ask something to a person in the street, if you don't say "bonjour" and "s'il vous plaît", we can find your attitude as rude and the answer will be not very gentle.
The beggers always are people coming from very poor south eastern Europe countries (Roumania, Bulgaria, Albania,...) and the parents actually teach their children to beg and pickpocket because they know that the police won't arrest kids. As for the French being rude, it concerns mostly the Parisians that are always stressed and in a hurry. If you want to meet nice people, go outside Paris. Also, it is the same for dog poos. Anywhere else than Paris, most people pick up their dog's poo and there are free poo bags distributors everywhere.
Hi ! French here too, I reside in a small town in the south, near the french riviera, and yes, quality of life is great ! I"m here just to say i love your dog and his zoomies, could you introduce him to us in one of the next videos ? Kisses from France
The beggars are often gypsies (Roma people) originally from Romania or nearby. Of course, you also have French-born people begging like the occasional drunkard or addict but a considerable number of those begging are often foreign-born gypsies, especially if it's a child which is illegal in France. Some resort to pickpocketing. There are also French-born gypsies, some originally from Spain or from Spanish gypsy parents or grandparents but those I've never known to beg.
The more important question would be how were your friends acting when they were in France? Europeens (german influence) love to say "what you shout into a forrest halls out the other side (felt twice as loud)". And the "bagging" you´re not suppose to give them money because they aren´t homeless and actually get money by the gouvernment, they belong to the "bagger-mafia" and organized bagging cycle. I´ve encoutered them myself and saw how they pulled out their high-end smartphone watching tiktoks after they "bagged" everyone at a train station twice, they didn´t even remembered they just were asking me for money not even 5 minutes ago.
Thats a good point on how my friends were acting, typically very respectful people but who knows! lol. as far as the begging, thats sad to hear, i understand if your homeless and trying to make by but to scam people is just wrong.
@@KyleMcPherson1993 They might be respectful in generell but what americans tend to underestimate is: frensh have an extreme sense of national pride way bigger than even americans and they have enough history (culture, art, science) to back that pride up. And being respectfull doesn´t mean they´re edjucated to europeen standard due to fed propaganda at US schools, they might just were bragging about some "USA" thing based on propaganda learned at school. And I´m sure you´ve seen the news just as we europeens have, your schools and collages are pretty screwed and meesed up, but don´t feel bad about that; thanks to US influence it´s not really looking that much different at europeen schools, we´re just 1-2 years behind you guys. I was left my entire life but the election next year oh boy not just I also both my roommates are going to vote conservative and not for the big shithead party but the upcoming smal one which follows commun sense and traditional values. I hope Trump is going to support us next year if our election looks actually rigged and we have to raise once more and round up a certain population and send them back where they came from, not killing them this time. But due what´s happening here in Germany, getting laws in order again won´t happen without casualties, you just need to look at history to know there´s no way without. BTW: Trump 2024! Hated that guy last time but in recent interviews he seems to got his demezia under controll speaking mostly coherent unlike almost zombie Biden.
@@gedeuchnixan3830 German here, i got ask in France by Americans if i can speak American... i am fluent in English with a strong German accent, but that question i never answered... my inner Teutonic Knight wants to get out, i dont let him!
@@Arltratlo I would have done the smartarse with an american smile on my face asking back "you mean if I speak english? "😁 I´m a very sarcastic guy 😄 And what do we germans say? Dumb question, dumb answere?
Friendly/unfriendly: I guess it's more ..(especially in rural areas) ..it's not like my far away impression from the US is (though it's just a stereotype): Always asking for example: How is your day.. but: new residents are noticed, as well how they integrate. If they put some afford into making friends and contacts, than there might be open doors for them. if not, they might last as "weird strangers". I guess for French language the very first words are required... Hello, Bye, Thank you, Please ..this shows the intention to integrate... more language skills will come time after time.. Kyle's unfriendly dog... why didn't he said 'Hello' to us LOL ...Kyle, please talk with him !
Volkers says a lot of BS ... well, he generalizes quite a lot as there are huge differences between the large cities and the country life styles. E.g. shops being closed at lunchtime: not in Paris, and when they're closed on Mondays, it's because they were open on Sundays. We simply have a better work/life balance here but yes, visitors'd be well advised to check, particularly if they stay "off the beaten tracks". Eating at any hour of the day is perfectly possible at any restaurant or brasserie that displays "Service Continu" on their front, and there are many of them! Even in cafés, they'll often provide sandwiches, or some kind of light meal throughout the day. Watch: "Paris, France: Café Culture - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide - Travel Bite" on YT
Hello, French here.
About french being rude, it is mostly if you go to touristy areas, especially in Paris. Restaurant staff might be rude because they have to serve hundreds of people per day and some of them are not the nicest ones so they get burnout pretty quickly. Also the fact that management in those restaurants is a nightmare makes things worse. Go outside of tourist areas and most people are pretty nice, even though they rarely speak english well.
The business hours can be a bit diffucult to follow but you mainly have to be careful around sunday, monday, sometimes tuesday and on some rare occasions wednesday. Just check the business hours of places you wanna go to on the internet before going there. For monday, it's mainly because people don't go shopping or to other outside activities on the first day of the week. All the businesses I know have way less clients on mondays than other days of the week.
When you go to a restaurant, you can stay for 3 hours if you want as long as you arrived at the correct time. 11:30am-12pm for lunch and 6:30pm-7pm for dinner. French do love to take their time eating. Whenever I go to restaurants with my family, we stay for around 3 hours, eating, talking etc... And lunch breaks at work are a minimum of 1 hour. Since restaurants are closed during the afternoon, they don't need to push away the clients who have finished their meal so that they can seat other clients with quick rotations of clients during the entire day. They get on client per seat at lunch, and one at dinner, and it's enough for them.
Finally, when you come, don't look like a tourist, especially an american one. Don't go out with a basketball jersey for example, if people see you're a tourist, you may get attacked by pickpockets and scammers, especially in touristy areas or in the metro. Dress like a french, jeans and shirt, and don't talk to loudly as we tend not to do that, and you're good to go.
Thank you for all the information!
"the french love to smoke" I don't agree. "Only" one fourth of french people smoke on a daily basis.
Hi Kyle,
I really enjoy your videos, as it is very nice to see how "real life" Americans can be and behave through your videos!
I am French, and there are two things I can provide a bit of context to, since you do seem to really be interested :-)
First, the closed on Mondays thing. It is absolutely true for two kinds of businesses.
1. Small businesses, because by closing on Sundays and Mondays, they get to have 2 days off as most people have. Time off work is important and "sacralized" in France.
2. Big businesses that are open on Sundays for whatever reason (typically, due to local rules to give people the opportunity to shop on Sundays). Mondays off are then instead of Sundays off.
And then, bakery shops are in a league of their own. They are small shops, but closing two days a week is too much lost business, and Saturdays and Sundays are their biggest days when people are off. So they just rest on Mondays!
Second, the children begging phenomenon. It is unfortunately true, there is a very specific group of people that does this, historically if I can put it that way.
It is valid in many European countries nowadays, and has been in France for 20 years or so (not at all when I was growing up in the 80s/90s for instance).
It is horrible, but there are many legal ways to not have your child go through this, even if you yourself no resource at all. But you must allow it, if not this is where the system grips.
Personally, I do not get why there is not yet a law defining such a child treatment as child abuse so it does not matter what parents want.
Most people do think as I do, but in the end this is how it is for now, unfortunately.
Please keep up the great videos about how the whole world does have surprises to offer to all of us!
Hi, one question to begging. So these are French children?
I just can tell about Munich, Germany. Only passive begging is allow, so just sitting and having a shield. No active begging is allowed !
And most of people were transported by gangs e.g. from Romania to beg here for some months. That's the reason you shouldn't support them. The gangs taking the money at the end of the day.
@@rairei It is exactly the same thing as what you are describing, unfortunately. And supporting them is really a bad way to continue this circle of evil, because it is just what it is at the end of the day, a truly terrible act to involve children and not try to take them out of their misery using the country's solidarity resources.
Thank you for the information and support!
There is much less smokers nowdays.
i am using English in France, too....
but i am German, we have 9 countries bordering with us,
and because i am born in the far north, i learned Danish in kindergarten...
Danish isnt helping while visiting France...
and because i know history, i almost only talk to younger folks or people with immigrant background!
but i got also ask by people if i talk American...they are not French but by their accent, they had to be Americans!
and also, everyone in Europe knows, that a language called American dont exist!
Seeing beggars is one thing but you might also have to deal with them because some of them can be quite aggressive. I'm French and (believe it or not!) less than a week ago a black guy, after asking people for money in the subway, POOPED in the car before leaving. That was...something!
the french can be seen as rude to americans is maybe also we don't have the same expectations for politeness. For example, if you enter in a shop or if you want to ask something to a person in the street, if you don't say "bonjour" and "s'il vous plaît", we can find your attitude as rude and the answer will be not very gentle.
The beggers always are people coming from very poor south eastern Europe countries (Roumania, Bulgaria, Albania,...) and the parents actually teach their children to beg and pickpocket because they know that the police won't arrest kids. As for the French being rude, it concerns mostly the Parisians that are always stressed and in a hurry. If you want to meet nice people, go outside Paris. Also, it is the same for dog poos. Anywhere else than Paris, most people pick up their dog's poo and there are free poo bags distributors everywhere.
Hi ! French here too,
I reside in a small town in the south, near the french riviera, and yes, quality of life is great !
I"m here just to say i love your dog and his zoomies, could you introduce him to us in one of the next videos ?
Kisses from France
I absolutely will!
@@KyleMcPherson1993 Can"t wait !!!!
The beggars are often gypsies (Roma people) originally from Romania or nearby. Of course, you also have French-born people begging like the occasional drunkard or addict but a considerable number of those begging are often foreign-born gypsies, especially if it's a child which is illegal in France. Some resort to pickpocketing. There are also French-born gypsies, some originally from Spain or from Spanish gypsy parents or grandparents but those I've never known to beg.
The more important question would be how were your friends acting when they were in France? Europeens (german influence) love to say "what you shout into a forrest halls out the other side (felt twice as loud)". And the "bagging" you´re not suppose to give them money because they aren´t homeless and actually get money by the gouvernment, they belong to the "bagger-mafia" and organized bagging cycle. I´ve encoutered them myself and saw how they pulled out their high-end smartphone watching tiktoks after they "bagged" everyone at a train station twice, they didn´t even remembered they just were asking me for money not even 5 minutes ago.
Thats a good point on how my friends were acting, typically very respectful people but who knows! lol. as far as the begging, thats sad to hear, i understand if your homeless and trying to make by but to scam people is just wrong.
@@KyleMcPherson1993 They might be respectful in generell but what americans tend to underestimate is: frensh have an extreme sense of national pride way bigger than even americans and they have enough history (culture, art, science) to back that pride up. And being respectfull doesn´t mean they´re edjucated to europeen standard due to fed propaganda at US schools, they might just were bragging about some "USA" thing based on propaganda learned at school. And I´m sure you´ve seen the news just as we europeens have, your schools and collages are pretty screwed and meesed up, but don´t feel bad about that; thanks to US influence it´s not really looking that much different at europeen schools, we´re just 1-2 years behind you guys. I was left my entire life but the election next year oh boy not just I also both my roommates are going to vote conservative and not for the big shithead party but the upcoming smal one which follows commun sense and traditional values. I hope Trump is going to support us next year if our election looks actually rigged and we have to raise once more and round up a certain population and send them back where they came from, not killing them this time. But due what´s happening here in Germany, getting laws in order again won´t happen without casualties, you just need to look at history to know there´s no way without. BTW: Trump 2024! Hated that guy last time but in recent interviews he seems to got his demezia under controll speaking mostly coherent unlike almost zombie Biden.
@@gedeuchnixan3830 German here, i got ask in France by Americans if i can speak American...
i am fluent in English with a strong German accent, but that question i never answered...
my inner Teutonic Knight wants to get out, i dont let him!
@@Arltratlo I would have done the smartarse with an american smile on my face asking back "you mean if I speak english? "😁 I´m a very sarcastic guy 😄 And what do we germans say? Dumb question, dumb answere?
@@gedeuchnixan3830 i cant do that, we dont have any humor!
Friendly/unfriendly: I guess it's more ..(especially in rural areas) ..it's not like my far away impression from the US is (though it's just a stereotype): Always asking for example: How is your day.. but: new residents are noticed, as well how they integrate. If they put some afford into making friends and contacts, than there might be open doors for them. if not, they might last as "weird strangers".
I guess for French language the very first words are required... Hello, Bye, Thank you, Please ..this shows the intention to integrate... more language skills will come time after time..
Kyle's unfriendly dog... why didn't he said 'Hello' to us LOL ...Kyle, please talk with him !
Trust me when my dog starts to say hello, he doesn't stop lol
Volkers says a lot of BS ... well, he generalizes quite a lot as there are huge differences between the large cities and the country life styles.
E.g. shops being closed at lunchtime: not in Paris, and when they're closed on Mondays, it's because they were open on Sundays. We simply have a better work/life balance here but yes, visitors'd be well advised to check, particularly if they stay "off the beaten tracks".
Eating at any hour of the day is perfectly possible at any restaurant or brasserie that displays "Service Continu" on their front, and there are many of them! Even in cafés, they'll often provide sandwiches, or some kind of light meal throughout the day.
Watch: "Paris, France: Café Culture - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide - Travel Bite" on YT
Thank you for the recommendations!
Watch it again and listen better
work life balance is a unknown concept for Americans!
and i gave up to explain why we have so many vacation in Europe..