STOP BELIEVING THESE LIES ABOUT FRENCH PEOPLE!!
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- I see a lot of content out there on social media that makes it seem like all French people are superficial and judgy. This stereotypical side of French culture is nothing new and you’ve seen this type of content time and time again. “French girl” this and that sells. Aspire to be like the French! Diet like them, raise your kids like them, decorate like them. I know you know what I mean and it’s not all bad. There are lots of amazing things the French do well and we can learn from them. But the French also get pegged as arrogant and rude. Let's get into some real talk about what French people are really like.
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Salut! I'm Diane, an American who has lived in France since 2012 and the creator of the blog/UA-cam channel Oui In France. My channel's focus is "Everyday French life and beyond." I make videos on French culture topics, France vs. US culture comparisons, food, travel, language, and give you my thoughts about what it's like living in France as an American in the Loire Valley. Thanks for being here and if you enjoy this sort of thing, please share with friends and subscribe!
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#frenchculture #frenchpeople #frenchstereotypes
I've been to France many, many times. What bothers me the most is when people think they have seen France by only visiting Paris. While I love Paris, I think you really need to get out of the city and explore other regions even if it's only for a few days. Tourists can also be rude beyond belief. I remember one incident at Mont Saint Michel where this English speaking person was ridiculing a shop assistant because they didn't understand what he was asking for. If you go to France just remember not everyone speaks English! Even if you start with bonjour and ask if they speak English they will often do their best. You also need to properly prepare yourself by understanding shop opening times, when restaurants serve meals etc. Just basic French culture. France is an amazing country and has so much to offer and you are really missing out if you don't visit at least once in your life.
Merci Alan. ❤
Oui, merci 👍
Bravo Allan. Well said. Why do people think it is their God given right to expect a French person in their own country to speak English.
When a French tourist goes overseas I know as I have seen it with my own eyes they speak English or at least make an attempt to. So should we then not make an attempt. There is no excuse now with good apps, just at least turn it on & give it a go. It works wonders
You'll always be welcome in France Alan , Merci.
Yes, really, Paris is not France. Oh no !
Visit Britanny, for example, and you will discover what France, and french people, really look like.
As a french, thank you for that video. And I want to add that everything you say is valid for any nationality/country.
You're welcome and thank you for watching!
But French people have also stereotypes towards Indians and never ever think about how biased they are. They generalize Indians and when you tell them. They wont even see the problem...
@@nagnag9722 Why Indians specifically ? this is so random....
I don't want to nitpick, but you're generalizing too... "french people have also stereotypes"... Having stereotypes or bias is by NO MEAN uniquely french, it's a human trait.. I'm pretty sure that Indians have some too. This is the subject of this video after all.
@@taniaw7000 I just want to highlight the fact that French people dont realize that they are doing towards Indians what they don t like for themselves.
@@nagnag9722 That can be said about every country/nationality. All around the world, people have opinions and bias about others, but don't like being at the receiving end of it. Diane is just talking about countries that she knows (USA and France).
So let's just say that I don't get your point, you seem too focused on that particular exemple ("french people VS Indians").
If this is something that you experienced yourself, I'm sorry.
My sister is also an American living in France for about 25 years so I've been several times. The last time I visited in July I watched a UA-camr that talked about what to and not to wear or you will be JUDGED. She basically said ALL FRENCH dress wonderfully at all times! Uh, they're normal people and basically don't care!
Hi Amy, that's the exact type of content that I feel is so detrimental. Seems really misguided and I'm saddened if that's been her experience. ;-( What you said is true. The French are normal people too and don't care!
You have to be selective when following UA-camrs. I’ve been following Oui in France for a few years now because Diane is straight forward and what she says is consistent with my experiences. Bon chance.
I’ve been to paris and different parts of France over 20 times and I just returned from after two week stay. Everyone dresses “normally”. And they have heavy set people too. I’m not sure where this “judging” thing came from. It’s simply not true. Sweaters, sweat shirts, jeans, knit caps sneakers…etc. Yes they are “regular” folks. And as far as stereotyping Americans as “loud”, in my experience it’s not true. I’ve found other English speaking folks to be loud. For anyone interested in going, I say go. It’s a great country with nice people.
I noticed one strange thing in Paris: women go in light sandals without stockings or socks _in February!_ OK, so we Croats do believe you will catch some awful disease and die a horrible death the moment your bare foot touches stone or concrete or there is any trace of draft in the room, but this is ridiculous.
Plus when you see some of us Frenchies, we definitely do not all wear high class clothes. At least for me, it's pretty much the other way around.
I have been in France for the past two weeks it’s my third visit. Much of the time I spent in a village in the Normandy region with side drives to the sea in Brittany. I’m now in Paris. I have never felt the French were unkind or rude to me. I’m a 70+ female traveling alone. Yesterday I came into Paris on a train from Flers. The French man next to me and I chatted much of the 3 hour ride. He helped me to navigate my way to metro and RER from Gare Montparnasse. Also had a young men carry my bag up a long flight of stairs. Twice. I cannot be more impressed with the French people. I will be back as I love coming here. I do not speak (other than a few polite words) French. But I’m understanding more as I travel. And I’ve never felt shamed by anyone. I’m definitely not model material so it’s not appearance. I just try to be nice. That of course goes for every country. The first time I came to France I was questioned and cautioned by many of my work friends who voiced the same stereotype that you spoke of. And of course I told them it was totally untrue. Thanks for this video.
This comment warmed my french heart. Thank you for that.
You are welcome back any time
Great comment ! I've experienced the same as a french woman in the UK (living and working there many times). People were just adorable ! And many of the people in my surrounding were telling me how horrible the Brits are, and so forth, even if they never lived nor even traveled to the UK. The same goes for Americans. People who never talked or had any interaction with US citizens are the first to critisize them.
I'm French, been working in the US for quite some years...But it's in the state of Maine, so probably doesn't count. I totally agree with you. I met really great people in the USA but also a bunch of jerks. Same in France! I think that unfortunately, stupidity is the world's most spoken language. Thanks for the video.
On my trip to Paris, I met rude people (as you would anywhere) but also some incredibly kind, patient people. Same goes for New Yorkers. I've found far kinder people there than I've encountered in my own small, midwestern city that proudly proclaims its "friendlieness" in slogans, etc. Generalizations definitely do not apply.
Yup, and sometimes it's even the same person in the same day. Like I said in the video, we're all human and I'm sure I've been rude to people because I was having an issue with something. It's not my "norm" but we all can have our moments. French, American, all of us.
On a 12 million population you have more " kind people" than in a 1.200 population it doesn't mean the proportion is higher.
@@lioneldemun6033 true
yes that's how things are but at the same time you have been in paris, even for us french we see peoples from that place more "rude"! The main problem in france was some years ago where there was much lesser peoples that spoken english!
The place where i am from are seen as " vulgar" but it's just that we have a language that use more "curse work" but that not much diferent than the americans that say "f*ck" all the time lol ( i'm in the south est of france close to "marseille") so call us the "Texas of france" lol!
Parisians are brain ravaged. When you think that's one of the first place for tourism in the world and you see how waiters or hotel personel treat tourist that's quite a shame. This town is captial of irrespect & dirty.
We have been in France once. We started in Nice and spent time in Provence and ended in Paris. We found everyone helpful, polite....nice! My daughter had the same experience when she was in Paris. I think maybe you get back what you give out!
Very true
It's also true of every country! I've met Germans with a good sense of humor, Americans who didn't own a gun, and even British people who could cook!
I had a wonderful time during my high school trip to France. I didn't expect the people in Paris to be anything other than...busy, and you know what? That's what they were. But if you made an effort, like with shop keepers/workers, it seemed that they appreciated it and were patient. When in restaurants, I was kind to the workers and, you know what? They were kind right back. My favorite location was Dinard...and the people I encountered there were - you guessed it - kind. The more you travel, the more you realize that people are people wherever you go, and the vast majority of time if you give them a chance to BE kind, they will.
Merci Diane de parler de notre pays de façon objective. En effet la France n'est pas différente des autres pays, nous avons nos forces et nos faiblesses. Votre chaine apporte un éclairage salutaire pour les gens influençable.
Bien dit, merci!
Diane I figured out a long time ago, there are beautifully kind people in all cultures and the opposite is true too, there are dysfunctional people in every culture. People are people no matter where they live. I love your videos - thank you for sharing your experience in France!
Exactly, thanks very much!
You’re absolutely right. The more cultures I discover, the more I’m convinced of this. The main features of every cultures is universal and is that cultures are formed by humans.
In the 30+ countries I have been to, some of the nicest, most helpful people were French. The last time I was in Paris, my mobile data stopped working and I was left at the building door of the airbnb with no way to check my email for the door code. A woman in another building saw me stomping around, frustrated and trying to get my data to work. She invited me into her apartment to connect to her wifi. I can't recall anything nearly as hospitable anywhere else
Plot twist: the women watching you was the host .
as a French I don't believe it but if it's true you've come across an exceptional person
@@O.LeTruanden temps que français, je n'ai aucun mal à le croire, et non, ce n'est pas du tout exceptionnel, j'ai fait un voyage à pieds de plus de 1200 kms, j'ai rencontré des gens adorables qui m'ont hébergé certaines nuits, juste par gentillesse, ça comprenait un bon repas, une douche, la nuit, le petit déjeuner, gratuitement.
Diane, I think you’re completely right about the stereotypes Americans have about the French, both positive and negative. I’ve met many Americans whose only experience of French people is in the tourist areas of Paris. It’s equivalent to judging Americans by the people in Manhattan near the Empire State Building. I’ve also met Americans who have been to Paris many times but never anywhere else in France, which also distorts their view of the French. Finally, if you speak French you will have a different perspective of French people.
Hi David, very good point about people who go to Paris and only Paris. You get a skewed view of the population, just like people who only visit NYC. Thanks for watching!
Learning new languages opens your whole world to other ways of being!❣️❤️❣️
@@KiKiQuiQuiKiKi 👍👏😆
Bravo, how very true ! Paris isn't France at all. Even us provincials are abued and looked down by Parisians. I beseech you, if you visit France please please visit small towns. You'll be amazed how much kinder you're treated when you're far away from tourist traps. It'll be a completely different, enriching and encouraging experience. And far less expensive as well !
@@clementineclement5757 I have to say, on internet you will find far more criticism about parisians coming from provincials than the other way.
Also, from my experience (a provincial living in/near Paris, since more than 20 years now), that is also true with "real" people. Never ever have I encountered a true parisian (or a provincial living in paris for that matter) bashing about provincials. You may see people bashing a province (for instance I'm from Normandy, so I often hear that it's always raining there) but that's another topic.
But God when you go to provinces and people know you live in/near Paris, you will invitably hear people bashing about Parisians and their arrogance / how they don't respect rules / how they think they are the center of the world / they should stay in Paris. When you go to provinces in holidays usually you just don't say that you're from Paris, to avoid this kind of behaviour.
Such a great video. I went to France for the first time in October. I had been so worried for a bit about what I was going to wear, but then realized it didn’t matter. People are dressed all different ways! (And no one should believe the no athletic shoes in Paris thing that still gets put out there, they’re everywhere!) There are definitely people who have bigger bodies, aren’t as well off, aren’t well dressed. We had wonderful service at restaurants, with a couple minor exceptions. We always said “bonjour,” “merci,” with a smile. Mostly I think, our mindset was the most important-we were excited to just immerse ourselves in whatever we did including interacting with people as nicely and respectfully as we could. Oh…..I want to go back!!!!
Really important comment. Thank you, Jodie. People are all different and dressing for yourself is key. The mindset counts for a lot as well.
There is many poors in France XD We are soon a garbage people country. Have nice clothes is clearly not the prioritry of average french at the moment. You don't need to smyle when saying bonjour or merci.
I retired to the south of France 6 years ago. I love it here. Yes, there are people who are judgmental, angry, negative, and whiny just like there are in other countries, but there are far more people who are kind, helpful, generous, and have a good sense of humor. Let's face it: people are people no matter where you go on this planet.
I found that even the French hate Parisiennes, and consider them arrogant and patronising. We lived in a French village for 8 years and found the French non judgemental, and respond as they find. In the end I came to truly love my neighbours, we exchanged recipes. ate together. The French will dress up to go shopping? No, they dress smartly not slovenly. We could learn a lot from the French. I soon came to notice that my neighbours across the road took turns with their family to host Sunday lunch. So Anna would cook every 5th Sunday, and the rest she would go to the family. This is a brilliant idea. Eating in France with family is a celebration of Family. I loved it.
And so it's not ok to judge french people but it's ok to judge parisians as a whole. I know that some french people outside Paris love to criticize Paris but this has nothing to do with reality but with the complex relation between Paris and the rest of France
Thank you so much for telling people that we are not like in Emily in Paris.
I’ve been to France twice. Each time I had a wonderful time and the french were nicer to me than people in my own country would be ( my countrymen pretend they’re helpful, but in the cities, they’re not)
I wont listen to a word of crap about arrogance etc.
Sure if you’re rude, they’ll be rude right back , but generally speaking it’s a great place to visit and I’d love to visit again
I'm an overweight woman who recently went to Paris for the first time, and I had a great time! I can honestly say that I didn't feel particularly judged. That said, I didn't try to buy clothes while I was there. Maybe that experience could be problematic (as it can be in the US)? I don't know. I didn't try to be something/someone that I'm not, and I tried to be polite and respectful to everyone I interacted with. I found that everyone was just trying to live their life, and they were generally polite and respectful to me in return. This has been true everywhere I've been.
SO glad you had a great time!
there is "big peoples" clothing stores in france but yes i think yes less than in the USA or at least ( don't take me wrong) "less big clothes" ( we have that image that there is much more "big peoples" in the USA than in france don't know if it's true or false)!
@@thaeros I'm sure there are stores with clothes for larger people in France but I personally didn't try to find them during my trip. I actually follow one of these stores on social media, but they didn't have anything I particularly wanted to buy so I didn't go while I was in Paris. That said, fashion can be problematic in general for larger people everywhere, not just in France.
@@Jessica_P_Fields yes i undertand that, not because i'm large but because i'm very tall (196cm) so there is too some clothes that are not avalaible for me same with my shoes (46)! i was just saying that it exist nothing more and nothing less! And sorry if my "big peoples" might had disturbed you, i'm not very good at "fiding the good word" even more in english what is not my main language!
@@thaeros I understand and I wasn't offended at all! 🙂 For myself, I mostly didn't feel comfortable making definite claims about clothing stores for larger people (also called "plus size" in the US) in France because I didn't go to any of them. I can imagine that it would be difficult to find clothes and shoes while being very tall also!
"French people are superficial and judgy"
oh yes, she had a lot of issues! sadly though i still see/hear that kind of commentary from people all the time, as if a couple of interactions with judgy French people represent everyone.
@@OuiInFrance It's really sad and it puts me off from visiting other countries. I'm aware it's not true but sometimes I don't listen to my inner self.
Love, love your videos by the way.
You often get back what you put into the world. If you treat people poorly they're not gonna treat you well in return. And projection is a big thing too.
@@cepahreinholt8710 Yes, treat others the way you want to be treated. A very basic concept.
It's interesting to me because , as a french , we also have missconception about other country. As a kids , i was seeing american and japan as the eldorado , the land of the free where you can live your american dream on one side and the land of the anime and manga , where everyone would be nice and healty . Of course it's juste a cliché (or une image d'epinal like we say in france , but cliché exist too , of course ).
What we saw in movie , what we learn from other aren't always true. it's just one experience and we can't generalize from only one or two experience . Traveling is a beautiful experience . If we are polite and try to make things right , we should be fine . Of they are asshole , but like everywhere else , we musn't let these one dictate how we will feel and ignore them .
Stereotypes are a poison. You're completely right.
This video reminds me of the French idiom "enfoncer des portes ouvertes" (breaking into an open door) for stating something obvious but sometimes it's a good thing to tell the naked truth.
There are good people and bad people everywhere.
Live long and prosper to all good people.
Although we have travelled extensively in France for many, many years and have a little house there in the countryside. My husband is now quite elderly and since Covid is rather lame. I have never met such kindness, people helped me get luggage on to trains. One man abandoned his own luggage, wife and child to carry (BOTH) suitcases down long flights of steps to the platform because the elevator we usually rely on was broken and out of service. Nearly everyone asks me if I need help. I am sure they would do the same anywhere, but it meant a great deal to me with an invalide husband.
Our first time to Paris we were also put off by what others had to say and for that reason only stayed 4 days. We loved it and regretted not having more time. I very much enjoyed being addressed as Madame 😊
Hope you visit again soon!
@@OuiInFrance Next year, 1-2 months in France.
I went France this past August, I was very pleasantly impressed by how nice people were all over our River cruise from Honfleur to Paris. We were part of the holiday season along with many other visitors from inside and outside the country.
Such a great cruise!
Yes! I did that cruise as well! It's fabulous 😍. Highly recommended!
If you had a stop in Rouen, you surely met me 😉 I am the guy who's talking with every tourist 😁
Thank you for this post. I have enough observations on it to fill a small book.
I now live in France after having grown up in the U.S. and having lived a couple of decades in The Netherlands. Being well-educated, I speak flawless, precise, grammatical, albeit accented English. I speak and understand Dutch with great fluency and comfort. I studied French for a number of years before learning Dutch and achieved a fair level of fluency in speaking and reading French before my Dutch fluency. Learning a third language muddled all my languages. I now live in France, and practice in my second language has started to differentiate and improve all three languages.
To the point of the video:
I have found all the accepted American preconceptions about the French to be false. Yes, Parisians can be difficult to tourists. I lived in Amsterdam, and Amsterdammers could also be difficult to tourists. In any city which welcomes hordes of tourists, inhabitants can easily grow weary of being frequently bombarded with questions and can become a bit impatient with tourists. That said, I found that both Parisians and Amsterdammers thawed considerably with even somewhat inept attempts to address them in their own language.
I now run a chambres d'hôte in the French countryside. Although my French language has some limits (particularly in comprehension), I find the French kind, helpful, warm, accepting, exquisitely polite, and they excuse my errors with grace and humor.
I rather expected a certain laxity of cleanliness, based upon the prejudices I had learned, but that is completely not the case.
My only criticism of some French people is their reluctance to honestly reveal their true opinions. They will often not express any dissatisfaction, preferring to smile and compliment to one's face and later to critise when not facing one.
All in all, I enjoy living among the French more than any other folk among whom I've lived!
I went alone to France the first time and actually had a blast for the most part. It depends a lot on mindset. My French is still super bad.
I don't know how you do it, but you are so good at articulating complex topics! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights with us! Great video 👏
Wow, thank you! Really kind of you.
Bonjour Diane, je ne sais pas pourquoi j'ai commencé à regarder tes videos mais je voulais te remercier pour la qualité du travail que tu fournis auprès de nos amis américains. Tu ne donnes pas une image idyllique de la France mais une image positive et nuancée. Tu connais bien ton sujet et tes videos sont très agréables à regarder.
Tu es un enrichissement pour notre pays, puisses-tu t'y sentir comme chez toi
As a middle-aged man, I was visiting Annecy (near Geneva), I got caught in the rain, and stuck out my thumb to hitchhike. Shortly, a single woman with two children in the car took pity on me and picked me up. Perhaps by my clothing, she noticed me as a foreigner. She was the wife of a doctor and spoke English very well. On another occasion, I was in a grocery store and made a comment to the grocery clerk, trying to be humorous. The woman behind me in line noticed, by my accent, that I wasn't French, though I speak French fluently, and she, the grocery clerk and I became engaged in a delightful conversation about life in France and in the U.S.
I went to France for the first time in 2022. I heard all of the same things about French people. With the exception of one a-hole cab driver every French person that I encountered was warm, kind, friendly, funny, helpful, etc. I was blown away by their hospitality. The even indulged me when I tortured their poor language - I think they appreciated the effort.
The French get a really bad rap. I share my experience with everyone who asks about my trip because I would really like to dispel this myth.
« I think they appreciated the effort. »
We always do. We know how french is not easy, even if we share a lot of vocabulary with english, we very much appreciate when someone make an effort to speak french.
Diane, thank you for this video. As a french I find it extremely hard to go abroad without suffering any type of remark/ stereotype. I try to change people's perspective but sometimes I'm hopeless. Some weeks ago I've even been told we should disappear because we were a useless illiterate colonial nation unable to speak proper English with is unconcievable in the 21st century. That was after having received a similar comment saying all frenchies should get ext****nated and beheaded like a famous teacher he knew (yes that one ended with the police at his door I think). These are two extreme cases in a daily life of being french. Most of the time people will just comment over and over that we are mean and rude. I've noticed now if you have anything that mentions France in your social media profile, everytime you comment you're told you complain, even if it's to help others.... or another daily thing are posts about comparing countries for different things such as the language, the pronunciation, the culture, statistics ... And people, totally out of topic would still find a way to say frenchies are mean because we say 75 sixty fifteen). This is how far people have gone with me and I'm a peaceful girl with no problems. Just hiding every sign of being french, especially abroad. By luck my English accent is very Mediterranean and often mistaken for our southern neighbor Spain ❤️💛 You're brave for always going and trying to change people's perspective towards us and I really thank you for this. As I always say, we are all humans ❤️
Wow, I am so sorry to hear about the hateful comments you've received. There's no place for that and people should be ashamed. Not acceptable. Thank you for taking the time to watch ;-)
In France, there are many beliefs about the Americans too. In my job, I meet a lot of native English speakers, including Americans. In about thirty Americans, men and women, I may have met three or four who indeed corresponded exactly to all the stereotypes put together. All the others were just decent human beings and were actually very embarassed by the other ones' behaviour. I have also had British colleagues who were always going on about the French this and the French that and they obviously didn't know what they were talking about. Being British in origin myself, and having lived almost all my life in France, I could see just how wrong they were and I was one for telling them to keep their opinions to themselves. There is generalization and there is also the fact that when we are feeling lost and out of place, we may tend to see only what we expect to see and to ignore anything which might contradict the opinion we have formed. People have different ways of dealing with it, including being overly arrogant and going on about how the way of doing things in their own country is always better. In the end, you have to give yourself time and make the right efforts to adjust, or if that is not possible, then go back to your own country. The people you don't like for this or that reason also exist in your own country.
I watch your channel because i have had a life long love affair with the French: their language, culture and art. I am too old now and lacking the money to visit France, but can vicariously experience the French through the eyes of others. However, once when in my early 20's I spent a few days with a group of french travellers, also in their early 20's, and visiting with friends of mine in Los Angeles where i was visiting too. It was the early 1980's and i had a few years of french study still fresh in my head, and perhaps more intoxicated with romantic french stereotypes than i should have been. I assumed the men would be charming and the women sexually daring, I assumed they would know how to squeeze the most joy out of the day regardless of the money in their pocket and I assumed they would be unapologetically proud of being french but without a mean spiritedness toward others. Recollecting my time with them now in light of your warning about assumptions and stereotypes, I know I cannot form expectations of the whole of France or its people based on studies or limited experience, but I am happy to tell you that this particular group of french travellers exceeded my assumptions and indelibly stamped french stereotypes in my mind. The men spoke to me like i was the most beautiful woman they had ever met while never shifting their gaze from my eyes, the women whipped off their bathing tops on Venice beach without concern of beach patrol or perverted stares, we ate like kings for pennies on what they gathered at the grocery store and got all around Los Angeles on busses for next to nothing based on a little cheat system they invented. Stereotypes exist because there is some truth to them, but to quote an Englishman "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
So glad you enjoy my channel ;-)
Another fantastic video. We had heard these things for years but since finding your videos on UA-cam you opened our eyes to the truth. So after two weeks in France we are so anxious to return. I think people will treat you pretty much the way you treat them. Thanks Diane for your insight.
My pleasure, Darryl. Glad you enjoy my content and also glad to hear you had a good trip!
Beautifully said.
Saying bad things about a people's character traits most often reflects the true personality of the person who says it.
That’s an overgeneralization.
It's a projection. When you don't know very well a person, you cannot guess what he/she is thinking. 99% chances to get it wrong. Then you're left with your own way of thinking that you project on him/her. Better to wait for his/her actual reaction...
We live on the UK dependency of Jersey, a little island just off the French Normandy/Brittany coast, about 20 miles from Granville/St Malo. We spend literally dozens of weekends in France every year, we find the French welcoming, warm and willing to go with the flow.
It isn't being snobby or judgemental to expect basic rules of civility! People getting annoyed when a person starts an interaction without saying "bon jour!" is perfectly understandable because it's a basic notion of politeness! I'm portuguese and I get a bit annoyed everytime someone starts talking to me without saying "bom dia!" (it's "bon jour!" in Portuguese). People need to adapt to the country they live in! It's not even ask too much!
E "bonjour" numa unica palavra ;). Mas concordo 100% !
@@benoittecher8000 Obrigada, não me lembrava. "É" "única".
You're absolutely right! It was the first thing my French friend told me on my first visit before ever living in France. So it's the first thing I tell friends coming to France. I say no matter your level of French, you MUST say "bonjour" (or "bonsoir"). Otherwise YOU will be the one seen as rude and may even get a harsh response or a blank stare. And they won't be in the wrong since it's considered EXTREMELY rude to not greet people here. And yes, the neighbors in your building you haven't met yet, your waiter, the guy behind the counter, the checkout girl, salesclerk, bus driver, etc. are people. You'll even see folks come into small cafés and if you're sitting there, they will greet you (at least here in the south, not sure about other regions). So just do as the French do. Because "when in Rome ..." always applies anywhere you go. 🙂
Vervideos: i dont agree. i dont care if ppl greet me with english, german or whatever, as long he is trying to use the most pragmatic way to understand each other - in Berlin thats often English. it is not relevant how you are greet but that you are or that both reflect it ...
@@deniaridley True, bonjour is really important, but even if you say hello it's enough. Not saying that is like you tell the person that they are not worth of being talked to.
I work at a reception in a American company in France, and 99,9% of french people would say bonjour, while half of outsiders don't say anything, and sometimes they don't even look at you (and they're supposed to cause i have to take back their badges and give them their ID).
And even after that when i talk to them to tell them that they're leaving the wrong way, some of them doens't even hear me and i feel like i don't even exist. So i will just let them go the wrong way and when they come back i'll would just let them know by the look of my face that i'm unhappy with how they behave, but it's no matter since i don't exist in their eyes lol.
I am French and I completely agree with you. I am planning to move back to South of France, after 20 years in the U.S, and so many people are envious, but mostly because they have that "romanticized" idea of France, and Paris in particular. I love France for so many reasons but I also know I'll be going through a culture shock, as crazy as it may sound. Thanks for this utmost accurate and emotionally intelligent share.
That romanticized notion of France is everywhere!! And I understand where it comes from... it can be true in a lot of ways. But France is also a real place that isn't anything like a fairytale. I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming move back to France. ;-) Glad you enjoyed my video.
My family is originally from the South of France and it's my favorite place in the world!
Love the background! Looks great! And wow, that woman who was told she’s too fat to go to France! I hope she went. That’s just terrible, made me feel so sad for her. Thanks for all your videos, I have seriously leaned so much. I hope I make it to France one day♥️
Love your video Diane , great analysis of the french and how we are all basically the same .
I’m British and live off the coast of Normandy on the island of jersey .
Have worked and lived around the french literally all my life .
Married a french lady but later divorced but she was very much in the mood of the typical french woman or our perception of one .
But the alternate is when I was young I worked with french guys who were picked up from harbour towns in the pubs / bars to come and work in jersey .
They were basically the alcaholics and people who had fallen on hard times .
They were not the typical french people of our ideas , but they were really hard working guys who worked really hard and french ! Lol probably 70 hrs a week av manual labour .
They just drank the cheapest beer and wine , they swore dressed badly and got in trouble all the time .
Pretty much the same as people from anywhere in the world , it was 40 years ago and I still had respect for those guys .
I’m now with an American ! And coming to terms with our cultural differences lol , embrace the differences and explore and enjoy 😊🙏👍
Glad you enjoy my content, Charles. Thank you! What you've said is so true.
And big shout out to Jersey! Tom and I visited before the pandemic and had a great time. I'd love to go back in the summer! (rained a bit in Nov)
Great that you got to jersey , you should see the reaction with the Americans when I say I come from jersey lol .
In USA I ended up saying I was from Europe lol 😂
My partner lives in Belgium on the nato base , and I speak with the Americans their .
They love to hear about old original jersey 😊
If you come over again , happy to be your local jersey guide .
I’m an original Norman lol my family has been here for the last 1000+ yrs but brought up on British tv and a proud Brit love the European history 🇯🇪🇬🇧
FWIW, my 2 Euro-cents: I was also told stories about cold, reserved, stand-offish French who don't speak (or don't _want_ to speak) English. In my 6 month professional stay in Paris, as an IT consultant for some very obscure technology used by SNCF, I encountered people who didn't want to speak English, in a very rude way, exactly _twice,_ but met scores upon scores of those who went out of their way to accommodate the fact that the obligatory "Bonjour" and "Merci beaucoup" was the sum total of my French. (I also noticed that they are reluctant to speak English if they feel it wasn't good enough - I always told them (in English, of course) that if they know ten English words, that's five times better than my French. It usually worked.)
However, there was something I noticed which was unusual for my Slavic soul: during those six months I don't believe I was invited to a lunch table af cafeteria by the people I was helping more than three or four times.
5:35 - Now, the shocking part: I was looking up Place Joachim du Bellay, in Paris 1st arrondissement, right next to Les Halles, on Rue Berger (it popped up in some novel I was reading). Out of seven eateries marked at or around it on Google Maps, *all seven were fast foods* (if you also count one pizzeria) - all American usual suspects except Subway and some local. When I was there, 20+ years ago, perhaps _one_ would be a burger place, one Lebanese or Moroccan quick bite, and the rest "normal" bistros or even brasseries. Now, that is certainly a change for the worse
Lovely lighting! I went to France when I was, oh, 20, and this was decades ago. I felt forlorn. I had a room many flights up--spiral weirdness--with a shared WC on one of the landings of the precipitous spiral staircase. Alone in Paris at 20! Anything could have happened . . . but didn't. I got lost on the metro and a mature male helped me. Wow. People can be so much more amazing than you'd expect!!
People who live in Paris have, like people in Venice or even my home town in England, have to cope with visitors wandering around, not trying to speak the language and deciding it's not like Philly or New York.
The problem is that when people used to travel they knew they were in for great adventures, but now cheap fares mean that they expect France to be just like home with a different Eiffel monument.
France is my great love in life, I knew it would be when I only heard stories of it during the war. I love Juliet Child because she saw it for the first time, warts and all, just after the war when it was at a low ebb and immediately knew that this was Heaven on wheels !
I have a modest house in the country. There are many English people around who even after living there for years will not speak French, even a little bit. I always say Bonjour followed by their title when I meet peple . The English will look down and mumble ...something , just a mumble. Can they not get a video of just a few words?
Someone else was heard (by an English friend) was overheard in the builder's merchants wanting to buy the sort of blocks used in building. He kept shouting "Concrete Blocks" at the salesman who, not unnaturally looked puzzled. Our friend who has learned French said he crept out in shame and went back next day.
We took a friend with a three year old who learned to say please, thank you and hello in French and everyone thought she was adorable...that is a lesson for grownups too !
I m French and I mumble my damn " bonjour". I can't stand the way some Frenchmen are in- your-face trumpeteering their " bonjour", pretty annoying at times.
To be fair French people as visiting tourists can be just as cringe inducing for their better traveled compatriots .
Unfortunately, all cultures have those people who for some reason want to go to other countries but pretend its their own. And we can forget this includes our own people.
Like, why do you want to visit that country then? Or especially live in it? As another English person, it confuses me. I'm not great at French, but I _try!_ And I would sure try my best to respect the rules, even small cultural ones!
Apparently Spain has the same problem as France but even worse with how disrespectful our retired folk can be.
But hey, we also have this problem inside our country too. Taste of our own medicine, hm? Two wrongs don't make a right, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, and all that... but it's understandable.
that is really horrible she did that i have always had good life here for many years i am from Usa i have many french friends it is how you treat them
Hi Diane. I have met so many locals and other travelers while staying in Paris over the past 25 years. I think your message is more about our notions of how the French are or how we might be perceived and treated by them. I’m returning this January for three weeks and I’m traveling alone. For me, I find it easier to interact with the French and other visitors when I’m traveling alone. I don’t have to translate nor do I have to explain what’s going on, what to order or what to do. I’ve done that over many trips and I find that to at times be tedious if not stressful. Quite different if you are traveling with someone who also speaks the language even if it’s like my “fractured French”.
I’m looking forward to many fun experiences both old and new, such as sharing a table at a restaurant like Chez Denise with strangers who become friends during the meal. Or meeting people on the train while heading to Cherbourg in Normandy or a day trip to Chartres. I’ve even exchanged contact information with some lovely people. My recommendation is to keep an open mind and enjoy your daily experiences.
Went to Paris the first time with the same preconceptions you did; nearly everyone was so nice I briefly wondered what in the world was going on. Later, the company I worked for was bought by a French company so I ended up traveling in France a good bit, and the experience held up: some nuance, as you put it, but not a lot, and ended up being much closer to the 'everyone here is so *nice*!' end of the scale.
I did come up with three hypotheses about why my experience was so different from those of some other people:
1. There was some friendly teasing. This is normal where I'm from (New Orleans) so I took it in stride; I wonder if other people from more dour places (up Nawth) take it seriously and are offended.
2. I tried not to do any of the stereotypical ugly American things. This wasn't hard as I'm not naturally shouty nor do I have (I hope) much of a sense of entitlement to being treated as if I walk on air because of my nationality.
3. I went there prepared to love France, despite what I'd been told, and somehow that showed through.
A friend of mine (not American, btw) kept going on about the obnoxious French waiters I finally accused him of traveling with a pointy stick to poke people with, as it was the only way he could've had that reaction there. Or maybe confirmation bias.
Hi Diane. Many people go overseas, meet a few people and then are able to give lectures on that country. As you said you meet good people and bad people everywhere. Generalities about "the French" are as stupid as generalities on the USA. Fact is there are HUGE differences between regions in France (climate, housing, food, social habits). The good thing about France is you have a great variety of choices.
Great video. There are judgmental and rude people everywhere! And there are kind and interesting and helpful people everywhere too.
Americans still see Paris like in Ratatouille or Emily in Paris. They would be shocked.
Thank you Diane! Couldn’t agree more!! Love the lighting too!
Bonjour! We are visiting soon for the first time, and I thank you for making me feel less stressed about everything. I’m going to wear my sneakers for comfort, not order sweets for breakfast since I’m hypoglycemic, and not order alcohol since it makes me feel bad. I will make sure to say Bonjour and Merci, and I will make an effort to learn some French words and phrases, but I won’t worry that I can’t communicate that well. I feel free!! And looking more forward to the trip, thanks to you! (Also want to say that your video production efforts do not go unnoticed. Nice work!)👍. Merci!
Hi .. french living abroad, it's so hard to get free from those stereotypes.
I'm "preparing" my beloved, Mexican wife to come and live in France and really want thank you for your help!!!
I'm a Parisian woman, I'm chubby, I shop mostly at Zara and H&M, I wear a full face of makeup every time I go out (none of that "effortlessly barely there" chic look for me), can't cook, don't like wine or most cheeses, my idea of torture is discussing (never mind debating) politics and current events, and I only eat my meat super well done (in fact, my request is "super bien cuit, comme pour une touriste américaine de base" :D - so THANK YOU Diane!
PS - One thing that the people should understand is that if someone is rude to you in France, they are most probably rude to everyone else, including their fellow French! Nothing to do with disliking tourists as a rule, and no different than they would encounter in any other country including their own.
You wouldn't believe how many times I heard the "Oh, I've always wanted to visit Paris but I'm afraid of the rude Parisians" thing when I lived in the US! I usually replied: "you know Paris is the number 1 tourist destination in the world, right? Those tourists have survived... ;)"
YOU ARE AFRICAN who lives in Paris and call her self a 'Parisian' I can recognize at once
NEARLY NO EUROPEAN IS COMMENTING A THING HERE. MEANS THEY IGNORE LIERS
@@elizabethnilsson1815 What the heck are you talking about???? I'm not African, I have no idea where you got that from my comment... I was born and raised in Paris and happen to have two European nationalities, French and Italian - not that I need to justify myself to you. With all due respect, you sound rather deranged and I am disturbed by your comment...
@@elizabethnilsson1815 I don't understand your point. Is it only a racist thing or do you have something important to teach us about our country? Signed an old provincial white.
Thanks!
Thanks so much, Cynthia!
I've had people tell me the same about France and the French people. But when we went to Paris we had nothing but positive experiences. super friendly and helpful. We loved Paris and can't wait to go back but we have a lot of other places to before we start re-visiting places. One thing I learned back in college from my sociology professor: In as much as we are all human, we all do the human thing. And from the movie "Buckeroo Banzai": No matter where you go, there you are.
We've had only a few short visits to France, but we've experienced the range of personalities you describe, e.g., a surly grocer, a snippy waitress. Most of the French took the trouble to be civil--and understand me through my accent. And for me the pleasantest memories have been the most lasting. The following happened around 1995: We were two middle-aged couples staying overnight in Limoges after a week in Nice, on our way to Paris to return our rented Renault Laguna and fly home. It was a Sunday night and we were looking for a place to eat--not a good time for that. We encountered a couple of local women on the same quest and they were willing to join forces, one of them remarking that "En France on ne mange pas le dimanche." It was one of the most cordial contacts I remember, The conversation was pleasant and we got a good tip on where to buy Limoges pottery at reasonable prices. I could tell that the lady who did most of the talking was slowing the pace of her speech to accommodate us. We finally found a place, a large and lively bistro called Le Winston Churchill--no xenophobia there!
And a postscript that might be amusing. The next morning at the hotel I went to the desk to check us out. I was sure the young woman at the desk was British from her facial expression, that half smile that sits on the middle-class British woman's public face. I addressed her in French, and she indeed replied in British English, apparently knowing it was an American mouth talking.
Concernant la dame à la réception , il ne fait aucun doute qu'elle savait que vous étiez américain et elle c'est exprimé avec l'accent d'oxford , il est fréquents que les français parlent deux ou trois langues étrangères à notre pays . Bon , il est vrai que nous mettons de la mauvaise volonté pour apprendre l'anglais . étant né au début des années 50 , nous avons vécu quatre an en Allemagne (Constance) à 9ans , je parlais couramment allemands avec l'accent Bade-Wurtemberg (région sud) retour en France au collèges et lycée l'anglais était imposé , généralement dans la grande majorité il y avait un mauvaise volonté de notre part d'apprendre cette langue , alors ont choisissait une autre langue : allemand , espagnol , latin ou grecque . Bon , pour des raisons professionnelles ; il a bien fallu que je me mettes à l'anglais , mêmes aux Etats-Unis , il m'est arriver de m'exprimer plus en espagnol qu'en anglais !!!
I do like the lightening. Easy on the eyes. Thanks for the continued great content :)
When I moved to Norway, I thought that all the clichés about the French would prevent me from making friends or being appreciated for what I am as a Frenchman. And the magic happened. Most people there told me "yeah, we know all the clichés about the French, but we don't care". So they told me to "ta det me ro!" (take it easy) and I had a great time. It was a bit different in Canada though, as the first thing I heard from my new Canadian colleague was... a racist joke about the French. But contrary to what I intuitively did in Norway, I fought back and stood up against all those xenophobic abuses. And I got respected for that. But what an appalling "first" experience of the country which I left after two years, but always trying to fit in and adapt.
I totally agree with you.
And it's true the other way around too.
I am french but my father lives in South Carolina where he was born.
Each time I visit him, I have french friends and colleagues who warn me about the horrible food in the USA, about this or that...
And it's so annoying because it's so far from the truth ! Some people tend to generalize things, and believe they are experts on a subject just because they read an article or saw a TikTok video.
I have had excellent food and wine in the USA and I still have to work to convince some french people that you can eat well abroad too ! And that USA can make excellent wine too ! Sight.
Like you I don't like when things are generalized, and people are prejudiced against things they don't know.
As a french, this video is great. It brings nuance to the stereotipical depiction of France.
I agree with Diane, do not fear the french for potential mocking. People are generally nice. Nobody will judge you. If you want to visit paris, just do it, as long as you're polite your are welcome ! But keep in mind that paris is a tiny fraction of our country. You can visit smaller towns with incredible historical centers and traditions. All regions are different and interesting, from Alsace and Britanny to the very south of France
I knew a girl years ago who hated the French but still kept visiting Paris. 🤦♀
She was incredibly insecure and judged everyone. She is no longer a friend.
Yah, I used to know people like that 😞
I have been all over France and I can’t say anything bad. I had no problems etc. You have to go France don’t listen to people that down grade the French
Thank you for this video. I hope it helps. As a Franco-American guy living in the Mid-West, I have to say that I am always unpleasantly surprised at the ambivalent sentiment France seems to inspire in people. The ones who love it make it into an unrealistic utopia and the haters, do so aggressively without reason and without shame. The b.s some people say about France and the French is hurtful and they wouldn't get away saying that about anyone else! 😔
Bonjour , vous savez il y a toujours ce quiproquo Anglo-américain que les français , sont sales , ne se lavent pas , pas aimables , râleurs , fourbes , voleurs , et depuis la secondes guerres mondiale et le refus de suivre Buch pour aller en Irak nous sommes : lâches et peureux ?sujet colporté par les anglais en mai et juin 1940 ! lire sur internet : les soldats français étaient ils lâchent en 1940 , ou comportement des soldats français en 1940 . ces stéréotypes sur les français sont pénibles pour nous . en réalité les français sont des êtres humains comme partout dans le monde ! nous avons du mal a comprendre ce jugement négatif au sujet des français . il y a le dictons : Paris n'est pas la France , et la France ne se résume pas à Paris , paris n'est que la capitale du pays !!! bonne journée madame ou monsieur
I noticed that too. Most people get very offended if you make "racist" comments in the US. At work for example you could get in big trouble if you made a comment about an ethnicity being lazy. Many people in my office don't know I am French because I have a Spanish sounding last name, I have heard some managers at the company I am working at saying that French people are lazy... not knowing their was a French person in their audience.... bashing the French seems to be ok here. I really appreciate your videos Diane. I feel you're doing a great work debunking those old stereotypes. The fact you're not living in Paris gives you a different view of the country too. Thank you and keep posting!
The same can be said for what some people here in France say about Americans... (In England, also, it is often completely acceptable to mock Americans.) It seems to be human nature to make wild generalizations about "other" people and to focus on their perceived differences rather than on what makes us all human. 🤷♀
@@sarahnd That's true and it p*sses me off to hear that as an American, but the French typically make fun of traits of the American culture they find odd. traits that many in America criticize too. And yes, we are fat! I looked around my office and almost every guy is fat to me (😉gay scale). But Americans typically make racist remarks that are just untrue and absurd. Things they hear from comedies, or they repeat all military crap as if they know what war they're talking about.
I had always heard the negatives about the French, then I visited Paris in the 80s, and found that it was nothing like what people said. Perhaps it had a lot to do with me not being a loud rude American tourist. People in Paris were more reserved than I was used to in the US. When I visited Brittany earlier this year, I found the people to be friendly, much more open, and we really enjoyed our 3 weeks there.
This is not to generalize everyone of course, just general trends I observed in the areas. I certainly met open and friendly people in Paris, and more reserved people in Brittany.
So glad you had a great time in Brittany. It's one of my favorite places in France!
I assume that's true worldwide, life in big cities is often stressful, which in turn reflects on their people's attitude - or at least some of them.
People in Paris being far more reserved is even a (not so false) stereotype in France (the stereotype extends to them being grumpy, especially in the Metro). I think it has a lot to do to the fact that this city is very big, and dense so crowded as a conseqence. You cannot take as much time and pleasure in meetings strangers in these conditions than in the countryside or in smaller cities.
When I went for the first time in New York City, I was ready to deal with super busy, not very friendly people, because I heard (especially in American movies or TV shows) that the New Yorkers were a sort of the American version of the Parisians.
As an ex Parisian myself, I behaved exactly as if I was in Paris or in another city, big or small: not interfering unnecessarily with people's life, being polite with a "hello, please, thank you and goodbye". All these "magic" words that every parents should learn to their children.
And guess what, I met friendly and very helpful people.
A special thanks to this kind and helpful shopkeeper who found out that I was a French tourist (which not very difficult with my terrible accent). He spoke a very good French, he told me that he had lived several years in the south west of France for his job. It was a nice accounter.
Love the lighting…Heading to Paris late September (1st time). Very excited and more grounded after watching your video(s). Merci
Thank you and so glad my videos have been helpful. Enjoy your trip!
Great video as ever! You cover a lot of topics that I first learned about from the book “French or Foe”. It made my first trips to France sooooo much better.
Bonjour Diane , j'aime beaucoup vous écouter, ceci me permets de pratiquer mon anglais puisque vous avez une bonne prononciation et un accent facile à comprendre pour un canadien francais du Québec. Ce que vous faites est tres intéressant et surtout instructif.
I'm a bit late to the party but as a French I will give two simple advice for people that want to go in France and interact with people.
1 : Be polite. Say hello, please, thanks, and goodbye; If you try to say these in French some people might even be way nicer than they normally are.
2 : This one is for women. Do NOT go near groups of men wearing tracksuits. I don't know if it is a common thing between all countries but if it isn't, now you know it, we have them.
Le second conseil est aussi valable pour les hommes, malheureusement.
You also have the tracksuit guys eh? 😂 Aye, UK's got them too
When you say "Bonjour" when talking with customer service, it's like the ref starting the boxing match by having the fighters touching gloves. Then I get the great incidences of great customer service.
Great analogy!
Most of my contacts with French prople hv been in the overseas departments. They were delightful. So! I don't care for other's advice. Vive la France
❤
Thank you Diane. So right to tell those who
spread ignorant comments about French people to stop spreading all that BS. On a good day one can be charming but all humans have bad days as well & unknowing can be offhand with whomever they meet. It’s idiotic to generalise. Why do these ignoramuses think they have the right to generalise.
I believe I have taken a photo of that exact spot of your picture with the yellow flowers and windmill
Traveling throughout the regions of France I found the people to be kind welcoming and friendly, Very accomodating with my limited spoken French, A smile, bon jour and explaining I only speak a little Francaise made it such a pleasant experience. The only challenge was a pushy performer on the subway.
The last time I was in France, I was with a friend who lives in France. My family and I got to hang out with his family and it was so cool to learn that the French are not like what we think in the US. His mom is a teacher and his dad is/was a butcher and DJ .
I recently went to Paris for the first time; had a blast and everybody was really friendly even though I had just a limited vocabulary in French. There was a McD near my hotel and what struck when I passed it everyday was how popular it was.
My grandson, who has not been to France, told me people in France smell bad because they don't bathe often enough and the women are don't shave their armpits. I told him I will visit and see for myself! Unbelieveable.
My son, a Brit, is married to a Belgian and lives in Northern France. Everything you say is spot on, especially about clothing and thinness! I live going to their large village just outside Lille. People now recognise us and chat to us.
Thanks for your honesty in all your videos that put out, it's very refreshing. I like the blue background light today.
I appreciate that!
I experience over simplified comments and beliefs about many people and places. I'm fortunate to have traveled extensively - all over Europe, South America, India, Canada, and throughout the US. When people make those comments, I reply with "there's good and bad everywhere. It's up to each person what to make of it and how to experience it".
I have meet incredibly friendly and rude people in my travels. I have also meet incredibly friendly and rude people in my own hometown.
While I try to avoid broad comments, I can say with confidence that based on my experience, Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I realize that there are areas of Paris that are run-down, poor, crime-ridden, and ugly. As a tourist, I have limited exposure to those areas but have been there.
As always, thanks for your balanced and realistic video.
I love your videos. Thank you for this. I'll admit I was one of those people that was buying into the negative sterotype of the French. I'll be visiting Normandy in April and was feeling worried about how it would go. After watching this, I'll be sure to just create my own experience and leave the pre-conceived ideas at home.
Thank you, Tracy. Have a great time and yes, that's a great way to go about it. Enjoy! xx
Thank you for your open-mindedness. I agree what you said in this video.
I appreciate that, thanks for watching!
@@OuiInFrance It's me who thanks you for your objectivity
The stereotypes are everywhere, we know how the French, Germans , Italians the Americans the Danish the Norwegian are, all completely false. We are all humans with different genes and then some culture mixed in.
Yes take everything you hear with a pinch of salt. Live your life to the full and experience for yourself. Have a good time where you are ♥️
I agree 100% with your views as expressed in this video I've been to France dozens of times and have really never had a bad experience - even with my" average" French. Now that the lockdown is over, I look forward to another visit to the wonderful country. BTW, have you ever considered becoming a French citizen? How would it work out for you?
Yup, I can apply for citizenship at any time and will do it at one point. It just won't change anything for me in my day-to-day life so not a priority now. I talked about it in this video ;-) ua-cam.com/video/4Ky7EfrOvt8/v-deo.html
Im morrocan living in France you tell very much the truth
Thanks for a great, honest video. Now, let’s talk about this lightening. I enjoy it when you change it up occasionally. Thanks fir all you do ♥️
You are so welcome!
Well said. I agree that sweeping generalizations about the French are frustrating because they are one-dimensional. And they are frustrating when talking about other people/cultures, too. Living in other countries (England, Hungry, Scotland, Sri Lanka), it was frustrating to hear people talk, in stereotypes, about Americans. We are all multi-dimensional - with similarities and differences, culture by culture, gender by gender, etc. I will be in Paris for two months this spring, and look forward to celebrating the diversity of Parisian life - similar to the way I celebrate the melting pot worlds of NYC or D.C. (am from Washington). I visit Paris often, since I have friends there but, this visit, I will keep your thoughts in mind as I live like a resident there, in March and April!
Hi Diane, I like to watch your videos here and there and I really like them. You are very well articulated and quite a nice ambassador for the French people. You and your husdband should come to Montreal and start talking about us. :)
I have been to France 5 times since 2016, all over the country. The "french are rude" thing is total myth. The French people are very welcoming in all the experiences I've had.
thank you Diane for your insightful observations about generalizations. Please do another blog and replace the one group of people 'French' with ALL people. I am a Canadian who lived in France as a child, returned to Canada and have been living in the US with my Southern US born husband for 51 years. When we would occasionally travel to Canada to visit some of my 'Universally accepted as NICE if you're Canadian' friends and relatives they would ridicule my husband's slight Southern drawl as a sign of ignorance.
The problem is universal.
Wish I had seen this before my most recent visit to Paris. Great content. You have a new subscriber!
Thanks for the sub! Welcome
the blue looks good and works well for you :)
New lighting looks good. Thanks for this vid - I enjoy them all.
Glad you like them! Thank you ;-)
"the thruth lies is the middle" you nailed it.
Right on target as usual Diane. Merci pour une autre super vidéo. Si seulement les Nations Unies pouvaient partager vos idées et vos sensibilités.
😊 🙏
The fact that people everywhere have similar traits creates a paradox:
It takes away much of our fear of traveling but likewise it takes away much of our incentive to travel.
As far as the new lighting is concerned I love the gray squares behind the photos.
You mean the shadows the light is casting? I didn't change anything on the wall. Thank you for weighing in ;-)
@@OuiInFrance Yes, most likely the shadows.
That was an excellent vlog , every single word hit home perfectly .
We moved to France in 2007 ( dept 17 ) and have never looked back . Of course we've met rude people , of course we've might kind people , the majority , but that's the thing , we've encountered people , other human beings with lives to live , just as you would find anywhere in the world .
I hope this video encourages anyone who's worried about the kind of welcome they'll receive here to simply pack a suitcase and pay a visit .
PS .. we all know a Jan 😉
Thank you!
@@OuiInFrance de rien .
In my experience, a lot of issues are born from miscommunication / misunderstandings and many of them are because many native English speakers don't understand that a non-native English speaker could have a decent, good or even excellent English, yet makes mistakes or misuse words. It is even more obvious with French people as French and English have so many similarities that we tend to assume that French word and the homophonous English word share the same meaning, and it is not necessarily true.
An example : "lunatic" does not mean crazy in French. So, if you change your mind and a French people tells you you are lunatic, they probably mean just that.
Great info. I agree with you completely.
Yes, I don't really know how tourists really perceive the French, especially in the center of Paris, but for my part I live on the Brittany coast which is very busy with tourists in summer. I always tried to inform people who asked me their way or good places to see in the region (I took the boat every day and it's a good place for that), and what they are talking about to me in French or in English. I have never snubbed anyone in my life and it seemed to me that people in my region act the same so I am saddened to see these incessant remarks on the arrogance, or the haughty approach of the French on social networks. I think these remarks actually raise questions about who is making them.