Emotions...

You know, the French see things different...


I told my host parents about how, before I came, I was warned by so many people that French people do not like Americans.  My host family didn't get that at all. My host dad said that the biggest impression most French people have about Americans is from the World Wars, when America saved everyone's butts.  He said he doesn't see why anyone would particularly not like Americans unless they'd had bad personal experiences with them.


The two of them told me about how, a while back when they were flying to some South American country, they had a long layover in New York City. And they were just shocked by the things they saw. People were so helpful. They'd see families going to pick up family members with balloons that say things like "We Love You" and "Welcome Home Daddy" and that kind of thing was very different to them, because in France you don't show your emotions openly.  They said they think it is just that many French people are afraid of being ridiculed, and taking balloons or signs that openly display your emotions would definitely get you ridiculed.


My host parents said that overall they just find Americans to be big babies (with good connotations): always smiling and laughing, always in a good mood. They envy the ability that Americans have to be friendly and (as I said before) to be unafraid to show emotions.  I guess I'm glad they have that impression of Americans.  I'm sure we are all aware that there are very narrow-minded Americans out there who are probably not quite so friendly.


I've been observing French people though (after all that's what I'm here for) and they just do so many things different than we do.  I normally wouldn't think to say hello to the bus driver when I get on the bus, or to say goodbye when I get off. You literally get off the bus halfway back -- nowhere near the driver.  Also, when they come home in the evening or whatever and someone else is home, they always say hello to them to let them know who it is and that they're there (I don't know why but for some reason this seems strange to me, so when I get home I specifically go find someone and say hello rather than just calling out to the house in general).


And then there's the whole concept of the "bise," the commonly known (and commonly practiced) French greeting where two people kiss each other once on each cheek as a greeting.  Most people do this the first time they see each other every single day.  The concept of shaking hands or just giving hugs is pretty strange to them -- also they think our hug is the equivalent of their bise.  But we don't hug people we are just meeting for the first time, and we don't hug everyone we know every day when we see them.  I think a combination of handshakes and hugs is more equivalent to the bise, one being more formal than the other.  I don't know.  I just think it's strange that, to us a kiss on the cheek is definitely reserved for people you are close to, but we are the ones who openly show emotions more easily than French people.


French culture. That's what I wanted. I'm definitely getting it.


Oh and one last thing: I'm not sure they find it acceptable to go around singing... It makes me afraid to do so.