http://www.newtoparis.com/the-french-are-not-rude-just-formally-courteous/ Living and learning in Paris Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:10:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 http://www.newtoparis.com/the-french-are-not-rude-just-formally-courteous/comment-page-1/#comment-85 Me Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:24:10 +0000 http://www.newtoparis.com/?p=4#comment-85 You should be aware that smoking in public area is less and less tolerated. People will probably be upset if you smoke in restaurants. You should be aware that smoking in public area is less and less tolerated. People will probably be upset if you smoke in restaurants.

]]> http://www.newtoparis.com/the-french-are-not-rude-just-formally-courteous/comment-page-1/#comment-48 French Fry Mon, 19 May 2008 10:16:33 +0000 http://www.newtoparis.com/?p=4#comment-48 Thank you for this! I majored in French in college, have been there several times, and took a lot of classes on culture, and the issue really is a lack of understanding between the groups that their cultures aren't the same. As Americans, we assume that all other cultures work like ours, but really, what we usually find is that when we are respectful and mindful of the culture of a place we visit, that culture becomes far more accommodating. A French person might pretend they don't speak English until someone makes an awful attempt to communicate in French. All of a sudden, the English comes out, and just because you tried to meet them half-way. Great advice for students, travelers, and anyone who thinks the French are rude or snobbish. Thank you for this! I majored in French in college, have been there several times, and took a lot of classes on culture, and the issue really is a lack of understanding between the groups that their cultures aren’t the same. As Americans, we assume that all other cultures work like ours, but really, what we usually find is that when we are respectful and mindful of the culture of a place we visit, that culture becomes far more accommodating. A French person might pretend they don’t speak English until someone makes an awful attempt to communicate in French. All of a sudden, the English comes out, and just because you tried to meet them half-way. Great advice for students, travelers, and anyone who thinks the French are rude or snobbish.

]]>