Thursday, February 20, 2014

Navigating French Culture


Hey all! I’m going to do my best to answer some of your questions in this post, and then I’ll talk about one of the most important aspects of French culture- wine! 


  • Is it difficult to remember when to smile/say hello, and when to be more private?

For me, not at all. I joked with a friend recently saying that I have found my people. I am a much more introverted person, as well as a generally shy person, so I am not one to smile or talk to people I don’t know on the street. However, I was raised to be very polite, so I also don’t have any difficulty saying a simple “bonjour” when I enter a store. 

We were also told that smiling at a stranger, specifically smiling at someone of the opposite sex, could be seen as an invitation to come talk to you. This opens up an entirely new can of worms with the french “dating” scene, which is...different...than the way we go about dating in the U.S.

  • Why did you choose a home stay?


The simple answer to this is that the program I came through requires a homestay. However, as soon as I decided to study in France, I knew I wanted to live in a french home. The idea of living in a foreign country for 5 months by myself (or maybe with another American student) seemed lonely to me, and I did not want to be limited to only learning French culture at school. 

Being in a homestay has allowed me to become close to an older French woman and to learn about the culture and language more than I would have in an apartment. My house is warm and inviting, and it’s hard to feel homesick when I’m already home. My mom feeds us amazing food every night (including dessert!) and she genuinely cares about us. She is incredibly patient with me and helps me with my french every night at dinner. I have some friends living in apartments here, and I know they really enjoy it, too, but I could not imagine my life here without my amazing mom!

“La vie est trop courte pour boire de mauvais vin”

One of the classes I am taking here is Wine Studies: European Wine Regions. Most of my friends know how excited I was to take this class, and some people were jealous that I actually get to study wine- but it’s not all fun and games. We actually don’t just sit around and drink wine all day (as fun and relaxing as that sounds), but we study in depth the systems and regulations of wine production in the European Union. And amazingly enough, there are so many crossovers to Global Leadership (203) within this class!

In France, and in many other countries, wine can make or break a deal in business, politics, or what have you. Wine is always enjoyed with food, and it is *not* something you should get drunk off of- some restaurants will not serve you wine unless you also order some food! Bringing wine as a gift is almost never a good idea, as you can quickly offend someone by giving them the wrong wine for them. Think of it this way- you wouldn’t buy underwear for someone you don’t really know, would you? You have no idea what size or style they wear, and they could be offended that you think they have a certain taste. The same goes with wine- we all have different likes, and we don’t want to feel judged on which wines we drink.   

In a week I will be heading to Vienna and Prague for my winter break, and am very curious to see what cultural differences I will experience there! Feel free to message me if you have any more specific questions!


Au revoir,
Monica

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Bienvenue à Aix-en-Provence!

I have been in Aix for a week, and already have learned so much about the people and culture! This week we focused a lot on the cultural faux pas that frequently occur when American students come to France.

The first difference you will notice in France (especially coming from a small town/school like Marietta) is that people do not smile at strangers. If you smile at someone you don't know, they will assume you are not from the area, and they tend to think you are strange. Our french professors told us that to look like we fit in we should look straight ahead while walking and maintain a more serious demeanor.

The next cultural difference to be aware of- always, ALWAYS, say "bonjour" when you enter a store or restaurant. This is a simple act that goes a long way to the French, and if you fail to say bonjour you may not be served, or you may encounter some rudeness. It seems unimportant to us, but its considered just having good manners in France.

Lastly, the French are very private people. When you are invited into a French person's home, you are a guest, and you should not "make yourself at home" even if they tell you to. Often when you enter a French household you will not be given a tour of the house, unlike in the U.S. The only rooms I have seen in my home stay are the living room, kitchen, and my bedroom/bathroom. It is also rude to clean your own dishes at someone's house; it can be seen as you thinking they are not good hosts, or that they are not maintaining a properly clean home. It is always polite to offer to help with cleaning, but you will usually be told to "reposez-vous," relax yourself.

NOTE: These of course are generalizations, and may not always be true in France or French cultures, but they are a good jumping-off point for understanding the French a little bit better.


The City of Water


My homestay