Tuesday, August 17, 2010

When in Rome...

We've all heard that Parisians are rude.  I don't believe there are any more rude people there than anywhere else.  I do believe that the French take their culture seriously - and why shouldn't they?  It's their home and we should respect that.

With all the reading I've done over the last year the one thing that I've read over and over again is this:  when you enter any place of business, whether it be a restaurant, a grocery store, or the local boulangerie (bakery) make the effort to say "Bonjour Madame/Monsieur" and the same can be said for leaving - say "Au revoir". Think of the person as hosting you in their establishment.  It's almost like going to someone's home.  No matter how bad your french, make the effort and it will appreciated.

The following article talks about this and other things:  Visiting Paris? Follow These Rules.

5 comments:

Paulita said...

Good advice. It is so different from going to a store in the U.S. Also remember that if you are holding up fingers to show how many you want, the thumb is number one.

Gina Johnson said...

I have actually said "Bonjour Madam" in Texas, the first few days. Talk about funny looks. I like that tradition. I find myself doing it more and more now that we are back home.

Hey Paulita, so happy you found Linda. You get to enjoy yet another adventure!

Je m'appelle Cynthia said...

I do that at home in the US and wherever I go - say hello to the store owner and goodbye when I leave, even if I don't buy anything. I've always felt it was common courtesy.

Well, five weeks in Paris is awesome! I will be there soon to join you - I leave in 30 days - but I am not staying as long. Lucky you!

You have way more to pack than I do.

Diane said...

I couldn't agree with you more. When we were in Paris for a week in 2008, we never encountered anyone who was rude. But we always treated the French with respect and said a few halting words in French to start a conversation. They were very appreciative of our efforts and switched to English to accomodate us with no problems. We very much enjoyed all our interactions with the "locals." And the concierge at our hotel was amazing - went way out of his way to help us locate a hat with sentimental value that I lost at the Musee D'Orsay. We found it, and found the museum personnel to be very helpful, too! I believe you get what you give out when it comes to interactions with people of other cultures.

Paris Apartment said...

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