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-   -   Ask a frenchman (http://archives1.twoplustwo.com/showthread.php?t=540005)

Chillee 11-12-2007 05:37 PM

Re: Ask a frenchman
 
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You're obviously non-parisian

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You're obviously not french. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I am not parisian, but I've been living in Paris for four years. It's really obvious for us french people: there's a gap between the "province" (outside Paris) and Paris itself. It's not a myth: parisians are responsible for most of the clichés about the french: arrogance, snobbiness, and so forth. Personally I don't find them unfriendly, it's just that they have a different, more aggressive sense of humor that can cause misunderstandings.



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I second this.

FUJItheFISH 11-12-2007 07:35 PM

Re: Ask a frenchman
 
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If you're planning on going with hostels, you shouldn't have trouble booking those a few days in advance, or simply showing up and checking for availability. I use hostelbookers.com, but hostelworld.com is good also. There's lots of options here.


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are the ppl at hostels usually college kids and nice? i have heard some scary stories about theft at hostels. any advice if i wanted to stay at hostels for the majority of my trip when i wont be at my friend's apartment?

manub 11-12-2007 07:39 PM

Re: Ask a frenchman
 
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90% of the French people I've met while traveling besides that have come off as rude and arrogant. Am i missing some kinda secret?

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The french are friendlier to you when you are introduced to them by a common acquaintance. We are naturally not trusting strangers.

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two of my favorite musicians/bands right now are a French band called Kaolin (though I wish I could understand the lyrics) and Yann Tierson. Can you recommend any other similar music?

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I'm not sure but I'll provide you with some samples of good French music that I like (there is a lot more depending on taste):

Carla Bruni, model-truned-singer, great simple songs with beautiful lyrics
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance...un-ma-dit-clip

Jacques Brel, unsurpassed poetry & singing
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance...msterdam_music

De Palmas, male pop singer, good stuff
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/sea...ve-encore_music

Noir Désir, alt. rock, crazy
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance...-tostaky_music

Sinclair - Funk Band, good fun
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/sea...-sinclair_music

Gold, eighties pop, great melodies
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance...-etoiles_music

manub 11-12-2007 07:45 PM

Re: Ask a frenchman
 
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are the ppl at hostels usually college kids and nice? i have heard some scary stories about theft at hostels. any advice if i wanted to stay at hostels for the majority of my trip when i wont be at my friend's apartment?

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Parisian hostels are usually jam-packed with young college kids touring Europe. I don't have much experience with them, but I don't see why they should be worse than the hostels I have experienced elsewhere in the world (NYC, Boston, San Francisco, pretty much all of europe).

eddymitchel 11-12-2007 08:18 PM

Re: Ask a frenchman
 
My roommate used to listen to Java alot but he doesn't have very common tastes for music.No clue if you could find some vinyl, googleing it is close to impossible with that kind of name

yop 11-12-2007 08:18 PM

Re: Ask a frenchman
 
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apprieciate you doing this.

my experience with the french:

Went to Paris alone and met my french friend there and went out with her for 4 days or so (she studied abroad at my university) All her friends were really cool and she was really cool. People that we met on the street in Paris were really cool. Most people I met while hanging out with her were really cool.

90% of the French people I've met while traveling besides that have come off as rude and arrogant. Am i missing some kinda secret?


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I have some stupid theory about this.
France is a great country to take some vacation. That's not so common for the typical french to go aboard and travel. Only the richest part of the population go outside france, therefore the probability of meeting french [censored] increases a lot outside france.
Also it seems that french "cool" people do not like mass tourism so much. For example, on thailand beaches, you will find loads of young swede, germans, english, but only a few french, and those french will frequently be douchebags. On the contrary, in the north of thailand, in the middle of the jungle, around temple or other [censored] like that, half the foreigner you will see will be french. You will still meet french douchebags but also cool frenchs there...

But I think it's like anywhere in the world, you only notice the loud or stupid people whereas the quieter and surely more interesting ones tend to be more invisible. Englishmen seem to be always piss drunk, American tourists seem to be always loud fat and stupid, but that's only because the cool and intersting english or americans don't like to make a show of themselves...
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two of my favorite musicians/bands right now are a French band called Kaolin (though I wish I could understand the lyrics) and Yann Tierson. Can you recommend any other similar music?

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I don't know very much Kaolin, but it did not seem to be very original compared to english/american poprock bands.
Anyway one of the most typical french band (popular songs, folk, rock, even punk) is "Les Tetes Raides", which is imo quite original with its own sound.
http://www.amazon.fr/10-ans-T%C3%AAtes-R...2574&sr=1-3 (it's a best of, they have made many albums)

Yann Tiersen is really great, but it's quite hard to find a similar band or artist.
In France I would say "Les Enfants des Autres" has a bit of Yann Tiersen's touch. But the CD is very hard to find [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
http://www.priceminister.com/offer/b...-CD-Album.html
Another Yann Tiersen look alike is Rachel's (but they are not french at all)
This album is awesome : http://www.amazon.com/Selenography-R.../dp/B00000IR6T

suzzer99 11-12-2007 11:30 PM

Re: Ask a frenchman
 
Are there people who eat the equivalent of fancy french food every night? Also why don't French women get fat?

Oh yeah, and what's the fascination with balloons?

manub 11-13-2007 12:23 AM

Re: Ask a frenchman
 
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Are there people who eat the equivalent of fancy french food every night?

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What do you mean, fancy french food? Food from top restaurants? Yeah, some of the richest people eat like that every day. It's certainly not common.

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Also why don't French women get fat?

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France has a good "national diet", overall. Schools feed their students with very balanced meals, children are taught to taste a lot of different things quite early, it's kind of a national tradition. Don't get me wrong, we love to order pizza and eat fast food as well, we just do it occasionally and not every day.

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Oh yeah, and what's the fascination with balloons?

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You mean this?

http://www.fantasyfliers.com/balloon001.jpg

It's pride, again, I guess. It's a national invention.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgolfi%C3%A8re

Aren't they beautiful? Environment friendly?

The Bus Driver 11-13-2007 12:30 AM

Re: Ask a frenchman
 
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Environment friendly?

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I'm not sure about that.

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thu...loon_flame.jpg
http://www.sky-chaser.com/image/airshow/asbburn.jpg

manub 11-13-2007 12:39 AM

Re: Ask a frenchman
 
These are propane-fueled burners right? From wikipédia:

"Propane combustion is much cleaner than gasoline, though not as clean as natural gas."

Sounds okay to me, I'm no expert though.


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