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#3
11-06-2007, 09:10 PM
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Re: Ask a frenchman
[ QUOTE ]
Shouldn't you be more grateful to Americans that you're not speaking German? [/ QUOTE ] I was expecting that one [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] A typical frenchman would respond "Well shouldn't you be more grateful to the french that you're not an english colony anymore?", but I'll try a more diplomatic approach to the question. Actually, the french people are very grateful for the US help during WWII and most of us acknowledge that the US saved our butt. However, it was a very hard time for us, and a huge blow to the nation's ego. After WWII, we tried hard to save face and rebuild a nation that could stand on its own. You see, France has a very long and violent political and military history. We are a proud nation. And we were so badly defeated during WWII that we tried very hard to stay independant and regain some of that pride. There lies, I think, most of the tension between our countries for the past 50 years. Gratefulness and pride don't mix very well. 
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#5
11-06-2007, 09:55 PM
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Re: Ask a frenchman
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] I was expecting that one [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [/ QUOTE ] Are American's really that predictable? [/ QUOTE ] I'm afraid that on that specific matter, they are. But anyway, it's better to get all the cliché questions out of the way at the beginning. :-)
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#6
11-08-2007, 03:53 PM
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Re: Ask a frenchman
Manub-
Great thread! I was just in France for the first time and stayed in a villa in Flurie. I had a few Questions for you... 1) What region is best for cuisine in you opionion? We found Lyon to be fantastic 2) Do you feel americans are treated better/worse in certain regions? I felt we were welcomed with open arms in the country side of the Beaujolais region but when we travelled to Marseille(sp?) i really felt looked down on. Actually felt really uncomfortable and treated poorly everywhere we went in that city. 3) Whats your favorite French meal? 4) Favorite wine and any recommendations? Thanks in advance. I truly enjoyed France as a whole and cannot wait to go back. Im still FULL from all the food and wine [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] fish
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#7
11-06-2007, 09:59 PM
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Re: Ask a frenchman
except for not being the slightest bit courtiest about blowing smoke in your direction, i find the french very nice people. especially the country folk. but in the u.s. the city dewllers are not as friendly here as well.
how do the french and other europeans manage to keep their public transportation running right on time. when the u.s. cant even get it close.
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#8
11-06-2007, 10:06 PM
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Re: Ask a frenchman
[ QUOTE ]
how do the french and other europeans manage to keep their public transportation running right on time. when the u.s. cant even get it close. [/ QUOTE ] A follow-up question: What do you do when those clowns go on strike all the time and none of your public services are running at all?
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#9
11-06-2007, 10:09 PM
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Re: Ask a frenchman
Also, with all the controversy and criticism here in the US about illegal immigration (mostly from Mexico), do you care to comment on France's own immigration clusterfk? It seems the French attitude and treatment of North African immigrants is worse than the Mexican experience in the US. Can we tack this one up to pride as well? Is this basically the French being French, like "Manny being Manny"?
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#10
11-06-2007, 10:23 PM
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Re: Ask a frenchman
[ QUOTE ]
except for not being the slightest bit courtiest about blowing smoke in your direction, i find the french very nice people. especially the country folk. but in the u.s. the city dewllers are not as friendly here as well. how do the french and other europeans manage to keep their public transportation running right on time. when the u.s. cant even get it close. [/ QUOTE ] You are right about country people being nicer and more welcoming than city people. This is particularly true when you compare parisians with non-parisians. About public transportation: I once read a theory about France's "Inefficient Efficency". It says that basically we are a lot less obsessed about performance targets than anglo-saxon cultures (mostly because we know we will miss them). It's a paradox, but it makes us more efficient in some areas like public transportation. The author gives an example: he takes a train in the U.S. from NY to Boston planning to stop somewhere in between. However, a mechanical problem arises. The US train company will more likely decide not to stop before Boston at all so it doesn't miss its performance target ("being in Boston on time"), so if you wanted to drop off before Boston, you're screwed. In France, the train would run a little late but it would still stop at all the required stops so nobody complains too much. I don't know if that explains it, really. To me, the real question is not "why are french trains on time?" after all that's the way it's supposed to work - but rather "why are U.S. trains always late?". To that quesiton, I have no answer.
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