Category: France

Are French People Mean?

Published on by sarahblaiserLeave a comment

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One of the stereotypes that I heard a lot before coming to France was to be wary that the French are mean. Almost everyone I talked with warned me to be careful. I have found that this stereotype can be true in some instances, but can an entire country of people really be mean?

I have noticed that in Europe as a whole, people are a lot more blunt and honest. Many people may appear unfriendly, but they are just on a mission doing their own thing. Most outward emotions are saved for friends and family.

There have been many run-ins with strangers that I would consider a lot less friendly than any run-in in the US, but the culture here is very different. In my experience, many people do not make conversation with random strangers. I found this a bit off-putting at first, but it makes a lot of sense. It all goes back to culture. We are marked as overly friendly Americans because some of our habits are odd to them as well. For example, in the US I always hug my friends when I see them, in France, hugging is a bit too close and they enjoy “les bisous,” which is quick kisses on the cheeks.

In my opinion, all of this leads back to the question of if French people are mean. I don’t think they are mean in any way, they are just a different kind of friendly than Americans. If you enter a store and chat with a storekeeper, they will love you for days. They give you what you give them. If you are friendly, they will likely be friendly back. The only time I have had a negative experience it likely falls back to a miscommunication, especially in language.

I think labeling all the French as mean is an overstep. In order to understand the French you must understand the differences between our cultures. Many of the differences I have yet to encounter, but each day I find something new. Finding out the quirks of this culture and noticing the quirks of my own has been really fun. There have been many moments where I miss the US, but there are so many amazing aspects of the culture here. When looking for a place to study abroad, do not rule out any countries based on the stereotypes, you may miss out on an amazing group of people.

Learning to Adapt to Stress

Published on by sarahblaiserLeave a comment

One skill that I would definitely recommend anyone to work on for traveling abroad, is one’s ability to go with the flow and problem-solve. From being here for the past month and a half I have learned that almost nothing goes to plan. This is just a fact of life. Thankfully, I do my best to go with the flow, to begin with, but my will has been tested on this journey.

Almost every weekend of my travels something has gone awry. Whether it’s a plane being canceled, not being able to get somewhere because of strikes or riots, or unpredicted COVID scares, all require problem-solving of some sort.

It has always been hard for me to handle problems head-on and in the moment. I very much shove it under the bed and never think about it again. This tactic is almost impossible abroad, likely in life as well. Here I have been learning that the fun moments are when things don’t work out. I have found myself excited for something to go wrong because it brings the most surprises. Do not get me wrong, when everything goes right, it is absolutely amazing, but that is not always the case.

This past weekend I traveled to Budapest (it was absolutely amazing to make this a stop on your list). Within this three-day vacation, I missed one bus due to a strike, missed my connection flight and was “stuck” in Paris (can you ever be upset about being stuck in Paris?), missed a city tour, and took the wrong train to the airport. These things happen! Thankfully, I had someone else with me to help endure these kerfuffles. My patience and go-with-the-flow attitude was aided by someone else’s patience and go-with-the-flow attitude.

We utilized the resources given to us by the people around us and utilized our best problem-solving skills. Worse things could have happened and I am sure luck played into the weekend as well, but our attitudes saved us from seeing the weekend as a failure. Studying abroad seems like it is a long amount of time, but once you are here it feels so short. Every experience is extremely rewarding and results in a new lesson. These moments should be cherished and all growth should be celebrated!

Studying abroad is definitely scary and trying at some/most points, but it has produced some of the best connections and experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to find at home. Each day I am here I learn so much about myself. One does not have to go with the flow to study abroad, but it will most definitely come in handy in stressful situations.

P.S. Go to Budapest, you won’t regret it

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