Who Knew?

I have been in France for one month, therefore, I am beginning to get my street smarts. Here are some interesting tid-bits I have learned on my journey thus far.

It is debatable whether it is appropriate to snap your fingers and say "garcon" when eating at a restaurant. Pam, our director here, says never to do such a thing, as it is deeply offensive. But Annie's French teacher taught in class that this is the French custom. I think I'll just raise my eyes and look expectant when I'm wanting a check at a restaurant. Or, I'll just wait it out, as lingering is more European anyway.

When the French think someone is acting "retarded", they have a French word "retarde" that is very similar to our English word, but they also say, "Il ne fini pas", or he is not finished. Sad.

Having a market guy is key. Annie and I don't know our guy's name, but we do know that he is polite, jolly, plump (always a good feature of a market guy if you ask me), and all-around awesome, as he gives us a free bunch of parsley every time make a purchase from his stand. Reading my description now, he almost sounds like a French Santa! He also makes recipe suggestions. He knows us, and we know him, simply not by name.

The French word for affirmative action is translated as "positive discrimination". I learned that in my France and Europe class yesterday when we were talking about equality, and I thought it was a phrase that went very much to the point.

Never, never smile at someone in the street in passing. They will think you are trying to come on to them, or that you are making fun of them. In Monaco, Pam told us we could smile at people in the streets because it was such a safe city, and it was a nice change. I flashed my pearly whites on the thirty minute walk to the restaurant, while exploring the Casino, and on the thirty minute walk back home.

Tips are not necessary at French restaurants-- really. Simply leave a few gold centimes and you are set. The first afternoon, me and a group of Abroadco students at lunch at a cafe. Our total was 50 euro, so we left about a 9 euro tip. I'm sure our waiter thought the stupid American/tipping gods were smiling upon him that day.

The French don't seem to have "diet" or "light" or "fat free" options available at the store. The milk Annie and I use is probably the equivalent of whole milk, and its better that I don't know that (although I dilute it was water sometimes), and I'll probably never know its true percentage.

Speaking of milk, Annie and I are the few people at the grocery store who buy it refridgerated. Most French buy their milk in these cardboard containers by the water/soft drinks. They are room temperature, and the minimum I've seen a French person buy at the grocery store is probably 6 (alot). I'm not sure if it is powder or liquid in the containers, all I know is that I'm unwilling to try it.

If you go to buy a baguette from a bakery, you must be careful if you are a foreigner, as if the bakery is also a cafe, they can charge you a restaurant tax and your baguette-to-go will cost more. Annie and I experienced this the other day, as we were charged (we think) a euro extra for our baguette. I should have said something along the lines of "We're taking this to go, not eating it here" but I could translate the phrase in my head quickly enough.

The French teaching style is vastly different from the American style. Natalie gave us a pop quiz on Tuesday, and handed them back Wednesday in order of grade (as she always does). When she hands you your paper, she says something a long the lines of "Excellent" or "You could do better next time, watch your articles". Therefore, I know how everyone is doing in the class. I know when someone bombs. Everyone knows when I bomb. Its very unnerving, and makes receiving tests and papers much more of an event, as it will sometimes take 30 minutes for her to hand back 15 papers, as she comments on everyone's work and read sections of your paper aloud to the class.

So there it is. I guess some are tid-bits, and some are interesting cultural differences. Whatever the case, I'm becoming much more acustomed to it all as I've had some real time here. It doesn't seem all that different/crazy/unusual as it use to.