Observations: life in Paris, the French way
Tuesday, 09 September 2008
- One feels most authoritative in Paris when carrying a stack of books in one arm and a baguette under the other. Especially if one is stopped and asked for directions.
- Should you ever find yourself in Paris the first weekend of September (the first weekend after la rentrée, when everyone returns to the city after their August vacation), avoid Saint-Michel at all costs. It's one of Paris's main shopping areas, and is also an area filled with and frequented by students. There are dozens of book stores and supply shops, which is precisely what everyone is shopping for the first weekend after school begins. I could barely navigate the sidewalks.
- The French are very traditional when it comes to school. As a student, one should never do any of the following in the classroom: wear a hat, chew gum, drink coffee (or any other beverage, for that matter), or eat food. The French are also very strict about punctuality. There is no wandering in five minutes late, arriving halfway through class. When you are late or absent, expect to be asked directly about it in front of the entire class. Mme. Berthelier isn't harsh, but she does inquire.
- The French deserve more credit for their patience and toleration. Despite a trifle of grammatical errors each time I open my mouth, I can usually make myself understood. Sometimes I require repetition for comprehension, and often I lack specific vocabulary to properly communicate. However, rarely has it been my experience that the French refuse to converse with me as I butcher their language. My pronunciation is relatively good, though my cadences still reflect the fact that I'm an English-speaker. Before leaving the States, I was warned repeatedly that "studying French in Paris will be hard! Don't let them speak English to you!" On the contrary, I've had to use my French every time I go out. And for the most part everyone I've conversed with has been extremely patient and accommodating, and without speaking to me in English. It's possible that this is partially due to the fact that tourist season is over, but more likely the French have this reputation of impatience because English-speakers exaggerate their experiences; when fumbling around with a new language, one often feels much more stupid and ridiculed than is actually the case. At least that's my two cents. If the French speak English, it's probably simply that they can't understand you; I'm learning in phonetics class that being understood has as much to do with cadence and rapid pronunciation as it does with saying vowel combinations correctly.
- I was informed by a classmate that, in Paris, instead of someone asking for your telephone number, they'll ask for your "06." Instead of Avez-vous un portable? the hip French kids will ask Avez-vous un zero-six? All phone numbers in Paris begin with 06.
- The same classmate told me that Saint-Michel is often called Saint-Mich by the same hip French kids. Any other local Parisian expressions you know of that I can toss into the mix?
11:24 PM
Tags: french class, la rentrée, observations, paris
filed under: observations
