Preconceptions and misconceptions
[[{“value”:”
When traveling to a new country there are probably a lot of things you already know or think you know about that place. A lot of the time though a culture or a place will surprise you by being the exact opposite of what you thought.
And yes, I have heard it all about French people and French culture. “French people are mean, French people smoke all the time, French people don’t eat and walk, French people don’t wear bright colors”.
Now look, most of these things are true most of the time but if you come in with these preconceptions about it you won’t form your own opinion about the people or the culture. I really tried my hardest to come into this with an open mind and to meet it head-on. Because of that, I was able to come to France and really discover it for myself. While French people can be less welcoming than people in the US I have never had an interaction with a mean one. While, yes, some can be rude it’s never so serious that you need to take someone pushing you on the bus while they’re trying to get off as they are being mean. As a matter of fact, I have seen French people be incredibly kind and helpful. While I was waiting for the tram one afternoon I saw three people help a blind man to find his way across the tracks so he didn’t get hit. There is also a bakery a lot of us in the program go to since it is close to IES and the women who work there seem to know we struggle with French sometimes and have no problem kindly correcting us.
In another way, a lot of people before I came here said that French people only wear dark colors and that I should do the same. They weren’t necessarily wrong, most French people do wear darker clothes but that shouldn’t stop you from dressing however you want. I saw a French woman wearing a brightly colored dress my first week here and no one was giving her nasty looks or anything. The moral of the story here is that you should wear whatever makes you comfortable and happy. It is ok to not always conform to proper French society, (though you do need to respect the culture) no one is going to call you out on wearing sweatpants on a random Tuesday. However, my host dad did tell me I looked “sporty” when I was going to class wearing leggings and a jacket, which isn’t what I normally wear. You might get spotted as American more easily if you aren’t dressed similarly to the French, but honestly, you are probably going to be spotted either way.
And finally, I have seen SO many French people eating and walking. Generally, people think that because French culture is so laid back (since they take two hours for lunch) no one would dare eat and walk. But, I’ve seen it, and it’s ok if you eat a croissant while you’re on your way to the bus stop. Again, no one is going to say anything to you.
I think the main point of this blog is to understand that you might have preconceptions or misconceptions about whatever country/ culture. The most important part though is that you acknowledge them and still go in with an open mind willing to learn new things and have your mind changed. A country and its people might just surprise you more than you think. At the end of the day, respect the culture but also be yourself and do whatever you want (within reason!).
Profitez bien mes amis!
The post Preconceptions and misconceptions appeared first on Off-Campus Study.
“}]]