Have you ever heard the typical stereotype that French people, especially Parisians, are just the snobbiest and rudest people? They won't talk to you unless you speak French, and they definitely will never speak to you in English. They think they are better than everyone else and have a superiority complex to match. Definitely be aware before you go travel to France...
...Could literally not be further from the truth!
I want to preface this article by saying that this is just my experience when traveling to France. I am not negating anyone's experience, but rather just offering my own two cents on the matter.
I went to France last summer with my mom and we visited Biarritz, Bordeaux, and Paris. Every city we went to and everyone we met were unexpectedly nice. Being an American, I went in with the same mindset that one would have after being told that the French are the worst.
And boy was I proven wrong.
The people, especially in Paris, were so nice to us, and neither one of us spoke a lick of French. I know some basic phrases, but definitely not enough to have a conversation.
One night in Paris, my mom and I went to this little Bistro in the center of the city. It was owned and operated by a sweet, old woman who's children, nieces, and nephews all worked at the place. My mom and I were astounded by the food (my mom being a chef) and told the waiter how amazing it was. He must have passed our kindness on to the older woman because she came out and sat with us and talked with us and even gave each of us a glass of Kir Royal free of charge.
We also took a tour of the Eiffel Tower led by a sweet, young woman, and you know what she said? Speaking to an American crowd, she went out of her way to address the fact that she knows there are nasty stereotypes about the French, but she assured us that the younger generations are trying to change it by learning and embracing English.
Not once was my mom and I treated rudely because we didn't speak French, and everyone was more than willing to speak to us in English.
One thing that really bothers me about this whole thing is that everyone, especially Americans, always condemn the French for being rude, only wanting people to speak in French, and thinking that they're better than everyone else when in reality, we do the same exact thing.
It is beyond hypocritical for any American to say that the French are narcissistic and are out of line for wanting everyone to speak French when there are many people who will tell foreigners in the US that if they don't speak English, they need to go back to their own country.
I mean come on you guys. Could you imagine if someone from other country come to America, literally any part, and tried to speak another language? That would never fly in the US.
And you want to talk about the French having a superiority complex? How about counting the number of times our politicians and even citizens say and legitimately believe "we are the greatest country in the world"? I mean, really?! We're giving the French heat for thinking they're the best yet we are the most narcissistic country in the world.
The fact of the matter is, the people who typically hold these stereotypes are the same people who have never traveled and actually experienced different people, places, and cultures for themselves.
Rather than letting other people tell you want to think, go out and find out for yourself.
Traveling really is the greatest teacher.
