PHOTO: The French have a leg up on vibrant, livable cities with iconic buildings, great public transportation, and public art.
As most anyone who has lived in a new country will tell you, every country has its charms, but none has all the answers. We love our two home countries, but after 10 years, there are still things the French do that drive us absolutely bonkers—and different thing that drive us crazy when we go back to the states. Below, a very personal and subjective list of what we think the French get right–and wrong—and a corresponding list for the States. I’ve asked British expat friends here to make the same list for the UK (they’ve contributed to the French list as well) so we have three countries represented. Knowing we are clearly dealing in generalizations, here we go:
The French just don’t get..
- customer service
- a full work week
- the global economy
- how to design a parking lot
- the foodie revolution
- the farm to table obsession (they invented it, now many bistros are abandoning it)
- a streamlined bureaucracy
- the importance of speaking English
- queuing in line
- apologizing
- entreprenurism
Photo: the entreprenurial Americans are famous for sprouting new ideas and companies, while the French aspire to be beaureaucrats. (garden sculpture at the Palazzo Murat Hotel in Positano).
The French totally get….
- historic preservation
- a leisurely lifestyle
- outdoor food markets
- the café culture
- violent crime prevention
- an straightforward, simple income tax
- sauces
- the sit-down family dinner
- frugality & recycling
- solidarity
- family values
- public transportation
- drinking in moderation
PHOTO: Phooey! In France, those pesky customers are always wrong.
Americans just don’t get….
- vacation time
- universal health care
- a work-life balance
- gun control
- round-abouts
- the importance of speaking a foreign language
- European politics
Americans totally get…
- IT and business innovation
- customer-focused shopping hours
- the fresh food explosion
- career ambition
- retail and service staff training
- cocktails
The UK just doesn’t get…
- a consistent approach to good food
- patriotism
- leisure time
- saving up
- sensible child rearing
PHOTO: The Brits gets high marks for their gentleness and humour.
The UK totally gets…
- global issues
- tolerance, courteousness, friendliness
- service
- pageantry
- beer
- good TV
- competitiveness
- fast, universal internet service
I’m sure y’all have some to add. Even a list from another country perhaps. And I’m pretty sure many of you will take issue with some of our choices–bring on the debate!
In the COMMENTS: If you were interested in last week's post on French and American health care and The Bitter Pill article, please do not miss the comments that poured in. We heard from the French, from expats, Italians and Canadians. We heard from Colette and Chris (of European Markets) who have recently experienced the US system, and expat Kiki (of Snefnug Studio) who has just been through a major medical ordeal in France. Nicole talks about her experience with health care in India. Their answers will surprise you. I found everyone's experiences and opinions fascinating and informative, and I'm so pleased to hear from so many folks on this important issue.
On the lighter side, Jonelle had promised to send her recipe for Oh So Good Pie, and you can now find it in the Comment section of this post. Merci Jonelle, it looks sinful!
17 thoughts on “They Just Don’t Get It…”
Haha for the parking lots! The little villages around here have the angles all wrong and of course the spots are way too narrow!
This is a very comprehensive listing – I think the most obvious (in your face) one for tourists is the lack of customer service in France!
You have definitely hit this list for what the French don’t get! and yet we still love them…..when we aren’t standing in line at the phone store trying to get an answer to a very quick question…..
Totally agree with your list…esp parking lots & roundabouts! The French also do not understand concept of a cocktail buffet. And if they would never do chip & dip!
Parking garages! OMG……not only squeezing your car around the spirals to different levels, but spiraling down to, what feels like, the enter of the earth. Talk about feeling claustrophobic when you are way down on Level 5……
My personal very highly generalized list…
The French don’t get:
Picking up after your dog.
Smiling.
The concept of having “fun”.
How to do basic business–returning emails and phone messages for example.
Being open to foreigners or even fellow Frenchman from other regions.
Integration.
A cheese course every day is not good for one’s health.
That wineries should be open on Sundays.
It is more fun to add to the “bad” list–and the “good” list is perfect!
Thanks, Melinda, for pointing out a couple of omissions in Jonelle’s recipe for Oh So Good Pie. The amount of sugar is 2 cups. As for cooking it–Jonelle says she cooks it at 375 for 10 minutes, then lowers the temperature to 325 for about 20 more minutes, until it’s firm and just golden brown. You can store it in the fridge.
Smiling after reading your fun, informative blog today Lynn!
Always interesting and entertaining to look back (if living overseas), at one’s own culture and share insights and perspective, while learning a new culture’s norms and ways.
I find myself trying periodically to practice a bit more of the French reserve. At other times utilizing that American style of openness and friendliness,hopefully to my advantage. Smiling can be contagious, when not over the top it seems!
Pros and cons of our 24/7 lifestyle so well outlined in your comparative lists. Convenience, customer service…balanced life/work styles. Bon continuation. Enjoyed all the great comments enormously as well.
Congrats on your step-daughters book…can’t wait to read it! Wow.
Happy St. Patrick’s day to all from Saint Remy.
I have only one disagreement – it’s with one of your “Americans Totally Get” items – the fresh food explosion. This is only true of wealthy or upper middle class and well educated Americans. The rest of our countrymen prefer a mix to scratch any day, instant mashed potatoes to the real thing, McDonald’s apple slices to a fresh apple from the farmer’s market, canned rather than fresh green beans, etc. A lot of this is lack of education – at home, and part of it that fresh is more expensive than packaged or canned. I’ll never forget asking my students in 3rd grade to bring in potatoes from home so we could do potato prints, and one kid brought in instant; most of my class thought potatoes came in boxes, so I ended up having to take the potatoes myself.
I made a list of what I love about the country here http://www.traveling-through.com/2011/07/snapshot-of-france.html
What I might add to the list of things that the French just don’t get is 1) time schedule 2) self-service 3) striking up conversations/friendships at random for no particular reason but because it can lead to something fun and/or interesting
I heartily agree about French paperwork and refusal to pick up after their dogs. And let me add the French men’s freedom to pee in public (I could turn French toilets and lack of clean public toilets into a dissertation).
I couldn’t agree more on the foodie issue about France. When I lived there, it was so difficult to find anything beyond traditional French fare, and yet they are very defensive about their cuisine. Now wine, that they have down.
Lynn, this is wonderful! Not only some food for thought,but also some great laughs at others, and very especially ourselves!!!
THANK YOU!
Every summer I walk the long distance hiking routes in France. Everything I need is in my light backpack. Lodging and meals are furnished by inexpensive gites d’etapes and local markets. The rural French always say “bonjour”, go out of their way to be helpful, and are confounded by why I would travel all the way to France to take a walk. Well, you just can’t do it in the US in glorious countryside, safely, with a hot shower, delicious meal, and good mattress at the end of the day for well under $100. But what the French accommodations don’t get, is how to install a shower with shower doors that close properly and don’t let water soak the floor!
the French don’t get: smoking is bad for you & a pollutant
They DO get–following driving rules on the motorways–right to drive, left to pass–
Californians (belonging to US) do NOT follow driving rules at all.
Ahah! As a French woman who has been living in the States for the past 24 years, I totally agree about the bureaucracy, the lack of customer service (don’t be afraid my fellow Americans and British to tell them off). What i HATE THE MOST are the dogs souvenirs!!!!!!!!! It is with great pleasure that, if i see a dog owner being a pig (il faut bien le dire) I am telling him/her what i think.
Regarding the motorways, they CAlMED down a lot tks to the expensive tickets that you will receive in the mail (smile on the radar’s camera). It brings several millions euros per year to the French government.
Well, striking a conversation just like that is not us: We are reserved but when you make a friendship it is a true one where as here, I found people to be very open but they forget you as fast as they meet you. Anyway, as i always said: There are nice people and idiots all over the world. Keep writing, I love reading all of it.
The French totally do not get port-a-potties using a bizarre, over complicated design with, and this is the tough part, no vents. Our four days of using such facilities while marshaling at The 24 Hours du Mans are cruel and unusual. There are so many things they do get right that we say ces’t la vie.
Lynn, love France and the French, but they just don’t get that cheese is better BEFORE dinner while you still have an appetite! Nicole, if you are reading this, I am trying to reform!