So everyone always talks about Culture Shock when they talk about travel. Culture Shock is the idea that people have difficulty adjusting to another culture. It can manifest itself in many ways, for example, frustration or exhaustion.
For me, culture shock is most apparent when I notice all the little things that differ between French culture and American culture. For me, culture shock is not always a negative thing. I love to discover all of the differences! It is why we travel anyway, right?
So I have decided to list some differences I have noticed so far between life here and life back home.
1. In general, the French do not pick up their dog's poop.
I have to constantly watch where I step. Once Meghan's host mom stepped in a pile of it with her fancy white shoes and exclaimed "MERDE!" Which translates to "shit". I found it ironic.
2. They eat eggs for dinner, and we eat them for breakfast.
3. In France, we eat in courses. In the U.S. we put a little bit of everything on the plate at once.
4. Twice as less homework, twice as much class time
5. The 24 hour clock
6. People have a different idea of "sporty" here. I am considered very sporty while at home I am not.
7. If you say good-morning, hello, or how are you to someone you do not know, they will look at you like you are crazy. If you smile at someone you do not know, you are either flirting with them or they thing you have a mental handicap.
Everyone in this city must think I am strange then, because I love to smile at everyone!
8. The transit system is the only thing you can depend on to be timely
9. People cut lines here, lines are much longer and much less efficient. In the U.S. people take a number and wait patiently, or in a store they would open a new cash register to make lines shorter. Sometimes there is no "express" lane in the grocery store, so buying just one baguette can take up to 45 minutes.
10. In the U.S., if your prof calls on you and you answer wrong, they generally say something like "Oh, that is a very good idea! Not quite what I was looking for though..." or "Close! Try again!"
Here they say "No. That is wrong. Who knows the answer?"
11. When you ask a teenager in the U.S. what they want to do as a profession, many say "I'm not sure yet", "I plan on traveling after I graduate", or something like that. Here they say "Politician" "Businessperson" or "Mechanic". Children here decide at a much younger age because of the way the school system is structured.
12. Walking around the house in bare feet is a no-no. They worry that your feet will be too cold.
13. Leaving a light on or taking showers over 5 minutes is considered a sin.
14. Sandwiches contain preposterous amounts of either mayonnaise or butter. There is no such thing as a PB&J here.
That's all for now. I'm sure I will remember more once I post this, and I promise there will be more to note in the future.
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