French Culture Survey

[Damelon]

I put down Wine, Cheese, and Airbus.

[Auleliel]

My answers:

President: France has a president?
HistoricalPerson: Louis Pasteur
FrenchComposer: Debussy
Artist: Monet
Export1: wine
Export2: lavender
Export3: lingerie
Film: Carmen
Technological Achievement: guillotine
Male Adjective: eager
Adjective Women: rude--especially the waitresses
FrenchMonument: Arc du Triomphe
Object I own from France: a postcard I bought in Paris
Best Thing
escargot in garlic sauce

Worst Thing
The French language is like sandpaper on my eardrums, and I am a linguist.

Want to Visit
I guess I would like to see the Louvre. I didn't much care for France last time I was there. Paris is much to pretentious without much reason, in my opinion.

[Elfgirl]

have to agree Auleliel...I did see the Louvre, and the Musee d'Orsay (cos I lurrrrve the impressionists!) and Notre Dame is a buzz, but Parisians per se are stuck-up w@nkers. Especially the women.

[Auleliel]

Of course, I formed those opinions over a period of two days in Paris with a tour group, so I may be wrong...

[Vraith]

hmmm...I have to say I turned 21 in Paris, and found the women...um...amenable.

[Auleliel]

hmmm...I have to say I turned 21 in Paris, and found the women...um...amenable.

Yes, but you're a man, which changes everything...

[Elfgirl]

They don't seem to like...competition!!

[Wyldewode]

Really? I found people in France to be kind and easy to deal with. All you have to do is learn two or three phrases in the language and they're even more eager to help you.

And I like the French language. . . or any romance language. I had a hard time when I was learning Danish, though. . . too close to German and I don't have the ear or throat for the gutteral sounds.

[Vraith]

Really? I found people in France to be kind and easy to deal with. All you have to do is learn two or three phrases in the language and they're even more eager to help you.

I've noticed this everywhere I've gone...if you just give it your best shot, they suddenly become understanding and friendly (though certain places in Paris, they were superior at the same time)

[Wyldewode]

I've noticed this everywhere I've gone...if you just give it your best shot, they suddenly become understanding and friendly (though certain places in Paris, they were superior at the same time)

Except in Italy. . . they didn't seem to care what you would try to say. . . they always spoke in English to us. I found this sad.

[Loredoctor]

but Parisians per se are stuck-up w@nkers. Especially the women.

I spent two weeks in Paris last year and found that everyone was polite and helpful. To be honest, I have always found it interesting that people call the French rude.

[matrixman]

I'm not American, so I didn't take the survey, but just wanted to say I love the French language. Paris is one of the great cities of Europe I'd love to visit someday.

[Lord Mhoram]

Fun quiz. I answered the stereotype questions with the first adjectives that came to mind -- this sounded like a sociological survey so I figured that was the point. I loved France, I traversed it from Cannes and Nice to Normandy, spending a while in Paris. It is a beautiful country, its language is gorgeous, and its culture is important and fascinating. There is a certain snootiness to the French (no offense to any Frenchmen or francophiles), but I don't think it's as crippling as some of us think. Also French Orangina is delicious.

[danlo]

Oringina was developed in Portugal by Dr. Trigo.

[duchess of malfi]

When my son traveled to France a couple of years ago he said that the French were the nicest people overall he had ever met. Much nicer than Americans, and even Canadians. He said the kids were all frightened to death getting off of the jet, as most of them had never been out of the US and Canada before, and when they saw all of the kind faces, and everyone was so nice to them as soon as they got off of the jet, they all felt so happy. And they experienced that kindness (and happiness) throughout their trip.

Perhaps he ran into better behavior than some of the other people repsonding in this thread because he was travelling as part of a school group? And people usually are kind to kids...

[CovenantJr]

I'm glad I'm not taking this quiz. I'm British and therefore have a congenital distaste for the French, just as they have for us.

Seriously though, as a massive generalisation the French love the Americans and loathe the British. I'm not sure why, except as one of those 'hate your closest neighbour' things.

[CovenantJr]

Actually, this reminds me of my holiday to the Greek island of Kefalonia a few years ago. Our hire car, a Renault, got a puncture while we were passing through a tiny village in the hills. I'm not very mechanical or practical, so we were beginning to worry until some fellow holidaymakers passing by on scooters stopped to help out. They all sounded eastern European - maybe Estonian, or something like that - and didn't speak any English at all. They quick got the punctured tyre off but had trouble attaching the spare. Some parts that were meant to fit were in fact the wrong shape. After a few minutes of grappling, one of them noticed the badge on the car; he turned to me, rolled his eyes dramatically and exclaimed "French!"

France: the world's work experience kid.

[Auleliel]

Really? I found people in France to be kind and easy to deal with. All you have to do is learn two or three phrases in the language and they're even more eager to help you.

I always learn at least basic phrases in the languages of the countries I visit. Paris is the only place that has been a problem for me. And one place in Switzerland where they laughed at my terrible German pronunciation.
At the restaurant my mom and I had trouble at, I did speak some French phrases, and even tried to order my food in French, and the French waitresses were still impatient and rude to us. If it weren't for the nice man at the next table over (who I'm pretty sure was on a date with the very annoyed woman sitting across from him), I'm sure my mom and I wouldn't have gotten anything to eat. He actually seemed a bit overeager to help us, but I'm guessing that was because he relished a chance to practice his English with native speakers. He is one of very few French people who has been polite/friendly/helpful to me.

Right now my favorite phrase in French is: "Je déteste le français."

[JazFusion]

I answered it to the best of my abilities. I'm more of an anglophile myself, so some of my answers were bit stereotypical. I said that French men were effeminate. In reality, I've only met one Frenchman and coincidentally he was effeminate.

[Wyldewode]

At the restaurant my mom and I had trouble at, I did speak some French phrases, and even tried to order my food in French, and the French waitresses were still impatient and rude to us. If it weren't for the nice man at the next table over (who I'm pretty sure was on a date with the very annoyed woman sitting across from him), I'm sure my mom and I wouldn't have gotten anything to eat.

That's too bad. . . I speak elementary French, and had no difficulty when I tried to use it. My disadvantage is that I understand a great deal more than I can speak (I'm not so hot at conjugating verbs on the fly), and when I was lost I am shamed to say I could barely get out the most basic phrases.

He actually seemed a bit overeager to help us, but I'm guessing that was because he relished a chance to practice his English with native speakers. He is one of very few French people who has been polite/friendly/helpful to me.

I had this happen when we were in Cannes. A man in his mid-twenties stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk and came to introduce himself since he heard us speaking English. I think he was trying to get us to go get a meal with him until he saw my friend's huge boyfriend coming up to us. Then our new friend Dominick quickly excused himself. Good times, though.