| Rules of conduct |
First and most important rule: ALWAYS say
"bonjour" when you enter anyplace or meet anyone........first
words! It is a very good idea to also say "au revoir" or some
other appropriate words upon leaving. This goes for shops, restaurants,
post office, bars, EVERYWHERE.
It is considered very rude to not greet people upon entering any
space.....greetings and goodbyes take a fair amount of time between
people you know, as each must be greeted and taken leave of
individually. On the bright side, once to know people, you get lots of
kisses!
Second rule: When you want something, ASK nicely, don't
demand. Contrary to popular hearsay, the French love to help if they
can, but only if they are treated with courtesy ( by French rules).
"S'il vous plait...." (please) will go a long way in getting
what you need.
Observe these rules, even if it turns out to be the only words of
French that you learn and you will find that most people will try to
help you. Don't do it, and you are likely to received minimal courtesy
and service.
General note: French culture is much more different than US culture
than is often believed. Everything works differently, the laws are
different, the motivations are different. Don't become angered by these
differences!
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| Language |
Making an effort to speak any French at all, even if
unintelligible or completely butchered, will make the people you meet
make the effort to meet you halfway. They will often try to speak any
English they know, with the same results you may have. Nobody may know
what was said, but this will motivate them to make extra efforts on your
behalf. Pocket dictionaries are cheap and great aids to
communication.
DO NOT ASSUME (ever) that no one around you understands English. Many
understand a fair bit, although you may never know........keep your
conversation courteous and say nothing that you would not say in a crowd
of English speaking people that could overhear you.
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| Restaurants |
Breakfast consists of croissants and coffee or hot
chocolate, finding anything else is RARE!
Lunch is served between 12 noon and 2 pm (sometimes until 2:30 pm) If
you don't eat during that period of time, be prepared to wait for dinner
(after 6: 30 pm). Fast food places and street vendors are an exception,
some bistros will serve sandwiches outside of lunch hours.
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