Ah yes Paris, the worst place of France
Comment on Anon likes public humiliation
PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 3 months agoI was at a Hard Rock Café in Paris (yes I know they’re overpriced, but the historic stuff on the walls is pretty cool), and I hobbled my way through a conversation in my very basic French, before adding a little self-deprecating “je suis désolée, mon Français est mauvais”, to which he replied “yes, it is a bit shit”.
I laughed, he laughed, my other half laughed, I paid over the odds for a pint, the French dude got a kick out of pointing out the flaws in my attempts, everyone went on their day.
Titou@feddit.de 3 months ago
XTL@sopuli.xyz 3 months ago
Lovely city, terrible people, as they say.
sxan@midwest.social 3 months ago
Or, as the quote I know better hope: Fence is a lovely place; if only it weren’t full of the French.
Titou@feddit.de 3 months ago
“Lovely” depend where
sxan@midwest.social 3 months ago
I was at a place outside Paris, not too far, but in the Normandy countryside, in a tour group for French people because that’s what was running when we arrived and we didn’t want to wait an hour for the English version.
Me, with my three years of college-level French, was reasonably able to translate for my wife and ask simple questions. I held most of our questions until the end when everyone else had wandered off, so as to not bother anyone, and when we got the chance I started in with the more involved questions. This biscuit of a young woman listens to me stutter my question out with an utterly deadpan look on her face, and paused, then answered in English.
I was like, I’m trying here. At least acknowledge I’m trying to respect your culture.
naeap@sopuli.xyz 3 months ago
I tried to learn some French as I was trecking through and ordered a beer
He immediately said, I should stay with German, if I can’t speak French, because I gendered the fucking beer wrong (neutral in German, female in French)
PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 3 months ago
It’s frustrating. I kinda get it though - the French are proud of their language, and if they’ve got well-meaning travellers coming through and butchering it in new and inventive ways (particularly in high tourism areas) day in, day out… I can see how it would be grating.
I was in Starbucks on the outskirts of Paris, and ordered by drink in pigeon French, and the barista answered me in English. I answered her question in French, and she answered me in English. This went on for a couple more exchanges before we both laughed at how absurd it was - I asked “is my French really that bad?” and she just says “no your French is fine, but I can speak English better”. Fair enough.
I have heard though that outside of Paris though, people are far more appreciative of someone learning the language, to the point of being brutal with it. A friend was out in the North of the country, the locals loved that he was learning, but then let him absolutely sink when he reached a stage of a conversation where he was struggling. They could quite easily have bailed him out in English, but in fairness they made him think that little bit faster to make him learn.
prole@sh.itjust.works 3 months ago
Maybe it’s a difference in culture (US being a multicultural nation by definition), but I cannot relate to this at all. I would never dream of mocking a non-native speaker for attempting to order in English. I worked in retail and food service when I was younger, and dealt with foreigners constantly, and not once did I ever feel the need to berate them for getting a word wrong.
samus12345@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Same here. Communication is difficult enough without willfully letting someone flounder. And English can get pretty broken but remain understandable. If speak like Cookie Monster, still understand what say.
Spoilt@jlai.lu 3 months ago
On the other hand, your German beers are much better than our French beers. Perhaps it was kind but clumsy advice?
naeap@sopuli.xyz 3 months ago
Nah, he seemed pretty pissed. I think it’s more like being fed up with German tourists as a waiter - meant not the general public, but this waiter personally. This was in the north eastern part of France. So Germany is quite close
samus12345@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Pissed because you used the wrong “the”? Upholding the “French people are rude” stereotype!