Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveA
Winni.com goes international... cool... How do you like France? My brother spent 6 months there and didn't think the "locals" were very friendly to Americans.
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Where did you brother go?
I LOVE France. This is the second time we've lived here. In between we were in England for two years and then Upstate NY for four. I'm not 100% fluent in French but I get by pretty well. We've been here this time (near the Germany and Swiss boarders) for almost a year and a half now. Let me tell you, we are celebrities!
The locals LOVE us here. The teenagers wait for me at the gate in the schoolyard so they can practice their English with me. They start learning English in 3rd grade. As soon as I'm fluent in my French (currently taking a course at the local university) I will find a way to get into the schools and teach English or volunteer. I want these French people to get a taste of the
good ol' American English rather than the British English haha I have a very good friend here that speaks perfect English (she's French). Initially, I thought she was British because when she speaks English she's got such a British accent!
Honestly, everywhere I've been, people have been generally pleasant. There are some pretty ignorant people occasionally, but you find those anywhere in the US as well. (the French do not like Bush, but they love the American people and still live for that "American dream".)
People are people no matter where you are standing.
I raised two daughters in the Meredith area with my first husband and now have two little one's (boy 4 and girl 6) with my second husband. We speak English at home. My husband speaks to the kids (now) 90% in French. Our daughter started 1st grade this year and is FLUENT in French already and get's straight A's on her report card! Our little guy understands the language and speaks it, but prefers English still and won't talk to anyone in French unless absolutely necessary. Stubborn little boy, but he's still only 4 1/2.
Honestly, people that go to Paris on vacation or whatnot get the impression that the French are not friendly. Think about it. The majority of French people you see in Paris are there for business. The city is PACKED with cars and people everywhere. Business people on their way to important meetings simply don't appreciate being stopped in the street by other people who do not speak the language. Therefore, you get the attitude, which is really understandable, don't you think?
Don't anyone shoot me, but I know myself when I was living in Meredith and had to go into town on any given summer day and got stuck in traffic
forever and most of the cars had Mass plates on them,
I wasn't thinking too kindly of those tourists either. By the way, I was born in Lowell, but moved to NH when I was 11.
