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- When I first took the metro to get to classes I found myself having to quickly readjust how I interact with strangers. For example, back home in the south I am used to smiling and making light conversation with people I sit next to or stand with or even pass walking down the street. In Paris, and especially on the metro, this is very uncommon and oftentimes leads to negative attention. Even making eye contact with the person in front of you is seen as odd and by the time I had memorized my metro journey to class I had also adapted to keeping my head down and my headphones on to eliminate any opportunities for interaction. I found that I blended in the best when I acted that way.
- I didn’t really find this that jarring as I remembered being told about this before coming abroad, but I think what threw me off the most was how people reacted to my initial attempts at smiling or talking. I felt self-conscious because although I knew not to do it, it would still happen without me even realizing I was doing it. I had to remind myself that I was still a good person even if I wasn’t smiling at every person who passed me or even the people I had to push in front of when I was falling behind. I don’t mind that aspect of the culture and now that I’ve been through it this time, I’m sure it would come easily upon going back.
- I think the only way for me to compare this experience to something people in Paris would experience is if they were to come visit a city in the south. Particularly a place like Charleston or Columbia, SC where I am from. In Paris, you do not make eye contact with a stranger because when you do it is a sort of invitation to come over and often that is not actually welcome. In the south, eye contact is a sign of respect even if you are just acknowledging the person sitting across from you on the bus. I think for a French person, or more specifically a Parisian this would be very bizarre and maybe even alarming because your sense of privacy may feel encroached on. I believe this specific cultural difference is the cause for a lot of misunderstandings that label the French as snobby and rude.
- With all that in mind it reminds me why it is so important to try and learn, especially from experience, about the cultures you will inevitably be interacting with. To already know that a French person is unlikely to smile and wave to a stranger or even an acquaintance means that the misunderstanding that that person is rude by nature will not come to light, and it allows me to truly see the other person for who they are rather than an understanding clouded by cultural differences.
