Seen in the Métro today.
Filed under: Culture Frog |
Joke of the Day
Posted on August 12, 2007 by frog with a blog
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And THIS is why I lo… on Barcelona, Morning Bitchiness,… Crystal Scott on Learn How To Deliver Excellent… 86Kaylee on Wanna Porn and Kiss a Tit… Anonymous on Learn French in 5 minutes and… DinATL on Does Anybody Still Check This… Directories
Frog with a meter
FwABulous
frog with a blog
Frog with a Blog 
I… don’t get the joke?
I… don’t get the joke?
I don’t get it, either!
It’s a joke because French people are definitely NOT committed to giving visitors a warm welcome.
But I mean, that’s kind of why I love them.
Maybe the hand could be waving goodbye – or good riddance??
Is that middle finger sticking out a bit? 😉
I immediately thought something perverted…am I right? 🙂
delphine
Where is it warm in France currently? It’s bloody cold!
I think I got the joke, but welcome back anyway.
I think it’s not only about that the French do NOT give warm welcomes to ,but also even the way that poster is worded in English “We are committed to giving you a warm welcome” is so very RESERVED that it positively screams “Hi, you’re in France. Don’t expect a warm fuzzy”.
Voila. But I, too, like it here anyway and enjoy my friendships with the few French people I DO know. Who are always VERY warm and welcoming to me. Present company included, of course!
I have this recurring discussion with some of my Francophobe relatives; the French aren’t rude per se, you just have to understand the culture and what is ‘normal’ for them.
It has been my experience (somewhat limited, but working on rectifying the situation), if you adjust your expectations to match the culture, you find that people are indeed nice and will welcome you as they would a ‘local’.
Try this; go to Times Square in New York City and yell “OU SONT LES TOILETTES?!?” at people. See what kind of reaction you get… I’ll call an ambulance for you.
I have to say, I’ve done some of the worst French bashing since moving here 3 years ago. For the past few days, I’ve had to use a cane for a sore leg and I’ve been treated with such kindness, strangers going out of their way to help me, that it’s humbled me and made me cry. No, not everyone’s necessarily welcoming, but they’re not cold, either. Dean’s right–I’ve adjusted my expectations. (But I get the joke, too 🙂 )
What I think is amusing is that it looks like the hand is coming out from behind a wall, as if the owner of the hand is hiding behind the red wall and is not sure whether or not s/he should come out.
The French are sure friendly in Paris when they want your tourist dollars- er euros…. I’m not a tourist so my perspective is different anyhow… I find the French to be fun, warm-hearted and friendly… Don’t laugh, please… I just like them… except for when they are driving, walking or in the trying to get in and out of the Metro! Did I leave anything out?? No, honestly, don’t blame them… they really DON’T KNOW how to welcome people here … in the way Americans do when you walk into a retail store (in the US) and the salesperson is right away your best friend and ready to help you with all your needs.. Hehe!