Posted on 01/19/2024 5:12:45 PM PST by yesthatjallen
Brushing up on language and customs might be worth looking into when visiting a foreign country.
An American TikToker named Angela, known by her social media handle RealPHDFoodie, found that out the hard way after a trek to France didn’t go well, despite her efforts to fit in with the community.
In a recent TikTok video entitled ‘France made me cry,’ Angela travelled to Lyon, France, her first stop in an eight-city solo trek across Europe. A tearful, beret-wearing Angela said she didn’t recommend visiting Lyon if you don’t speak French.
Despite her hat choice, Angela said she couldn’t fit in.
“It’s my first time visiting. To be honest the experience is very isolating,” Angela said, per the Daily Mail. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful city … it has a lot to see and do and discover. But I don’t recommend it for a solo traveller or for someone who doesn’t speak French because it’s a very isolating experience.”
The food and travel influencer described the locals as “very indifferent,” noting she had no problem meeting and socializing with others in Germany and Italy. But in France, people “make you feel bad for not knowing their culture or speaking their language.”
“I haven’t really met anybody here and I’ve been here for five or six days now,” she said. “I almost feel stupid for coming here and spending money. I even bought a French hat. I’m here to learn and explore but the experience is just … I don’t really like it.”
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at canoe.com ...
Words fail me….
…
The French are snobs, it’s not really news.
The trick is you just have to try to speak French. And then look confused when they talk too fast. Then they’ll appreciate you at least made an effort and switch to English.
so she dint hear them insulting her then...
Yep. I have heard the same thing from my French friends - all of whom live and work far from Paris.
My father back in the 70s was in France for some reason, it was dark and he had never seen a traffic circle before..
Yes he went straight through it, fountain and all
He then always claimed that the French made really crappy cars.
Even though his rental Peugeot somehow survived
She’s kind of wimpy but never forget what arrogant @$$holes the Frogs are.
Asian, it seems, probably Chinese-American. There are tons of Asian tourists in France. And very few of them speak French. And yet they seem to have a good time. There are always tons at the Louvre.
We’ve visited Nice quite a lot, as a friend has a condo there and likes having us visit, in part because I’m handy and fix and improve stuff.
Nice has been catering to English speaking tourists for well over 200 years. You can get by with a little phrase book French, and a few mercies and si vous plais go a long way. And a lot of folks do speak English, and very few are French snobs towards Americans.
All in all, I quite like Nice.
I also visited Strasboug, Colmar, and the Alsace in general several years ago. Again, saw little in the way of snobbery, and met some who still thank Americans for clearing out the Germans in WWII, they knew their history well enough to understand that, from their parents and grandparent.
Now, this girl *does* strike me as quite a whiner. Probably didn’t even have a phrase book.
“I almost feel stupid for coming here and spending money. I even bought a French hat. I’m here to learn and explore but the experience is just … I don’t really like it.”
Oh, for Pete’s sake.
My French is terrible (aber, meine Deutsch is sehr gut...)
I was smirked at by a few Parisians, but, since I was also, apparently, a hot cougar back when I was there, they also took the opportunity to try to teach me better pronunciation.
These young whiny brats just can’t deal with anything...
The interesting thing here is that she says she had no problems in Germany and Italy. I wouldn’t put her down simply as a whiner.
I’ve only been in France once, and not for long. I never felt any language issue. Of course, I was only in Paris, where everyone is happy to help tourists spend their money.
She’s not gay enough for Paris?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/gabriel-attal-is-frances-youngest-ever-prime-minister-at-age-34-and-the-first-who-is-openly-gay/ar-AA1mGBvY
“France, her first stop in an eight-city solo trek across Europe.”
If she stays alone in France much longer she still won’t learn the language, but she is likely to be introduced to their ‘new culture’.
When I went to Germany for my job I didn’t know a word of German. I was there for 6 weeks.
I honestly felt illiterate. Couldn’t read the signs in stores or on the street, or a menu.
But I learned. I did not act like a typical American trying to get them to speak English, though many could.
I tried to speak their language and was fairly successful. And they seemed to appreciate my trying...................
“C’est la guerre”!.............
Did she put a clip of herself crying her ass off on TikTok? LOL.
Her first big mistake was going to France in the first place. I always spent my time in Belgium. The people are nicer too.
Hahahahahahahaha...love Steve Martin!
Just re-watched “The Man With Two Brains”!
A completly campy movie, but it sure made me laugh!
The French have always been like that. Even the Quebeçois are like that.
I was in Chateauroux. Everyone was very friendly.
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