The French Paradox
France is just full of mysteries, huh?
For me, the biggest question isn't how French people can smoke and drink themselves into oblivion every night until they're 80, it's how a country so beautiful and full of amazing resources (the food, the wine, etc) can produce individuals who are so ugly and a government that supports them.
The shooting of civilians in the Cote d'Ivoire is just the most recent institutional example of poor French behavior. On a more personal level, I spent four days in Paris with a business school class in early 2001. While there, I ate amazing food and was in complete awe of the city around me - it really is that beautiful. But the people...another story entirely.
The only French person I spoke with who was even a little bit nice was a cab driver who drove me (and three friends) to Sacre Coeur to watch the sun rise one morning (definitely something I would recommend if you can manage the hour).
Every other French person I met, though, was nasty. And I speak passable French - I certainly wasn't trying to talk to people in English!
It's just so beautiful and the French have so much about their country to appreciate - why don't they?
(my friends and I on the steps of Sacre Coeur just after sunrise - from our seats, we watched the sun rise over Paris)
For me, the biggest question isn't how French people can smoke and drink themselves into oblivion every night until they're 80, it's how a country so beautiful and full of amazing resources (the food, the wine, etc) can produce individuals who are so ugly and a government that supports them.
The shooting of civilians in the Cote d'Ivoire is just the most recent institutional example of poor French behavior. On a more personal level, I spent four days in Paris with a business school class in early 2001. While there, I ate amazing food and was in complete awe of the city around me - it really is that beautiful. But the people...another story entirely.
The only French person I spoke with who was even a little bit nice was a cab driver who drove me (and three friends) to Sacre Coeur to watch the sun rise one morning (definitely something I would recommend if you can manage the hour).
Every other French person I met, though, was nasty. And I speak passable French - I certainly wasn't trying to talk to people in English!
It's just so beautiful and the French have so much about their country to appreciate - why don't they?
(my friends and I on the steps of Sacre Coeur just after sunrise - from our seats, we watched the sun rise over Paris)
posted by Kit Pollard at
2:58 PM
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