Category: La Une in English Page 10 of 17

There is not a lack for misunderstandings between the French culture and American culture. One can find many situations every day that are rich with opportunity to make mistakes. Some days I think I make these mistakes less frequently, and other times, I have no more hope. Yes, perhaps that is a bit melodramatic, but welcome to my life!

At the start, even the smallest of cultural differences presented misunderstandings. For example, at the cafés that are so adored by the entire world and typically French, you have to, of course, pay. But how? Inside? Outside? Eventually you can figure it out. The real trick is how you tip. What percent? Is it necessary? As it turns out waiters are well paid in France and tipping is reserved for great service. One time, a friend and I went back to a restaurant because we were in disagreement with the cultural rules of tipping and felt bad that we didn’t leave a tip. The waitress was truly happy and told us that it truly wasn’t necessary.

Misunderstandings also come with language mistakes. I spent an evening with friends of a friend who were quite nice. It was pleasant, but I was the only anglophone there, so it was also a little tiring. “Alright,” I thought to myself, “I’m going to sleep. Wait, what is the more slang term for that? …Oh yeah, that’s it.” Needless to say, I was terribly incorrect. So, I said, “Thank you for the evening, I am going to sleep with you.” Even though this phrase was not coquettish before, today it indicates having sexual relations with someone. The sister of the guy to whom I directed this poor phrase, could not stop laughing. Finally, she explained that I wanted to use the reflexive of this verb, “put myself to sleep” to indicate that I was going to bed. After this incident, I quickly took my leave.

But all is well now. I have found a way to reduce misunderstandings! Change the language! Change the grammar! In my opinion, it is much easier. Last week, I was speaking with my host sister about her internships. She worked with retirees last year and this year with be working with people who have been clinically diagnosed as mentally unstable. As a psychology student, I know the word “fous” to indicate this group of people, but for some reason, I could not find the word. I mixed “fou” (masculine singular of “fous”) and “folle” (feminine singular) to say “foulle”. This word does not exist, but maybe we can change and develop the French language. Times change, no?

-Shelby Duncan

For Armistice Day, I went to the movie theater with my hosts to see my first French film. In fact, Gemma Bovery isn’t the first French film that I have seen, but it is the first French film that I have seen in a movie theater, without English subtitles. As it turns out, the film is about an English woman (Gemma Bovery herself), so a lot of the characters spoke in English. However, the action of the film takes place in Normandy, and it is mainly a French film, so it wasn’t too easy for me. But really, I liked the film a lot. It’s an adaptation of the novel Madame Bovary. The film was funny, heartfelt, and really well played. I appreciated the modern adaptation of a classic story. While Emma Bovary was destroyed by the man she loved, Gemma is destroyed by the men who love her – we could even say that their obsession with her is her destruction. “Destruction” is a harsh word for a movie that wasn’t really sad, but the morale is very serious in our world, where women are considered to be objects more than human beings. I saw the film in a Toulousain theater called the Utopia, that shows independent and foreign films (German, Spanish, etc.). The theater reminded me of a movie theater in St. Louis called the Tivoli that also shows independent and foreign films. Like the Tivoli, the Utopia only has three rooms and shows each film once per day. The seats are very comfortable, and there are bathrooms in the room where the film is shown, so I didn’t have to leave to go to them (I always think of bathrooms in France, because there are a lot less here than in the United States). I really enjoyed my experience at the movie theater, and I suggest that everyone goes to see this film. It is really entertaining. I plan to go to the cinema again this week to see another French film, Bande des filles. I hope I’ll like that one too!

 

In the middle of October, I learned what it was like to be sick in France. I wasn’t too sick, but it’s not fun when you have a fever and a cold in the same week. And, believe me; it’s just as bad as in the US. I started to feel sick on a Tuesday afternoon, but I still had to go to my Dickinson course.

I felt worse when I returned home that evening. All I wanted to do was sleep, so that is what I did. I took my temperature that night and it was about 100, not a very high fever so I didn’t think it was very serious. But my hosts still asked me if I wanted to go see the doctor. To me, that was the last thing I wanted to, especially since it was wasn’t serious at all; there was no need to go. The next day, my fever disappeared like I knew it would. But after that, of course, I started sneezing and coughing. I however, simply stocked up on tissues and continued my life. It wasn’t like I was dying.

Then, when I had our one-month-in meeting with Laura, she asked me how I was feeling. When I told her I was still a bit sick but hadn’t been to a doctor yet, she gave me a look that said why not?? At that moment, I realized that he French probably go to the doctor all the time, even for little things like a cold or a fever.

I thought, and still think, that it’s a little odd. In the US, we don’t go to the doctor for simple things. We take Advil or Ibuprofen, drink lots of liquids, and sleep. If the sickness worsens, then yes, we visit the doctor, but it’s been twice now that a French person had wanted me to see a doctor for something I didn’t think was serious. So why are the French preoccupied with such little illnesses? My first idea was that it’s much cheaper for the French to go to the doctor than for us in the US. Because of our health care system, we’re used to treating ourselves for small things. Otherwise, it’s too expensive to go to the doctor all the time.

It could be also, in the US, a boss could think that an employee doesn’t work hard enough if they need to stay at home because they are sick, while in France, they must not have this preconception. This could explain why I refused to admit that I’m sick until it becomes evident; I don’t want to be seen as negligent. In any case, I’m still not sure I’m comfortable with seeing a doctor in a foreign country.

-Tatiana Veres

 

 

During Fall break, the students and the Dickinson team packed their bags and left for Paris for four days, where luckily we were greeted by the sun and beautiful weather for our entire stay.

It was the first visit to the French capital for most of our students, and they discovered Paris through theater, important historical sites, art and of course, Parisian cuisine.

Wednesday evening we took a boat tour on the Seine to see some of the most important sites in the City of Light that line the Seine River. Luckily, it wasn’t too cold ! 

Schuyler : This is a photo of me in front of the base of the Eiffel Tower. I took this photo the first night of our stay in Paris, during a cruise on the Seine River. I chose this photo, because the Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris (and also because I lost my camera cord during the vacation and I don’t have a lot of other photos). I really liked Paris and all its sites and monuments- l’Hôtel de Ville, le Musée d’Orsay, la Saint-Chapelle, le Centre Pompidou, etc. Speaking of that, I like our visit to the Centre Pompidou a lot. Unfortunately, all my photos of the Centre are on my camera, but it was an amazing experience. I’ve never spent time in a big art museum without a lot of other people around. But our visit was completely private! We could listen to our guide and look at the works without bothering people or being bothered. However, it’s not just the fact that we were alone in the museum. I love art museums, but generally, I prefer impressionist and expressionist art. However, the works of the Centre Pompidou are very moving. It’s impossible to explain why, but I thought that the works really said something to the viewers. They make us think. I hope that I’ll have the chance to go back to the Centre Pompidou, but, unfortunately, my visit won’t be private. 

 

Right after our bost tour, we went to the Comédie Française to see one of the most well-known works of Molière, Le Tartuffe (The Hypocrite) .  That night, our students were very tired and went to bed early in order to be ready for the next day, which was even busier than our first day in Paris !

Thursday was dedicated to the history of Paris; in the morning we visited the Musée Carnavalet, a museum that contains countless works of art that illustrate the evolution of the city. Our visit to the Musée Carnavalet focused on the collection about Haussmanian Paris.  In the afternoon, we visited the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), which holds an important place in Paris’ history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We concluded our guided tours Friday morning at the Centre Pompidou, which is home to the National Museum of Modern Art. The Centre Pompidou is located in the heart of Paris, however in an emblematic building of the 20th century.  At the Centre Pompidou we switched gears and instead of discussing the history of Paris, we learned about modern and contemporary art.

Keep reading to see how our students spent their free time in Paris :

Jessica : Even though Toulouse is considered a big city, it does not compare to Pairs, the biggest city in France. I live just outside a big city in California and my dad lives right in the center of London, but I was not ready for Paris. In my opinion, the heart of the city, famous for the Eiffel Tower, lives in the museums. There is not a lack of things to do and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the city. In order to better understand and appreciate the city, it’s better to not just visit the touristy sites. The Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower are impressive, but my favorite parts of the trip were the museums. Specifically, I enjoyed the Musée d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum. The Musée d’Orsay, located in what used to be an old Parisian train station, holds French art from Monet, Manet, Degas and Van Gogh, to name a few, that date back to 1848-1915. There is also a clock that gives a good view of the Seine and dates back to when the train station functioned. The Rodin Museum, another incredible museum, holds a large collection of sculptures and works by Rodin. For both museums, the buildings themselves are impressive and beautiful, let alone the art work. 

 

Shelby : During our free time I went to Montmartre and the Tuileries Gardens with friends. We also visited the Museum d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum. I really liked the Rodin Museum. It was more tranquil than the other sites and houses very important and significant works of Rodin. The trip went very well and was a nice way to spend the break.

 

 

 

 

 

Grace :  During our stay in Paris, I spent most of the visit with my friend, Tatiana. The excursion was her first visit to Paris, but my fourth. Because of that, we did some touristic things (the Museum d’Orsay, the Palace of Versailles, etc.), but we also did a few things that are less well-known, such as the Sainte-Chapelle church and we took a little break at Ladurée for the famous macaroons. Personally, I like areas that are less touristic- there are a lot fewer people and it’s usually much less hectic. Even so, we visited the Arc de Triomphe, and climbed the stairs to the top, too! By chance, we stumbled upon a military ceremony for All Saints’ Day, and it was really powerful. So in the end, a visit that would normally be too touristy for me, ended up being my favorite activity!

 

Tatiana :  This last trip was by far my favorite: Paris, the City of Light. During our stay, I decided to visit the Versailles chateau. The train took about half an hour to get there, but when I saw the castle the first time, I knew why it was so popular; it’s huge, ornate, and covered in gold. The whole walk through the chateau and around the gardens, I kept thinking how could one family possibly need this much space? I learned that each of the children traditionally received their own apartments, which consisted of 5 rooms. I was surprised that these rooms, save for the last one, was open to the members of the court. I understand them wanting to get away from the nobility who would prod into their personal lives, but then it blew my mind again when I saw the three smaller living spaces located in the gardens. It seems excessive to me, but I’ll definitely be coming back! 

 

 

 

 

Our last evening in Paris, the Dickinson group shared a meal at Café des Musées, where we tasted Parisian delicacies of the season.

 

 

Some last reflexions from our students about our trip :

 Greg : Our voyage to Paris with the Dickinson program was a very successful trip filled with art, good food and plenty of adventure. In only five days, I was able to see the Musée d’Orsay, the Pompidou Center, and the house and gardens of Rodin. Even after all the sights, I was able to catch the metro across the city and get a beer at Montmartre in the evening. Looking over the skyline of Paris at Montmartre is an incredible sight that brings tourists from all over the world to see. For me, Paris felt much more like a center of business with lots of fast moving traffic, the abundance of foreign languages and endless historical sites. Luckily, our trip to the city coincided with Halloween and I was more than happy to sport a bear costume I bought in Paris our first day. In all, our trip was yet another great cultural experience for our program and I can safely say that if I were to be so lucky, I would have no problem working in a city such as Paris in the future. As for now, Paris is hardly in the realm of any student budget and I can honestly say I could not be happier with the pace of life, studies and friends that I have here in Toulouse. For being twenty years old, I wouldn’t trade such a young and vibrant student city like Toulouse for anything!

Kristen : Paris – the city of love that has been an indefinable source of inspiration and art for many countries, including the United States.  The immense and decorative buildings, such as the Place de la Concorde, l’Hôtel de Ville, the Musée d’Orsay, etcetera, have an air of fantasy and reminisce for the days of the courtesans.  However, juxtaposing this splendor are the tourist shops, who seem to sell the same things no matter where they are in Paris, and the crepes vendors whose menus are completely in English.  This juxtaposition brings into light the current tension in France between their desire to maintain their culture and the desire to reap the financial benefits of tourism.  This tension helps to explain why the stereotype that the French are snobby has persisted in the United States; it is hard for a country that has a lot of pride for its culture and its language to change itself to accommodate foreigners.  Currently, since I am more aware of French culture, it is interesting to experience how an old city like Paris can keep its own culture while still enjoying the financial income from tourism.  It is also fascinating to see how the French react when they learn that this American can speak French quite well! 

Needless to say, our students (and our chaperones, as well) returned to Toulouse very tired, but our fatigue reassured us that we had all made the most of our trip to Paris.

On the surface, France and America resemble each other. However, misunderstandings and miscommunications can easily arise because of the differences. I arrived in France almost two months ago, and I have encountered many situations that have helped me understand the French culture.

 

One area in particular that I have noticed is the store and restaurant hours in France. My first weekend, I wanted to go to the supermarket to buy some snacks for myself on Sunday, but everything was closed. Another time, I needed to go to the bank. I went right after a Dickinson class because it is just down the street from the Dickinson Center, but unfortunately, it was just after 12 o’clock and it was closed. After my second experience (and additional ones as well), I know the normal hours in France. Most stores, restaurants and offices close at noon and on Sundays. In America, on the other hand, all the stores stay open for the whole day, including Sundays. Even though England (I’m half English) resembles France, I did not think about the hours and I was surprised at each experience.

 

After a few experiences, the French hours now seem normal to me. Despite my current habits, in the moment, I was disoriented and confused. These experiences taught me about the value placed on meals in France. All the stores respect the lunch hour because the French place importance on conversation and food. They eat slowly and no one is in a rush. Stores normally close for two hours to allow enough time – this invites conversation and relaxation.

 

The meals demonstrate only one of the misunderstandings I have experienced. New experiences occur daily, especially at the universities. French students take notes in an essay style, the professors do not give homework for the next class and each class only meets once a week. These realizations do not occur easily and, like with the hours, you have to keep an open mind with each experience that arises. Miscommunications are inevitable and cannot be prevented, but you can use these experiences to better understand the culture and to more easily adapt.

-Jessica Sykes

Today I’ve been in France for seven months. I’m still certain that at any moment I’ll be on a plane going back home. It still hasn’t sunk in that I’ll be here for nine months. That being said, I like what I’ve seen so far. Toulouse isn’t like all the other cities that I’ve seen before. When I think of a city, I think of skyscrapers, concrete, and the noise of honking cars, but Toulouse is completely different. Sure, there are a lot of people and it can get noisy sometimes, but the city doesn’t feel the same. It feels calm.

 

I really love the feel of the city when I’m walking to class or shopping. There is one street, les allées de François Verdier, which is lined by huge trees. Sometimes there’s even an outdoor craft market that I browse on the way to wherever I’m going. Going to the Dickinson Center, I walk next to the canal. There’s a beautiful bridge, trees, and some interesting boats just sitting in the water that I love to look at. My university, l’Institut Catholique de Toulouse, is small but quaint, and it’s near the quarter called Carmes. There, one can find little cafés where people go to buy something small, like a coffee, and just sit there for hours.

The metro here is also really different than the ones in the US. Here, they’re clean and well-lit, and so inexpensive! I can go from my house to the center-city by metro, then take a bus somewhere else if I have to. During my internship in Philadelphia this summer, I only took the speed-line to cross the bridge. Otherwise, I walked everywhere. The French public transportation system works really well; they know exactly when a train is needed every 30 seconds (like at 8am or 5pm on weekdays) or late at night on the weekend when young people are out late.

My host family is super nice! I live with a mother, a father, and their two young kids, a boy and a girl, ages 14 and 9 respectively. I’m truly lucky because the mom is an English teacher at a high school. We don’t speak English a lot (it’s not allowed) but if I’m having a problem with a word or phrase, she helps me out. And one night a week we’ll speak English at the dinner table, just for fun. I was worried about my host family at first because of the stereotype that the French are reserved, but since the first time I met them, they’ve made sure I feel welcome and at home.

I can really see this city as my home!

-Tatiana Veres

 

It is hard to define “culture” because the definition can be different for each person. Culture is something very evident, but it is also present in life’s implicit codes. I like Edouard Herriot’s definition of culture. He said that culture, “is all that remains when everything else is forgotten”. Culture is more than foods and festivals. It is values, customs, history, and a way of life. When I arrived in France I knew that there were cultural differences between the United States and France, but it was hard to explain outside of the stereotypes. Nonetheless, I have already noticed certain things that are individual to French culture.

Communication and spoken misunderstandings are perhaps the funniest. The “false friends” of the French language create a delicate dynamic. One week, I visited a photography exhibition with some friends. When I told my hosts about my day, I used the word “l’exhibition”, not “l’exposition”. My hosts then told me that “l’exhibition” in French means a public nude demonstration. Thankfully, with more time, I am making fewer of these mistakes, but there are still plenty of other things to adapt to.

After the first month, I began to have some regularity for each day. Initially, I ate a lot at restaurants and didn’t cook. Now, I try to cook more. In the States I go to the grocery store on Sundays, but when I went to the market Sunday afternoon all of the vendors were closed—the grocery stores as well. Now I will go shopping during the week because that was truly frustrating.

Other than daily activities, the other thing that takes up much of my time is school. I have survived two weeks of school at Jean Jaurès. Thankfully, for the most part, I understand my classes, even though my notes resemble hieroglyphics. It is truly different from Dickinson. The classes are in large rooms and the professors use microphones. The amphitheater that hosts my clinical psychology and psychopathology class could easy fit 1,000 students. It was impressive and intimidating the first day. Even though I can understand my courses, in general, I am scared for the exams because the majority is oral! Thankfully, I have plenty of time before the end of the semester to continue to better my French and to discover more things that construct not only the French identity, but the identity of Toulouse as well.

When we study culture, we learn the differences between the foreign culture and our own, however, being aware of these differences does not mean that we truly know how to act in a foreign culture. Each culture has its own set of rules and implicit codes that are almost impossible to understand without being fully immersed in that culture. However, the immersion process is not immediate, and, consequentially, misunderstandings are inevitable. In addition, there are certain aspects of a culture that are very complex that a foreigner will only understand at their most basic level at the beginning. The cultural complexities and misunderstandings can be resolved if the individual is conscious of what is happening and seeks to improve his or her understanding.

Unfortunately, the cultural faux-pas can start even with the greeting. An American can learn that the French do the “bise,” small kisses on each side of the face, to greet one another, but the social codes surrounding this salutation are too implicit to be fully taught in a classroom setting. Greetings can be particularly difficult because the expectations change from person to person or can even change within the same person. For example, someone can do the “bise” to a person who was just introduced to them, but the “bise” is not always given as a way of introducing oneself to an unknown individual. Americans are also not generally aware of the subtle signals that indicate the other person would like to give the “bise,” which can create an awkward situation if a French person leans in to give the “bise” and the American is not aware.

Another way wherein Americans tend to make mistakes is gauging the acceptable speed where one can eat and drink and also the places where it is acceptable to do so. In the United States, eating can be done at any speed and at any place. In France, eating is done at a slow pace and drinks are never more than sipped, even at parties. Concerning the location, in the United States, a person eats when he or she is hungry, even if he or she is waiting in line at the supermarket or is walking down the street. On a personal note, I was shocked when, while walking down the street and finishing my ice cream, a young man sarcastically shouted at me: “Bon appétit, Mademoiselle!” Apparently, as a friend of mine later told me, it is not acceptable to eat and walk in France.

Obviously, greetings and the speeds at which one eats and drinks are not the only mediums where cultural misunderstandings occur, but they are perhaps the most relevant for a group of American college students. These misunderstandings can be ameliorated with learning and uncomfortable situations can be avoided with a polite apology. Although cultural misunderstandings are annoying, they do present learning opportunities as they compel the foreigner to step back and reflect on their actions and thus broaden their cultural perspective.

-Kristen Cunningham

I didn’t expect my stress levels to go down in France – in fact, I was sure that they would increase until I was unable to function, much less speak in French. Thankfully, I can still function and even speak some French. However, I am stressed. How could I not be as an American in a French city, attending a French university while also taking courses at the Dickinson Center, living with a French family, and trying to make friends? That isn’t to say that my experience isn’t good. On the contrary, it’s very good. And I did not expect that. Even though I am stressed and rather in a state of discomfort, I am having a good time in Toulouse. I’m content. I find that my stress in France is not the same as my stress in the US. I don’t have a concrete reason for this, but I think that my approach to stress is different here. I see my stress as a necessary step in my French integration. Stress is inevitable when one lives in a foreign place, and it isn’t always bad. While studying abroad, it is necessary to follow one’s own path, even if stressed or uncomfortable, because, in the end, the stress itself is not important. The experiences, good or bad, are important. I am going to remember our visit to the Soulages Museum and the moment when I first tried rabbit at my host’s house more than I will remember my stress or discomfort. If I could have given myself some advice before coming to France (even if it is cliché), I would have said that I shouldn’t worry. I believe that we can’t really prepare ourselves to spend time in another country. It is an experience that is completely new and unknown. Therefore, we must embrace it and go with the flow. That’s what I’m going to do from now on, and I have high hopes!

-Schuyler Atkins

My life in Toulouse is different from Dickinson in many ways, but I was stunned by the resources for foreign students. At my university, the Institute for Political Studies (IEP), I am in the process of completing the CEP- the Certificate of Political Studies. With this program, the French courses- those of language but also of culture- are impeccable! The professors understand that the content, and the methods even more so, are different than the norm for their students. In fact, they are very nice and understanding. Also, at the library, you can find the Center for Language Resources for scholarly materials and help.

The Dickinson Center is full of tools as well, such as computers with Antidote software, a program for correcting documents in French. This program is incredibly practical, because it tells the writer the reason behind the corrections. Also, the Dickinson Center recruits French students to facilitate a tutoring program. It comes in handy when it is time for final exams and papers! Dickinson also provides university visits with students that currently attend each institution. Personally, I was much more comfortable the first day of classes, because I knew the layout of the IEP and where my classrooms were. Even better, if I can’t understand the professor and there are holes in my notes, I can ask my tour guide for help- she kept her notes from her first and second years!

 
If you want to go out at night, there are a lot of “conversation clubs” to improve your comprehension of the language and your accent. One of these clubs, the Cactus Bar which is very close to my university, is really great! Last week, I met a guy from Belgium, a girl from New Zealand, and even a guy from the Czech Republic. Everybody shows up with a strong desire to assimilate into French culture.

 
It’s true, the Toulouse program can be a bit difficult at first. But for me, all the tools at the Dickinson Center, at my university, and in the city itself have really helped me to avoid cultural misunderstandings.

Grace McCrocklin