There are Americans who visit France and come back saying "the French are so rude". I feel differently. I think Americans perceive French behavior "rude" because it doesn't follow American rules. You can't assume that everyone in France should speak English. You can't approach a French stranger with a big American hello and "how are you" and expect them to respond in kind. However, if you look them in the eye, give a slight nod with a gentle hello, they will respond favorably.

Most French people I meet are subtle. Dignified. They are not loud, and they are reserved in their expressions. We like to say words like "great", "magnificent", "marvelous". The French will say "pas mal" (not bad) even if they win the lottery! And if you think Eurpoeans don't have their own negative idea of an American, you're wrong. Most young Europeans I've met view Americans as "fake" and loud, since we DO tend to have big hellos and smiles for strangers and ask "how are you" and walk away before a response. Because one of our first questions when getting to know someone is "what do you do for a living?" So make a conscious effort to show the French that we can adjust to our surroundings, and that we don't expect to enter a foreign country and have everything be just as we wish it to be. Go to France expecting it to be very different from the US. Because it is.

I wasn't able to completely forget my American roots during my stay. I was still the one getting strange looks wearing my sandals in the cold (with socks of course). I was still the one with the loudest laugh. And I could never quite get my voice to that loud-enough-for-the-waiter-to-hear-but-not-nearby-diners level. I also never looked French, even when I did leave my sandals at home. I will never have the French flair. I will always feel a bit like the awkward teenager as I stumble my way around Europe. I was very lucky in that my french friends insisted my American idiosyncrasies were charming, and deserving of acceptance.

So look at the French in a new light. They have a rich culture, a rich past. I can attest to the fact that if you are kind, polite, and "go with the flow", you will gain friends, and perhaps even improve foreign relations. Bon courage!

P.S. I must, with great joy, point out my limited use of exclamation points. I tend to write rather enthusiastically, expecting every reader to feel my overstated American joy. I'm quite proud I managed to tone down my personality for this bit.

See, anyone can do it. (!)