I keep wondering when culture shock is going to hit me. Will it not happen if it's been 9 months and hasn't happened? Will I just experience it late or something? I don't know. I can honestly say that I have really enjoyed living here. I don't think that culture shock has been a factor for me -- at least not yet.
BUT, cultural adjustments have been. Maybe I'm not going to go through "shock," but I do know that I must adjust to this new culture, and sometimes that is just not fun. And, often it just does not make sense to me. Let me explain a few cultural adjustments that I am trying to work through right now. I call them "inconsistencies".
(1) Rules, rules, rules. I find it a gross inconsistency that this culture, on the one hand, is so chocked full of rules that you really can hardly believe it - rules about sitting on the grass, climbing trees, where you can sit to eat food and on and on it goes.
The other day the kids and I got a snack at a mall and we found an "off-the-beaten path" hallway and just plunked down on the floor to eat our snack. I figured we would only be there for a few minutes and then on our way, so 'no big deal.'
We were sitting there for about 4 minutes when the security guys wandered by and made a bee-line for us. They explained that "sitting on the floor is forbidden." They love the word "interdite", which is the word for forbidden. The list of things that are forbidden in this country is really truly incredible!
Their very sculptured gardens go along with their "everything has to be a certain way", rule oriented life. You never see a random garden when you are in a place where lots of people live. And every garden has a perfectly tended edge.
And, they have tons and tons of security people to enforce their rules. Anywhere you go in this country, there will be security people. In the parks, in the malls, on the streets, in museums, at touristy sites --- everywhere! (They love American movies here. I keep wondering if they ever put the movie "Mall Cop" in the theaters here, because I don't think they would like a film that makes humor out of a mall cop who thinks he's 'big stuff.')
Anyway, all of these rules just seem like a grand inconsistency to the "free thinking", "nudity everywhere" mentality of France. Why would you continue to follow so many rules (so many rules that to my thinking just don't need to be in life) if you think you are so free-thinking and liberated? In my mind, these two things side-by-side are very inconsistent. But, then, I am an American living in Paris.
(2) I struggle with the lack of privacy rules that exists here. For instance, the feminine hygiene products are right next to the cash register in most grocery stores. I really think it's crazy that the possibility exists for me to be in that aisle and my neighbor or an acquaintance from school walks by and says "Bonjour" to me while I shop for such personal stuff.
In the Pharmacy down the street, the incontinence products are right inside the door in full view of the intersection where 5 streets come together in one!
In the park, it is entirely normal to see a parents with a young girl off in the bushes (but still very easily seen by many people), and the girl is going to the bathroom. Or, the other day was really hot and we saw a little gal running around the park with just a skirt on - no top. She was about 5 years old or so.
Yet, it's a challenge to get people here to tell you their first name. We call one another Madame and Monsieur for ages and ages before we finally learn their first name. Why? It's another grand inconsistency in my American mind. But then, I am an American living in Paris.
(3) Days off. As the year passes, I am just shocked by the French holiday calendar. So far, each of these days have been a "day off" for us...
All Saints Day -celebrating the saints who have died - and they mean the Catholic saints...not just loved ones who were good people
Christmas - Jesus' birth
Epiphany - celebrating the day that the Wise men arrived to worship the baby Jesus. This is a huge holiday here that lasts for days
Good Friday - Jesus' death
Easter - Jesus' resurrection
Ascension - Jesus' ascension to Heaven (we get this coming Thursday off because of Ascension)
Pentecost - the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples at Pentecost (this one is May 24th)
And yet, this people who celebrate everything significant about the life of Jesus on this earth thousands of years ago, are so very hostile to talking about this Jesus who came to this earth to die for their sins so that they can have a personal relationship with the creator God. To me, this is a grand inconsistency.
(4) This one isn't an inconsistency, but it still drives me nuts. Stores close at 7 or 8 p.m. No, actually, when they say they close at 8 p.m, they are really closing the gate at 7:45 p.m. and saying the store is closed. You have to argue for a good 3 minutes to get in to grab something quick if you arrive at 7:45.
Here's an example of what the French people consider long hours:
The word "huit" means 8. So, this store is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and those are considered long hours...much like our 7Eleven stores. It just drives me nuts! This means that every person in the world is shopping for food right after work (from about 5-7) or on Saturday. The lines are crazy long and the cashiers take NO pride in moving quickly and they rarely open more lanes. It's really rather annoying.
I often joke with my teammates that when we come back to America, I'm going to go to a Walmart at midnight and buy something .... just because I CAN!!!!
But, once again, this is an American mind reacting to a French culture.
It all makes me think, what grand inconsistencies do foreigner's see when they come to America? Just a thought.
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