My roommate Kai later told me that cafes in Paris are pretty different than in the USA. They are meant to be social places where people get together to talk and hang out. Laptops are frowned upon because they make the atmosphere of the place less social. I realized that the cafe staff person wasn’t trying to be rude to me. I had just misunderstood an important part of this culture: the French don’t generally like mixing work and social life.
Another moment I had was when I first started working at the museum. I was shocked to learn that I wasn’t expected to be at work until 9, or maybe even 10 am. Compared to the USA, that is a very late start time! We also had lunch in the museum cafeteria for up to two hours sometimes. At first, I thought this part of French culture was silly, even lazy, but now I have come to understand it more. It is not that the French don’t like to work hard; it’s more that they also really value and respect their personal time. Mornings aren’t rushed here; they are when people go to the market, have breakfast, chat with their families and prepare themselves for the day ahead. Lunch is also valuable time to catch up socially with colleagues. Here, it is important and normal to have a social life outside of work, and it would be unusual to eat lunch quickly and alone. I think the USA could benefit from the French approach to personal time, community and socializing. I feel like living here has made me want to spend more time with my friends!
My final cultural challenge occurs while having conversations with locals here. The same thing happens to me time and time again. I’ll be speaking in French, when suddenly the local person will switch to English.
