I think this is because a lot of French people have encountered Americans who don’t speak any French. They are used to American tourists that just expect that everyone speaks English to them. But I actually want to practice the language with locals. So when they switch back to English, they can come off as rude to me! At first, I was frustrated about this happening every time I had a conversation. But then I recognized that they weren’t trying to be rude; from their perspective, they probably thought they were doing me a favor. So what did I do? I learned to just continue speaking in French! I would get a look of surprise and a smile from the local person, and then they would switch back to French. Problem solved, and no one’s feelings were hurt!
Overall, I think my attitude about French culture has changed a lot since I’ve been living here. I think the French are wonderful, friendly people, just quite different in a lot of ways from Americans. A large part of adjusting to living in Paris has been adjusting to the culture here, really. But now that I understand it better, I realize it has made my travel experience so much more rich and interesting!
