Coming to France was not a big culture shock, but it sure is different from American culture.  I have had many different experiences with their culture, such as how to eat for one example.  French people seem more sophisticated when it comes to eating food.  They eat their pizza with a fork and knife, which is different from picking it up with your hands and eating it, which is what I do and still do over here after using the fork and knife for a little bit.  Another thing French people do with food is eat their fries with a fork using mayonnaise as a dipping sauce instead of ketchup.  This seemed weird to me, but I tried the mayonnaise with the fries and it tasted okay.  The French also eat meals slower than Americans do.  They will sit down for a meal at dinner time for several hours and slowly eat their meal; they do not rush through it and the restaurant owners are not as worried about flipping tables as quickly as the American restaurants do.

Now a place where the French are not slow is on the metro moving about the city.  People will run you over to get on a train and will get frustrated with you if you move slowly in front of them and they cannot get around you.  Once on the train people will rush for an open seat. To avoid that I just stand because it is easier.  The metro system as a whole though was somewhat frightening to use at first, but after that it turned out to be very simple to use even if you do not speak French.

I believe that the biggest thing that has shocked me the most is having everyone around me speak a different language.  I knew this would happen because of course I am in France, but I did not realize how relieved I would be when I started going to different tourist sites and being excited when I heard someone else speak English who was not part of our group.  Now some of the French people do speak English, but they learn  British English, so when they ask you for fries they say chips instead, which is different, but easy to understand. [Dr. Langston’s edit: there are all kinds of English accents here, not just British.]

I am excited for many of the different things we have planned for the next two weeks here in France and for many more experiences I am bound to have.  If you are thinking about doing a study abroad experience later in your school career I would certainly recommend it.  You will meet many new and different people, even people whom you go to school with and have never seen. You will bond almost instantly.

The first week of our program has ended already! Sometimes time just passes too quickly when you are exploring a new place.

My experience so far has been interesting, fascinating, surprising, and amusing at times. This is the first time I have been to Europe, so everything is new to me. The first day I arrived I was lost within the first 10 minutes. I must admit though, I have a horrible sense of direction so take this with a grain of salt.

Paris is surprisingly easy to travel through using the metro but I have never used a metro system like it. I would imagine that large cities like New York would have something like it. I am originally from Atlanta, GA and we do not have such an amazing public transportation system.

The people of France have been very kind, and I can only imagine how many visitors they receive. Every time I go to a hot tourist spot like the Louvre, you can hear people speaking languages from all over the world. I have heard German, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese just to name a few. The tourists are often stumbling along with me when we try to speak French, so I no longer feel nervous when I have to ask if someone speaks English.

My final thoughts, of course, have to be about the food. I am a food person. I adore good food, and I can now officially say that no one can make sweets, cheese, or bread like the French. I find myself trying new things off the menus to discover a new meat or preparation at a cafe or Bistro, and I have yet to be disappointed. Today at the Angelina Restaurant in Versailles I ordered cœur de saumon fumé sélection astara even though I had no idea what it was. I do not regret it!

For breakfast they have sweets like a croissant with chocolate and muffins. For snacks they have sandwiches that are rich in herbs, meats, and cheeses. For dinner you can find almost any type of food in Paris! The culture is overwhelming and amazing!

Check out chocolates at the Louvre! Don’t they look irresistible!

I could get used to this beautiful country…

-Georginna Quiros