A few months back I started a series that my readers seemed to like, so I came back with more.
I write about the taken-for-granted things that I got accustomed to in the US, but are not the norm or even known where I’m from. It’s good for me to remember them — of course, I’ve already lost some of my frenchness, but maybe there is hope; what if I could boost my memory!?
If you’ve missed the previous episodes, go here, or here.
So… when I lived in France, and before I came to America…
1) I was able to vote. I have been in the US for nearly 8 years and… I am barely a resident. Not a vote-worthy citizen yet. But I pay all my taxes and everything. Being a legal alien is hard work!!
photo credit: wine me up
2) I thought my business school was expensive… Looking back, even though I ended up paying back most of it at the worst of the Euro/Dollar exchange rate, I still got a bargain vs. US schools. OK, so the prestige is not exactly the same. But guess what, I am managing just fine! (And now student-loan free!)
3) I never really celebrated the 14th of July – what people in the US call Bastille Day – and most French don’t beside watching some fireworks. It’s nothing like the 4th of July in the US! We do not have patriotic cakes, flags and Old Navy shirts with the French flags on them for the whole fam’! [For the record: don't look for the Bastille if you set foot in Paris. It happens to be the most famous monument that actually no longer exists!]
photo credit: Scallop Holden
4) I had never heard of Dave Matthews Band or Sarah Maclachlan. No lies. And that probably many more hot artists, I don’t remember that I did not know them, I take them for granted now!
5) Oh and I did not know that country music had dedicated TV channels and music awards (yep, not just one, but 2 country music awards… WTF?)
6) Oh, one more on the music theme: Christian music? Had never heard of that — outside the religious hymns inside a church. No, in the US Christian music is a genre that resembles pop music only celebrating Jesus’ love, etc. But the best albums are sold through infomercial as far as I can tell! (If you don’t know what an infomercial is… I will write a post about that, leave a comment!)
7) I had never eaten warm corn. In France we only eat it cold, usually in salads. And most French have never had corn on the cob — I did a long time ago, but that’s only because I was raised on a farm!
photo credit: stevendepolo
8 ) I had never tailgated, but you probably knew that since I’ve said it before.
9) I did not know “standard” paper size (as in, what you feed your printer for example) is NOT the same standard in the US as it is in Europe. US calls their paper “Letter” (8-1/2 x 11 inches); Europe (and possibly the rest of the world actually?) uses A4, also fondly called 21 x 29.7 (in cm)
OK, that’s all I have for tonight. Surely there is more, look for part 4 soon!
But only if you enjoyed this one!?
Stay in the loop! Subscribe to my posts via email to the right to get post updates directly in your inbox. Thanks for visiting!
Love reading about the cultural differences!
Thank you, thank you!
Great fun! As a (now) dual citizen of the US and Holland, I enjoy these types of posts. Recently I came across a letter I sent my mother when I spent a year in the US as a foreign student (long time ago now!) One comment I made was this: “They make a show out of everything here.” I still think that at times. My sober Dutchness just doesn’t get used to it.
Miss Footloose | Life in the Expat Lane recently posted…New Expat- Eat Some Placinta and Other FunThings to Do
I totally agree, the show out of everything can be seen a superficial or fueled by consumerism, but I now see it more as: people like to enjoy themselves and prepare for occasions they make specials, simply because they make an effort to.
So there are always different angles to perceive a culture
I laughed when I read the paper sizes. I worked for an American company and it used to drive me insane when they want us to print stuff on the American letterheads, and I would have to resize my documents online before printing. The little things….
Alison@Mama Wants This recently posted…Rockin the Bump
Little things turn into ginormous projects. I’ve been there, like you!!
This was funny…although we celebrate July 14th, is that crazy? The smaller towns in Provence usually have festivals during the long week-ends (we went 2 years ago) and the Chateau de Murol puts on a re-enactment of the storming of the Bastille complete with beheading! Maybe it’s just for us “foreigners”!
Barbara recently posted…Mandatory Vacations
I’ve seen towns make real efforts, but in general it’s not something people do on their own — no fireworks in the backyards, definitely no flags everywhere, nothing like the US do it.
Thanks for your insight as always
That is so interesting, I love it. No country or christian music in France? There are two more good reasons for me to move there
That’s right. Only the few country songs that make it across the ocean since we don’t produce any over there. Country is by trade “made in America” only.
Ehmm… None of the Christian music made it as far as I can tell.