I was ruminating about going to Paris, France and a friend forwarded me the article "Smiling Parisiens show your their city, for free" from the The Mercury News (http://www.mercurynews.com/travelheadlines/ci_10691093)
Just from reading the title, my initial thought was "this is too good to be true." Now, I'm not one to dwell on stereotypes, but the one about the mean Parisien, well that is something that my European friends and I have all experienced. Hey, wouldn't you be irked if your entire city was treated like one big museum? And wouldn't you be annoyed if all the tourists spoke to you in an unfamiliar language?
Now the benefits of signing up for a Paris Greeter to show your around are three-fold: a friendly Parisien, a Parisien who speaks English(!) and it's free! I can't wait to check this out on my next visit to the "City of Love."
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2 comments:
Personally, I've never encountered this oft-reported rudeness. Just be polite, speak in French as best you can, and greet the shopkeeper when entering as the locals do and they will treat you with respect.
That's true, parisians can be rude, even to French people! In France, we usually don't like the inhabitants from Paris, who are a bit selfish and arrogant.Well, not very kind nor friendly.
I've got many friends from Paris, who are really nice (and I think that Tokyo Jim is right) but that stereotype is not totally absurd. So don't judge French people when you've only met Parisians!
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