I have been reading a book by Stephen Clarke called “A year in the merde”.
It is a humorous descriprion of the experiences of a Brit going to work and live in Paris for a year. Similar to Peter Mayle’s “A year in Provence”, this one deals more with city life , work habits and mating rituals. He is very good at decoding people’s reactions, thus giving the reader an interesting double sided view point. The language barrier being just the first obstacle to overcome…he discovers the cultural differences with chaming innocence….and diplays an admirable willingness to adapt and fit in. In this, he is not typical of the anglos I have met.
The french and the engiish are so very different…even once moved to Canada.
My recent dating experiences have been enlightening in this respect. I have always loved the English language and figured that English-speaking people would be just as lovable. I have always been a staunch federalist and I see myself as a Canadian before being a French speaking Quebecer. This has not changed.
But my perception of Anglos (Canadian Anglos that is) HAS changed. They truly are a breed apart. They are not the bad guys depicted by the separatists by a long shot…but they are very different from francophones. We may have grown up next to each other but we did not get the same education at all.
Anglos have a reputation for being boring (among French speaking Québécoises) and now I understand why…they have boxed themselves in a very limited environment. They seldom venture downtown to attend cultural events (festivals, concerts, plays, exhibits), or try nice restaurants. They shy away from anything French, be it litterature, TV, cinema, theatre, cuisine, fashion. They all shop in the same malls, go to the same cinema to watch American films, and eat out at the same sports bars. They remain immune to Mediterranean and other international influences that are so important to us francophones, in the way we eat, the way we dress, the way we enjoy sensual pleasures, the way we live!
I see French speaking Québécois as very open people, curious about other cultures always interested in experimenting and discovering new things while Anglos seem timid. They are not adventurous…thus their reputation as unimaginative and boring… Even if most Anglophones have studied French in school, very few of them have explored the French culture, let alone embraced it. Maybe the younger generation is more comfortable with it, but the men my age sure don’t get it. They are not bad guys…just a little on the dull side… The book on the other hand, is hilarious!