Friday, July 20, 2012

France isn't quite all the glitz and glamour it's made out to be, but I still enjoyed myself quite a bit.

Paris is pretty much a slightly more upscale version of downtown LA. The malls have decently priced shops, fast food is still fast food, and public transportation is a definite when staying in this city. I have to say, it is quite filthy too. Nothing about that side of Paris is advertised anywhere in the US. Still, exploring the city and getting to know the people gave me a broader perspective on the French cultural lifestyle compared to the stereotypes portrayed in America. The few French people I met were pretty down to earth, and stayed very much connected with their roots. Tourism was everywhere, but you could definitely tell the difference between a tourist and a native. A small group of us decided to see how the nightlife was in a club near the Arc de Triomph. I happened to meet a man named Meniu who worked there, and we conversed about life in his city. He explained how the natives seem standoffish, because most of the people that come to Paris expect people to know how to speak like them (english), eventhough they're the ones visiting another country. Meniu helped me understand why the French have a stigma about American's, and helped me realized that maybe we shouldn't think so highly of ourselves. A bit of humility and an attempt to understand other cultures could go quite a long way from the eyes of others. This time with Meniu also helped me get a common ground on how to collaborate on business with the French. More of this aspect was brought out during our time at the University in Montpellier.

So, I arrive in Montpellier. And as I prepare to go to sleep, I get a phone call from my apartment complex letting me know someone broke into my place. I couldn’t think, sleep, or really focus my thoughts on anything except getting back home and dealing with these situations. I can’t stand putting things off. It took a few conversations with family and one long conversation with my boyfriend, which lasted until about 6 in the morning, just to keep me sane and reassure me he would take care of things. If it wasn’t for him talking to me and getting me tired for the day I probably would’ve just gone off on someone, so for that I am so grateful. I just added this in to illustrate why it's been a bit difficult to focus on gaining a French business perspective even with the field work and proposals from this point on.