So there are limited options for me to imitate, I can only make a difference between the German an Swiss accents. If you're either from Liechtenstein or Austria then I'm done. Haha -- “Zo leave your troubles outside. In here life is beautiful , ze girls are beautiful, even ze orchestra is beautiful...” ;)
I'll grant you that the French do come off as snobbish sometimes. As much as I love them, it's somewhat true. Personally, I've been annoyed by several of them in the beginning. Oddly enough, not because they wouldn't speak English, but because they wouldn't speak French. Since it was still difficult for me to speak it and they were in a hurry to get their job done, they'd immediately switch to English, which offended me to no end (mind you that I don't have an American accent speaking it for anyone to assume English would be the preferred language). There I was making an effort to communicate in their language, avoiding something they supposedly dislike and THEY do it! Unacceptable. So I'd always speak a third language back, as if saying it's either my French or my French. Merci.
But this type of thing has only happened to me in Paris and in the summer. During all the other seasons it's much calmer and the same people are much friendlier. I also lived for years in another very touristy city across the Atlantic and down south, and the same phenomena happens. Except in this city it's all year long, because it's the tropics, so people are used to the tourists and treat them better. If only they knew English to give directions. lol
The radio in this country works similarly to what you described, but I'm not sure about percentages. As much as you see that as something bad, I see it as a way of protecting and preserving the national culture. American culture, entertainment and media are so strong and overwhelming that it's terrifying to imagine that some peoples of the world could forget their own to just become consumers of something that is in reality foreign to them.
Is it normal to dislike France and make fun of the french?
↑ View this comment's parent
← View full post
So there are limited options for me to imitate, I can only make a difference between the German an Swiss accents. If you're either from Liechtenstein or Austria then I'm done. Haha -- “Zo leave your troubles outside. In here life is beautiful , ze girls are beautiful, even ze orchestra is beautiful...” ;)
I'll grant you that the French do come off as snobbish sometimes. As much as I love them, it's somewhat true. Personally, I've been annoyed by several of them in the beginning. Oddly enough, not because they wouldn't speak English, but because they wouldn't speak French. Since it was still difficult for me to speak it and they were in a hurry to get their job done, they'd immediately switch to English, which offended me to no end (mind you that I don't have an American accent speaking it for anyone to assume English would be the preferred language). There I was making an effort to communicate in their language, avoiding something they supposedly dislike and THEY do it! Unacceptable. So I'd always speak a third language back, as if saying it's either my French or my French. Merci.
But this type of thing has only happened to me in Paris and in the summer. During all the other seasons it's much calmer and the same people are much friendlier. I also lived for years in another very touristy city across the Atlantic and down south, and the same phenomena happens. Except in this city it's all year long, because it's the tropics, so people are used to the tourists and treat them better. If only they knew English to give directions. lol
The radio in this country works similarly to what you described, but I'm not sure about percentages. As much as you see that as something bad, I see it as a way of protecting and preserving the national culture. American culture, entertainment and media are so strong and overwhelming that it's terrifying to imagine that some peoples of the world could forget their own to just become consumers of something that is in reality foreign to them.
^.~