Culture shock?

I apologize for the lateness of posting this. I actually wrote this about a month ago, and forgot to post it. So just pretend the date is in September.

It is not mine to speak about the psychology of culture shock. For that, speak to my mother.
However, I am told that the full phases of culture shock require a stay of 12 months or longer. I am only here for about 3 months. When I tell people this, their reactions are quite similar: raised eyebrows and the inevitable “that’s it?”

It’s true, I’m not here long. And I doubt that I will be able to see all that I hope to. But I have had a taste of this phenomenon we call “culture shock” and finally know what it really means to be “homesick.” I never realized I had never felt it before, or at least not to this degree. I miss a lot more than I thought I would. But this is not a blog to dwell on what’s at home, but on what’s here. So here are some cultural differences that I have experienced that I feel differ from the norm and have been part of my own personal “culture shock.”

First, “faire la bise.” The practice of greeting friends with a kiss on both cheeks. This is oddly intimate with people you may consider to be acquaintances, but also oddly informal for those of us used to the friend-embrace. Someone hugged me yesterday and I was honestly taken aback, realizing how long it had been since I had been hugged. This defies Challenge Day’s 3-a-day quota!

Second, 24 hour clock. This isn’t news for many, especially those in the military. But personally, this took a while to adjust to. After noon, I always feel it is way later than it is because the time has that “1” in the ten digit. It is quite helpful though in planning and in train itineraries.

Third, buying groceries. This is one I can’t quite put my finger on. There are stores that specialize in meat or bread or fresh fruits. There are also supermarkets similar to what we have at home. The French equivalent of a Walmart here is Carrefour or Monoprix (actually more like an expensive Target really). Everything is sold in much smaller portions than the Costco-sizes I have grown accustomed to. Meat seems terribly expensive to me, but is compensated with the wide variety of cheese and pastries readily available and are really quite cheap. Also, they have both self pasteurized and non-pasteurized milk. One you have to refrigerate, the other you don’t until you open it. Personally, I really am not fond of raw (unpasteurized) milk.

Fourth, social life. The number one way to socialize and meet people is through the bar nightlife. Anyone who knows me, understands what a problem this poses for me. I have been fortunate to be blessed with understanding companions and others who have similar standards. But needless to say, I’ve had several nights flying solo.

Fifth, drivers. Are you familiar with Utah drivers? French drivers are worse. They pull U-turns in the middle of busy streets, I don’t think they believe in lanes, and I am not 100% sure if there are traffic laws that protect pedestrians. They drive quickly and sporadically. Some will randomly start backing down a street, others go the wrong way around a roundabout. Everyone parallel parks, and do it badly. I was taught in my Washington State Driver’s Ed class a principle called “dividing obstacles.” This is when you are driving down the road and you have an oncoming vehicle on your left and a bicyclist on your right, you “divide the obstacles” by waiting for the oncoming vehicle to pass you on before you pass the cyclist. This is evidently not taught in European driver’s education classes. Drivers are much more fearless about cramming their cars into the smallest gap possible, like they’re in a high speed chase of an action movie. Granted, most cars, even the really nice ones, have dings, scrapes, and broken mirrors. While in America, we get really anal about the tiniest scratches on our precious vehicular transports.

Sixth, Pharmacies. These aren’t solely for the purpose of filling prescriptions. They carry natural supplements, teas, contact solution, and sophisticated lotions, and dot practically every block—like Starbucks in Washington. This is peculiar to me and a perfect stark contrast to America. I’m curious how this portrays our national dispositions. I would advise against jumping to any rash generalizations about over-caffeinated Americans or over-medicated French people, but interpret this how you will. 

I take back what I said about there being few people who speak English in Aix. Most people are at least able to hold a conversation in English, especially young people. And when I ask “how do you know English so well?” 4 times out of 5, it’s because they watch the television show How I Met Your Mother. Curious? Indeed. It’s not a show that is appealing to me, but it seems to be much more popular abroad. Perhaps that says something for how America is thought of internationally. With the number of Americans also, I could easily spend my entire day not speaking any French. Often I have to make an actual effort to have the opportunity to speak French. 

I have also been told that it is obvious I am American because of my smile. I have often been asked how I got my teeth so white, and even had trouble convincing one French man that my teeth were real.  It seems to me, that dental hygiene in the sense of a sparkling white smile, just isn’t a priority here like it is in the United States. Some foreigners actually poke fun at us Americans by posing for pictures, showing their teeth and calling it “a Colgate White Smile!” Products like Crest Whitestrips just aren’t imported over here, because when I try to explain them no one has had any clue what I am talking about. Or they have very strong opinions of how bad it is for you, regardless of my assurances that I have spoken to my dentist multiple times about the health of my teeth.

But more than the whiteness of my teeth, I have received one of the best compliments ever the other day:  “Your smile made my day. People around here don’t smile like that.” I don’t know what that means exactly, but it sure felt good to hear.