How are French people for you ?

[Nathalie 10]

Hi everybody !

I am French, I am living in Sheffield and I feel very curious tonight :

 

I already asked this question before to some of my British friends, but I am afraid that they answered me too gently or in a politically correct way.

So, what do you, BRITISH people from Sheffield, really think about french people ? How do you describe us in few words ? what are our qualities and defects ?

 

 

Thank you !!!

And don't be afraid to be honest....I have to know if I have to hide when walking into the streets, pretending I am mute !

[angle20 10]

Hello Nathalie

On a political level: for many years I was taken in by the sniping from the British media and politicians about French economic protectionism. I now realise that the French have been valiantly trying to maintain a relaxed quality of life and I take my hat off to them for their efforts in trying to curb the worst excesses of globalisation.

[dylan_61 10]

Hi everybody !

I am French, I am living in Sheffield and I feel very curious tonight :

 

I already asked this question before to some of my British friends, but I am afraid that they answered me too gently or in a politically correct way.

So, what do you, BRITISH people from Sheffield, really think about french people ? How do you describe us in few words ? what are our qualities and defects ?

 

 

Thank you !!!

And don't be afraid to be honest....I have to know if I have to hide when walking into the streets, pretending I am mute !

 

I admire the French for standing up to protect their culture, not succumbing to the English language as so many other countries have. Standing up if they believe they're right, like in the build up to the Iraq war when they refused to be drawn onto a petty squabble about a second resolution and stood by their belief that dropping bombs on a civilian population wont resolve anything and will only entrench hostility against the West.

 

I like their art, food, architecture and dare I say well placed superiority complex. A country that must look across the English Channel watching our binge drinking pregnant teenagers destroying out towns and cities every weekend night, whilst the French calmly drink in their street cafes in Le Mans, Rouen and Tours.

 

I find the culture in parts of London much more akin to France, but outside enclaves around the country we behave, well publicly at least atrociously.

 

When ever I've visited France, Italy, Spain (not the English waste lands on the Costas), Belgium and the Netherlands I've come back feeling immensely jealous.

 

French people are proud of their country and culture and protecting it in the face of globalisation.

 

I like the French for the same reason, as other people dislike them.

[Nathalie 10]

I don't know exactly what to say, I wasn't expecting that kind of answers !

I think that I love my country much more now !

Thank you very much !

[Titian 10]

I spent a fair amount of time in the south and found the attitude of the people there to my liking and I was comfortable with it. The people I knew seemed quite philosophical too.

Paris though....much like London except a little more razor sharp.

[Don_Kiddick 11]

Paris though....much like London except a little more razor sharp.

That says nothing for Londoners then Tish when they are placed second to pouting petulant workshy capitulating johnny foreigner. :hihi:

[Nathalie 10]

Paris though....much like London except a little more razor sharp.

 

I totally agree...that's true that Paris is a very stressful city. Moreover, even if it's a very beautiful city, it is not really representative of the rest of France.

I think that it's maybe the same thing for London, compared to the rest of the UK ?

[Titian 10]

I can't say i have had many dealings with Parisiennes but on the few occasions I have, they have been very piquant. I have no friends in Paris though so it's hard to say really.

 

Now sense of humour....that's an interesting topic though isn't it. I actually got used the the French sense of humour, after some time, but I have to say it isn't as sophisticated as the British sense of humour. It can be quite jeuvenile and sarcastic, but sarcastic in a nasty way, not like British sarcasm where it is more tongue in cheek.

 

I did like the emotional aspects of the French people though...saying a lot with a few words.

[angle20 10]

I totally agree...that's true that Paris is a very stressful city. Moreover, even if it's a very beautiful city, it is not really representative of the rest of France.

I think that it's maybe the same thing for London, compared to the rest of the UK ?

Yes, there was a recent thread on London:

 

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=167599

[alchresearch 214]

One word - lucky. You have some of the finest wines and cheeses in the world, gorgeous landscape, a pretty decent landmark in your capital and some very stylish movies.

[Nathalie 10]

French sense of humour ... It can be quite jeuvenile and sarcastic, but sarcastic in a nasty way, not like British sarcasm where it is more tongue in cheek.

 

That's completely true...now that I am living here I understand that. There are mainly 2 kinds of French humour : the "Humour gras"...or "fat humour", which can be very sexist, or talking about poo, fart and all these delicate subjects, and the "humour noir" or "Dark humour" which is talking about very sad subjects in a humoristic way.

British sense of humour is generally more sophisticated and clever. However, do you know that "Benny Hill" was a great succes in France some years ago, and most of French people think that it's a typically English humour ?

[Rich 12]

I had a French teacher at School who was actually French (originally, she'd lived in Sheffield for years) called Miss Townshend... Very strict iirc, but I still seemed to like her for some reason.