The first time that I went to France I was 21 years old. I was doing the youth hostel/eurail pass trip. I flew into Paris (DeGaulle) without incident. My first day there, I checked into a hotel so that I could get my bearings (it was only a little 2 star hotel). I went out to check the town out, but didn't return to the hotel until about 3am. When I got there, they had locked the front door and wouldn't open it. I went and found a nice 3 star hotel to spend the night in, but as you can guess, I didn't have any of my stuff as it was in the other hotel.
The second day, I was in metro station at le Gare du Nord trying to figure out what tickets to buy out of the machines. A kind frenchman offered to help me. He asked me for some money (I don't remember how much exactly). I gave it to him. He inserted some money and gave me my tickets and then quickly walked away. There was a Canadian backpacker watching the transaction. He asked "how much did you give him?" I told him. He said "he just ripped you off, you only needed to pay half that for the ticket".
Later that day, I decided to go up to Luxembourg to visit the grave of my Uncle who died in WWII. I was going to return to Paris to meet a friend in two days. While in a cafe in Luxembourg, I mentioned why I was there to the owner. She was excited and expressed a great appreciation for the Americans who liberated Luxembourg. She ended up buying my beers (the were Bofferdings).
I went back to France and met my buddy at DeGaulle. We went out that night and just walked around. Went up to the red light district (Pigaulle????). There we were approached on the street by a pimp with what had to be a 10 year old girl. We saw a tourist get knifed and when we walked by one of the sex show theaters, the guy grabbed my arm and tried to physically drag me in. When I resisted and pulled away, he threatened me with a knife and said "fucking Americans".
At this point in my life, I had taken 3 years of French in university. Any attempt that I made to speak french (in Paris) was met with ridicule. This ridicule was always put in the context of me being American.
My later trips to France were on business where I managed an OEM relationship with a large french corporation. They were consistent in violating the contract and rude when they were called on it. They felt that we americans took things too literally.
However, I do have one great story...on the train from Paris to Nice, I met a beautiful woman who lived in Marseilles. It was the best trainride of my life.
I guess France isn't all bad.
but
There is no question that the French hated Americans then and no question that they hate us now (as a general rule, I understand that there are exceptions.
And let's not even discuss the treatment that Greg leMonde received by the French and his French teammate Bernard Hinault. And 15 years later....same thing for Lance Armstrong. |
