The Big Event!

The big event is coming!  I know not everyone knows what the big event is so let me explain.  My Mom is coming to see me in France. 

Next week is exam week so chances of me posting are slim to nil.

The week after she’ll be here so I’ll be offline.

The week after that I’ll be in route back home so I’m sorry to say but my next post won’t be until the first week in June.  But when I do get back to posting, expect an everyday or every other day montage of crazy greatness!  Here are some of the things we will see, taken from google, but in no particular order.  I'll insert the pictures we take when we get back!

  There is one picture for each day's activities.  Can you guess where we will go?

...........................................................................................................................................

American vs French

There are many answers the phrase “Why can’t we all get along?”  The best answer is because we don’t understand each other.  When you do one thing in one place and get praised but do the same thing in another place and get fussed at you’re bounded to be confused.  It’s so easy to give up or think one group is just plain crazy. 

Here are a few differences between Americans and the French.  I left out political views because I would have to post a whole other section to why each feels the way they feel and politics can become depressing quick.  Hopefully I’ve been able to show each side as they are without making one or the other sound bad.  Let me know if I’ve got my facts mixed up or if I offend anyone.

	America	France
Stereotypes	People that are overweight, too prideful of their country, money oriented, stupid, dangerous, overly religious and gullible. It is also thought that all Americans have a lawyer, psychologist and a loaded gun.	People that are stuck up, rude, arrogant, dirty, immoral, unhappy, close-minded, anti-American and cowardly. It is thought that French men have more than one lover at a time and French women do not shave their arms are legs.
Personal Value	It doesn’t matter where you came from or where you work.  You’re judged on what you do, why you do it and how you interact with people. When Americans do things they take a few minutes to plan then the rest to action.  It is very important to get things done quickly and correctly. Judgment is based on good and bad, ethical or unethical, just or unjust. Americans understand that there is always an authority figure above them and below them.  This does not make them feel inferior. Ex.  Mr. Smith is my supervisor in the packaging department. Religion is a basis and reasoning for how you act and what you do.  Americans do not hide what religion they belong to.	It doesn’t matter what you do or why you do it.  You’re judged on where you came from, where you work and how much knowledge you’ve acquired. When the French do things they spend more time planning then doing.  It is nobler to plan things then to create things. Judgment is based on noble or vile, knowledgeable or stupid. French people understand that there is always an authority figure above them and below them.  However they do not like authority controlling their lives. Ex.  I work with Mr. Smith in the packaging department. Religion is a personal choice that doesn’t affect how you live your life.  It should not be shown in jewelry or spoken about in public.
Deals	Best outcome is a win-win situation.	No situation is a win-win but a win-lose.
Morals	Doing what is moral is a virtue.	Morals don’t play a part in the big picture.
Contract/Law	All laws are to be followed and contracts are treated like law.  Breaking either is considered bad.  It is acceptable to use a law or contract as a reason to do or not do an action. Ex. Being told not to smoke inside a building because it’s the law is acceptable.	It’s not important to follow minor laws.  A contract is just a piece of paper.  It is considered mean to refer to a law. Ex.  It is mean to tell someone to stop smoking inside a building because it’s the law.
Physical Distance	For the public there is an invisible bubble around each individual.  Acquaintances are sometimes allowed to invade the bubble a small bit but still keep a short distance. Friends keep the same distance as acquaintances when talking or interacting but it is common to give or receive hugs from each other. Close friends, family or significant others have the least physical distance and hugs and kisses are given and received. Note:  To be near someone’s face is a violation of space.	For the public there is a very small bubble of spacing between people Acquaintances have the same distance as the public but a hello or goodbye kiss is given and received. Friends have very little distance between people.  Kisses are exchanged freely. Close friends, family or significant others have almost no personal space between people and hugs and kisses are acceptable. Note:  Hugs are considered a violation of space.
Punctuality	5-10 minutes early for class or jobs is acceptable.  Being late is considered rude and may result in loss of job if consistent. 0-10 minutes early for a dinner or date is considered respectful.  Being late is rude to the host and if on a date being too late may prevent a second date. 0-10 minutes early is required for an interview.  Being even 1 minute late will disqualify you from being considered for the job.	15-30 minutes late for classes or jobs is acceptable.  To be early is to be too eager or needy. 15-30 minutes late for a dinner or date is considered to be respectful.  Being on time is considered rude to the host because it will make the host rush to meet the time limit. 0-5 minutes late for an interview is acceptable.
This year I had a class called Createam which was a project group.  Our assignment was to create a business from the bottom up.  Our team consisted of an American, a Chinese girl, two French people and a Latvian.  None of us had true knowledge of the other’s cultures just stereotypes.  The project was harsh and painful but we managed to end on a high note.
Employment
General	You may be fired or let go at any time for any reason.  Most people in the US will have more than 5 different jobs in their lifetime.  An unauthorized day off can result in a loss of that day’s pay. A job is employment where the money is just at or under the cost of living. A good career is one that pays the bills and allows for free time. A great career is one that pays above and beyond what is needed to survive or pays enough to survive and makes the worker happy. Personal life is separate from work life but a boss in your work life can be a friend in your personal life. It is easy to move up or down in a company if you wish to do so.	It is very difficult to get fired or laid off in France.  Some employees receive 9 to 13 months’ pay after being laid off so they may have time to find another job. An unauthorized day off is not considered a grounds for dismissal or result in a loss of wages. A job is a career that you receive based on what schools you attended.  The highest ranked schools get the best jobs.  68% of all managers in France come from 4 colleges. A good job is not based on pay but on knowledge.  So a school teacher is a better job than construction worker and an archeologist is better than a successful bakery owner. Personal life is separate from work life but a boss is a boss in both lives and it is impossible to be friends. Once at a job it is hard to move up in a job and almost impossible to move down.
Writing	Most American business writing attempts to get to the point as quick as possible.  Facts are more important then explaining the process in detail. Facts are key and the writing is usually simple and direct. Most papers are aligned to the left. Instructions for employees are direct, organized and explained in detail.  These rules are expected without decision.	Most French business writing is based on ideas and elaborate images.  The main point isn’t as important as the idea behind it. The idea is key and the writing is complex and abstract. Most papers are justified. Instructions are phrased so they ask the employees rather than demand and assume the employees know what is being asked without explanation.
Meetings	A meeting is made to collaborate on making a decision.  An American expects to leave a meeting with a concrete plan of action. Meetings are short, to the point and work is divided accordingly. Americans value deadlines and most prefer to have a project done before deadline so they may proof read and make corrections as needed.	A meeting is made to present the individuals ideas and explain why it is the best.  A French person leaves a meeting knowing that anything discussed could change at any time during the project. Meetings take a lot of time where ideas are debated, validated or deemed inferior and work is done by individual discretion. The French value deadlines but prefer to wait until just before deadline to finish a project.
Creativity	Most Americans would prefer to do things the same way.  However some Americans will try to find a way to make the situation work, if problems arise, even if it means doing something that is outside of the norm. Most Americans will take forfeit their own ideas for another’s in an attempt to create a win-win situation.	Most French people like to do things differently than they have been done before.  Even if they have found that a previous way works in the past. Most French people will accept another’s idea if it is superior to their own but they will not like this because it is a win-lose situation.
Education
General	Schooling is to prepare for a career and so is specialized to the field the person is pursuing.  A person can be considered intelligent if they don’t know a little about everything but are an expert of a few things.	Schooling is for knowledge and is specialized to a particular field.  However a bit of knowledge on all things is required to be considered intelligent.
Knowledge	People don’t hesitate to say “I don’t know” when they don’t know the answer to a question. Most Americans expect the French to know about America as a whole, American laws, politics, culture, and speak English when in America. Most Americans do not know much about the territories of France, the major cities of Europe, French culture or French as a language. Most Americans learn about France through classes, books or American movies.	People are upset when they don’t know the answer to a question.  They don’t want to appear uneducated. Most French people expect the Americans to know about Europe, French as a whole, French culture and the French language when in France. Most French people do not know how many states are in the US, what are the major cities of the US states, American culture or that America doesn’t have an official language. Most French people learn about America through school, books or American movies.
Classes	Being over 5 minutes late to a class will mean missing class for that day and receiving a 0 for all work on that day. Talking of any kind during a test is considered cheating and results in a 0 for that test and may even get the student kicked out of school. Cheating happens quietly and secretly.  If caught the person is in major trouble.  Threat of being caught is high. Documents are cited using a procedure such as MLA. Classes are scheduled for every day at a certain hour in a certain room.  Computers are rarely used by students in the classroom and cellphones and MP3 players must be cut off before class begins. A student can be kicked out of class for talking while the teacher is lecturing. Scoring is on a 0 to 100 scale where 100 is perfect, 99 to 90 is excellent, 89 to 80 is above average, 79 to 70 is average, 69 to 60 is passing and 50 or below is failing.  It is possible to get over 100 in some classes. In colleges, lunch breaks are taken when there is a break in classes.  If there is no break then the student usually eats quietly during class. An average student can have up to 5 different classes a day for 45 minutes per class. Each class has a book or list of books that are bought by students before classes begin and are usually required to bring the book to class every day. Homework is assigned a few times each week, sometimes daily, and is usually done solo.	Being 15 minutes late is acceptable. Talking during a test is acceptable as long as it doesn’t pertain to the test. Cheating is done blatantly without much secrecy.  Threat of being caught is very low. Documents are cited by footnotes that refer to a website or a books identification number. Classes are scheduled for random days sometimes weeks apart in different rooms each time the class meets. Electronics are used by students during class time. Students talk freely about other subjects while the teacher is lecturing. Scoring is on a 0 to 20 scale where 20 is equal to being as good as a teacher and is impossible to obtain, 19 to 18 is excellent, 17 to 14 is above average, 13 to 11 is average, 10 to 9 is passable and 8 or under is failing.  In college, there is a 1 and ½ hour break during class for lunch. An average student has 2 classes a day for 3 hours per class. A professor will print out course material as needed and hand this material to the students. Homework may or may not be assigned and the majority of work is done in a group setting.
A teacher invited the students of her international class over to her house for a traditional French dinner.  The food was divine, the company wonderful and the experience delightful!
Life
Stores	When entering a store Americans do not expect to greet the owner unless the owner welcomes them or there is an official greeter at the door. When leaving a store Americans do not expect to say goodbye to the owner.	When entering a store French people will greet the owner.  Not doing so is considered rude. When leaving a store the French will say goodbye to the owner.  Not doing so is also considered rude.
Dinner – Out	Dinner starts at 5 to 7pm At a restaurant an appetizer is ordered to delay hunger while the main dish is being prepared. Meals typically last no more than an hour long.  Servers are nice, helpful, quick and understanding.  Their tip depends on this. A tip is usually 15% of the bill or 5 or more dollars. If on a date be on time.  Being over 30 minutes late is the same as not showing up.  Most people will not wait more than 15 minutes after the agreed upon time.	Dinner starts at 7 to 9pm At a restaurant an appetizer is ordered to have something to eat while conversing with others in the group. Meals are typically an all-night affair. Servers do not depend on a tip from the customers. A tip is not expected.  Change for good service is a nice gesture. If on a date it’s expected to be 15 to 30 minutes late.  This lets the other person to have extra time to get ready.
Dinner – In	When being invited to someone’s house for dinner arrive a little early or right on time.  Normally the time mentioned will actually be the time everyone is expected to be sitting down at the table and not the time of arrival. Some host will serve alcohol while others will not. Usually dinner consists of a salad, the main course and dessert.	When being invited to someone’s house for dinner arrive 15 to 30 minutes late.  If you arrive on time you will be considered to be rushing the host into meeting the deadline. Most hosts will serve wine with dinner. Usually dinner consists of a snack, appetizer, main course and desert.

......................................................................................................................................................

Last of La Rochelle

This is the last post on the wonderful town of La Rochelle.  In this episode I’ll recap my time at the Museum of the New World, statues in town and a few whimsical pictures of the harbor.

The Museum of the New World should have been named “Daddy Land”.  This place made me think of my dad from the moment I stepped in it.  The first thing was the nautical theme.  There was an old gear, sexton and mini renditions of ships everywhere!

 

They also had an Indian exhibit complete with a headdress and beaded knife.

They had some statues of course.  One resembled a mounted moose head but instead of a moose it was an American Indian.  Another was of an Indian and another might have gotten the creator in trouble.  It’s of a European child hugging an Indian child.  It’s precious today but could have been trouble back then.  They also had a true ‘Lost’ statue of a couple and an unhealthy obsession with figurines on clocks.

And the maps!  All the old maps.  Click on them to see them enlarged.

They had some interesting paintings as well.   A servant and her madam was the first one I saw.  There was another one of a soldier helping an Indian from falling off a cliff.  The four paneled one was made to go with the “Last of the Mohicans” story and the sad Indian was painted to symbolize the heartache an Indian must have with God.  There was a neat painting done in mostly red of a man on a log next to a group of children being babysat by a native lady. 

Two of the most fascinating paintings for me were the modern painting of a French Indian lady and the painting called ‘The Wedding’.  The first odd thing in ‘The Wedding’ was that the people in the picture where actually children!  But the main thing that drew my eye was the boy second to the right.  He looks like he suffers from Vitiligo the same condition Michael Jackson claimed to have.  The disorder is caused by depigmentation in a patch of skin where the cells that convert sunlight into pigment suddenly die.   Vitiligo happens in all races.  Some people speculate that the disorder is caused by a low immune system, viral infections, genetics or even stress but no one has solid evidence.  Vitiligo is really a rare disorder.  Only 1% of people ever get it.

There were three important people statues found in the open areas of the town.  This red winged bear on one of the towers (Chain tower) and this really kick butt statue of Nintendo’s Link!

And as promised, some pretty pictures of the port.

................................................................................................................................................................