Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Here. Have an out-of-date stereotype

One of my friends told me yesterday that one of her students, who is studying French, went to some sort of information event thing that was held in Osaka by several universities, promoting a study/homestay in France thing. (Note the word promoting. PARTICULARLY note the word promoting.)

They gave a lot of information about France, and tried to sell the students on the idea of studying in France. However, my friend's student, who had been keen, came back fairly sure that she didn't want to go after all. When my friend asked why not, the student replied that she didn't think she could cope in a country where people did not bathe very often but instead wore lots of perfume.

Yes, this is what the students were told, at an event where they were being sold the idea of France as a study destination. You know, the kind of event where they gather the experts, and the potential customers are given the facts so they can make an informed decision.

The kind of event you get only in 'intellectual,' 'academic' Japan.

My friend had quite an uphill battle trying to convince her student that while it might seem incroyable, France is quite a modern country, really, and quelle surprise! most people even shower daily.


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Posted by Badaunt at 8:04 pm 6 comments

6 comments:

Paula said...

People are so silly! Why, the other day someone was saying that everyone in the OC drives a big-ass SUV, doesn't give a crap about the environment and cares only about trying to lower taxes. Er, actually I said that...and it's true.

I'd love to go to France someday. And England, Italy, Greece... *sigh*

9:39 pm
Anonymous said...

For a minute, Paula, I thought you were describing my community...

10:56 pm
Ms Mac said...

Ah yes, the beloved French stereotype!

The French people I met were quite fresh smelling, and I was there on a very hot weekend. That may help to convince her!

11:40 pm
Cheryl said...

Home of the bidet, one could almost say they were anal washers?

12:32 am
Mary J. said...

cheryl, I was going to say the same thing... the bidet, duh?

And probably Parisians are more cleanly than cheese farmers in the boonies...

4:59 am
Anonymous said...

I'm new to blogging, and this is my first blog, but I want to make a comment, if I may, 'cos I'm ancient and this comment may be lost to history if I don't make it now. (That doesn;t matter, really, but this is fun!]

Way back, in 1954, when I was a student, in the summer vacation - this is in England, I was a bus conductor in the holiday town of Bournemouth. And a party of French students, from one of the many Summer Schools of English in Bournmeouth, got on to my bus,yelling and giggling and generally enmjoying themselves. I wasn't going to have this rumpus on my bus (Harrummpppph!!!), so I decided to pretend to shut them up. So, I used both words of French I knew, and shouted out, very loud, "Taisez-vous!!!!!". There was a moent's silence, because they had not expected to hear ANY French in Bournemouth,and certainly not on a bus, and then they all shouted out, even louder than before: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!! Student!!!!", and went on making far more noise than before. So I failed.

Then, that evening, I went home to my lodgings, and found that another lodger had left the house and a new lodger had arrived. A Frenchman. But he had gone to bed, so I did not have to talk French with him. (And my two words would have been rather inappropriate if I had.) Then, next morning, I went to the bathroom, and found he had left lots of little balls of cottonwool there, smelling of eau de cologne. And so it was, every morning, for the next six weeks. Whether he washed as well, I don't know.
End of history.
Martin

3:58 am

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