1. Thrist: The water is drinkable, clean, and gratis!
2. Clothes: The people dress “New Yorkish”, meaning they mostly wear various shades of black.
3. Demographics: Just like the many shades of black clothes, there are many shades of people in France. France is the US of Europe in that sense. The country does not keep records of race. Therefore, the French believe that everyone is French if they are citizens. Post French colonies are still very connected to France and even without records- you can see that at LEAST ¼ of France consists of African immigrants. There is some racial discrimination – but not the kind we know of in the states. It is a whole different ballgame here. Religion is not talked about here, whereas political positions are widely discussed. (In the US, I think it’s usually vice versa). If anything, those who are discriminated against are the Muslims. Biracial couples and PDA is common to see. Algeria is still a sensitive subject.
4. Americans: Like other Europeans, the French (again, I believe) see Americans as the newest losers. The dollar sucks. I just went to a bank to see if I could exchange $25 and I felt like I was being mocked (is mocked the right verb?). Further, I don’t think Europeans understand why it’s confusing to be American. It’s human nature to cling to an area or a group of people-- to have a sense of belonging. Yesterday, I tried to explain to my Dutch, Turkish, Polish, and Bulgarian friends that it’s typical for my American friends to proudly sport their ancestors' ethnic identities. They get tattoos of the 4 leaf clover because they feel like they are connected with Ireland although they have never lived there. They think it’s bizarre and artificial for Americans to be this way.
Oddly, I’m beginning to feel more and more “American” not because I share the Americans’ American Dream or because I like rap or because I like milkshakes, but because I share this vague wishy-washy identity with other Americans.
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