One night after a particularly long week of classes we decided to check out one of the local concert halls in our neighborhood. The venue was packed full of fashionable young Parisians, the girls all looked like they had walked out of a fashion magazine and even the men were well dressed wearing button down shirts, v neck tees, and colorful skinny jeans, a phenomenon that will probably never occur in the states. As I was waiting by the bar inside a young French girl dressed in all black struck up a conversation with me in French; I had understood that she was asking me where I got my dress but when I couldn’t formulate an answer quick enough I just apologized and told her I did not speak French. She then started talking to me in English and was very sweet, she wanted to know where I was from and what I was doing in Paris. I answered her questions in English and interjected a few French words and phrases; I felt bad that I had studied French for seven years but not spoke it in three, and had forgotten just about everything.
This young girl told me that she was from Paris but has always wanted to go to California and New York, she was surprised that I had not been to either besides one trip to California but I told here traveling in the US was a lot different because our country is so big and that most people will not see all 50 states in their lifetime. In Europe, she explained, it is easy to travel from country to country and she had visited places all over Europe as well as Morocco and Egypt. When I asked her how old she told me she was 17, I was shocked; she was already well traveled, spoke perfect English, and was dressed like a 25-year-old American. I thought about myself at that age and I couldn’t have even come close to how confident and mature this young lady was. In France I believe teenagers are exposed to more and at a younger age whereas in the US we are protected within our communities and set loose once we turn 18. The drinking laws are one example that reflect the difference in levels of maturity; she told me that here they are allowed to drink sooner and therefore learn their limits early on. Back home teenagers loose control more quickly because they are not exposed from an early age, their curiosity leads to dangerous experimentation which is why most young Americans are notorious for binge drinking. I am impressed with how mature the young people are in Paris, much more refined and worldly that anyone I have met in the states.
Nice writing - full of experience and interesting to read. Great that you're making so much progress with meeting people and exchanging experiences and stories. I appreciate your wise and informed comparison because it is revealing and accurate about the difference in values between the 2 countries. Keep up the good work, Marit.
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