One of the mistakes I made as a first time traveler was thinking that all Parisians spoke English. I know..Embarrassing right? I figured that everyone in schools are supposed to learn a second language. Looking back, I did learn Spanish in high school but I didn't practice enough to retain it. So why would I think it would be any different for others? However, I've come a long with with my level of respect and understanding of cultures. My most recent trip to Ax les Thermes was much more pleasant because I learned from my past experiences and took a moment to analyze my new enviroment.
1. The Friendly Pizza Lady- While touring the city; I had the urge to practice French with every local I came across. Of course , I didn't do that. Okay. My mom stopped me from doing that. One of the ladies took kindly to my warm informal greeting in french. I said , "Salut! Ca va?" She smiled and introduced herself in French. Then excitedly asked me about California. It was time that I tested informal vs formal as a new french speaker.
2. The Polite Small Shop Owner- Ah Jam! There's nothing like homemade jam from Southern France, I greeted the shop owner much more formally en français ; and she politely returned the sentiment. Despite both of us struggling to find words that describe the jelly I wanted; it was a wonderful interaction between myself 'the foreigner' and the owner 'the local'.
One of the mistakes I made as a first time traveler was thinking that all Parisians spoke English. I know..Embarrassing right? I figured that everyone in schools are supposed to learn a second language. Looking back, I did learn Spanish in high school but I didn't practice enough to retain it. So why would I think it would be any different for others? However, I've come a long with with my level of respect and understanding of cultures. My most recent trip to Ax les Thermes was much more pleasant because I'm learning the language. A lot of people forget abroad that they are NOT in a foreign country. They are the foreigner there. So.... How do we meet people half way?
Let's use a point system as an example. You get ten Expat Points for each attempt at learning about the region you're in. If you get a 50/50 then you're a perfect EXPAT.
| MEETING LOCALS HALFWAY POINTS | Points |
|---|---|
| Learning new Social Cues - When to speak formally or informally. | 10 |
| Respecting closing hours instead of popping in at 10:58 pm for dessert. | 20 |
| Respectfully stating that you know tips are frowned upon when someone mistakes you as a naive American | 10 |
| Learning the language and taking phonetic and verbal advice when given. | 10 |
| Don't walk & eat if its considered rude. | 5 |
| Be polite and show genuine curiousity. | 10 |
| Watch videos on tiktok, instagram, and youtube to get a better idea of local slang. | 20 |
| What's your score? If you recieved more than 50+ then you're an expert globe trotter! |
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