CultureShock! France

Adamson Taylor Sally

Description

CultureShock! France peels away the layers of the French and their country to reveal the heart of the Gallic temperament. The book navigates through essential topics such as learning the French language, how best to work with the French, observing their body language and even how to choose wine in a restaurant. Discover how easily the French recognise a foreigner just by the way their salad and pasta are eaten and learn how to avoid being the object of their criticism. CultureShock! France is a must-read guide to all the essential information needed for one to feel right at home in France.

Sujets

• France

Informations

• Publié par: MarshallCavendishM
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814435758
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

This 9th edition published in 2012 by
Marshall Cavendish Corporation
99 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY 10591-9001
www.marshallcavendish.us
First published in 1990 by Times Editions Private Limited, reprinted 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994; 2nd edition published in 1995, reprinted 1996; 3rd edition published in 1997, reprinted 1997, 1998; 4th edition published in 1998, reprinted 1999 (twice); 5th edition published in 2000 by Times Media Private Limited, reprinted 2000, 2001; 6th edition published in 2003, reprinted 2004; 7th edition published in 2005 by Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 8th edition published in 2008, reprinted 2011.
2012 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: [phone], fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]
The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices:
Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited. 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196 Marshall Cavendish International (Thailand) Co Ltd. 253 Asoke, 12th Flr, Sukhumvit 21 Road, Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Times Subang, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited
eISBN 13: 978 981 4435 75 8
Please contact the publisher for the Library of Congress catalog number
Printed in Singapore by Times Printers Pte Ltd
Photo Credits:
All black and white photos by the author except pages 3 , 130 (Corel Stock Photo Library); 14 , 17 , 30 , 52 , 72 , 106 , 127 , 136 , 152 , 164 , 166 , 168 , 181 , 201 (Inmagine.com) and 58 -59, 122 - 123 (Susan Troccolo). All colour photos from Inmagine.com Cover photo: Getty Images
All illustrations by TRIGG
ABOUT THE SERIES
Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from one s comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.
Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and covers a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.
Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the people-where they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book.
Then on with the practical aspects-how to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But that s not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.
To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.
CONTENTS
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Map of France
Chapter 1
First Impressions
Learning to Understand (and Love) the French
Being Someone
Giving and Getting Directions -The First Dance
Chapter 2
From the Celts to Rollerblades
The Circles of French Life
The Early French
Some Recent History
Chapter 3
Stereotypes and Beyond-The Public French
Skin Deep
Stereotypes about the French
Beyond the Gauls Franks
How the French See...
Beyond Stereotypes-French Values and Traditions You ll Need to Learn Early
Chapter 4
Fitting into the French Way of Life
Shopping-The Perpetual Temptation
Food Shopping
Clothes Shopping
Dressing the Chanel Way
Non-verbal Communication
The Family Cycle of Life
Being a Guest in a French House
Being a Good Guest
The Psychology of Cultural Adjustment
Going Home... It Is harder Than You Think.
Chapter 5
Settling In
Bureaucracy
Visas and Work Permits
Renting
Making Your Home Among the French
Managing at Home in France
Children and their Adjustments
Education in France
As a University Student in France
Student Housing
French Student Protests
Private Telephone Data Services
Public Phones
The Colour of Money
Opening a Bank Account
Health Care and Social Services
Getting Around Town
Taxis
Private Transportation
Cycling
Public Transportation
Chapter 6
Restaurants and Wine- French Essentials
Le Caf -Everyday Fare in Paris
Why Businesses Close for Lunch
Refined Dining and the Food Mystique
Wine and its Part in French Life
Telling Wines Apart
Chapter 7
The Greatest Arts of France
Cuisine Character by Pays
The Other Arts
The Year s Holidays and Seasons
Chapter 8
Parlez-vous Fran ais?
The Art of Conversation
Silence Preserves
Conversational Confrontations With Strangers-Three Rules
In France Try to Speak French
Thinking Like the French
Faux Amis
Apprendre!
Chapter 9
Working in France
Office and Business Relationships
The Business Lunch
Establishing a Business in France
Reverse Culture Shock-Back at the Home Office
Chapter 10
Fast Facts about France

Culture Quiz
Do s and Don ts
Glossary
Resource Guide
Further Reading
About the Author
Index
FOREWORD
Nearly 40 years ago, when I set my first na ve Anglo-Saxon American foot on a Paris sidewalk, I was so intimidated by the French hauteur that I determined to have nothing more to do with that country or those people. By the time I started researching the first edition of this book, 20 years later, I was a devoted fan of France and the French. And I remain very grateful for any time I can spend in this country or among her people.
Between hate and love, the French say, is just one step. For me, it was several steps. It began with an appreciation of the French language when I was hitch hiking through North Africa. The Tunisians, Algerians and Moroccans understood my attempts at high school French when the Parisiens had not. And I sort of understood them.
A decade later, when I returned to France to bicycle through her vineyards, I discovered a magnificent countryside and a world of kind and generous people. They welcomed a solitary lady cyclist whose interest in wines and winemaking far exceeded her French vocabulary and grammar. The wines and the food of the countryside, of course, completed the seduction.
Settling in Paris to write the first-ever guide to the wine country of France by bicycle, I began to appreciate the superficiality of that French hauteur how easy it was to get past it, often with a simple cheery Bonjour, Madame! and a guileless display of American enthusiasm. And I learned many good reasons the French are the way they are.
I have put all that I have learned, and much that I have learned from others into this book. I hope it will help your understanding and appreciation of these wonderful people and this remarkable country.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In trying to shorten the steps for the readers, I have tempered my own views with the observations and wisdom of a great many others. Of the many who have made personal and intellectual contributions to this project, I would like to particularly thank Sam Abt, my first French teacher Mme Albaugh (wherever she is), Elizabeth Antebi, Adeline Renaud de Barry, Barbara Bell, Fiona Beeston, Paul Bertier, Isabelle Bolgert, Rebecca Boone, Michele Brothers, Chuck Canapa, Raymonde Carroll, Mouloud Chekini, John Nona Denis, Patricia Dunn, Lena Emmery, Nathalie Fieldel-Schact, Therese de Gasquet, Mary de Vachon, Franck Gauthey, Ruth Lew Goldhammer, Kim Guptill, Gus Hawkins, Neil Hollander, Francis Kelsall, Christy Love, Lucien Legrand, R gine Michel, Robert Moran, Ivy Chandran Nair, Radha Nair, Polly Platt, Rod Shippey, Janine Charles Stockton, my mother Ann Adamson Taylor (a pioneer in intercultural relationships), Susan Troccolo, Shuji Yoshida, Rob Neil van der Plas, Susan Wagner, Esther Wanning, Mathieu Girondin, Nico Rimbal, and the women at WICE, AAWE and Bloom.
Paris, August 2007
Thanks especially to fellow Francophiles: Christopher Pitts, author of the App, Free Paris ; to my godson, NIcholas Perry, who added material on the French medical services and student life; and to Susan Troccolo who labored tirelessly to unravel the complex telephone services, while befriending all she met.

... we are caught between the desire to deny differences (we are all human) and the desire to emphasise them (the right to be different). -Raymonde Carroll, Cultural Misunderstand