To answer your question : no, I have never visited the US , I am not rich enough :) I am still a student at university (and thus I do not have enough money to go to the US !But I hope to go and visit the US in the future.) but I "know" more or less some aspects of the US culture, and the US in a more general point of view, since I study anglo-saxons countries and cultures (language, literature, history, politics...) And what about you, have you ever visited France? It is a pity that we cannot put photos on this forum, since we could have shared photos of your countries, as well as of the place where we live !
"I guess the government or the people who do business for America shouldn't be all about money or benefits." I agree with you, but the reality tends to prove that only money and benefits are important nowadays. This is somethings that french people often associate with the US. Indeed, a lot of french people think that US big firms and citizens are ready to do anything for money and benefits, it is another stereotype french people have on the US. It seems that in the US there are no limits when business and money are concerned. Every possible way to earn a lot of money, or make as much benefits as possible seems to be allowed, while in France some would be forbidden or strictly controled to avoid abuses, and to protect the workers and their rights.
It can sometimes appear that the US government or big firms would prefer benefits rather than respecting the rights of their employees.
Money is more or less a taboo in France. Indeed, it is not well percieved for example to publicly say how much you earn-if you earn quite a lot of money-since you would be seen as a pretentious person who would like to make people be aware of the social differences (so that the people in front of this person would feel inferior) and of the fact that some people earn a lot while other are not that way lucky. This is maybe due to the fact that in France people are really concerned with the word "equality" as in the french motto :
"Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité " = Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood.
To carry on the fact that make french people think that americans are (sometimes) crazy, I want to add plastic surgery. Indeed, there are a lot of examples of american people using plastic surgery to look younger, while they just look more unnatural and awfull ! (that's just my point of view !) Just take the example of Mickael Jackson !! Is he not now a kind of alien coming from another planet ?! :)
Plastic surgery can be great for some people, but in the US some people seem to abuse of it, and the results are just......awfull and frightening ! Don't you think so?
Here is the end of my writing today, another big one ... next time I will maybe deal with more positive aspects, because i have just talked about some more or less "negative" (and sometimes funny) things, but french people really like the US and its inhabitants for various reasons.
and what about you ? what do you think about french people, France, its customs...? Just tell me how do you imagine this country and its inhabitants, I am sure you have some idea, or stereotypes (good or/and bad ), it would really be a pleasure for me to read what you have to say about my country.
I'm really happy to talk with you !!
kind regards
Pat.
Joined: 2007-04-28
Hi Karen,
To answer your question : no, I have never visited the US , I am not rich enough :) I am still a student at university (and thus I do not have enough money to go to the US !But I hope to go and visit the US in the future.) but I "know" more or less some aspects of the US culture, and the US in a more general point of view, since I study anglo-saxons countries and cultures (language, literature, history, politics...) And what about you, have you ever visited France? It is a pity that we cannot put photos on this forum, since we could have shared photos of your countries, as well as of the place where we live !
"I guess the government or the people who do business for America shouldn't be all about money or benefits." I agree with you, but the reality tends to prove that only money and benefits are important nowadays. This is somethings that french people often associate with the US. Indeed, a lot of french people think that US big firms and citizens are ready to do anything for money and benefits, it is another stereotype french people have on the US. It seems that in the US there are no limits when business and money are concerned. Every possible way to earn a lot of money, or make as much benefits as possible seems to be allowed, while in France some would be forbidden or strictly controled to avoid abuses, and to protect the workers and their rights.
It can sometimes appear that the US government or big firms would prefer benefits rather than respecting the rights of their employees.
Money is more or less a taboo in France. Indeed, it is not well percieved for example to publicly say how much you earn-if you earn quite a lot of money-since you would be seen as a pretentious person who would like to make people be aware of the social differences (so that the people in front of this person would feel inferior) and of the fact that some people earn a lot while other are not that way lucky. This is maybe due to the fact that in France people are really concerned with the word "equality" as in the french motto :
"Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité " = Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood.
To carry on the fact that make french people think that americans are (sometimes) crazy, I want to add plastic surgery. Indeed, there are a lot of examples of american people using plastic surgery to look younger, while they just look more unnatural and awfull ! (that's just my point of view !) Just take the example of Mickael Jackson !! Is he not now a kind of alien coming from another planet ?! :)
Plastic surgery can be great for some people, but in the US some people seem to abuse of it, and the results are just......awfull and frightening ! Don't you think so?
Here is the end of my writing today, another big one ... next time I will maybe deal with more positive aspects, because i have just talked about some more or less "negative" (and sometimes funny) things, but french people really like the US and its inhabitants for various reasons.
and what about you ? what do you think about french people, France, its customs...? Just tell me how do you imagine this country and its inhabitants, I am sure you have some idea, or stereotypes (good or/and bad ), it would really be a pleasure for me to read what you have to say about my country.
I'm really happy to talk with you !!
kind regards
Pat.