I’m not usually one for stereotyping but had my first ever trip to France last year. While the vast majority of the people we interacted with were fine, we were there for 5 days and had 3 incidents that if had happened over here ‘words’ would have been happening.French people.
Got told off for speaking French in France this morning. Yesterday got told off for sitting at a table for four because there were two of us, despite 90% of the bar being empty, and continuing to be empty ever since.
On paper it could be one of the best countries in the world, but the people ruin it.
These are the people that checked the passports of the British soldiers landing by parachute to commemorate D DayFrench people.
Got told off for speaking French in France this morning. Yesterday got told off for sitting at a table for four because there were two of us, despite 90% of the bar being empty, and continuing to be empty ever since.
On paper it could be one of the best countries in the world, but the people ruin it.
I’m not usually one for stereotyping but had my first ever trip to France last year. While the vast majority of the people we interacted with were fine, we were there for 5 days and had 3 incidents that if had happened over here ‘words’ would have been happening.
This is a lot higher than my usual average.
Well…What sort or incidents just out of interest?
Well…
Two of them were cafe/restaurant related. In one a waitress 100% pretended that she couldn’t understand us - especially evident when we were only asking for a red wine…un vin (van) rouge, right?…threw/dropped the cutlery on our table and then said it was cash only, even though we’d just seen her produce a card machine for the French customers sat next to us. She was gesturing demonstratively annoyed with our existence throughout.
It was a Basil Fawlty standard of service I’ve never experienced before.
Im certainly not one for thinking everyone should speak English on my holiday but I’m also sure I wouldn’t embarrass someone who struggled speaking English (or Welsh) over here. Tbf at the time I think my daughter was more pissed off than me!
The next was a row with a taxi driver. Standard.
French people.
Got told off for speaking French in France this morning. Yesterday got told off for sitting at a table for four because there were two of us, despite 90% of the bar being empty, and continuing to be empty ever since.
On paper it could be one of the best countries in the world, but the people ruin it.
We were in Marseille during the Rugby World Cup…not that we knew that when we booked…so there was quite a few extra English speakers about the place. You’d have thought these smaller places would have been bending over backwards to take our money and ensure customers returned.Yeah, it is a daily occurrence for us as well and I'm enough of it. My French won't win any Rosetta Stone awards, but I can communicate fine in a restaurant setting with it, yet we are constantly treated like shit. In many cases we are charged every round of drinks, but other people are charged at the end. Just getting shouted at and ignored as well, the latter being far too often.
I looked at a lot of reviews for the cafes and restaurants in the town we are in, so many have abysmal ratings that if they were in England or Netherlands for example, no one would be sitting there. It makes it hard to enjoy knowing every time you go to eat or drink, there's a 50% chance you're going to have a problem.
Happens other countries too. Attempted haltingly to order in Spain (a tourist resort too, but out of season) and they weren't going to help!Well…
Two of them were cafe/restaurant related. In one a waitress 100% pretended that she couldn’t understand us - especially evident when we were only asking for a red wine…un vin (van) rouge, right?…threw/dropped the cutlery on our table and then said it was cash only, even though we’d just seen her produce a card machine for the French customers sat next to us. She was gesturing demonstratively annoyed with our existence throughout.
It was a Basil Fawlty standard of service I’ve never experienced before.
Im certainly not one for thinking everyone should speak English on my holiday but I’m also sure I wouldn’t embarrass someone who struggled speaking English (or Welsh) over here. Tbf at the time I think my daughter was more pissed off than me!
The next was a row with a taxi driver. Standard.
I’m sure it’s not unique to France but seemed to significantly up my usual average confrontations for the week.Happens other countries too. Attempted haltingly to order in Spain (a tourist resort too, but out of season) and they weren't going to help!
Still, I'd have never tried catfish if they'd told me what it was, so there was a new life experience for me
(Also had people flip from English to Welsh when I've walked in... albeit in Wales, not Spain)
"Passed his test"Agree.
Turn or pull up where they want, no indication, in front of whoever. Really slow.
Was in one at weekend and it was almost as if he’d only just passed his test.
I think there is a lot of faux excitement from commentators these days, just more obvious with some than others. There’s just to much football on the televisions so standards of commentary suffer.This commentator and her faux excited voice...
I think there is a lot of faux excitement from commentators these days, just more obvious with some than others. There’s just to much football on the televisions so standards of commentary suffer.
Don’t mean to hijack, but as someone who lives in Carmarthenshire, I’ve experienced what could be considered disrespectful behaviour on a few occasions.I’m sure it’s not unique to France but seemed to significantly up my usual average confrontations for the week.
It’s interesting the English to Welsh flipping. I’m not saying I don’t believe you but in Wales this is one of the accusations (from English) that gets laughed about at times. I can’t say I’ve noticed it. In work there’s been welsh speakers who will talk to each other in Welsh, if that’s the same thing?
My Cov mates are convinced that the Welsh absolutely hate them when they come to visit.
Edit: NW I seem to remember you having a Welsh connection or at least a Cardiff one?
Considering that most people go abroad and just speak English without learning the local language, I don’t think they’ve got a leg to stand on.Don’t mean to hijack, but as someone who lives in Carmarthenshire, I’ve experienced what could be considered disrespectful behaviour on a few occasions.
I’ve basically picked up a rudimentary grasp of Welsh, from working in local care homes (the oldies speak nothing but Welsh) but nothing on a comfortable level; on several occasions whilst in various social scenarios, the person I’m speaking to in English will start talking in Welsh to the other person in the conversation. I can usually get what they’re on about, by cherry picking words.
I’ve asked one person if they would consider that rude, if the roles were reversed, they said: ‘It’s just our way, our language is part of who we are.’
Which I do get, 100%. I guess it’s just the pride in their language, and not letting it die out, which is what Welsh speakers do fear.
It just comes across a bit ignorant to us English, I suppose.
Don’t quite get this, I apologise. It’s probably me.Considering that most people go abroad and just speak English without learning the local language, I don’t think they’ve got a leg to stand on.
I actually agree with you; I think it’s rude to speak a language with someone present who doesn’t speak it but there’s a language you all understand.Don’t quite get this, I apologise. It’s probably me.
My perspective was from an Englishman’s, IN Wales. Not abroad.
Besides, there has to be a differentiation between South and North Welsh speakers. The North tend to be more militantly Welsh speaking, whereas in the South they switch between Welsh and English a lot. The issue of dialect is probably pertinent, but anyway.
Switching from English to Welsh mid conversation happens a lot, even here in South Wales. Sometimes it’s intentional, as a cultural ‘thing’, sometimes it’s because the Anglicisation of the South dialect calls for it.
Happens all the time in Gibraltar, if you go into a pub and order a drink in English the bar staff will talk together rudely in Spanish and vice versa.Happens other countries too. Attempted haltingly to order in Spain (a tourist resort too, but out of season) and they weren't going to help!
Still, I'd have never tried catfish if they'd told me what it was, so there was a new life experience for me
(Also had people flip from English to Welsh when I've walked in... albeit in Wales, not Spain)
I actually agree with you; I think it’s rude to speak a language with someone present who doesn’t speak it but there’s a language you all understand.
My point was that Brits in general take it for granted that others will speak English to them abroad. Imagine if the roles were reversed with people having to learn Spanish or something, they’d be outrage.
They're not set up exclusively for Brits, though; other nationalities go to these places, too.I kind of get the point, but you can't really expect people to become fluent in Spanish for a week in Tenerife. These places set themselves up as tourist destinations for Brits, completely different if you're staying somewhere for a long time or working abroad.
Whilst I agree with the fluency part it doesn't take a lot of time or effort to learn a few basic phrases like hello, goodbye, please, thank you & how to order some drinks food etc. Having said that when I was working in Brussels I decided to have French lessons and it was a bit disappointing to be answered back in English in cafés & bars. I have also seen in rural France a friend attempting to speak French being totally ignored yet in Italy when I tried to order some train tickets in not so good Italian the person in the ticket office helped me out with some pronunciation tips.I kind of get the point, but you can't really expect people to become fluent in Spanish for a week in Tenerife. These places set themselves up as tourist destinations for Brits, completely different if you're staying somewhere for a long time or working abroad.
I can speak Italian fluently but still get people trying to talk to me in English sometimes. I just used to tell them I was Russian; you can't really get away with it these days though.Whilst I agree with the fluency part it doesn't take a lot of time or effort to learn a few basic phrases like hello, goodbye, please, thank you & how to order some drinks food etc. Having said that when I was working in Brussels I decided to have French lessons and it was a bit disappointing to be answered back in English in cafés & bars. I have also seen in rural France a friend attempting to speak French being totally ignored yet in Italy when I tried to order some train tickets in not so good Italian the person in the ticket office helped me out with some pronunciation tips.
The funniest one I saw was a Swiss-Canadian speaking French in the Ardennes and not being understood & a French speaking Belgian helping her outI can speak Italian fluently but still get people trying to talk to me in English sometimes. I just used to tell them I was Russian; you can't really get away with it these days though.
If it was deliberate, then that’s quite unusual for people from South Wales. Of course, there are exceptions.My point was more people deliberately switching from English to Welsh upon you coming in the room...
Yeah, sorry if I wasn’t clear. I’ve definitely been in similar scenarios to the one you described there. Mostly in work between colleagues.Don’t mean to hijack, but as someone who lives in Carmarthenshire, I’ve experienced what could be considered disrespectful behaviour on a few occasions.
I’ve basically picked up a rudimentary grasp of Welsh, from working in local care homes (the oldies speak nothing but Welsh) but nothing on a comfortable level; on several occasions whilst in various social scenarios, the person I’m speaking to in English will start talking in Welsh to the other person in the conversation. I can usually get what they’re on about, by cherry picking words.
I’ve asked one person if they would consider that rude, if the roles were reversed, they said: ‘It’s just our way, our language is part of who we are.’
Which I do get, 100%. I guess it’s just the pride in their language, and not letting it die out, which is what Welsh speakers do fear.
It just comes across a bit ignorant to us English, I suppose.
A lot of this is people using satnavs and psychologically they think they have indicated when the satnav is saying turn left - as a motorcyclist the number of times I see people make a sudden move because they realise it is actually this junctionDrivers who indicate as they're turning! I see a lot of drivers do it on the left hand turn onto the ring road coming off Butts Road.
Defeats the whole purpose of an indicator, as it's to give your intention to turn, not that you are in the process of turning.
I know it's not huge, but the amount of times I intended to cross the road, but a car indicates at the last possible second.
If you head to the deep south you’ll have no problems practising Italian.In Italy last year I was hoping to flex my Duolingo muscles (600 day streak, basically a native) but they all defaulted to English before I got the chance. I was reading signs and menus like nobody's business though
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