Fist pump!

It's official.  I've seen French guidettes.  Really, France?  THIS is the part of our culture you choose to emulate?

REALLY?!?!?!?

Also, maybe a post in which I mention Jersey Shore really isn't the best place to defend America, but it surprises me that (some) French people can say they "hate America" while simultaneously blasting our music and watching our TV shows.  Look, America has some problems and pointing them out in a discussion is one thing, and feel free to hate our politics or our economy or whatever, but vehemently "hating America" (as in, all of America and all its people) when your favorite show is Desperate Housewives seems a little hypocritical

To be fair, I've found most people to be like the former - they'll discuss our politics and feel free to point out flaws in our system during a discussion, but when it comes down to welcoming us as individuals I've found the French people to be extremely welcoming and awesome as a whole - I'm just saying that for those who hate us, maybe take the Rihanna off your iPod. I'm pretty sure the guy that spit on us for speaking English was listening to 50 Cent.  That's all I'm saying.

However, that's not my main rant about the French, because like I said that's probably a very small percentage of the population, and the "they hate America!" stereotype is exaggerated anyway.  I ran into a lady in the grocery store that somehow heard my accent and stopped me to speak English with me for 15 minutes.  Most people are friendly and welcoming and patient with me.

No, my rant against French culture as a whole is: French people absolutely do not know how to line up.  I take that back, it sounds insulting.  It's not that they can't do it, it's that they absolutely will not unless forced with barriers.  It's not a part of their culture (or something) to calmly and patiently form a queue.  I force my students to queue sometimes, just because I will not support that behavior in my classroom.  Other kinds of misbehavior I leave to the teacher to correct, but I will physically put kids in a line when they want to ask me questions because I just refuse.

It really just drives me nuts when everybody just lunges to get on the train (or the bus) like it's the Tokyo metro at rush hour.  Calm down, these modes of transport are not automated, the conductor or driver isn't going to just leave a bunch of people queued in line and just drive away.  No need to stampede like a herd of wildebeests trying to get out of a canyon.

In 7 months I have not once seen people form a queue on their own, without ropes or barriers or something like at amusement parks.

UPDATE: saw this at Versailles.  It's the only one I've ever seen and it made me smile.