Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?

One large cultural difference between France and America: while passing strangers in the street, you don't look them in the eye and smile at them or say "hey" for no reason.  It's interpreted as creepy, or a come-on, or a red flag that you're an American.
 
I still, after almost 7 months here, have to remind myself on a daily basis not to do this, because I know I'm outgoing and friendly even for an American, which means that over here I'm basically Buddy the Elf.

Smiling's my FAVORITE!!!

I have the following in common with Buddy the Elf:
-Buddy the Elf can communicate, on a basic level, but never really knows the deeper implications of what's going on around him.
-Buddy the Elf is more friendly and outgoing than he should be, and it gets him into trouble.
-Buddy the Elf is from a foreign land.  (And for the kids, America might as well be the North Pole.)
-And, like me, he never really knows what's going on, but he's happy anyway.