As a former waitress and salesperson (more than a decade) I can confirm your experience in cafes or stores will go just fine if you just smile and say hello !
Great piece on cafes / restaurants. I remember the chap who taught me French 55 years ago being a Francophile, and insisting that we had to understand customs and culture as well as whether a noun was masculine or feminine. How else would we know that stamps were sold from tobacconists, and that when we were old enough to sit in a bar the waiter would mark the number of drinks on a bar mat?
We find that a smile, a “hello” in the native language and an attempt at ordering in that language will, even with some terrible mistakes, be much appreciated*. I went to Germany for the first time recently and a simple “Tag!” went a long away - particularly at passport control where the officer exclaimed “Ah, du bist Deutsch!”. I think my faltering attempt at a reply in German convinced them they were indeed mistaken in that assumption.
* except perhaps in the Netherlands where my attempts at pronunciation produced gales of mirth in my co-workers.
So true, a smile and an heroic effort to order in parisian french, has always been my opening gambit, it mostly works. I do see the occasional wince at my 'Franglais Accent' but they really give you credit for making the effort. I so want to go to Paris again.
Thanks for this I just wanted to jump on Eurostar and go. I have always felt welcome and loved it. In 1986 at a difficult time in my life I dissapeared from Manchester to lose myself in the cafes without telling anyone where I was, cutting short my call sick to work before the station announcer could be heard on Gare De Nord, they never twigged! I would recommend it, but now I’ve got a whole load more to look too, enjoy your stay and thanks, it was a ray of sunshine on a day we all need to celebrate what is good.
As a former waitress and salesperson (more than a decade) I can confirm your experience in cafes or stores will go just fine if you just smile and say hello !
Loved your insight on Parisian life
Great piece on cafes / restaurants. I remember the chap who taught me French 55 years ago being a Francophile, and insisting that we had to understand customs and culture as well as whether a noun was masculine or feminine. How else would we know that stamps were sold from tobacconists, and that when we were old enough to sit in a bar the waiter would mark the number of drinks on a bar mat?
We find that a smile, a “hello” in the native language and an attempt at ordering in that language will, even with some terrible mistakes, be much appreciated*. I went to Germany for the first time recently and a simple “Tag!” went a long away - particularly at passport control where the officer exclaimed “Ah, du bist Deutsch!”. I think my faltering attempt at a reply in German convinced them they were indeed mistaken in that assumption.
* except perhaps in the Netherlands where my attempts at pronunciation produced gales of mirth in my co-workers.
So true, a smile and an heroic effort to order in parisian french, has always been my opening gambit, it mostly works. I do see the occasional wince at my 'Franglais Accent' but they really give you credit for making the effort. I so want to go to Paris again.
Thanks for this I just wanted to jump on Eurostar and go. I have always felt welcome and loved it. In 1986 at a difficult time in my life I dissapeared from Manchester to lose myself in the cafes without telling anyone where I was, cutting short my call sick to work before the station announcer could be heard on Gare De Nord, they never twigged! I would recommend it, but now I’ve got a whole load more to look too, enjoy your stay and thanks, it was a ray of sunshine on a day we all need to celebrate what is good.
Thanks Simon. It's a great place to disappear into, and also to enjoy.