tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633611625676027892.post551517601443084859..comments2023-10-11T18:19:26.480+08:00Comments on thE gEOgrAphicAlly blind: How did I survive Paris - the people and their languagethE gEOgrAphicAlly blindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439001682670211863noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633611625676027892.post-69606637672360241052014-06-20T22:21:30.791+08:002014-06-20T22:21:30.791+08:00"Parlez vous Anglais?" That's a good..."Parlez vous Anglais?" That's a good suggestion. Perhaps I made a mistake by assuming that most people could speak simple English. That is definitely not always the case. Thanks for the tip! Next time, I want to go to other parts of France. :)thE gEOgrAphicAlly blindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15439001682670211863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633611625676027892.post-60882577001214942212014-06-16T21:17:58.921+08:002014-06-16T21:17:58.921+08:00I love Paris, but I only visit for one or two week...I love Paris, but I only visit for one or two weeks. If I had to stay there for 3 months or longer, it would be a nightmare. All problems stem from the language, I feel. If you know you're going to be living there for YEARS, then obviously learning French is a must. But if you are only going to be there for a temporary stay, and you don't already speak the language, then I can see why the experience would be very difficult. Before I went to Paris for the first time, I spent 3 months prior learning as many French words and phrases as I could manage. While I was in no way even close to being proficient, I found that some of the choice phrases I had memorized really helped me out in many situations.<br /><br />Honestly, Parisians really HATE if you suddenly speak English to them out of the blue. That's been my experience. It's better if you say hello to them in French first, then follow up with: "Excusez-moi, parlez vous Anglais?" This one phrase alone helped me out so much! Often, a French person was more than happy to help me out after I started off the conversation this way--even if they didn't speak English themselves.<br /><br />I can't speak about the map thing. I memorized the map of most of the central districts in Paris before I went. Again, I had around 3 months to accomplish this, and I was quite obsessed with memorizing directions. But also, I used digital maps on my phone a lot while there. This way, it would look like I was just checking my phone for text messages when in fact I was looking up street names and directions! :) I never used a paper map that would identify me as a tourist, so I never had the same concerns of being targeted by pickpockets.<br /><br />I wish you had been able to visit on vacation for 7 to 10 days or so, rather than as part of a work assignment for 3 months. I feel you would have had more fun if your trip was for pleasure and for a much shorter duration. Too bad it couldn't have been to London or even to my city, New York! At least English is spoken at both. :)David Batistahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16447011239238933425noreply@blogger.com