Forget politics, today is Bastille Day:  a day for really good food, fine wine, fireworks, and great lovemaking.  Whatever you think of their politics or ours, how can you argue with that? Vive La France.

Just kidding! I was anticipating that response, so I thought I would just beat that person to the punch. I'm all for good food, fine wine, fireworks and great lovemaking.

inna garbage can...  Even the French don't like the French!  Bwahahahaha.... those crazy you're-a-peeings....



-- Modified on 7/14/2008 10:58:45 AM

The most important part of your link was the small side article which showed that French people were starting love making younger and continuing longer.  The best part was the result of the study which showed that French women were as active as French men. You need to sit in a beach side cafe in Southern France across from a charming and lovely French lady who looks at you in a way that makes your nether parts tingle as you watch thong clad young women while you are eating a lovely lunch and drinking a fine wine.  You might decide to give the Gauls another chance

Once some French PITA told Mark Twain that if all he has to do with his time is to find ways to insult the French, then he would better put his time to use by trying to figure out who his grandfather was.  (In other words, America, as a land of immigrants, had no business insulting France, a land with centuries of family history.)

Twain shot back that he (Refering to the French PITA.)could spend his time trying to figure out who his father was!

Zing!

Here I am stuck in my office with your fore-mentioned images in my head.

-- Modified on 7/14/2008 1:04:46 PM

that they are the only civilized people in the world, and we are barbaric due to our culture, food, ignorance. Get the French out of France, and they just like everyone else.

I used to commute to Paris for 5 years, and deal with their quirks, especially their disdain for work. But there were a few times I had to invite them back to the U.S. to visit our headquarters, and get comfortable with our products, services and  resources.

So guess where they wanted to go to breakfast everyday in the U.S.? I mean this is a culture of cafe au lait and croissaints. IHOP! Yep IHOP. They couldn't get enough pancakes, bacon, sausage and hash browns. Next, the outlet malls. Loved the selection, prices, convenience. Next walking down Venice beach in SoCal. If anything screams diversity and non-conforming, it's Venice Beach.

As my British friend told me many years ago. He said, "I love French food and French wine. I just don't like French people." Seems to be pretty universal.

Oh yeah, one other thing. For a country that is the haute couture of fashion,  the majority of French dress like shit.

May I suggest that to judge a nation of people, you need to know that nation, its different people, its language and its subtleties, and its customs.  Try to judge all Americans from regular trips to Brooklyn or Augusta, Georgia with an imperfect understanding of the subtle meanings of local expressions and humor.  I don't need to defend French people, but I lived in Souther France (Le Midi) for five years.  I spoke --with rare exceptions-- only French, had French friends and girl friends.  Those people were as welcoming, open, and generous as any people I have met.  They remain, after thirty five years, among my best and most loyal friends.  I could say similar things  about the other countries in which I have lived (England, Canada, Sweden, Ireland.)  I used to note --to my great chagrin-- that Americans visiting Europe were willing to denigrate our culture in favor of "older" ones.  That was our problem then (it tends to be less now) and not the fault of the Europeans. Oh well, happy quinze.

-- Modified on 7/15/2008 8:41:07 AM

I second the good doctor.  I have many French relatives, my wife is French, and I have traveled there extensively.  It's a wonderful country full of generous, thoughtful and welcoming people.  I have found, almost without exception, that the French are genuinely interested in and have a great appreciation for American culture, but have a distate for the current American political climate (who can blame them).

And I want to comment that people who say mean things about French people or other countries are ignorant themselves, although some French people in Paris can be a little snobby at times. The only derogatory comment I have made about another country was being in war in the Middle East, but that does not make all Middle-Eastern people bad. There are some very nice Muslim and Islamic people. I am part French. I have lived in other countries. Some French people are rude, but sometimes it's due to Americans being rude and impatient in their country. People need to venture into the French countryside. It's different there. You can also find rude people in New York (which I like the honesty of New Yorkers), rude people in the South, rude people everywhere. Why must we concentrate on banning a whole nation just because of a few?  

Hugs,
ciara





-- Modified on 7/16/2008 11:37:45 AM

In fact, if you have traveled overseas recently and stayed for any length of time, you would realize that many French and Italian women shave their legs, their armpits and shower every day (especially the young ladies).

Hugs,
Ciara

-- Modified on 7/16/2008 5:03:59 AM