You know how there are those people, in groups we identify with, that give everyone else a bad name. This is a true story about those American's.
It all started when i woke up sick this morning or should i say when i woke up sick this afternoon. I was hungry but needed food for the sick not for the not sick French people (which would include something along the lines of a Baguette, Chocolate Croissant, Espresso, Cheese Sandwich... which normally sounds fantastic but not when you need the healing type of food). So i decided to go to this Soup Bar that my friend Erin had found and shared with me.
le bar à soupes
First let me give a background. The women who owns this soup bar started it after visiting New York (which has soup bars all over the place) and loving the idea of have bars for soup. It is in the 11th district off of Rue Charonne and is the only soup bar in Paris. She makes six different soups everyday (all of which are vegetarian) some of which include celery and pear, a ratatouille blend, peas and mint, velvety leek, pumpkin, carrot with pineapple, ginger, lentils, Indian blondes, and different variations of classic vegetable soup. I have not tried one yet that i have not fallen in love with. For €7 you can get a large bowl of soup with some bread or 3 cups of different soups with bread. (I always get the cups because they are all great and always changing). When ever we go into this place the the owner and employees are always super nice and are kind enough to speak in English if we are having trouble.
So back to today. I walked in a little after it opened at 6:30pm and started by saying "Bonsoir" (Good evening) to the man working. (In France you must always say Bonjour or Bonsoir to a shop owner, a bus driver, receptionist, ect. when you enter there work space. This is a sign of respect.) He could tell i was American and started speaking in English. I continued to use as much french as i could to order. (The French have a lot of pride in there language and you will get the best response from them when you try. The best way to look at it is if you were visiting someones home you would not tell them how to run there home. that would be rude. I think it works the same when you go to a foreign country.)
I then seated my self (which is something you do in France at cafes and bars). He then brought me my food and i fallowed with a "Merci" (thank you). As i was enjoying my meal three Americans walked in. There was this man in his early forties with grey styled hair and a leather jacket, and two fashionable blond women in there late twenties early thirties. They did not say Bonsoir or Bonjour or even hello they just started asking what types of soups were sold.
After the employe explained the soups the man said "do you guys do samples of the soups" (Now i am not sure of this but i do not think it is appropriate to ask for samples in France just like i know it is not appropriate to ask for an alteration to an item on a menu) When Given a small sample the man did not even say thank you and after finishing it said "ok that's good, i will have that one"
After they had all ordered and sat down they started talking business. It turns out they are reps for some important fashion company. (Yes i did feel like i was in an "Ugly Betty" episode or the movie "The Devil wears Prada" were rude people in the fashion industry meet normal down to earth people)
In France when you finish eating you:
- Wait to catch the attention of the server and then ask for the l'audition (the bill).
- Then wait for them to bring it to the table.
- Use cash to pay (they do not use credit cards to pay for small items in Europe unless you are at a Starbucks but lets face it if you are at a Starbucks you are not really in France any more).
- Do not pay in large bills (change is hard to come by when using the euro, so it is very rude to use even twenties depending on how much you owe).
- Then put the money on the little tray they give you (do not put the money directly in there hands because it would be rude).
- Do not need to leave a tip because it is included in the bill (of course if you like there service it would not be rude to leave a little change on the tray) Also waiters don't need to work hard for tips so don't be surprised if they do not bend to your every whim. They also do not mind if you take as long as you want at your table because in the end it is less work for them.
- Then say "Merci" or "Merci beaucoup" (Thank you very much) if you really like the meal.
- Fallow with a "Au revoir" (goodbye) and if it is later in the evening you can additionally say "Bonsoir".
Fashionable leather jacket man: "do you take credit cards?".
Employe: "yes".
Fashionable leather jacket man: "do you take all credit cards"
and holds up an American express card.
Employe: "I think so"
at this point he is becoming a little nervous and flustered. (they almost never use the credit card machine and probably don't know a lot about American credit cards.) He then tries to ring up the card but it does not work.
"I am sorry it did not work it says the card is abandoned"
Fashionable leather jacket man: getting angry because heaven forbid things happen beyond some ones control. "do you even know what abandoned means"
Employe: "yes it means the same thing in French"
Fashionable leather jacket man: "fine i will pay in cash. this card never works when i travel" (like that was the employe's fault) Finishes paying and quickly walks to the door.
Employe: "Goodby have a nice evening" trying desperately to be as kind as possible.
Fashionable leather jacket man: "bye" in the most insincere tone.
After the Fashionable leather jacket man is gone the employe looks super upset shacking his head. (that was the kinda thing that can make a bad day in a pleasant place) A women, the only other customer in the bar, and i look at each other and shake our heads. She says something in french i do not understand, but i still got the idea and agreeably shock my head yes.
I finished asked for the l'audition, waited for him to bring it to the table, used cash to pay, did not pay in large bills, put the money on the little tray he gave me, left some change on the tray as a tip, said "Merci beaucoup", and as i walked out the door i said "Au revoir" fallowed by a "Bonsoir".
True Fashionable leather jacket man and his friends were on a short business trip and where not told the local social norms. But they did not even try to find out before they came and honestly there behavior would have been rude in the United States as well. I hope that i was good enough proof that not all Americans are rude and loud.
Imagine how great it would be if we where all nice, kind, understanding, and reasonable.
