Why do we always think that "ELSEWHERE" is better than our own country? (page 5 of 23)

On one hand, everything is great elsewhere. On the other hand, in France, nothing works anymore Only the final sentence adds a hint of nuance. But the main message still leans toward everything being rosy abroad and everything being bleak here.

Could someone explain to me why nothing works in France anymore?

Open your eyes, my dear Mathews! Here, it's impossible to have an intelligent government—one that thinks FRENCH—because voters spend their time toppling the right to put the left in power, only to quickly grow tired of them, and then they do the same thing in reverse the next time around!!!!!!!!

Things will be a little brighter and a little less bleak here when the French prioritize the country over their petty careerist or other self-serving calculations, even though we all know that divide-and-conquer keeps those in power, well, in power!

Now, when it comes to travel and tourism, our country is just as wonderful as anywhere else: take a stroll around Salers in the Cantal region, go mushroom picking in Lozère at the first autumn rains, paddle down the Tarn Gorges from Sainte-Enimie in a kayak and savor a delicious Pélardon, an extraordinary local goat cheese. And for those who love the mountains, the Alps and the Pyrenees will give you plenty of reasons to see France in a rosy light...

That said, some prefer to travel without leaving home, stuck between a computer, books, a pastis, and a big purring cat—why not? There’s room for all tastes!

Alright, I’ve teased you enough and wish you a good night (it’s almost midnight!). Best regards — Vietalier.

Open your eyes, my dear Mathews! Here, it’s impossible to have an intelligent government, that thinks FRENCH, because voters spend their time tearing down the right to put the left in place—only to quickly grow tired of them, and the next time they do the same thing in reverse!!!!!!!! Here, things will be a little rosier and a little less bleak when the French think of the Country first, before sharpening their little careerist or other self-serving schemes, even though we all know that divide and conquer works!

Seriously: do you really think it’s better or even different *elsewhere*? 🤪

I don’t consider myself an expat, but rather a wanderer—I wanted to see elsewhere out of curiosity, to check if the sky was bluer, the grass greener, and if the birds sang better.

I *am* elsewhere now, and I still end up "eating angry cow" (it’s not just the expats who live abroad), and I watch France from afar.

Today, my kids are grown, and they dream of "elsewhere" (France, why not?), but their country is here (my elsewhere).

The truth is, the French are eternal complainers—that’s how you recognize them. Elsewhere (and it’s not just about the beret, the baguette, the *calvados*, or the bottle of wine), it’s also, and above all, their big mouths.

So today, as I look at the French here and elsewhere, I think to myself on my 71st birthday: France smells so good, even from elsewhere.

ps But actually, the answer to the question is quite simple: “because ‘elsewhere’ exists” no matter where you are.

Open your eyes, my dear Mathews! Here, it’s impossible to have an intelligent government, that thinks FRENCH, because voters spend their time tearing down the right to put the left in power—only to quickly grow tired of them, and the next time they do the same in reverse!!!!!!!!

I get that, but whether the government is right-wing or left-wing, I couldn’t care less... it’s not them who’ll give me a job or influence my career and life choices...

If I wake up in a bad mood tomorrow, it’s not Hollande’s or Ayrault’s fault, after all. When I lived in Canada and was in a bad mood, I didn’t blame Mr. Charest or Harper either...

Here, things will be a bit more positive and a bit less bleak when the French think of the Country first, before sharpening their little careerist or other kinds of calculations, even though we all know that dividing helps to rule!

So, according to you, this mindset in the political world is specifically French?!! In other European countries or elsewhere, it’s completely different?

Hello Djalma, Of course not! But with that very French touch, and when you're forced to put up with it, it becomes oppressive and turns dark gray, even black. Elsewhere, things aren’t well-coordinated between leaders and citizens either, but it’s not *my* home! There you go, dear Jean-Michel—I’ll stop here to avoid a pointless debate. Wishing you beautiful autumn days between Opède le Vieux and Roussillon in Vaucluse. Best regards — Vietalier

So, in your opinion, this mindset in the political world is specifically French?!! In other European countries or elsewhere, it’s completely different?

Leaving politics aside, it’s hard to ignore that foreign tourists don’t find our grass—or at least our people—any greener than back home. Isn’t our reputation for gloominess and deep inhospitality pretty strong among foreign travelers? 😉

Our reputation for gloominess and deep inhospitality is still quite strong among foreign tourists, isn't it?

Oh really? For what reasons are we by far the most visited country in the world, way ahead of the US, Spain, Italy, etc.? Just for the beautiful landscapes? Thank goodness we’re so gloomy and inhospitable—otherwise, we’d be swamped with foreign tourists we couldn’t handle!

Our reputation for being gloomy and deeply inhospitable is still pretty strong among foreign tourists, isn't it?

Oh really? Then how come we’re way ahead of the US, Spain, Italy, etc. as one of the world’s most visited countries? Just for the pretty landscapes? Thank goodness we’re so gloomy and inhospitable—otherwise, we’d be swamped with foreign tourists we couldn’t handle!

That’s what it seemed like to me—our reputation as complainers, the slogan "France would be amazing without the French." The attraction is the variety of beautiful, moderate landscapes, the temperate climate, and the ultra-rich culture, right? I’m saying this without any aggression—if it bothered me that much, I’d have left for good by now 😉

Just yesterday, I had the chance to get confirmation of my thoughts from a foreigner who visited France and not JUST PARIS. He was very well received in the countryside and very poorly received in Paris!

Like most tourists, Parisians (with a few exceptions) have the annoying habit of generalizing their own stupidity and inability to be friendly and open to others to the entire country, starting with their own fellow citizens.

The same people, arrogant enough to ignore you on vacation just because you're French (they’ve got their noses stuck in the *lovely planet* but call themselves backpackers!), are the ones who lecture you about open-mindedness. Most of them have never even left the Île-de-France region, yet they judge the whole country, the people, and tell you that elsewhere is better—without knowing the difference between "kindness" because they’re spending money and genuinely selfless kindness. The latter is much rarer and is often found in the countryside, elsewhere too, where there’s no mass tourism.

Best regards :)

Yes, what you're saying is very true most of the time, even if there are always exceptions. Not all Parisians and other "capital-dwellers" (in the sense of "living in capital cities," but often in another sense too 😉) are like that, but a good number of them are often very arrogant, even contemptuous toward "provincials," while they’re surprised when some people give them the same treatment in return. City-dwellers treating "country folks" like "peasants" and other terms as if it were an insult—this happens in France and elsewhere often. Just a reminder that "peasants" isn’t an insult; it’s a "job—way of life" in general, and without them, most city people wouldn’t survive long. After all, they’re the ones who "traditionally" grow crops, grains, or raise animals that many will only ever see in plastic packets on their plates (it’s much easier to turn a blind eye). Meanwhile, these city folks often "get rich" with jobs in the "service sector," which are often useless or non-essential, sometimes harmful to the earth, and other urban frivolities that are far less vital than food, mountain water, and so on.

This "Parisianism" or "capital-centrism," where people think France is just the Eiffel Tower (that pile of scrap metal ruining the landscape, just like the city itself) and that the rest of the country is just fields, cows, and, of course, the beaches where they flock to roast every summer, plus the ski resorts where they go to "get their butts dragged" in winter!

Parisians (with a few exceptions) have the annoying habit of projecting their own stupidity and inability to be friendly and open to others onto the whole of France—starting with their own fellow citizens.

Uh, I’ve spent most of my life in Picardy...😎

So? Weren’t we talking about how foreigners are perceived? I don’t see how you were targeted. That said, the person in question really appreciated the hospitality of the North.

When a French person tells me that France is this, that the French are that, I ask them what they actually know about France... Most of the time, it’s those who’ve never left their little "bubble" and keep looking elsewhere with rose-tinted glasses—or worse. :)

In the eight months I’ve been traveling, I’ve seen foreign tourists who were way worse than the French. But it’s likely that those who like them the least are also the ones who love money the most. Some nationalities couldn’t care less about the locals, and the locals return the favor. Everyone gets what they want—money... QED.

Okay, I think we’re getting a bit off-topic, but since the thread was already wrapping up, no big deal. ;)

What a lovely vibe in both of your posts... proof by example? 😇

Just yesterday, I had the chance to get confirmation of what I think from a foreigner who visited France and not JUST PARIS. He was very well received in the countryside and very poorly received in Paris!

And there are foreigners who are well received in PARIS and poorly in the provinces... what exactly do you want to prove?

Just like most tourists, Parisians (with a few exceptions) have the annoying habit of generalizing their own stupidity and inability to be friendly and open to others to the whole of France, starting with their own fellow citizens.

I think you’d do well to watch the plank in your own eye... generally, when I meet French people who are nice or jerks, I don’t focus on where they’re from. Your comment is stupid and tinged with real animosity toward Parisians....

The same people, by the way—arrogant, who ignore you on vacation just because you’re French (they’ve got their noses stuck in the Lovely Planet but they’re backpackers!)—are the ones who lecture you about open-mindedness. Most of them have never even left the Île-de-France region, yet they judge the whole country, the people, and explain to you that elsewhere is better without knowing the difference between "kindness" because they spend money and genuinely selfless kindness. The latter, much rarer, is often found in the countryside elsewhere too, where there’s no mass tourism.

Honestly, your rant against Parisians doesn’t make me want to talk to you either! Are you sure you’re not from Île-de-France yourself?🤪

What aggression....

As for the selfless kindness of the countryside... my farmer friends are still laughing about it!!!!😏

"Parisian blockheads"? Anyway, your profile pic really shows you're one of the bovines! Admitting your "redneck" (or "beefy") sides is already something 😉 (My apologies to bovines, against whom I have absolutely nothing—in fact, as a vegetarian, I wouldn’t want to compare humans to them, that’d be disrespectful to bovines )

I have some amazing Parisian friends whom I adore, and they’re the first to admit that in Paris, the mentality is generally "everyone for themselves"—to put it politely. Unfortunately, nice Parisians are pretty rare (though I’ll admit they’re not the only ones).

It’s a fact, whether you like it or not, that most tourists go to Paris and base their judgment of France on that alone.

And whether you like it or not, it seems pretty bad-faith to ignore that the jerks who keep harping on about how the French have every flaw in the book are also Parisian journalists. When you’re in the countryside and ask for directions, you’ll easily find someone to guide you. Try that in Paris, but be *very* patient...

I’m not trying to prove anything, and I don’t hold any animosity toward Parisians (only since I’ve traveled beyond our borders). If I went by the people I meet in the provinces, though, I’d definitely have some—no doubt about it. I don’t like jerks, and I don’t care if they don’t like me back. Having said that, few people from the provinces like Parisians much—they’re so arrogant, acting like they’re the center of the universe. I’m just tired of hearing nonstop that the French have every flaw imaginable and realizing that a bunch of people repeat it like parrots because they’ve been brainwashed. Yet when I share tons of anecdotes proving the opposite (like we easily do for other countries), suddenly they remember that *they* too have had positive experiences in France.

So why my fixation on Parisians? Because it’s often from the capital that these rants about the French originate.

In short, they’re describing their own world and their own behavior. It’s often the French I’ve met off the beaten path—the locals appreciate them, no matter what’s said back home. And when I look at other nationalities (the ones who don’t like us?!), who are disrespectful, drunk from morning to night, and couldn’t care less about the locals (or anyone else), it makes me chuckle that *those* people judge *us*.

I have plenty of flaws, and I own them—I don’t deny them. I grumble like a good Frenchwoman when someone tries to scam me or pull the wool over my eyes. But I keep my word and respect people wherever I go, and in return, people treat me well. It’s also a reality that it’s in the countryside where you meet far more honest people, often far removed from tourism and its corruptions.

If your farmer friends laugh about it, I’d say this: mine are rough around the edges but big-hearted. As they say, "birds of a feather flock together" :)) You keep your friends, and I’ll keep mine :)

City calves or country calves, you can spot the former by their suit and tie or their perfectly ironed skirt and their startled bourgeois air, their iPhone and their rushed demeanor as if they were off to a meeting with the prime minister (of human stupidity ), their urban sheep-like behavior, and their "grazing" toward their bosses and other social circles, not to mention their disdain for the country calves and other field horses, who graze peacefully on tender grass, drink fresh stream water, and watch polluting, rushed Parisian cars go by; Who goes further in life? It’s relative, but one thing’s for sure—they both end up six feet under, and the meadow calves don’t destroy the earth like the former do.