Paris Syndrome

edao

edao

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'Paris Syndrome' strikes Japanese

"That is what some polite Japanese tourists suffer when they discover that Parisians can be rude or the city does not meet their expectations.

The experience can apparently be too stressful for some and they suffer a psychiatric breakdown." source
 
This does not only apply to Japanese tourists but to tourist in general or provincial French people. I don't know why but when in Paris you feel the people and the atmosphere opressing. Living a few years there can make you rude like other native Parisians.
 
I have heard of the Paris syndrome in the Japanese community. It could apply to tourists in general, but you have to understand that the Japanese put French culture, and Paris in particular on a pedestal. The Japanese value very highly fine cuisine and luxury clothes/accessories. In fact, about half of the global sales of luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel or Christian Dior are made in Japan. The Japanese buy more of these brands than all Europeans and Americans combined. Tokyo has more Michelin-starred restaurants than Paris, but this is because countless Japanese chefs go to France and Italy (among others) to study French and Italian cuisine, and often reach levels of excellence in these cuisines, in addition to their own and Chinese cuisine.

In the mind of most Japanese Paris is an idealised city that represent everything that they love. I don't know any other country where the image of France and Paris is as positive as in Japan. It is only natural that when Japanese tourists or expats, who may never have travelled before, arrive in Paris, the city is nothing like they imagined, and the people are a nightmare. This is why I think it is appropriate to talk of a "Paris syndrome" for Japanese tourists. It does not apply with the same intensity for any other city and any other tourists. But of course Parisians are also world champions in arrogance, bad manners and unhelpfulness. French people know it so well that the reputation of Parisians was used for a series of famous commercials for Le Parisien newspaper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4_detOeq1o&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utYyB96u0uw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oAPW936zag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3Y9nT1jwuo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbR2KkW4dE8&NR=1
 
Maciamo said:
It does not apply with the same intensity for any other city and any other tourists. But of course Parisians are also world champions in arrogance, bad manners and unhelpfulness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbR2KkW4dE8&NR=1
Click to expand...


That's what I was saying, there is a real problem with Parisians whose "Paris syndrom" with Japanese people is only one aspect.
Parisian people are disliked in most part of France and many stereotypes toward French people being rude come from Paris which is (most of time) the only French city they visit..
 
Well, it's a common fact in the world that the people who live in any big city are more rude than the people who live in the countryside.
Another fact is, people from South and East Asia are accustomed to friendly behavior. And good manners.
In big cities in the western world, people are straight forward. And that can be felt as very unpleasant.

I told in some other thread on this forum, that Europe is much more friendly in the smaller cities, and on the countryside.

My suggestion: If you visit France, you can go everywhere but leave the 3 major cities aside..
Paris, Lyon and Marseilles.
 
Reinaert said:
Well, it's a common fact in the world that the people who live in any big city are more rude than the people who live in the countryside.
Click to expand...

Well I don't know how inhabitants of other European metropoles like London or Amsterdam are perceived but there is no real sympathy for the Parisian in France.
In return, people living in Lille and Marseilles are considered friendly.
 
Sorry, I can't resist to tell an anecdote which happened about two weeks ago:

A friend of mine got a visit from his girlfriend who used to live in the countryside of Bavaria. All together we went into a bar to have some drinks. As we ordered the bill, the waiter -we've never met him before- came to our table and asked my friend:
"Is this your girlfriend?"
He answered "Yes!"
The waiter's reply was: "Well she's not half as ugly as you always told me! Congrats, man!"
I had difficulties not to laugh! :grin:

His girlfriend nearly cried and later on told all her girlfriends at home how rude and unmannered Berlin is :D
 
spongetaro said:
Well I don't know how inhabitants of other European metropoles like London or Amsterdam are perceived but there is no real sympathy for the Parisian in France.
In return, people living in Lille and Marseilles are considered friendly.
Click to expand...

I have lived (sometimes just for a few months) in London, Berlin, Rome, Barcelona, Brussels, Tokyo... and been countless times to Paris. I found people in London and Berlin to be the most pleasant, those in Tokyo (or anywhere in Japan) to be the most polite (though often distant and hypocritical). I have been to cities were people were not very nice, like in Madrid where in 5 days people have tried to cheat me (the northern European tourist) every day, once three times in the same day, something that didn't happen in other Spanish cities. Nevertheless there is absolutely no comparison to the rudeness, incivility and disagreeableness of Parisians (or at least within Europe because I found people in Cairo to be even worse, lying, cheating, harassing tourists, and children throwing stones at Westerners in some neighbourhoods).
 
Parisians are also world champions in arrogance, bad manners and unhelpfulness
Click to expand...
This is the "Tourist syndrome"...:innocent:

Each year, 15 million tourists visit Paris, i think it's not difficult to understand that Parisians can be rude, no?

Lassitude + stress + busy city = irritable cityzen...

I don't approve their attitude, but i can understand it...
 
VonRoust said:
This is the "Tourist syndrome"...:innocent:

Each year, 15 million tourists visit Paris, i think it's not difficult to understand that Parisians can be rude, no?

Lassitude + stress + busy city = irritable cityzen...

I don't approve their attitude, but i can understand it...
Click to expand...

I wasn't a tourist. I was there (most of the time) for business reasons, and I am a native French speakers, undistinguishable from a Parisian (contrarily to many Belgians, and most southern French).

If tourists are to blame, how comes Romans, Florentines or Londoners are nothing like Parisians ?
 
Nobody blame the tourists...:indifferent:

how comes Romans, Florentines or Londoners are nothing like Parisians?
Click to expand...
I don't know...

Maybe the mix of:
-French culture (professionnal complainers)
-Parisian elitist (arrogant, rude...)
-Tourists (city most visited in the world)
-The stress of a big city
 
VonRoust said:
Nobody blame the tourists...:indifferent:

I don't know...

Maybe the mix of:
-French culture (professionnal complainers)
-Parisian elitist (arrogant, rude...)
-Tourists (city most visited in the world)
-The stress of a big city
Click to expand...

I opt for the first two, because many touristic small towns have more tourist per capita than Paris and people are very nice. London, New York, Tokyo are all bigger and harder working than Paris, but people are much nicer.
 
London, New York, Tokyo are all bigger and harder working than Paris, but people are much nicer
Click to expand...
A lot of people say the opposite...

I know we can be rude etc, but i have visited Paris, Amsterdam, Breda, Brussel and Malaga, and personnaly, i don't find french more rude than dutch, belgian or spanish...

This is my point of view, and i know you find us very rude, lazy, arrogant, impolite and our language is ridiculous, so, i don't know if you are "objectif" when you talk about us...
 
VonRoust said:
A lot of people say the opposite...

I know we can be rude etc, but i have visited Paris, Amsterdam, Breda, Brussel and Malaga, and personnaly, i don't find french more rude than dutch, belgian or spanish...

This is my point of view, and i know you find us very rude, lazy, arrogant, impolite and our language is ridiculous, so, i don't know if you are "objectif" when you talk about us...
Click to expand...

You have visited these places, but have you lived there and do you speak the local language ? I speak (or used to be able to speak) all the languages in the places where I lived. This gives a totally different understanding of the local people, culture and mindset.
 
You have visited these places, but have you lived there and do you speak the local language ? I speak (or used to be able to speak) all the languages in the places where I lived. This gives a totally different understanding of the local people, culture and mindset
Click to expand...
No i didn't live there, but i try to speak with local people when i travel...
Of course, i don't talk about "philosophy" or "the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow", but, i think i ask the same question than any tourist in a foreign country: "Where are the prostitutes?", "Can i rent your wife?", "Where are the coffe shops?", "How much money for a beer?", etc...
 
edoa! I am going to agree with you I feel that he is a seasoned traveler. :D
I want to know about that Had you visited ever in your life Paris?
 
Gavroche said:
No i didn't live there, but i try to speak with local people when i travel...
Of course, i don't talk about "philosophy" or "the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow", but, i think i ask the same question than any tourist in a foreign country: "Where are the prostitutes?", "Can i rent your wife?", "Where are the coffe shops?", "How much money for a beer?", etc...
Click to expand...

I guffawed heartily at this post.
 
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