Clashing blasts of Culture!

Hello again! After a VERY long pause of writing, I will work at beginning again. Though not a writer by nature, this might be a good way to help me think through things and process them- with a small audience!

Since returning to America July 22, I have been "hit" by many cultural differences between my recent home country of France and my former home country, the USA. Some have been funny, others frustrating, some shocking to me.

As a disclaimer, please note these are my personal experiences based on my life in Paris, France and my experiences of some places in the US. I realize that my statements are not true everywhere in the US nor in Paris or France. These observations are not meant to be a negative critique, just a record of my thoughts and experiences as these 2 cultures in me and before me collide.

Here's a few to get started and to clear my mind of almost 3 mo.s of accumulation!

France : small fridges; clean potatoes; dirt-y fruit and veggies; less choices, but ok; many things w/in walking distance; public transportation easy & accessible; small public bathrooms; not often clean bathrooms and often out of soap; people stay after school, church, mailboxes,etc. to talk w/friends or people they know a little; pigeons and their doo everywhere; interesting, even beautiful TV ads; movies and few series on TV; priority on being outside, enjoying nature, weather, neighbors, family as often as possible for any occasion; rarely any a/c; churches small, unpolished, fairly simple in presentation and service; customer service rare; service persons in stores rare; junk food much less/ limited.

USA: big fridges; dirt-y potatoes; squeeky-clean fruits and veggies; unending choices, overwhelming; almost always need a car to get/go anywhere; public transportation?; large, clean public bathrooms; bathrooms almost always have soap, towels, and hand dryers; people rarely seem to have any time, desire or interest in talking after school, church, at mailboxes, etc. for longer than 5-10 min. and mostly w/people already know very well; have only seen pigeons in US big cities and in the county fair!; loud & sometimes bizarre tv ads (ex. "Bob's Bargin Barn"); TV series R us, on almost every main channel- woe to those who missed last season or who've never heard of it!; priority on being inside, despite lovely, big yards in houses older than 5 yrs.; enormous newer houses w/ hardly any yard; "outings" into nature on isolated occasions like the weekend, camping trip, fall hike, etc.; the land of a/c, and extreme a/c; churches big, more polished, professional, sometimes near performance; doing church is an art, a formula, or a recipe it seems; customer service is simply AMAZING & WONDERFUL; service people visible & v.helpful!!!; junk food abounds in stores, on TV ads, anywhere.

Well, take it or leave it, there's some of my initial reactions to experiencing these 2 cultures clashing. The most recent, I've lived in for 12 yrs., the other I lived in for 22 yrs. but not lived here since 2000. Our kids have never experienced life in the US longer than 3 or 4 mo.s (as babies/toddlers) and as older kids never longer than 2 1/2 mo.s. Seeing some of what they've noticed to be different is interesting too.

Today, while returning in the car from a local park, daughter #1 said she prefered living in Paris because their best friends are there. Daughter #2 said she prefered living in Paris too because our home and their toys are there. Our son said he prefered the USA because it's "more funner", with more things to do and taller slides.

Well, thanks for "listening" and thanks for your >5 minutes to spare!

Bisous,
Nicole