Even though I heard about it beforehand, this modest American was a little shocked to find many of the women go topless at the beach! This is something that is so funny to me, because the unwritten clothing rules in France make no sense. Typically, women in France don't wear shorts. They wear skirts or pants. I made the mistake of wearing knee-length shorts when I took a walk around town and some people looked at me like I had questionable morals. So I guess showing your legs in a pair of modest shorts is shocking, but stripping down to your underwear in front of strangers at the beach is okay! Another one of those French things you just have to get used to! Ladies, make sure you bring some lightweight pants for walking around on hot days.
Cultural Tips: Again, the dogs! Keep in mind that the French don't mind letting them into restaurants. In the US, bringing a dog or cat (or any pet) into a restaurant is considered a health violation. So seeing a scraggly dog while you eat your sandwich might seem a little gross at first. Just another thing to get used to.
Cultural Tips: If you plan on doing any e-mailing, ask the Internet café employees if they have English keyboards before you sit down. To an American, the keyboard in France looks all mixed up. The 'm,' 'q,' and several other letters are in different places. This means it will take a lot longer to type out an e-mail--costing you precious francs by the minute!
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on Aug 24, 2002
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