Culture shock pt2

After being here a good 4-5ish weeks, I've experienced the advances of the overly aggressive French men here.

If you thought American men were rude and pushy, wait until you come to France.

Everryyywhere I go, men are constantly cat-calling my friends and me. I don't know if it's because we're Asian, or American, or just women. But seriously, it is just so disgusting to feel so objectified here daily.

One of my friends got grabbed by a man on the street while she was walking in a group of people, and he tried getting her to talk to him and he wouldn't let go of him, and it was only after they yelled "Arrete!" so many times and pushed him off and ran off that he finally gave up his pursuit.

Another time I was at a flea market and this merchant/vendor guy tried stopping me and kept telling me in a VERY aggressive manner, "I like you so much, you are so beautiful. Where are you from? You are so nice, I like you I like you" in the very limited English he knew. I hadn't and didn't talk to this man at all, and was very stern in walking away from him.

And pretty much just walking ANYWHERE, men of all types will just cat-call like it's nothing. I've felt soooo invaded and uncomfortable so often here in Paris (which is why I am never, ever alone here).

Also, before coming to Paris, I was told by my orientation person that when I rode the metro, I would have to put my "metro face" on which means, no smiles, no laughs, no eye contact.. With anyone. Of course it isn't THAT crazy here, but there is a reason. Apparently here in Paris, if a woman makes eye contact and/or even smiles at a man on a metro, she's considered to be making advances at him.. An invitation of some sort. I was soo shocked.

I guess mostly shocked because it is the MEN here who are SO AGGRESSIVE and SO PUSHY and SO RUDE, but god forbid a WOMAN make eye contact with any man because then SHE'S by default inviting him, and it's HER FAULT! Wow. Seriously..

My eyes just have really been opened up here in Paris. It is definitely no easy task to be a woman in France.. Let alone an Asian-American woman. Coming from a culture where it's courtesy to smile at people passing by and in general just being really amiable to people you meet, it's been hard to adjust to many of the "rude" ways of French culture.. No smiles, no eye contact, no greeting people passing by.

Anyway, that's that. I guess I should just end this post with saying that I HAVE also met a number of very nice and friendly French men and women, who have helped me and my friends when we were lost, or when we needed a picture taken of us, or just when we needed a recommendation to a good cafe. Not everyone here is rude and aggressive, but the many I've encountered have just been so awful. There are MANY and probably much MORE nicer people in France, they just aren't the many who've cat-called my friends and me on the street.

Regardless, I love the city itself. It's very beautiful here and I am still amazed DAILY about how much HISTORY is in the walls and monuments of the places I've been visiting!

Anyway, will write again later. I've got a big test tomorrow and must commence studying.