My friends have suggested that I have a maple leaf patch sewed on to my purse to self-identify myself as a Canadian while travelling. Suggested is putting it mildly. They are practially insisting on it. They seem to think that since Canadians are loved world-wide (their words, not mine!) I%26#39;d get treated better in Paris (and Germany too, which is my other destination). I personally think that if you behave yourself and be polite and courteous then you are better treated, and people don%26#39;t just automatically treat you well based on a maple leaf flag patch on your purse. I don%26#39;t have a problem with putting the patch on my purse...actually I think it might help me meet other Canadians, but I thought I%26#39;d ask your opinion. Do you think it%26#39;s tacky? Do you think it%26#39;s a good idea? Do you think it%26#39;s the dumbest thing you%26#39;ve ever heard of? Would you do it if you were in my shoes?
As a side note...I don%26#39;t know why, but I am excited to be celebrating Canada Day (July 1st) in Paris. Kinda weird eh?
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The suggestion is a sort of bizarre twist on the mistaken belief that the French don%26#39;t like Americans...and by announcing yourself as a Canadian you%26#39;ll somehow be treated better.
As for meeting Canadians...well, that%26#39;s easy, they%26#39;ll all be down along the quais of the Seine. They%26#39;ll be the ones wondering where the Blue Lines are and thinking that the bateaux mouches are odd looking Zambonis.
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Cedre -
I think your thought about being polite and considerate
will bring you much more than a maple leaf.
Why not be excited about celebrating Canada Day in
Paris. Years ago I was excited about celebrating
4Th of July in Bath, England.
btw - one of my oldest friends, Carole Didier, was the
President of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce
a number of years ago.
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Y%26#39;all bring back a very fond memory.
In 1983, I was a young US airman and we were on temporary duty to Zaragoza, Spain. For the fourth of July, we were in the quaint and wonderful (to a single man) little village of Sitges, on the Med.
We had such a great time there, especially at midnight of the third, when we went around to all the Brit bars singing the Star Spangled Banner! They had a good laugh and it was all in fun.
Boy you Brits (and Aussies too, but that%26#39;s another story) are a great group to party with!! Oh, the wonderful days of youth.
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Unless you speak French, they will hate you whether you are Canadian or American, lol. Kidding!!
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Most of the tourists traveling around with maple leaves sewn on to their travel gear are Americans worried about their reception abroad. It has been going on for at least 20 years and by now no one believes those leaves are ina anyway a reflections of the carriers%26#39; nationality.
They only belive my husband when he starts speaking frnech and a hint of the QUebecois twang sneaks out.
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That is the silliest thing I%26#39;ve heard yet. They will probably think you flipped you lid, so to speak. Have been to Paris twice in the past six month and there is no problem. Oh...I am American.
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Did you ever speak to a Parisian pretending to be a Canadian? They should expect you to speak French...
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Cedre, how typical of us Canadaians, we actually worry that wearing our own flag might offend someone else, or be tacky!
How many Americans think wearing their flag might be tacky or offensive?
I of course agree with you that just being polite and trying to speak a bit of french is the best way to go, BUT, if you want to wear a Canadain pin or flag, etc., then do so proudly , and don%26#39;t be embarrassed!
I have seriously considered having a t Shirt printed to wear that says %26#39;%26#39;Yes, I %26#39;m a Canadain Tourist , Eh!%26quot; We seem to worry so much about blending in and not looking like the tourists we are!
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You are right to thi nk that the only good way is to be polite, as long as you are nice and polite to us, we will be nice to you. I am not sure anyway French are big fans of people wandering around with their national flag sewn or stuck somewhere, it would rather put me off as being too much %26quot;show off%26quot;. Just be yourself and you will be welcomed nicely i am sure.
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Funny. This posts makes me think about when I was in the US just after Chirac our president refused to help americans in the Iraq War. I felt so bad about this that when people asked me where I was from, I answered %26quot;well, I am from...Belgium!!!%26quot;. I was afraid to be bad treated if I told the truth!! So stupid from me to think so...
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