What can I say about them? First, Europeans are definitely very different from Americans. It's not something you notice at first, but spend a significant amount of time really absorbing their culture and you really start to notice the disparity between how you expect people to act and how they actually do.
Let's start with the French. My experiences with them have been mostly well. I have learned that they have a lot of pride. They can seem cold and distant at first but if you really get to know them they can be very friendly. They walk with a ton of confidence everywhere they go and at times they can be intimidating; standing on the street corner smoking their cigarettes, you can get the impression that they are staring you down. If you hurt their pride, they become extremely offended. At the same time, though, they are very smart and cultured people. They are fiercely independent and very educated and they care a lot about their friends. I feel like I would have to spend more than just a semester here in order to really get to know them to be honest, but I feel like it would be time well spent.
I was surprised at first because Paris is not a city with a really crazy nightlife. I have only had a few experiences where I actually went out in Paris, and those times I went with such big groups of people that it didn't really matter where we went because we brought the party with us. Also, speaking French is a lot harder that you think, even if you have taken it as long as I have. I'm still not always entirely comfortable going up to a French person and speaking their language at times. When I do go out, I am usually with Americans and we will buy cheap bottle of wine (wine here is literally cheaper than water) and find a bar close by. Unfortunately, the trains and metro stop running at around one in the morning, so its impossible to stay out unless you want to party until the sun comes up (which I have done a few occasions now).
I am remaining open-minded about the city and its people. Until now, I have mostly been with American and Dutch friends (Dutch people are amazing), but I'm hoping that now that it's warm I will get the opportunity to meet more French people.
