Sept. 13- Sara
For the past 2 years I have lived with a Taiwanese-American roommate so I have been fairly well educated in the culture of Asian-Americans and all the expectations with being the child of immigrants. Christine was shocked that being a teacher was on my list of potential careers. She asked me “Don’t you want to be more successful than your parents?” (They are both doctors and Fulbright scholars so in anyone’s estimation the bar is high). I however, have no desire to surpass my parents either financially or in renown. What Christine faults me for in lack of ambition seems to fall into line well with the culture here in France Universities in France are all public and the competition to go to the very best school is not nearly as intense as in the US. I have even been told that it is rude to ask someone what they do for a living where in the US, that is typically the central topic on first meeting someone.Here it is more important to enjoy daily luxuries like eating delicious French food (by taking an hour or two for lunch) and buying beautiful clothing than saving up to own the biggest and most beautiful house or two or three incredibly gas-inefficient cars. As someone who has never had a knack for saving money and loves food I am finding these parts of French culture très agréable.
For the past 2 years I have lived with a Taiwanese-American roommate so I have been fairly well educated in the culture of Asian-Americans and all the expectations with being the child of immigrants. Christine was shocked that being a teacher was on my list of potential careers. She asked me “Don’t you want to be more successful than your parents?” (They are both doctors and Fulbright scholars so in anyone’s estimation the bar is high). I however, have no desire to surpass my parents either financially or in renown. What Christine faults me for in lack of ambition seems to fall into line well with the culture here in France Universities in France are all public and the competition to go to the very best school is not nearly as intense as in the US. I have even been told that it is rude to ask someone what they do for a living where in the US, that is typically the central topic on first meeting someone.Here it is more important to enjoy daily luxuries like eating delicious French food (by taking an hour or two for lunch) and buying beautiful clothing than saving up to own the biggest and most beautiful house or two or three incredibly gas-inefficient cars. As someone who has never had a knack for saving money and loves food I am finding these parts of French culture très agréable.
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