When you think about France a lot comes to mind especially the food, art, and fashion. Of course we all know there is more to that wondrous cultural behemoth than meets the eye. Thankfully those lucky enough to be on campus were given a deeper look at what France, its culture, and people can offer Sinclair students.
Nathalie Gauthier was the speaker for this event, she is a dual citizen of France and the United States. One of the first things she talked about is the history and geography of France.
There are 13 regions and 101 departments that make up France; including 8 departments that are overseas. The geography of France is mostly mountainous, and there are two different mountain ranges which create two of the natural borders of France. The tallest mountain from these ranges is in the French Alps and it is Mont Blanc. Some other wonders include Mont Saint-Michel, which is a commune in the Normandy region in France.
“This commune is built in such a way that sometimes it’s just another part of the land, and other times it’s an island of its own,” Gauthier said. “There is a valley of castles, specifically in Loire Valley where you can find rich architectural history in mass quantities.”
Because of its size and geography, each part of France has its own distinct cuisine. Visitors will be happy to learn that no two areas are the same or serve the specialities of their neighbors. That means no matter where you go you’re in for an experience that is unique.
In France, when and you eat is also taken very seriously.
“Breakfast which is usually small, mostly bready food with jam or butter. Then you will have your lunch which unlike in the United States you have up to a three hour break to go to a restaurant, with friends and coworkers to have a large meal,” Gauthier said.
“There normally is no snacking in France but since there is a time window between two and eight were the French don’t eat there is Goûter which is a small snack mainly for children between the time of lunch and dinner. And of course you’ll come to dinner which will be something light like soup or a sandwich,” said Gauthier.
Other customs you should know is to never eat while walking, eating and drink should be done while sitting. You shouldn’t speak too loud at a restaurant because they like to have one on one conversations without hearing everyone else. You should never come empty handed when invited to their house, and you should bring something even if it’s small. A normal greeting in France is ‘la bise’ which is a “kiss” on the cheek, but you should never put your mouth to the cheek for it’s really cheek to cheek. Each area has their own number you should do.
It is hard to condense everything you could know about a country into a single article. But what a single article can do is share a few things with students looking to take the plunge. Just know that this has barely scratched the surface of what you can learn about a place.
Students that are interested will be delighted to learn that Sinclair has partnered with the Rennes School of Business. After getting their associates from Sinclair, business majors can go on to study for a year in Rennes at the school’s entirely English run program. For more information and questions you can reach out to Professor E. Rocky Belcher at earl.belcher@sinclair.edu.
Faith Harrel, Staff Writer
Advertising Representative