Go Ahead and Smile

This weekend, I and 6 others of the group spent a day and a night in Basel, Switzerland. Other than the extreme overpricing of everything, it was a very pleasant mini trip. The sights around the city were gorgeous, we encountered a great deal of random musical performances, and we even got free beer from what appeared to be a Swiss cultural society while wandering the streets. Another great aspect was the friendliness of the people.

This, strangely enough, caught me off guard. Being caught off guard by the Swiss friendliness made me realize that I’ve already quickly adjusted to one aspect of my life in France. I had already accepted the fact that French culture has a different way of dealing with individuals than American culture.  I was surprised to find that I was already changing to accommodate myself to the French way of life. For instance, at one point a stranger on the tram gave me a small smile and I stared at him, wondering why in the world anyone would smile at someone for no reason. I then remembered that even though Basel was just one cheap train ticket away, culture changes from area to area quite quickly.

Even though I want to embrace the French way of life, I’m not sure I’m exactly pleased with how quickly I’ve adapted to this particular cultural aspect of it. I also can’t forget that what’s frowned upon in one area of Europe may be totally socially acceptable in another. Since I plan on doing a lot of traveling this semester, this is an essential thing to remember. I don’t want to totally change myself just to fit into another culture, just as it’s equally important not to be resistant to new cultural aspects I might encounter. I’m glad going to Basel was able to teach me this.