I wrote about the Paris Syndrome which affects Japanese tourists who go into some sort of psychological shock when they arrive in Paris because reality does not live up to their expectations or the illusions they had about the City of Lights. Well, I decided to come up with my own syndrome for many American expats living in Paris and I decided to call it The American in Paris Syndrome!
What is it,…. and what are the symptoms? Well if even one of the following sounds like you, you’ve come down with TAPS!
- Doesn’t want to be known as an American in Paris, prefers to be mistaken (if only!) for French.
- Gets upset when Parisians talk to them in English after they hear their American accent; or worse, someone automatically speaks to them in English even before they’ve said a word!
- Tries desperately to wear their scarves as carelessly chic as most Parisians, but somehow the style just doesn’t come across the same.
- Cringes when American tourists sit down next to them in a café or restaurant and shows exasperation for their American manners and loud voices, which is just a mirror image of what they’re running away from and don’t want to see in themselves.
- When writing in English they have to put in a word or phrase in French, even if the person they’re writing to doesn’t speak the language or doesn’t understand what they’re saying!
- When an Anglophone stops them for help in the street, or in the Métro, etc., they hesitate for one split second, wanting to pretend they don’t speak English.
If you have TAPS, don’t worry! It usually affects newcomers to Paris. For some, they get over it quickly; for others the symptoms can drag on for years! The bad news is, if you have TAPS it may be because you’re trying too hard to fit in and if you’re being honest with yourself, you realize you don’t. The good news is, once you no longer have any of the symptoms and can accept the fact that you’ll always be considered in one way or another, even a little, as an American in Paris….you’ll see that you finally do belong!
Maya Muses: I should know! I came down with TAPS many years ago; I had all the symptoms, but wouldn’t admit it! Once I did, I was cured and never felt better! I’ve been TAPS free for a long time now! LOL!
Photo Credits: Flickr
8 responses so far ↓
1 Mia // Nov 20, 2008 at 7:50 pm
This is interesting…And funny…
But I’m too tired to come up with something good to say,and it is only 8:45 in the evening!
Oh,yes you said you were a night owl….
When do you go to bed?And when do you get up?
2 Lynn // Nov 21, 2008 at 5:43 am
I am! I don’t care where I am, or what I’m doing, or if I have jet lag, I will end up going to bed around 3 or 4 in the morning (sometimes 5) and get up at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. if I go to bed at 5). It’s my natural body rhythm.
I think I mentioned to you when France was still living in Paris and performing at the caberets, I would go with her quite often to her shows and after one or two in the morning we would go hang out with other performers and night people until 5 a.m. in places like Michou. It was a great time! There really is a day Paris and a night Paris!
3 Mia // Nov 22, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I guess this is the case wherever you are…
Two different worlds…Day and Night!
So,you only need 6hours sleep…
I need 8…sometimes more…
When I am at home not doing much,wintertime,I go to bed around 0.00 and wake up around 8.30 a.m….
but I love having a long breakfast in bed….So when I get out of bed is a different thing…
Summertime…I wake up earlier and go to bed later!
I am as I am wherever I am…
But I usually adjust to how they live where I am…
I don’t want to eat Swedish meatballs,when I am in Spain or wherever…
4 Lynn // Nov 23, 2008 at 5:30 am
I do too, when I lived in Madrid, my friends were mostly Spanish and I ate the local foods, the same in Amsterdam, Rome, Copenhagen or wherever I lived. In Paris my friends have always been mostly French with their customs, etc. I don’t know any Americans in Paris; it wasn’t planned that way, it’s just the way it is. What stays the same everywhere, however, is I end up going to bed late and getting up late! Lol.
5 Mia // Nov 23, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Is that not the great thing about traveling?
To taste the local food and so on,wherever you are..
6 Lynn // Nov 24, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Yes, and I love Swedish Meatballs! Do you eat Smörgåsbords mostly on holidays and Husmanskost on a regular basis?
7 Mia // Nov 25, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Don’t like Smörgåsbord,too much good food,it always ends up that I feel totally stuffed!
Yes,you eat Smörgåsbord on holidays mostly…
Husmanskost now a days are not so common anymore..Takes too much time to make,but some restaurants are good at it!
I learned to make real Swedish husmanskost at home,my mum is good at this!
But many eat “fastfood” here too now!
My Swedish meatballs are not bad…I put some blackberry jam in them….
8 Lynn // Nov 26, 2008 at 12:55 am
Mmm! Sounds delicious! I’m going to eat….lol.
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