Preparing for culture shock

My recent evenings (when not spent at work) have been spent in the company of Rick Steves (who materializes in the form of a guidebook), as I research and prepare for our trip.

B and I tend to be active (dare I say it--over- ?) researchers when it comes to...well, everything. We called the town clerk to find out if a WalMart was coming to town before buying the condo (it's not--and it seemed highly unlikely that it will happen in the foreseeable future). We've been researching cars for months in preparation for selling B's delightful-yet-as-unreliable-as-they-come Saab. And now I am researching France, and more specifically, French customs.

The length of our trip makes the research especially important. We'll be away for 2 weeks--neither of us has taken such a long vacation--and it can be challenging to be away from home and comfort and everything and everyone you know for an extended period of time. Knowing what to expect, and what not to do to stand out as an obvious tourist, is critical.

The first surprising tidbit I picked up was related to cheese. We will do our best to increase the per capita cheese consumption while we're there, but I didn't expect that there were rules governing how to eat it. To avoid offending, you have to keep the shape of the cheese when you cut it, which means no cutting off the tip of the brie wedge, no matter how tempting it may be. We had a brie/cracker/cured meat dinner a few weeks ago so we could practice cutting the brie in an unoffensive manner, and I think we've got it down.

Shopping is another area with rules. Greeting employees upon entering a store is de rigeur. Perhaps I should start practicing in French here in the States. And another rule--we're not allowed to touch anything, except in large department stores. We have to ask for assistance. And if you're shopping at a farmer's market, you should never choose the food you want--you should let the proprietor choose for you (the idea is that they know their produce best and will choose what is best for you).

The general rule is that when you are in doubt as to what to do, look for a French person, and follow their lead. The easiest way to find French people is to eliminate those wearing sneakers, sweatshirts, and Red Sox hats.