This October News about the "Paris Syndrome" is actually a very common situation in our everyday life or for every travelers. And it just affect more seriously for the Japanese tourists in Paris cause they maybe dream more than others? The syndrome is actually known as Stendhal syndrome or Traveler's syndrome. It could happen when you expecting or hoping too much and get over exciting or depressing in anything in daily life path.
For example. We all experienced heard good critic of a popular movie and ended up disappointed when watching it. Or we could go to London expecting grey and rain but luckily the weather wasn't too bad or even sunny. Lots of people had bad experience with French, but by my many years experience living in Paris, I've only see the improvement but disappointment. I arrived in Paris in 1989 as foreign student. I have had many bad memories during my first 3 years struggling with culture difference, language barrier and animal like immigration treatment. But ever since I can argue back in fluent, intellectual French and understand their mentality; ever since the immigration department separated the visa apply for the illegal immigrants and foreign students, my life in France can finally fill with interests than just fear. And since I knew the hustle and noise in New York City before I moved here, I don't specially dislike the place.
I know some Japanese live in Paris, and never seen them suffered more than I did, since Japanese culture is pretty popular there and Japan is way more powerful country than Taiwan. But I've seen some Japanese students got over nervous and almost had heart attack in the visa bureau. I recalled when I was studying French in Alliance Francaise, many Japanese female students in my class were only there for couple weeks of classes and couple weeks of travel and shopping. They love to learn and they also study hard enough. Once a female teacher was asking someone to read a paragraph in a book, they were almost the only ones raised hands for it. And when a Japanese girl finally finish reading it with a heavy accent and cold sweat. The teacher said: "It was very good. But can you read it again in French?". It was very mean and the rest of the class laughed tear off and none of Japanese students understood what teacher just mocked them.
It's true. Our childhood is full of fairy tales if you're lucky enough and later became realistic if you're not that lucky. We all learned from the old French travel ads and songs, how Paris is romantic and beautiful. How French are perfect lover or so and so. But we also know how rude the attitude you might get. Just like you heard about to kiss a frog might bring you a prince but you don't actually believe it and kiss every frog you can reach. And also you can't learn a language without knowing the mentality, and you can't appreciate the others without knowing them. That we can get Stendhal syndrome anywhere about anything if we expect too much. But to generalise French or Parisian too rude and gave them a name of syndrome maybe is a bit overwhelming. Since we know there is lot more psychology treatments in NYC than anywhere else.
