On one of the first days in Strasbourg, the program director gave us some valuable advice: Don’t compare life in France to life in the United States.

The cultures are so different, he explained, that holding the two ways of life against each other would be like comparing apples to oranges. I immediately acknowledged the validity of his suggestion. And, like any self-respecting 19-year-old, I’ve been ignoring his advice ever since.

I have found it impossible not to keep comparing different aspects of daily life in Strasbourg and the U.S. Along the way, I also discovered that I’m not alone in my fascination with the European and American cultural distinctions. The French are just as intrigued.

For example, the French seem just as fascinated by American accents as Americans are with European ones. I’ve been assured that American accents are considered attractive in France, while it’s embarrassing for natives to have a heavy French accent when they speak English.

This was difficult to believe at first, given that the situation is so reversed in the United States. Take British Romatic film “Love Actually” for an example. One of the least far-fetched subplots was based on American women swooning over a man with a European accent.

The same rule applies, to some extent, to the worlds of fashion and music. American music is ubiquitous here. But even more surprising to me was the popularity of American clothing stores, brands and styles.

I always used to think that chic Europeans looked down on us denim-clad Americans, but I can’t walk anywhere in Strasbourg without walking past a Hollister or Gap. Americans may still get the latest fashions from Paris, but Parisians, it seems, build those fashions from clothes they bought at Urban Outfitters.

But the trendiness of Americana does not extend to the restaurant sector. One of the most glaring differences in the French dining experience is being forced to pay for water. Adding insult to injury, you’ll have to pay each time you refill that child-sized glass of what you know is tap water.

I’ll admit, it’s hard to come up with a silver lining for being denied one of America’s basic rights — free water is protected in the Bill of Rights, isn’t it? But it’s not all bad. While Coca-Cola still comes in adorable vintage glass bottles, getting water in a restaurant loses some of its appeal.

Balancing out the overpriced water is the fact that I’ve never stayed in a city with such easy-to-use public transportation. One card will give you access to all of Strasbourg’s buses and above-ground trams. Even more important for someone as directionally impaired as me, the transportation maps are actually readable.The major caveat is that public transportation stops running shortly after midnight, leaving night-owls to call a cab or navigate as best they can on foot.

Early closing times apply to more than the bus and tram systems. Past 10 p.m., you’ll be hard-pressed to even find a gas station still open.

While still adjusting to this phenomenon, I whiningly asked a new French acquaintance why there wasn’t a single kebab stand or McDo, as the French call McDonald’s, catering to the 2 a.m. crowd. He answered simply, “It’s not New York.”

I’ll admit that even after two weeks in Europe, the lack of late-night services still seems a little extreme to me. But for those who live and work here, I can understand the appeal. Anyone who’s ever worked in a minimum wage job knows the torture of being stuck on the late shift, missing out on parties, holidays or family and friends to stand behind a cash register.

To truly embrace my time spent abroad, I know I’ll soon have to stop comparing the French and American customs. When comparing any new way of life to what you’re used to, you will always come up with something to complain about.

I’d better start accepting the small snags that come with living abroad because — in spite of the grievous lack of free refills — I plan on being here for a while.

Maggie Cregan is a sophomore history and magazine journalism major. From Cleveland to Syracuse to Strasbourg, she enjoys rocking out and getting hopelessly lost. If you want to talk to her about this column, or are Keith Richards, reach her at mmcregan@syr.edu and follow her on Twitter at @MaggieCregan_SU.

Published on January 20, 2014 at 9:45 pm