Paris: An Anthropology of the French

argent:  money (in common use), technically this means silver

monnaie:  money

hate:  haïr...but I have trouble pronouncing this, so...

détester:  detest (I use this word instead.)

gauche:  literally this word means "left" as in Rive Gauche or the Left Bank but it also is an adjective for a person who lacks sophistication or tact

nouveau riche:  literally "new rich", often meant of people who have gained wealth but not personal taste

The French have an interesting -and to me- better perspective on wealth, money, and conspicuous consumption.  In general, they appear to think splashy displays of wealth are vulgar.  Time after time here, my American view of bigger is better has encountered the French view that quality and importance should not be associated with big, fancy, or splashy.  This is definitely not a nation of Hummer drivers.

For example, I went to Poilâne, the most famous bakery in a city of wonderful bakeries.  I expected it to be some big, fancy store.  Instead, it was a tiny shop tucked away on a side street.  Likewise, Pierre Hermé, a very famous pastrymaker here, is in a very chic but tiny shop by St. Sulpice Church.  Quality is not always associated with quantity in the French mind.

Likewise, a friend works for a very wealthy couple here in Paris.  One day I walked with her back from lunch and saw where this couple lives.  I expected such a wealthy couple to live in a mansion or some grand apartment along a ritzy boulevard.  Instead they have one small floor on the second floor of a building above a gay bar and falafel shop in the Marais.  

Another friend told me that French sensibilities emphasize that wealth be shown in the quality and taste of a person's clothes and home.  Others would define your social class as well by your manners.  Ostentatious public displays of wealth such as a huge home, big car, or splashy jewelry tended to be viewed as gauche and something associated with the nouveau riche rather than a person with taste.

Whether rich or poor, in my experience the French seem to expect people to be polite, quiet, and in good taste.  Perhaps strangely considering the city's reputation for rudeness, the Parisians have been to me the most polite people on the planet.  I've found that when treated respectfully with courtesy and at least an attempt at using the French language, people have gone out of their way to help me.