Making Nice
6 years ago by
Il y a quelques semaines, je suis allée rendre visite à des gens de ma famille dans le nord de la Californie avec mon copain avant d’aller à un mariage à Portland dans l’Oregon. On en a profité pour transformer cette petite virée en road trip et on a remonté la côte jusqu’à Portland. C’était magnifique, on a vu de très beaux séquoias, séjourné dans des Bed & Breakfasts étranges (glauques) et dans un hôtel hanté à Portland. Fantômes mis a part, un des trucs qui m’ont le plus frappée, c’est la gentillesse des gens dans l’Oregon. À tel point que la citadine vaguement blasée que je suis s’est trouvée un peu déstabilisée.
Arrivée dans l’hôtel à Portland, j’ai été accueillie par un chaleureux : « Bonjour ! Ça va ? »… j’ai cru que le type m’avait prise pour une connaissance… mais non, il était juste agréable et accueillant. Plus tard, dans la rue, un parfait inconnu m’a regardée dans les yeux en souriant. Mon copain m’a demandé si je le connaissais, mais pas du tout. Une fois encore, c’était juste le côté amical des gens du coin.
Au mariage, j’ai retrouvé une amie de NY qui avait aussi vécu le même type d’expérience à Portland. Conclusion : clairement, au nord de la côte ouest, les gens sont adorables. Mais je me demande : est-ce qu’après 8 années passées à NY, je suis devenue insensible au point de ne plus pouvoir apprécier une simple et authentique marque de gentillesse ? Je suis la seule à me poser ma question ???
oh wow yes! i’m from the midwest originally. a few years after moving to new york, i was in the chicago airport after a long travel day, waiting for my next flight, and the woman sitting across from me just beamed at me. i literally looked over my shoulder, movie-style, to see who she was smiling at, and then turned around and involuntarily frowned. i was so confused about what was happening. i felt awful when i came to my senses and realized she was just being nice.
I’ve had this exact interaction and other versions of it, many times. x Carie
Ha! I had the exact same reaction when I left our home in France and went to Italy for the Grand Prix. It was like night and day.
I’m laughing out loud. Yes, Portlanders are friendly. As a recent transplant to Portland from Massachusetts, it’s a bit, well, different here. The checkout guy at the grocery store always asks me, « So how’s your day going? » If I ask him the same question, I often get a lot more information than I was expecting (maybe he misses his mother). But I knew I’d made the adjustment when I went into a cafe and the people behind the counter were rather cool toward me, and that seemed even weirder.
Haha! I’m from Alabama and lived in Chicago for four years. I had to adjust to what I felt was unfriendly. I did (eventually!) and it was good. I’ve moved around a few times now and realize it’s all relative. You just have to accept the culture you are in.
So true, Hannah! It just takes time. x Carie
Too cute! I was visiting NYC for a concert and some Yoga classes (from Ontario, Canada) and turned into a female version of Crocodile Dundee. (greeting people with a smiling face – they did look confused for a while). I learned my lesson and tried to contain my natural friendliness but you’re right, people are different depending on location.
All you needed to do to feel « NYC at home » in Portland is go into Public Domain coffee and order something. Portland has the best coffee in the country (as they say, « Hear that Seattle? » « Sorry, SF, its true. » and « NYC, you’re not even close! »). Ordering coffee in Portland can be intimidating. Don’t be fooled by Portlanders. They have their very own versions of correctness, just like New Yorkers have theirs. It’s just that not smiling and not saying hello isn’t one of them.
On a side note, why not highlight some hipster Northwest stuff on GD instead of always Paris, NYC and LA? (Like Will Leather Goods for example).
Stunning article
New post:http://thepinkpineappleblog.blogspot.com/2017/09/nyfw-day-4.html
Being European I’d say Americans are so much more friendly in general!
I’ve not been everywhere in Europe or America but just saying…. Americans do smile and greet so much more than people here.
I met the most amazing people in America! Friendly to strangers like I was.
So good memories!
I’ve been to Maryland most of all but even NYC seemed friendly enough.
Sometimes I’m afraid that we are loosing the sense of being nice. That we don’t value it any more… that we think that we can do without… Well, we can’t, I think. Life would be meaningless without kindness, friendlyness, niceness…
Could not agreee more withyou Sophie :)