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| Cap ou pas cap? |
I've always hated those types of middle school games. Truth or dare and spin the bottle have given me my fair share of nightmares. Throughout middle school, I was always the incredibly awkward girl sitting in the corner while someone yelled "I dare you to kiss herrr!" I had a similarly horrifying experience at the end of my high school career--an experience that me and my friends often bring up during breaks with amusement, horror, and embarrassment. Each stage of my life, I am convinced I am done with such stupid games invented by prepubescent middle schoolers, but I am always wrong. Since college, I have discovered that "Never Have I Ever"--I game I always "won" in high school even if I lied and said I had done more than I had--is extremely commonplace since you play it every time you play kings.
But I would never have expected to play such a game during my experience abroad. Do the kids on the other side of the pond even play games like that? I figured that from birth they were more mature than that. Of course I was wrong. Instead, during my first month abroad in France, I found myself with two boys I just met with Faith in a park playing truth or dare or "action or verite". How high school in San Francisco could I get? Making out with boys you just met in a park? Did I mention to cheap alcohol and cigarettes as well? Did I mention that they were hipsters? Was I in Dolores Park or something?
But let's go a little further into the dares: "I dare you to kiss him" or "I dare you to kiss each other" Or truth: "which one do you prefer me or my friend?" Or "on a scale, how attractive do you find me?" Obviously being the awkward middle schooler I am, I opted out of the whole thing. Every time it was my turn I was just laugh at the whole situation, maybe make fun of them for being hipsters.
There were a couple things I took from this funny experience. First of all, French hipsters lack moves. What the hell, truth or dare? What happened to the little flirting dance? But when they walked me home and I attacked them about their approach and overly aggressive questions, they just told me I was "timide" and that I "pense trop" What was the point of the facade, we were leaving in a week and would never see them again. There was nothing to lose.
These statements made me think about something else they had mentioned earlier that night. Basically those classic statements about how stereotypically slutty American girls were. "In America, a girl with a boyfriend can...comment dire sucer un bite?...give a blowjob to another guy?" "Uhhh no!" Even the next day, me and my friend Morgan stared talking to these guys at a bar and within a couple minutes they were already asking for a kiss. What the hell, I literally just met you! But to kiss that random French boy at the bar isn't weird because you're abroad right? "#YOAO You're only abroad once!" The way we act when we're abroad isn't real, especially when it comes to boys. We're just having fun! But it also makes sense that we've created a stereotype for ourselves on this continent.
So this is my question: should I stay true to my normal comfort level for these situations (aka 0) and by doing so combat this slutty American image OR should I just say #YOAO and take it as another part of the crazy, abnormal abroad experience? I think no matter which path I choose, I'll still try to avoid Action ou Verité in a park at 2am from now on. But hey! It didn't turn out that bad! We didn't take kidnapped à la TAKEN and our awkward game ended a whole lot better than the "cap ou pas cap" from Jeux d'Enfants! Right? Right?! In case you didn't get the references....
But I would never have expected to play such a game during my experience abroad. Do the kids on the other side of the pond even play games like that? I figured that from birth they were more mature than that. Of course I was wrong. Instead, during my first month abroad in France, I found myself with two boys I just met with Faith in a park playing truth or dare or "action or verite". How high school in San Francisco could I get? Making out with boys you just met in a park? Did I mention to cheap alcohol and cigarettes as well? Did I mention that they were hipsters? Was I in Dolores Park or something?
But let's go a little further into the dares: "I dare you to kiss him" or "I dare you to kiss each other" Or truth: "which one do you prefer me or my friend?" Or "on a scale, how attractive do you find me?" Obviously being the awkward middle schooler I am, I opted out of the whole thing. Every time it was my turn I was just laugh at the whole situation, maybe make fun of them for being hipsters.
There were a couple things I took from this funny experience. First of all, French hipsters lack moves. What the hell, truth or dare? What happened to the little flirting dance? But when they walked me home and I attacked them about their approach and overly aggressive questions, they just told me I was "timide" and that I "pense trop" What was the point of the facade, we were leaving in a week and would never see them again. There was nothing to lose.
These statements made me think about something else they had mentioned earlier that night. Basically those classic statements about how stereotypically slutty American girls were. "In America, a girl with a boyfriend can...comment dire sucer un bite?...give a blowjob to another guy?" "Uhhh no!" Even the next day, me and my friend Morgan stared talking to these guys at a bar and within a couple minutes they were already asking for a kiss. What the hell, I literally just met you! But to kiss that random French boy at the bar isn't weird because you're abroad right? "#YOAO You're only abroad once!" The way we act when we're abroad isn't real, especially when it comes to boys. We're just having fun! But it also makes sense that we've created a stereotype for ourselves on this continent.
So this is my question: should I stay true to my normal comfort level for these situations (aka 0) and by doing so combat this slutty American image OR should I just say #YOAO and take it as another part of the crazy, abnormal abroad experience? I think no matter which path I choose, I'll still try to avoid Action ou Verité in a park at 2am from now on. But hey! It didn't turn out that bad! We didn't take kidnapped à la TAKEN and our awkward game ended a whole lot better than the "cap ou pas cap" from Jeux d'Enfants! Right? Right?! In case you didn't get the references....
You dumbasses. You're about to drown in cement.
But actually Jeux d'Enfants is a super cute movie. Watch it. Although the english voiceover is pretty shitty.
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