Our gluten free roaming correspondent , Peter Burleigh , exploring French waterways with his wife , Judi, aboard their cruiser , The (Dutch) Butterfly , cooks up a gut churning yarn.
(Believe it or not , the following pieces are factual. You will find them reported in Wikipedia and BBC World News / Paris Syndrome.)
PARIS : The Japanese Embassy here maintains a 24-hour hotline to counsel Japanese tourists who are disillusioned with The City of Light. About twenty victims a year use the service, most of them women in their thirties. Japanese Syndrome, as it is called, is an unusual disorder a person may suffer upon realizing that not everything in Paris, France is what he or she expects.
It usually affects tourists with a high regard for Parisian culture only to find out later that it is far from perfect.
Those who suffer from Paris Syndrome usually anticipate that most citizens of the famous city are like the models they see in advertisements, magazines, and fashion shows. They also believe that high fashion is for everyone in Paris. Upon arrival in Paris, however, these people are met with culture shock and the realization that high fashion in Paris is intended for foreign patronage.
JAPANESE SHOCKED
While working in France in 1986, Professor Hiroaki Ota identified a psychological disorder that affects mostly Japanese tourists. According to the professor, the shock of experiences that tourists may encounter in Paris, especially those that go against their norms, can result in stress and psychological disturbance. Japanese are vulnerable because they are accustomed to a gentle, disciplined society. An opposing view from Dr. Yousef Mahmoudia states that it is over-excitement which creates anxiety, and over-anxiety creates hallucinations.
Several ‘differences’ can cause culture shock. When a stranger goes to Paris, he or she might not get used to the manner of the people, the way they live, or how they treat strangers. Second, language is a factor because the French tongue means it may be hard for Japanese tourists to communicate.
Additionally, excessive admiration of the city can lead to unreasonable expectations. Exhaustion caused by preparing for the trip and by the trip itself can also lead to temporary mental disorders - such as Paris Syndrome.
Major symptoms include anxiety, emotional disturbance, and disturbance in sensory perceptions. The patient may also feel threatened all the time, or, if the patient had a bad experience with someone from Paris, he or she might fear everyone from Paris. Minor symptoms include irritability, light-headedness and excessive sweating. With all these symptoms combined, the patient may experience cardiac arrest especially if the disorder continues to manifest or if medical intervention is not sought.
SIMILAR SYNDROME IN AUSTRALIA
Most psychologists agree that the cure for Paris Syndrome is for the
patient to go back to his or her home country and to never return. It is also
important for family and friends to help the patient cope with the disorder.
Patients who have severe cases may also be advised never to go back to Paris.
Nevertheless, many experts agree that there is nothing to cure if Paris
syndrome is prevented in the first place through immediate realization and
acceptance.
I’m sure this fascinating Syndrome has its parallels in Australia; for example, Politicians’ Syndrome, High Taxes Syndrome and Cost of Living Syndrome. Medicare will soon, I hope, provide support for the unfortunate Australians who suffer from these and other such Syndromes.
Although there has been no syndrome associated with the horrors of offal cuisine in France, there is a growing revulsion among otherwise liberal-minded meat eaters of certain dishes which appear specifically designed to cause the gorge to rise. Vegetarians, of course, are the most vulnerable
