Bonjour,
There is no doubt that living in another country gives you a much better glimpse at life and culture than you get from a few weeks on holiday. It’s sometimes the small things that you become aware of. For instance, the French have a different way of showing fingers to indicate how many. Like this – if an Australian wanted to order two coffees they would hold up there hand like the one on the left, but a French person would look like the one on the right. Their thumb always has to be included.
No idea why.
We are also discovering the cost of living here is very different. On the surface, it doesn’t look all that different. Groceries are about the same in Australia, although there are variations on some things as you would expect. Cheese and wine is very cheap, but so are many of the vegetables (e.g. mushrooms, root vegetables, cauliflower), and most other things are about the same. Things involving a service (hairdressers, restaurants, etc) and public transport are about the same if not a bit cheaper. Cars and petrol are also reasonably priced but nearly all are European cars – Renaults and Peugots mainly. But apparently they do not register their cars. There are plenty of toll roads, and car insurance must be paid, but no yearly car registration.
We were talking to a French person the other day and doing some comparisons. Her partner is with the military police, which is considered to be a well paid job. His monthly income is €1700 – that’s about $32,000 pa ($AU). She also told us about an investment apartment they bought last year – a very small one bedroom studio place in a nearby large regional city. Purchase price was approx $90,000 (again $AU).
The French love their paperwork. Anything to do with government, banks, buying cars or leaving employment generates a ton of paperwork. Not that we are thinking of buying or leasing a car, but if we did we would have to wait. Some friends agreed to a long term lease of a car. It is sitting in the car yard, they have the money but have to wait two weeks. Not negotiable. And buying one is a lot longer.
And then there is their eating timetable. Lunch is from 12 to 2. Children are either collected from school by parents and returned after lunch, or they eat at school and sit down to a full three course meal. Most businesses and offices close up for two hours and then work from 2pm through to 6 pm. Which explains why the French eat so late. Restaurants don’t open till 7pm. We turned up at 6.40 once and were allowed to sit in the corner until the clock ticked over and they were ready to take our orders.
I’m sure there will be plenty more quirks (in our eyes, not theirs) that we discover, but it’s all fun.
And can’t finish without a photo. Of the weather. This was taken this morning after Lee and his trusty peddly rode through it to work.
L&M.
thefrenchfeed 