Life in France?

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Cabal

wow Olga, I just wonder where you went to have that kind of experience. Wish it would happen to me, 45 years of life in France and I have nothing like that to tell when I am asked what wicked see I do or see as a French. And my friends report no promiscuity or naughty invitation either.
I also wonder why you fear the power of the government when yours is just as knowledgeable and London is so full of cameras you cannot step outside your home without being filmed or spied upon.... Besides, I dare you to live in a small village in the UK without your local mayor knowing everything about you... Goose, gander, pot, kettle... ;DDDD
All right, I'll stop the teasing.

Daily life is... Daily life. Work, going to work in the metro and looking outside at the life in the streets when you take an above ground line, staring at the window or reading when you take an underground line, pushing through the crowd with the same closed stony face you find in any place where people are forced to share private space. If you try to drive (I live in Paris) it is worse, the mayor let his green friends transform Paris in a car trap, smaller streets, less parking, more red lights. Tempers are flaring, scooters are dodging cars and death and bicycles are trying to survive. It is a good idea but badly applied as they didn't add buses and metro trains when they reduced car traffic. So we get a bit more squeezed. Thanks goodness our underground system is not as deeply buried as the London one. Talk about squeezed in and buried.
People. Look at them. Let your eyes rove over the crowd. Here we look at people. We don't meet their eyes usually, but that doesn't stop us from studying our neighbours. What's the point of being among Humans if you don't pay attention to them. What's the point of putting nice clothes and making an effort with your appearance if noone notices you. The trick is not to get eye-caught. I heard that it makes foreigners uneasy. I don't see why. Foreigners, always with strange taboos.
Shopping. People complain that they always meet nasty people, I meet so few of them I remember every single one. Probably my winning personality ;D Or I got a thicker skin. Plenty of small shops still in my area, even the small supermarkets (we have the highest number of supermarkets and hypermarkets in Europe) cannot compete with the small shops. Bakers are highly respected, and people queue to get bread and croissant from the best of them. The smell of baking croissants as you walk by a baker shop will make you swoon (and makes me reach for my wallet).
Free time... that's a hard one. I love to walk in my favourite city, going where no tourist has gone, the small nooks and crannies hidden from sight. Museums a-plenty, but expensive :( and hordes of tourists trampling around. There's cinemas of course, and watching TV for those who like that. Taking your car and driving outside the city for some fresh air, or the seaside (Normandy is 3 hours away), or take the train and go somewhere nice, especially during those long weekends when a bank holiday falls near a weekend.
Government agencies : the enemy. This is a fact of life... until you need something. Then you wheedle and chat up the person on the other end of the line. Never say I have rights, always make that person see you as a Human, not a number. And then put the phone down with a feeling of victory. You have deprived the Enemy of a victim!
It is true that our life is highly regimented, with laws and police boxing us in. Foreigners find it suffocating sometimes, what they don't realise is that we ignore half of the rules and constantly try to dodge the other half. It is a game between the state and us. Catch us if you can.

Vladimir ILL

To Olga C - choose your friends - the man whom you refer to is the kind of person who gives you alibis to stay as you want to stay - aside -

why do expats always stick to the most stupid and vulgar french ? Beside pig-traders, there are also teachers, educated people, and it's better to have no " friends " if your unique skill to develop friendship goes to borderlines - alibi - I don't believe a word of your post -

But this said, I know many strangers in France who are mislead in their social choices - then they bash the whole country on the basis of their errors -

Concerning councils there's a part of truth - but councils are now invaded by UK aediles - and something else : you must know that some of your compatriots are not all white lambs.
Maybe why you're under supervision.

Bear

life in France mmm
it not all that cracked up to be if you live here with so many moving in and taken over the french you look around all you see if non french and the french life is over . it not a romantic spot to come to any more Paris is not for lovers it for mobs and bomb fires Mass riots in the last few years , you want the old french way of life you need to go past paris and leave the city behinde and look for the country side !

chesterCC08

Je trouve le paris est le plus belle ville du monde!
...
No, i have never been, but I have been learning french and going to france would be like a dream come true!

OLGA C

There is so much about France that we love, Paris, the ever changing countryside, the fabulous food and love of food. We have found France a wonderful education, and love the style and taste of the people. So why do we not live in France?
The architecture is so attractive, the wine so good, people charming and helpful as long as you learn French manners and speak French. There are two big reasons why France must be just for holidays. The first reason against France is the interference by authorities into your private life. Every organisation from the Electricity to the Taxman seems to have draconian powers, but particularly the local Marie who may just be a peasant farmer elected in by his extended family every time. He knows all too much about everyone locally..how much in your bank-account, your property, property abroad , tax, benefits etc. Far far too intrusive for those who treasure their freedoms (ie Brits.)
Secondly in our experience, promiscuity appears to be compulsory. Staying in France it is a hassle rebuffing advances made to your wife (in front of You) or suggestions made by women even in earshot of your wife. Then having enjoyed an evening with a friendly professional and his family
the next day in a bar he introduces us to his teenage mistress the same age as his daughter! And this behaviour is widespread and a cause for concern amongst English living in France (unless they don't socialise with the locals.)

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