I'm from Norway, and l find this video very educational. We value our free time like the French as well. That might be something we have in common in Europe, even though our cultures are very different. I think both Americans and Europeans can get a better understanding watching this, because it's very easy for us to call Americans stupid. But when you grow up with this, and don't get much input from other countries, it's easier to understand their way of thinking.
I moved to France with my wife and my daughter, and Number 4 is definitely up there for me, were I to make a list similar to yours. I think for me its shootings in general, but I will never forget how good it felt to go to a movie theatre in our town in France and just heave a big SIGH of relief and relaxation, knowing that the odds of someone coming into the theatre and shooting it up was no longer something that I had to worry about. It was so beautiful and sad at the same time. I suddenly realized that I had neither fully relaxed nor felt safe watching a movie at the theatre in America in YEARS. Great video, and cheers to the good life y'all have built.
Perhaps related to this situation - you can let your daughter go to school on a bike or just walk, without having to worry too much. Ok, nowhere is perfect land and accidents happen everywhere, but the overall risk is something that influences our daily lives. When you realize that your child hasn't told about awareness drills with how to barricade doors or how to evacuate a classroom through a window for months or years - what a precious moment...
@@nox8730depuis 2015? Mais tu es au courant de l'actualité en France, amigo? En 2023, nous avons passé la barre des 1000 homicides par balle, nous sommes le pays d'Europe où il en a le plus en nombre, donc en proportion devant l'Allemagne et tous les autres. 120 attaques au couteau PAR JOUR en moyenne en France, ça te parle? Faut arrêter avec la France par-ci, la France par-là; nous sommes loin d'être un exemple. Et ne parlons pas des profs égorgés en plein jour. Ils sont gentils, les deux là, mais ils en sont encore à la lune de miel avec la France. Qu'ils viennent à Marseille par exemple et ils verront autre chose...s'ils veulent bien ouvrir les yeux.
I have a very vivid memory when travelling across the US. We had been using the long distance buses/coaches - and had numerous minor "incidents" around us, including one shooting and the police stopping the bus to pull the perp off. Every time we crossed the boarder into Canada it was like a weight lifting from us. The constant sense of threat was the weight removed.
The main problem with the us is that instead of guns being a tool for hunting and shooting sports, guns are now a lifestyle/ political statement. I was a republican and am a veteran, and remember when we used to show up to school with a shotgun in the back window after hunting before school (pre columbine),no problems. It all went nuts when the nra became a pac for arms manufacturers instead of being a group to support sportsman. A little over 2 years in france now, i hate going back to visit the us. Luckily, this year, most of the family are coming to visit us.
The main problem with the US is the culture. It's a consumer culture where work is precarious. There are no guarantees like with healthcare and worse yet, health insurance is covered primarily by your employer. Everyone dreams of being a rent seeker in order to seek stability for themselves by exploiting others. There is no common goal amongst the citizens except to participate in the markets. Corporations dictate the culture through advertising and media, encouraging individualism and the eradiation of family relationships. The gun violence is just a symption of a neurotic, self-obsessed society full of greed, lust and desperation.
@@SurpriseMeJT Well said. I wouldn't classify the US as a "first world" country, as long it suffers from what you are describing. What's horrifying is that it's contagious and spread like a disease.
@@nathanjustus6659 do you think mental health issues are unique to USA? People in other countries have mental health issues but they cannot easily acquire guns.
In lived in the US for 5 years before moving to France 20 years ago. I remember being completely chocked when I went to the pharmacy for the first time with a prescription and my Carte Vital and the pharmacist gave me all the medications and when I asked him how much should I pay his answer was… well nothing….
We don't really get medications for free. They're being paid by the social healthcare and complementary insurances that each worker mandatory contributes through direct levies on salary. It is notably great to be able to get urgent medical care in hospital without being worried about the price. The main drawback is that we, french people, have a tendency to forget that medical care has a high cost and that they are paying for it, but not directly. I think, MDs and pharmacists should present an invoice showing the amounts paid by healthcare and insurances in order for us to see the medical care cost and the reason for our extremely high levies on salary.
@@gillesgambier2202There is sort of wealth that is not seen. If you need it: you're lucky 'cause you have it, if don't need it you're lucky 'cause you're healthy :-) And the money is in the loop, because not everyone has to save for eventual expenses.
The underlying mistake many countries make about traffic is what's the called the theory of perceived capacity. In other words, if drivers perceive that a road, whether it's a small lane or an 8-lane highway has the capacity to help them get to where they want to go quicker, then they take it. So, paradoxically another laneway will always just mean more cars, not the same number of cars going faster. The trick, and this is the unpalatable bit for lots of places to accept, is to realise that discouraging people from using their cars is the best and only way to reduce traffic - along with the provision of very high quality public transport.
My wife and I had been considering moving to France for several years. (We've both lived "outside" before, so, we know part of the drill.) The funny part is that just the other day, we were talking about the "little" things that drew us there. All four of your items were on the list. For the record, we've been to France seven times over the years. My first visit was to Paris in 1968, just in time to catch the tail end of the demonstrations. That was quite an adventure!
@@nox8730 Thank you sincerely for the input. I've been studying French for several years My wife and I love the language and the culture. Sadly, I am in my later years and malentendant, so I have trouble hearing French in conversation. On the bright side, I read French at a high level. For example, I've read all of Flaubert, most of Camus, a few books by Michel Pastaureau and too many other novels and volumes of French poetry to list. We love Prevert, Apollinaire, Hugo and so many others. French literature is addicting!
@@thistlenstar Oh Prévert. L'amiral Larima, Larime à quoi? La rime à rien. L'amiral Larima, L'amiral Rien. J'ai lu ça quand j'étais gamin, je ne l'ai jamais oublié. Je n'aime pas lire. J'ai toutefois lu du Flaubert, du Zola, du Balzac. "Les Trois Mousquetaires", de ce cher Alexandre, ainsi que sa suite, "Vingt ans après", que j'ai eu le plaisir de lire sur une édition originale de 1850. Bien sûr, Camus, "La Chute". J'ai en revanche détesté "L'espoir" de Malraux, sur la Guerre d'Espagne. Mon seul 'espoir' en l'occurrence était de voir le calvaire s'achever. Littérature et poésie ne peuvent être approchées à travers une traduction. Telle est ma conviction. A part ça... Je comprends bien que tu sois à la retraite. Mon père était avec les flics sur les barricades en 68. L'âge est un facteur qui peut compter, et c'est une circonstance atténuante. Mais la vie ne s'arrête pas à 80 ans. Nous vivons aujourd'hui une époque où 80 ans est encore l'âge des projets. Ma mère étudie présentement l'égyptologie à l'université. La France permet ce genre de chose. Si tu as des soucis avec ton ouïe, sache que ça arrive à d'autres. Préviens ton interlocuteur. Je ne sais quel soins tu reçois aux USA, mais je n'ai jamais croisé quiconque de malentendant avec qui je ne pouvais discuter. En toutes choses, la bonne volonté est la valeur qui prime, et celle qui est la plus à même d'ouvrir des portes. La perfection n'est qu'un absolu. Démontrer que l'on y tend est ce qui donne de la valeur à l'effort. Je ne doute pas que malentendant ou non, des opportunités s'offrent à toi pour faire valoir ton français et nouer des liens en France. Ne parler qu'en anglais ne pourvoiera que des relations superficielles. En particulier quand on considère notre passé troublé avec l'Angleterre et les USA. A chacun sa paroisse, bien sûr, mais je demeure de ceux qui pensent que le voyage ne peut révéler ses vertus qu'à travers la rencontre avec les locaux. Aucun château, jardin ou monument n'aura jamais vraiment de sens si l'on ne comprend pas les us de ceux qui les ont créés. Amicalement.
@@nox8730 Merci pour cette aimable réponse. Je vais bientôt recevoir une aide auditive. La difficulté majeure est la peur de se perdre lors d'une conversation. Mais je vais y travailler! J'ai adoré "Germinal" et "La Chute". Avec "La Chute", j'ai terminé le livre et j'ai immédiatement recommencé à le relire. Quant à Dumas, je n'ai lu que le premier livre de "La Dame de Monsoreau" et la moitié du deuxième livre. C'était une lecture agréable, mais j'ai décidé de lire "Notre Dame de Paris" à la place. Maintenant, je suis à quelques centaines de pages dans "Les Misérables". Souhaitez-moi bonne chance! Nous avons voyagé en France sept fois au fil des ans, nous allons, principalement pour être là, acheter de la nourriture sur les marchés, cuisiner, nous promener et rencontrer des gens quand nous le pouvons. Tchinn Tchinn!
Gun violence is the number one problem in the US for me, pure non sense. I'm French and I'm glad to hear that you are feeling safe and happy in our country.
En France, on a pas d'armes a feu mais du coup, on a le droit aux attaques au couteau ! 😂 ils se sentent en sécurité car ils vivent à la campagne (encore un peu épargnée)
@@safedreams6241 , la criminalité reste trés largement inférieur chez nous, aucne comparaison, les chiffres sont publiques sur le web. D'ailleurs, la France n'est pas plus criminalisé que la majorité du reste de l'Europe de l'ouest, la aussi les chiffres sont disponible. Trop de mauvaise presse sur la France qui sont absolument fausse dans la majorité des cas.
Crime is local. The US spans a continent. Some US States have lower gun violence rates than some Western European countries. Some US cities rank as some of the most homicidal on earth. France has similar contrasts, though perhaps less dramatic.
#4 is the one that stands out the most for me. Yesterday half of my daughters school was absent due to threats to the schools in our county. I kept my daughter home but my other daughter is a teacher in that school and she went in to work. I was scared all day. they did apprehend the 15 yr old among others making the threats before they were acted on. Thank goodness. I feel guilty daily sending her to school. During covid i was relieved because she homeschooled. I think about moving to France daily especially since i went to visit for the first time in April. a 40 year dream for me. I love how you cover so much about everyday life there, especially with a middle school aged daughter. just like mine. Maybe one i day i can make it there and maybe even be your neighbor. lol. Thank you for this channel. I love it. My favorite TH-cam channel ever. God bless your family
Ugh, I'm so sorry about yesterday. I remember that feeling. It was why I got so emotional talking about it. Thanks for watching and good luck with move to France plans! ❤️
The grass ain't greener on the other side of the Pond, my friend. This country is NOT what you imagine it in your daydreams. The average salary for instance is 20k A YEAR. 20k, you'll be considered poor in the US. From a Frenchie.
I absolutely don't want to scare you or whatever, but please ne ready for some problems. Be chill. No matter how well préparés you are, pour administration is a nightmare. And it is very slow. You need to accept it before you arrive. But in any case, welcome ! Enjoy, have fun. Bé happy ❤
No country is perfect, but the States seems particularly broken. Things are far from perfect in the UK, but the projected division we hear about America makes me grateful for where I am (and also for next to no money, I can jump on a plane and be in a different country in no time). Politics and religion have a lot to answer for.
C'est bien que vous abordiez des sujets sensibles sans faire exprès de les laisser de côté. C'est + authentique et honnête, toujours un plaisir de vous écouter !
Hope you don't mind me mentioning my home country of the UK. It might be interesting for you to compare. We had a school shooting in Dunblane, Scotland in 1996 when sixteen very young children aged five and six and one teacher were murdered by a madman with a gun. The country was utterly traumatised. I clearly remember listening to a radio report from there when I was in a traffic jam and feeling the tears running down my face. When I looked across, the man in the car next to me was crying too. Gun laws were then toughened in terms of the types of gun you could buy, where you kept them, why you wanted them, the method of getting a licence and monitoring of owners etc etc. Contrary to what many Americans think guns were not banned completely. They were tightly controlled. But these laws were quickly introduced and have never been challenged. We have not had a single school shooting in the 28 years since then. Contrast that with the way the USA reacted to equally small children being murdered in Sandy Hook and count the school shootings since. It makes terrifying reading. It's in the hundreds.
I couldn’t agree with this list more. I’m sure you could go on and on, if you wanted to. I can’t wait to taste that fresh fruit when I’m visiting next month, Thanks for the video!
Side note, don't forget to being a jacket or an umbrella. It's been training lately. Sorry. But no matter what thé weather is, have fun, enjoy your stay.
It's interesting to see that you find French roads in good conditions because a lot of French people complain about them and how better they were 30 years ago. The local governments (département) have often budget difficulties to maintain the rural roads. And, nowadays with climate change, there are a lot more of floodings and landslides destroying roads. That said, the first time I went to the US (long time ago, 1985) I was shocked, driven by my American friend on a major New Jersey highway, when we hit such a nasty pothole that I thought we had lost a wheel...
I wish I had a euro for everytime someone French tells me "you think it's good?? It was so much better 30 years ago!". I'm really beginning to be curious about France in the early 90's. 😂 And I was shocked just now to realize that yes, 1994 was indeed 30 years ago. 😳
@gsbeak we've realized complaining together is a form of bonding in France. 😅 But I also sometimes think that it's great in a way, because it's means French don't just accept things "that's how it is", where as we Americans are kind of like "Make the best of it! Be positive!" Even when in the case of the school shoots for example we should be in the streets like (I think) the French would be!
I was in Quebec last year, my first time in North-America, the road condition was really shocking to me. I believe every country/state/province is different in that regard but nevertheless, I've never seen this out of NA. I can confirm there is still a gap. My other frequent complaint was about how confusing direction signage on the highway could be.
Ugh. I feel ya about the gun safety issue. There was a lot of anxiety around guns in the US, and really violence in general. For us, as a half African American family, we had the additional anxiety of being targeted due to race - particularly my son who is neurodiverse and an African American male. That has, frankly, been one of the biggest sighs of relief we have had since being here - we do not feel the type of "otherness" that we'd felt in the US for our whole lives. Also, when we met our Mairie a few days ago, he told us the cost certain aspects of keeping up our village roads and water system - there seemed to be full transparency about where our taxes were going. In the US, I NEVER EVER knew what my taxes were paying for. Ever. Living in France is certainly a learning experience for us everyday, but if the extent of our stress is struggling through a conversation with the water company in our district (as opposed to worrying that one of my children might be gunned down in the streets of the US), then the slight discomfort of assimilation into this wonderful new culture is well worth it.
Hello @tracymartin-wray2491 👋 Your family sounds similar to mine in many ways! I have so many questions especially re ND kids and your move. Please reach out to me if you can! It's a wonderful and wise thing you have moved to France. But I sure need to do more research. Merci!!
I see that you use some cryptic words that i don't quite understand as a french: "neurodiverse" or "otherness", amongst others. We don't have this kind of censorship in France. I don't even know if such words are used at all. My advice is to forgo the reliance on that kind of thing as soon as possible. Or you will probably get offended over nothing sooner rather than later. Better prevent this from happening. A good advice is to learn the french way and the french language as soon as possible, if you don't already know it. I have worked with incapacitated kids and some had neurological problems. In France, these kids go to normal schools and get workers like me to support their inclusion with other kids. In my case, i was the teacher, too, since the "main" teacher" simply didn't have the time to handle everything. And so, i had to adapt and find solutions myself. Creating new words is not what brings solutions or a decent life to human beings, according to us. You may not be understood if you bring your vocabulary from the USA. And we don't like little boxes. For the record, i have a TDAH problem. The kids i took care of were autists and kids that suffered from neurological damages. Still, i am a french guy, and they were french kids. Period. Regards.
@nox8730 thank you for the insight! However, I think you may have misunderstood my meaning. What I was saying about France is that we no longer feel beholden to those labels like we did in the US. It's nice just to live our lives as humans without the excess baggage, including unnecessary labels! 😊
@@tracymartin-wray2491 Ah... Sorry, my bad ^^. Seems like i misunderstood indeed. While i read all those americanisms, i started to worry that you may misunderstand what France is all about :) Ouf !
We have been following you for about a year now in preparation for our own move to France. We finally made it here a few weeks ago, one department over from you. Loving our new life. Thanks for the entertainment and information. Greetings from Cognac!
As a French person I didn't think that this horrible phenomenon of shootings in schools was something so "engaging", it is absolutely terrible for parents. I raised 4 children but I never thought for a single second that such a tragedy could happen in a public or private school here in France. Poor people.😢
It is a constant concern here in the US. Fortunately, both my children have graduated from college but that doesn't mean we don't worry about them especially since they both live in large American cities.
@@steveh46 But where does this violence come from? Is this violent and anarchic "pioneer spirit"? This cult of violence in Hollywood films? These violent religious sects? Seen from Europe, North American civilization has completely lost its way.
@@aimmethod Problem is: Samuel Paty is a tragedy that happens once a decade in France. Actually, it happened only twice in modern history. In the USA there is a Samuel Paty every week. Enough that the media and the people do not care to mention them anymore. But don't worry: we DO think about him indeed. He is not forgotten. And we have expectations in relation to that. It is not about saying "poor him" and then forgetting about it the next day. As may be the case elsewhere.
@@lioneldemun6033yeah ... Words vs machine guns that kill dozens of people in e few seconds. Not really thé same though. Fireatms are the leading cause of death for kids end teens in the US. Crime rate in the US is 5,6. Almost 5 times what it is in France (1,2)
We are hoping to take an early retirement and move over there in the next few years, and your channel in particular is making it harder and harder to put it off. Especially the comments about school gun violence (and gun violence in general) really hit home to me. I love every one of your videos - thanks for them.
Our country is not a paradise. When i was in middle school, in the 90's, was the time when we tried to make roms sociable. Result was: one kid got backstabbed. Many others and even teachers were hurt. Because when a 12 years old kid went and punched you out of nowhere, if you dared say anything, his "big brothers" were going to wait for you outside the school. Roms' way. Plus, even without this, in the normal classes, our spanish teacher ended up locked up in a cabinet every year starting in April (she was so, so small...). And so, she stopped coming to school in march. One english teacher was bullied hard. Bullying was a thing. And mind you, this was meant to be in the "rich" suburb of Bordeaux, not in a ZEP or ZUP. My advice is to watch contradictory videos and testimonies that crap hard on my country. Hopefully, they will be based. Because many are not. But still, better that than hoping for a paradise that doesn't exist. Last thing, if you come anyway, make sure to adhere to french ways and values (which are fundamentally different, and oftentimes, opposed to USA values) and to absolutely learn the french language. Or you won't have have a good time. Hopefully, these warnings will be helpful to some. Regards.
J'avais conscience que les armes représentaient un problème à l'école aux Etats-Unis, mais votre émotion me montre à quel point c'est omniprésent dans la tête des parents. Cette crainte au quotidien doit être un calvaire. Les français ont parfois un regard critique sur les armes aux US, mais on oublie souvent de penser à celles et ceux qui les subissent avant de penser à celles et ceux qui les utilisent... Content que vous puissiez avoir l'esprit tranquille, ici.
@@kath6720faut arrêter 2 secondes de dire n’importe quoi… la situation en France n’a rien à voir avec celle des USA, même si bien sûr tout est loin d’être parfait!
ça dépend apparemment des états mais je me souviens d'une étudiante américaine quand jétudiais qui a flippé quand on était chez Mcdo et que deux personnes se sont engueulées. L'une delle a sorti son téléphone de sa poche pour commencer à filmer et elle a cru que c'était une arme à cause du geste et s'est jetée par terre de peur. C'était assez dingue, on penserait JAMAIS à ça ici mais elle a expliqué qu'au Texas là d'ou elle venait, son père a été blessé à cause d'une telle altercation.Pas de morts heureusement mais uniquement parce que l'autre a tiré comme un pied et a regretté son juste après. C'est fou franchement.
I never say that I'm proud to be French because I'vent choose it : only chance wanted me to be born in this place on planet earth. But I am happy to be French because I know how lucky we are to live in this country. The problem is that many French people are not aware of this luck: we always complain about everything, as if we lived in the worst place on earth! That's why hearing foreign people, especially Americans, talk about France is comforting and instructive. It reminds me of this sentence by Chateaubriand, a great French writer: when I look at myself I am sorry, when I compare myself I am consoled.
C'est une question de perspective. Moi je préfère voir ceux qui font mieux plutôt que ceux qui font pire. En dix ans notre bien-être en a pris un coup grâce à ceux qui nous gouvernent et laissent des "mineurs" immigrés illégaux livrés à eux-mêmes nous pourrir la vie en soirée. Venez sortir à Rennes ou Nantes par exemple et vous aurez la boule au ventre jusqu'à la porte de votre chez-vous.
Thanks again for your videos where I discover each time themes that I would not have even imagined like that of worrying about school shootings. I think that the majority of French people have never seen a gun outside of American series! The only weapon that we know is the hunting rifle with lead cartridges that can only be used with a hunting license and only a few weeks a year.
I'm so happy it's this way in France. I grew up in a place where I could decide on the spur of the moment to go get milk and a handgun literally at the same store. It's often easier to buy a gun than get a drivers license depending on the state.
@@BaguetteBound Avez vous dû passer le permis de conduire français ? Même pour un français, ce n' est pas facile à obtenir et j' ai l' impression, l' intuition que le permis de conduire amléricain est beaucoup plus facilement délivré aux US que le permis de conduire français aux français vue l' absence ou le manque de transports collecttifs qui priveraient l' industrie américaine de main d' oeuvre sans autonomie automobile pour le peuple. Un peu comme les armes à feu coté industriel mais pour d' autres raisons. La France a une administration beaucoup plus lourde et importante dans ce pays et ça se voit dans la règlementation pour cadrer son citoyen à tout moment. Avec le permis de conduire légal en France à partir de 17 ans, vous pourriez certainement 1 an ou 2 avant cet anniversaire inscrire votre fille à l' auto école dans le cadre de la Conduite Accompagnée. C' est important parce que le coût de l' assurance automobile pour un jeune qui souhaite conduire & obtient son permis de conduire par la procédure d' apprentiissage de la conduite accompagnée ne contient pas de malus financier Jeune Conducteur pour cette dernière ce qui est intéressant à tout point de vue comme vérifier en tant que parent qu' elle conduit en sécurité et peut être aurons nous le droit à un sujet vidéo de votre part sur cette expérience, ce sujet d' apprentissage de la conduite automobile à la française .... Vos vidéos me rappellent ma chance en tant que français du fait pour moi de vivre en France et je ne peux que vous en remercier surtout quand on connait l' esprit râleur des français. Je me rappelle de mon patron français qui a emmené un jour sa famille à Disneyland en Floride. Devinez ...??? Convois de patrouille de police pour les protéger de l' aéroport jusqu' à leur hôtel à Disneyland .... Comme vous dites : insane. Je reste quand même médusé quand je vois, j' entends encore des français rêver d' aller vivre aux Etats Unis.
Merci pour votre vidéo ! J'ai toujours beaucoup de plaisir à vous regarder parce que je vous apprécie beaucoup! J'espère surtout que vous et votre fille serez heureux en France et ne serez pas déçus ! Thank you for your video! I always have a lot of fun watching you because I appreciate you very much! I especially hope that you and your daughter will be happy in France and will not be disappointed!
@@BaguetteBound 🥰En ce qui concerne le fait de manger des légumes et fruits de saison, c'est une volonté, je pense que la plupart d'entre nous avons pris conscience que c'était mieux pour le goût et pour l'écologie. As far as eating seasonal vegetables and fruits is concerned, it's a will, I think that most of us have become aware that it is better for the taste and for the ecology.
@@BaguetteBound Pour Noel et Nouvel an, pour les fêtes de fin d'année, on peut trouver certains fruits hors saison dans les grands magasins comme carrefour, par exemple des framboises, fraises, myrtilles For Christmas and New Year, for the end of year celebrations, you can find some out-of-season fruits in department stores such as Carrefour, for example raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
I always enjoy your videos. This one really hits me. I am so overwhelmed by the politics now. And your comments about school shootings! I don't have kids in school anymore - eventually I will have grandkids in school, but also in general society the danger is there. Anybody who is upset or having a bad day can just pull out a gun. This is crazy.
Our friend just came back from the US after a 2 week stay, she said that fruits and vegetables are out of price and everything is way richer in sugar and fat.. She came back craving for veggies
@@Vladimir-o8zOne of the main problems in France is the cost of housing. With a net income of €1,500, it’s preferable either not to live in a large city where this cost can be prohibitive or to share expenses as a couple. But even with a combined net income of €3,000, you shouldn’t expect too much when it comes to becoming a homeowner, at least in a large city.
Some main reasons were leaving the USA next year! Also, totally agree on the produce and the European quality blows us away! I talked about it on a little poorly made YT vid I made. Also, yes, we don't want our daughter to go through shelter in place shooting drills. So off we go
That video is great! The pacing is good and your b-roll edits were great. I just saw it this week and thought it must really be a thing for us Americans woth the produce because we had included it in this video too! Thanks for watching, good luck with you moving plans!
Brave post guys! Well done! Stuff that needed to be said and things that those of us as Americans living in France, all notice and embrace. Even if you don’t have children, the chances of being gunned down in America at say, a Walmart, are astronomically higher than the rest of the world. Always reminds me of that Onion article on this very subject; how it’s “inevitable”, yet it’s the only western democracy it happens in. The bit on the French roads was so spot on. We are in Minervois & Corbieres wine country in the Languedoc. Even the teeniest of wine roads, which we traversed today, meant for tractors and occasional vehicles, has nary a pothole. The infrastructure here is just eons better than the states. And they’ve semi-privatized the road system so I just don’t get why America can’t keep up 😮 More vlogs please!!! I’m addicted to your channel🤓
This is all great stuff. Thank you so much for your wonderful videos. My husband and I are saving up money so we can move to Nice. It makes the time go faster for us, being able to watch your videos. Thank you.
Great video. I thought for sure healthcare would make the list. How so many of us are locked into our jobs because the cost of healthcare is so outrageous. Not to mention toxic almost 24 hour a day work culture and expectations from companies with the fear of losing your job Nonstop
100 percent healthcare, but we knew (and were excited about) that coming here. This video we wanted to talk about the things that have made bigger impacts in quality of life than we expected. Omg, USA work culture. That's a whole other video we need to make. Thanks for watching.
I've lived in Seattle for the last 33 years. I've been planning my exit to France for some time. Just ran across your video and to my surprise, the issues you bring up in it about life in the USA are spot on and, virtually the same I encounter here. Although I have a few more. And as time goes by, the issues are getting worse. I'll be checking out the Bordeaux region in the next few months. I'm done with the U. S.
@@nox8730 I am multilingual with 4 languages on my back (or in my head?) and have a solid knowledge of French. I expect to be fully fluent within six months.
@@restrepoje That's impressive. I myself only know 3 languages. And even then, one is beyond rusted for not using it at all (spanish). This is the reason why i use the english internet: in order not to forget whatever i learned in my 3rd language (english). In this case, if you have good bases in french, the fastest way to learn would be to come here.
@@nox8730 I guess I was lucky to grow up multilingual. Born in the USA in a Spanish speaking environment. Lived In Germany where I did most of my high school in German, and later picked up Portuguese. My German now is rusty, and living in France I would have a N opportunity to visit Germany often to regain my fluency. You are at 3 languages, which would make it a lot easier to acquire a fourth language.
Good video. The point about food is very local specific. Whole foods has good produce (yes, expensive). Our town also has weekly farmers markets. The schools shootings hit hard.
One thing helpfull in France, and all over Europe, is public transportation. You can easily live without a car like I do and go everywhere, including in holidays. This summer, I went in holidays to Zagreb by train, from my hometown of Grenoble, and it was great. Having not to take car of a car, besides the obvious cost of ownership, is also something that gives me tranquility.
hery guys, I hope you didn't " discover" how important food is in France !! French love food , love talking about it and eating it of course, and once you finished your meal very often there is one saying and what are we going to cook or eat next , meaning tomorow ! In France we eat season vegetables and fruits, and we hate water tasting stuff ! it's got to be tasty, and it is most of the time -
In 354 days we're moving to Toulouse and I wish it was yesterday. This video is exactly why we want out of this crazy place. I drive over the road currently and my nirvana is never driving a motor vehicle ever again. Thanks for the content, keep it up! ✌🏻💚
Toulouse a great town.... lot of sun, Rugby, good foods, etc...... but be aware it's not a small town compared to a village... So point #2 (traffic jam) shound be here for you...
I get it, I have literally, documented, over a million miles behind the wheel. We moved to the sw of France 2 years ago. Driving is pleasurable again. Especially moving from the east coast. Toulouse has a decent amount of traffic, but, a half hour out of the city on a weekday, you can find yourself alone on the road. Secondary roads at least. Even better in the mountains. Good luck.
😨 Be very careful in Toulouse! 🧐There's a dangerous drug circulating in that region called "le cassoulet". it is extremely addictive and will turn you into a fatty in no time. 😱 Another dangerous drug are the candied violet petals: filthily addictive! 😰A bon entendeur, salut!🙈🙉🙊 Caveat! Caveat! Caveat! 😎
@sebydocky5080 we picked Toulouse because it's a city and has great public transportation. We are retiring early so won't need to commute to and from work.
To be fair, it's gridlock in any major US city. But, that isn't the case in rural areas. I've lived in DC, Denver, & close to Los Angeles. Traffic was one of the reasons I couldn't wait to leave DC and Denver. I would love to live in France! I love your videos - and if it weren't for my son and his family, I would leave the US in a New York second. The gun violence is deplorable and so are the politicians that refuse to make them less accessible. Women have to go through a more stringent pipeline for our reproductive health than people do to buy a gun!
It's very similar in Canada, once an election is called it can take no more than 37 or up to 51 days, that is it. You receive your voter registration in the mail and on the days listed you go an vote, in and out in less than 5 minutes. There are so many polling places to vote, one even in our condo, we just had to take the elevator downstairs and vote or you can do it ahead of time, just as easy. We see more American politics on our TV than Canadian.
One thing about road condition in France is that when there's a pothole, there's usually someone calling the mayor about it. Nowadays, you can facebook chat the mayor's office about it. Of course some areas still have bad roads, it really depends. Some areas in Paris are pretty bad. But regarding highways, yeah I've been 4 times in the US and it's pretty bad compared to Europe. France and Italy have tolls, so plenty of money to take care of the roads. Compare to Germany which has no tolls, you'll see the difference. However, even freeways in France are in quite good condition compared to the US. From my trips though I found that the South West (Utah, Arizona, Cali) has worse roads than the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington) or New England (Maine, Masschussets). So it can't be just the harsh winters, and anyway the french Alps have really great roads for the most part. I haven't driven in Texas yet. What I hate is the weird concrete highways in the US, as opposed to asphalt in Europe. Asphalt is easier to repair, and gives a smoother ride. But it's not as durable, and requires more greenhouse gases to produce. The issue is that in the US, yeah concrete is twice as durable, but harder to repair, and they do not repair it...
I kinda of agree on most things you mentioned, I love everything in France, especially the night life in Paris, it doesn't have to be in a night club,even TV is entertaining, the only thing I don't like is the concierge in my building 😅😅...!!!
Hi Raina and Jason. After watching some of your great videos, I feel like all French people should watch them to stop constantly criticizing their country (a French national sport that you’ll probably make a video about one day!). It’s really well done, very educational, and it’s very interesting for a French person to see this perspective from across the Atlantic. It really puts a lot of things into perspective regarding the complaints we might have about our country. In short, it’s very instructive for a French person! Thank you, and you are more than welcome... to your home!
oh wow ! so refreshing to hear you guys speaking about my country and having this sense of essential things. About roads : you have a strong point and this is one of the reasons people pay so much taxes. In Eastern Europe the road can be so poor...
What you omitted about the roads in France are the numerous speed bumps on roads, even major ones. Then the copious number of roundabouts which make traffic move more easily.
Concerning the sustainment of the roads, it all depends on their category. If it's a road in the city, it's managed by the municipality, a departementale road is taken care of by the Conseil Départemental, the State takes care of the nationales and non-conceided autoroutes and private companies handle the rest of the autoroutes when the State sold them the responsability of managing them (which is a big topic of discussion here as we feel like we sold these for a low price and these companies keep making tons of money on our back). It's not unusual to see this kind of separation in France, for example you can see it with the scholar system: maternelles and primary schools are handled by municipalities, collèges by the Conseils Départementaux, lycées by the Conseils Régionaux and public universities by the State.
With all respect, explain to me how you had a "great life" in Houston. There is a huge difference between standard of living and quality of life, and the two are often confused or even equated. I have spent a lot of time in Houston, and as big cities go, it's pretty good, but it pales in comparison to the lifestyle in France and many other European countries. Heck, I think it's worth moving to France just for the bread and cheeses ;-). I sincerely hope that France can keep what it has.
On the opposite side, we were so much surprised at how bad the road conditions can be in Houston, TX when we moved there from France 😆 Huge potholes on so many roads (even worse on the right lane, including on major connections like Westheimer Rd) + every kind of stuff (bits of tires mostly) to be found on highways.
Lol, I just read that to Jason and he laughed and said "oh my gosh! Westhiemer! How is it some of the most important road in the city are the worst????".
@@BaguetteBound Haha! The infamous (but great) Westheimer road 😆 And on top of that, I was mostly riding on bus line 82 (I know, using public transport is considered the weirdest thing in Houston), which is the best way to enjoy potholes 😅
I've lived in France for more than 25 years. Every time I go back to the States, I feel like I have to eat twice as much just to feel that I've ingested enough nutrition. The best part of living here is the respect the French (I'm French now too) have for food.
In my visits to France, the lack of politicking 24/7 was noticeable and fucking refreshing!!! and absolutely WONDERFUL to never have to worry about gun violence.
As an American who has travelled to France several times, this video really hit home. We're considering buying property in France, as a vacation property, just to be able to visit and travel a couple months out of the year. My wife is a high school teacher and there are gun threat lockdowns at her school several times a year. We still have one daughter in high school and it's something she lives with as well. Also, traffic absolutely sucks in this country, not to mention how crappy and expensive the produce is. School shootings is by number one on this list, political BS and non-stop bombardment for a whole year or more leading up to an election is second. Road traffic is third as its maddening, and that leaves crappy produce fourth. And this is saying a lot as a frequent farmers market goer and foody.
In France (and most of Europe) guns are mainly used for just hunting, and not for the use of protection. THAT is the biggest difference between Europe and America. In most of Europe you are mostly NOT even allowed to use a gun for protection by any means. 2nd biggest difference is ofcourse the (highly) regulation of owning a gun in Europe, compared to America.
We leave in 48 hours for a three week trip to explore a couple of areas we are considering. While the trip won’t be easy. The hardest thing for me to consider is having to return to the US.
A number of your observations come back to one issue: anxiety and fear. Anxiety over gun violence, anxiety over travel times, anxiety over the consequence of losing your job ion your healthcare - I know you did not mention it but it’s still hovering in the back of everyone’s mind - , anxiety in a fractured society made obvious by the constant bombardment of political ads. The thing is : American society used to be open, relaxed, optimistic,open, tolerant, positive, some years back. In that regard, it was indeed a beacon. How come this was replaced over the years by this fear,often turning into anger? And it is so great that some of these anxieties were lifted off your shoulders. But not only you. This is also great for your daughter who doesn’t have have to go through school shooting drills, and simply has to worry that there is a dish next week in the school canteen that she doesn’t like. Anyway, love,your videos, they’re so sincere and positive. Keep up,the great work.
Your story about the taste of strawberries reminded me of one of my and my wife’s trips to France. We bought strawberries (fraise gariguette variety) from an outdoor market and they were the best strawberries we had ever eaten. The fruit and vegetables really are better in France, at least the ones that are grown locally and not imported from some far away place. We have huge, beautiful looking fruit and vegetables in the USA, but they’re often tasteless.
@@BaguetteBound I don't like guariguette. They taste nothing. It is not just me saying it. Fraise des bois is the way to go. But you would need to find them... in the woods.
I hadn’t realized before watching this video just how much the issue of guns can impact daily life in the U.S. As for the roads, I’m French and I do a lot of bike touring, and I appreciate how lucky we are to have such well-maintained country roads. With the beautiful landscape, small villages, and very affordable campsites all over, France is a fantastic destination for bike tourism.
I can relate with all your 4 things but from a French who spent so much time in the "fly over states". I’d make a few comments. - The food quality is in the right path back to what it was in France before, we had the food industry making as much damage here than in the US so at least outside big cities your can find excellent produces at a reasonable price. Also being very close to Spain allows to have specific fruits nearly all year long. What I personally find difficult is to find genuinely good meat where I live (Paris), it is not difficult at all when I visit friends and family living in more rural areas as they good directly to the farmer for that. - Election wise, I cannot disagree with you but I believe it comes with the system itself which does have a lot of pros too in the US where citizen can be much much more involved at any level of their governing bodies (county, city, state…). Nevertheless if you’re looking closely we are sadly taking some bad aspects on US election trends but that’s a long story… - for the road, well the country is way too big with way too much subject to hard weather. I’m not defending the laziness or the bad managing of the roads but I understood fairly quickly why there was so many bad roads or dirty roads, which also lead to me not taking any more sedans but only SUV or Trucks for that matter, you never know where you’re going to end up… Still infrastructure is a huge bill to pay at the end, some states, counties or cities just can’t afford it. -for the firearms, I also understand it but I’m a believer the issue is overall a cultural one, as long as the culture or let’s say some sub cultures (in the sense of not the prevalent one) is pushing left and right violence, money and other adult things you’ll have dramatic events coming. Mental illness is not treated properly in the US (I’m not saying we are better), you just need to look on the number of drug addicts sent to prison where they should not be sent, the end of psy ward in the 60s made factories for criminals. Looking at the opioids epidemic makes me think too many people are in desperate need of help and violence is only the symptom not the cause.
Politics in France is pretty much the same as in the U.S.-we talk about it all the time too. The recent legislative elections were a bit unusual because of the dissolution of the National Assembly, but otherwise, politics is always a hot topic. Between all the different elections, there’s rarely a break. One thing to note is that in France, we’re not afraid to talk about politics with family, friends, or at work-it’s a constant topic of conversation before, during and after the election, and the reason of a lot of problems. But of course, if you're living in a remote village and working remotely, you're not going to feel that at all. No debate, French food is definitely better (raw ingredients are great quality), and yes, prices are much lower, that’s true. However, my wife’s grandmother was a farmer and spent her entire life living below the poverty line. After working for 50 years, 7 days a week, no vacation, she’s now retired with the minimum old-age pension of around 700 euros. So, I’m not sure if these very low prices are necessarily good news. American farmers seem to be living better lives. Traffic can be terrible in the U.S., but mostly near the big cities. I lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, and never really had any major issues (though it’s definitely worse in Chicago where I'm now). But you wouldn’t be saying the same if you lived near a major French city. In Paris, the traffic is awful, and it’s not much better in Lyon, Marseille, or Toulouse specially in rush hour time... Guns in the U.S. are definitely a problem. My kids attend public school here, and even though it’s a big concern, I don’t think about it every day. School shootings do happen, and even one is too many, but it’s important to put it in context-given the size of the U.S., it’s not an everyday occurrence. Thankfully, the vast majority of schools have never been affected. It’s also worth noting that the high rate of child deaths related to firearms is largely due to suicides. But yes, it’s a dark spot in the U.S., and there’s a lot of work to be done on that front. France is a beautiful country, especially if you live in the countryside, have some money (it helps if you're coming from the U.S. with some savings), or if you have a job that lets you keep working remotely with American clients at U.S. rates, etc. However, living like most French people- in very expensive cities, with a lot of insecurity and lack of civility, not much money, poorly paid jobs, no real career prospects, and toxic management-is a whole different reality. The Dordogne and the countryside near Bordeaux is a wonderful place (my grandparents lived there), but very few French people can afford to live there because there’s no work. That’s the reality too. I really enjoy your channel; it paints a beautiful picture of France, which is my country and one I love. But you're showcasing an experience that isn’t representative of most French people. You live in a highly preserved area, far from the chaos of big cities. Are you working in the French system? no, you are remote (I don't criticize but you don't have a full experience), It’s like retirees coming from the U.S.-yes, they have a comfortable U.S. pension, they benefit from France’s free healthcare, the much lower cost of living, and the chance to live in small, peaceful villages because they don’t need to commute hours to work. It’s a beautiful life, but that’s a certain part of France, far from what most French people experience. Most of the retirees in France live with less than 1000 euros, and this is not a lot... In short, France is a great country, but it has many problems specially around big city (like the US). The U.S. has a lot of issues too (I’ve been living there for eight years), but also many positives. Personally, I love the U.S., but I’m fortunate to live a very comfortable and sheltered life (similar to yours in France). So, I could also be super positive about my experience-but is that the reality for most Americans? Thanks to you both for the video and for your point of view !
Even in my old Florida they have now tolls and traffic stays the same. Here in my lovely Bretagne (Brittany) we do not have tolls (thanks to Anne de Bretagne) and traffic is smooth or non existance in my country town!! La vie est belle !!!
I had the same experience as you with the strawberries! Last year I had an american correspondant, and we went to the market together to eat lunch. We got some strawberries and I was like yeah they're not really great, but my american friend was all over it! When he talked back to me after returning, he was saying these were the best he ever tasted and will always be a great memory of when he came to France. I find it kind of wild and sad to not be able to find good-tasting fruits in your country
I don't like strawberries that much. Except the "wood strawberries"? "Fraise des bois" we call them. Very small, wild strawberries. THESE are good. But only these. We had found some in a forest back when we lived in Bordeaux and had made a garden with them. That was crazy good.
It's funny how parents try to make things better for their children but it doesn't always go they way we want it to. My grandparents tried to improve life for my parents, who subsequently did what they could to make my life easier/better, and I did the same for my son. I am absolutely positive this is the primary goal of parents all over the world, you want the best for your kids. When I first started school aged 4, my mother took me for the first week till I acclimatised to it. After that I was expected to get myself to school about a 10 minute walk away - this was normal for all of us. You had to cross severa major roads, but traffic was much lighter and the threat of abduction was non-existent. By the time my son went to high school they had a dedicated bus service to get kids there, and still do, but nowadays a lot of parents are driving their kids to school in large SUVs to prevent them being knocked over by other people driving their kids to school in SUVs. The result is that traffic pollution has greatly increased and low speed zones have been established outside most schools to prevent pupils from being knocked down by cars. As you can see, each generation making it easier for our children, but not neccessarily better overall.
I would love to see a 'caravan' of Americans crossing the border to France or any EU country to find what 'real life' feels like. There are even more items you could have put in your video, which I totally agree with. The school shootings are terrible and beyond comprehension but it's way worse. We are Dutch and have lived in Florida for a couple of years and so many people live in a permanent state of fear there. I'm glad to be back in The Netherlands, now enjoying a vacation and wine in the Alsace area in France.
"I would love to see a 'caravan' of Americans crossing the border to France or any EU country to find what 'real life' feels like." Feels like a reality TV hit in the making. But i doubt they will try something like that. They need people to come and stay there, in order to milk them.
We don't know where you are living in France, I spent 10 years in the Parisian suburbs and loved it. One has to be quite well acquainted with French tradition, if you want a good reception. The neighbors were demanding and constantly received pasted memes on my door. When I did the utmost to not do anything that bothered them. I love the veggies, fruits, breads and food, plus it's good to speak fluent French. I spent some years in Florida, and then it wasn't as congested, the road and bridges were great, a lot of great local produce sold by the side of the road, the people were really friendly and so my American and French experiences were equally lovely, though if I had I would live in France but am in the Middle East now. C'est magnifique que vous adorez la vie en France et que votre enfants sont en securite, ca compte enormement.
Politics: Larger towns have more than one poll place, and panels are available at every poll place. Otherwise spot on. Produce: Yep. It's wonderful. Before I visited France, I Had. No. Idea. that potatoes (!) could taste so good. Roads: I think your Mairie and/or Prefecture is paying more attention to roads than ours. I could show you some pretty impresive potholes. ;) School shootings/Guns in general: ....yeah.... This one is why my family and I don't live in the US. I simply won't tolerate putting my family through it. It's nice to see that other people have experienced what I have. When you live in the US, you wear an emotional suit of armor and walk around in denial about the fear of losing your children to a school shooting -- or any random shooting. But when you experience life in another country, you realise that the armor and the fear are unnecessary in a healthy society. And then it dawns on you how unhealthy US society is.
Bonjour! Excellent video, guys! As a future expat in a few years, I always look forward to your take on so many topics that are important to us. I would add that in addition to the constant fear of school shootings in the U.S., we also have to be concerned about walking into a supermarket, a Walmart, or even a movie theater. My husband and I have stopped 'going out' to see movies for this very reason. And btw... we both own guns. I even belong to a ladies sporting clays club. I'm sad to say that I believe the gun problem (shootings) in the U.S. is an irreversible problem at this point. The gun lobby is so powerful here that passage of any meaningful legislation in this arena seems impossible. Leaving behind guns in the U.S. and moving to a safer country is a no-brainer for us to enjoy living out our remaining years without fear of random shootings.
sorry to point the problem on school shootin again but since 1/1/2024 usa get a school shootin every ten days , in france we had only one school shooting since 1945 en the end of world war 2 sure we have violence in france but the scale is wild in the usa regulation are really needed over there
Yep. It's insane. 45 so far this year in the US as of Sept 2024. How can this be normal? Actually it's not, you just begin to get desensitized when something happens so often. But it is not normal and never should be.
French here. It is like when you hav a noisy neighbourg. Even when he doesn"t make noise, you are subconsciously worried of the moment he will start to be annoying. It is only when you move and spend a month in your new place that you finally relax and realise how stressed out you were. Little things can really poison one's life. Quite honestly, the things you point out are a mere few amongst the many reasons why i never want to go to the USA, even on vacations.
I understand all your points and agree with you. But I would add a comment. Being a foreigner in a country somehow automatically puts you in a bubble : You’re in … but not totally. I know. I’m a French living abroad for 25 years. I speak the language fluently, I’m fully integrated & my wife is local. But still … I am not immersed or even submersed by local politics, daily stress … the difference is the same as someone without a mobile phon🎉🎉e surrounded by people addicted to social medias.
Bonjour a vous deux je ne comprend pas l'anglais mais je vous adore vivement que vous parliez un peu français toujours de belles vidéos merci à vous et plein de bonheur dans notre beau pays si vous passer par le département de l'Allier 03 vous serez les bienvenus bon week-end
The drivers are better in France (other than tailgating), and the roads are so much quieter with all those small cars. (I think we saw one pickup truck in the whole two weeks we drove around France.)
Hi, regarding the pot holes on the roads, there is in France a national free website managed by the local autorities where you can signal through "geolacalisation" with your phone while you are driving (and if the application is open while you are driving) just by a push of a button, that will inform the people in charge of the roads maintenance, and usually they will take care of the problem quite rapidly. I don't remember the name of the App anymore because I do not drive very often, but I think you may ask your "Mairie". BTW I like your vlog very much, and because you have shown that you are clearly in the "Chocolatine" team, maybe you could also inform the anglo-saxon community about the culinary drama/comedy/wars still happening in Fance regarding some cooking/products/foods/names : - For the "Galette des Rois" (north) during the Wise Kings day vs the "Couronne aux fruits" (south) vs the "the couronne brioché au sucre" (south west). - And the use for bakery of the sweet butter (south west) vs the salted butter (Brittany). - And the oil cooking (south) vs the butter cooking in the north (cf: the wonderful very old movie "La cuisine au Beurre" 1963 with Fernandel). And not even mentionning all the other battles: Soccer (all France) vs Rugby( south and West of France) the wines, the breads, the salads, or the cheeses. Because they are all a case of Regional Sovereignty (Lol). Fortunately, as a foreigner, you will always be excused for not knowing the local culture. But if you are a french with another french born person, it can become quit ugly. I mean fishes thrown in your face, like in Asterix and Obelix.
😲😲😲😲 We had no idea about this pothole alert app!!! That's amazing!! 🤩 The video was too long, but there was a part we cut about not being able to figure out how the road crews seem to show up - even in the middle of nowhere - when it happens! And the names list...❤️ Thank you! We feel so lucky to have so many generous French viewers, you all teach us so much! 🥰
tellement vrai pour les spécialités régionales, je suis du sud de naissance mais vécu dans beaucoup de région et élevé dès le biberon à la cuisine du sud ouest (moitié basque moitié landaise de sang et fière de l'être !) que de joyeuses disputes avec mes amis. Team Chocolatine ici!
Left your video and I am now a new subscriber. We’re just returned from three weeks in France and noticed many of the things you discussed. Especially the flavors in the food! Can you do a video comparing the news media in France to that of the USA? I blame the news media for a lot of the problems that we deal with in the USA. The news media in the United States provides a 7 x 24 dog whistle to negativity.
My context is different, but you can be under much more stress or anxiety than you realise, and you only notice when you get respite from it and, in my case, go back to it.
Perhaps you could do a video about your vehicle(s) - when to rent vs buy, process of purchase, etc. Renting makes sense during a vacation or scouting trip, but suppose I buy a "lock & leave" with garage intending to spend less than 6 months/year? When does it make sense to have a scooter (plus licensure differences?) instead of a car?
du 13 🇫🇷 il est bon que l'on nous rappelle que nous sommes bien loti , je suis partie aux USA 1 mois en 1998...j'étais tellement heureuse de rentrer. surtout pour bien manger !
@@kathyacemoimoi l inverse j ai séjourné plusieurs fois aux USA dans les années 70 et 80 je ne voulais plus rentrer au pays. Mais les choses ont bien changé là bas aussi, je m ai plus envie de m y expatrier en dépit des graves problèmes français.😮
In the US there are only 2 parties that bounce each other. In France, they are about 24 parties banging so totally different game. Vive la différence !
I'm from Norway, and l find this video very educational. We value our free time like the French as well. That might be something we have in common in Europe, even though our cultures are very different. I think both Americans and Europeans can get a better understanding watching this, because it's very easy for us to call Americans stupid. But when you grow up with this, and don't get much input from other countries, it's easier to understand their way of thinking.
" it's very easy for us to call Americans stupid"
Yes indeed. That's because they are, as they proved yet again last week.
I moved to France with my wife and my daughter, and Number 4 is definitely up there for me, were I to make a list similar to yours. I think for me its shootings in general, but I will never forget how good it felt to go to a movie theatre in our town in France and just heave a big SIGH of relief and relaxation, knowing that the odds of someone coming into the theatre and shooting it up was no longer something that I had to worry about. It was so beautiful and sad at the same time. I suddenly realized that I had neither fully relaxed nor felt safe watching a movie at the theatre in America in YEARS. Great video, and cheers to the good life y'all have built.
Bro, you do realise there has been a lot of islamic terrorist attacks in France lately right ?
Il convient cependant de rappeler que le terrorisme islamiste existe. Bien que nous n'ayons pas eu ce genre de problème depuis 2015.
Perhaps related to this situation - you can let your daughter go to school on a bike or just walk, without having to worry too much.
Ok, nowhere is perfect land and accidents happen everywhere, but the overall risk is something that influences our daily lives.
When you realize that your child hasn't told about awareness drills with how to barricade doors or how to evacuate a classroom through a window for months or years - what a precious moment...
@@nox8730depuis 2015? Mais tu es au courant de l'actualité en France, amigo? En 2023, nous avons passé la barre des 1000 homicides par balle, nous sommes le pays d'Europe où il en a le plus en nombre, donc en proportion devant l'Allemagne et tous les autres.
120 attaques au couteau PAR JOUR en moyenne en France, ça te parle?
Faut arrêter avec la France par-ci, la France par-là; nous sommes loin d'être un exemple. Et ne parlons pas des profs égorgés en plein jour.
Ils sont gentils, les deux là, mais ils en sont encore à la lune de miel avec la France. Qu'ils viennent à Marseille par exemple et ils verront autre chose...s'ils veulent bien ouvrir les yeux.
I have a very vivid memory when travelling across the US. We had been using the long distance buses/coaches - and had numerous minor "incidents" around us, including one shooting and the police stopping the bus to pull the perp off. Every time we crossed the boarder into Canada it was like a weight lifting from us. The constant sense of threat was the weight removed.
Welcome in france again, everything is not perfect here, by far, but we are so lucky to be there
Exactement. On a tendance à l'oublier, mais nous vivons dans un pays exceptionnel.
The main problem with the us is that instead of guns being a tool for hunting and shooting sports, guns are now a lifestyle/ political statement. I was a republican and am a veteran, and remember when we used to show up to school with a shotgun in the back window after hunting before school (pre columbine),no problems. It all went nuts when the nra became a pac for arms manufacturers instead of being a group to support sportsman. A little over 2 years in france now, i hate going back to visit the us. Luckily, this year, most of the family are coming to visit us.
Well said (unfortunately).
The biggest thing about violence is that we have mental health issues as a nation, alas.
The main problem with the US is the culture. It's a consumer culture where work is precarious. There are no guarantees like with healthcare and worse yet, health insurance is covered primarily by your employer. Everyone dreams of being a rent seeker in order to seek stability for themselves by exploiting others. There is no common goal amongst the citizens except to participate in the markets. Corporations dictate the culture through advertising and media, encouraging individualism and the eradiation of family relationships. The gun violence is just a symption of a neurotic, self-obsessed society full of greed, lust and desperation.
@@SurpriseMeJT Well said. I wouldn't classify the US as a "first world" country, as long it suffers from what you are describing. What's horrifying is that it's contagious and spread like a disease.
@@nathanjustus6659 do you think mental health issues are unique to USA? People in other countries have mental health issues but they cannot easily acquire guns.
In lived in the US for 5 years before moving to France 20 years ago. I remember being completely chocked when I went to the pharmacy for the first time with a prescription and my Carte Vital and the pharmacist gave me all the medications and when I asked him how much should I pay his answer was… well nothing….
We don't really get medications for free. They're being paid by the social healthcare and complementary insurances that each worker mandatory contributes through direct levies on salary. It is notably great to be able to get urgent medical care in hospital without being worried about the price.
The main drawback is that we, french people, have a tendency to forget that medical care has a high cost and that they are paying for it, but not directly. I think, MDs and pharmacists should present an invoice showing the amounts paid by healthcare and insurances in order for us to see the medical care cost and the reason for our extremely high levies on salary.
@@gillesgambier2202There is sort of wealth that is not seen. If you need it: you're lucky 'cause you have it, if don't need it you're lucky 'cause you're healthy :-)
And the money is in the loop, because not everyone has to save for eventual expenses.
The underlying mistake many countries make about traffic is what's the called the theory of perceived capacity. In other words, if drivers perceive that a road, whether it's a small lane or an 8-lane highway has the capacity to help them get to where they want to go quicker, then they take it. So, paradoxically another laneway will always just mean more cars, not the same number of cars going faster. The trick, and this is the unpalatable bit for lots of places to accept, is to realise that discouraging people from using their cars is the best and only way to reduce traffic - along with the provision of very high quality public transport.
@sserptoh Absolutely true. Improvements to roads actually induce more demand.
My wife and I had been considering moving to France for several years. (We've both lived "outside" before, so, we know part of the drill.) The funny part is that just the other day, we were talking about the "little" things that drew us there. All four of your items were on the list.
For the record, we've been to France seven times over the years. My first visit was to Paris in 1968, just in time to catch the tail end of the demonstrations. That was quite an adventure!
As a french, i have one advice: learn french. We would welcome pretty much any decent person, except those who don't learn the language. Regards.
@@nox8730 Thank you sincerely for the input. I've been studying French for several years My wife and I love the language and the culture. Sadly, I am in my later years and malentendant, so I have trouble hearing French in conversation. On the bright side, I read French at a high level. For example, I've read all of Flaubert, most of Camus, a few books by Michel Pastaureau and too many other novels and volumes of French poetry to list. We love Prevert, Apollinaire, Hugo and so many others. French literature is addicting!
@@thistlenstar Oh Prévert.
L'amiral Larima,
Larime à quoi?
La rime à rien.
L'amiral Larima,
L'amiral Rien.
J'ai lu ça quand j'étais gamin, je ne l'ai jamais oublié.
Je n'aime pas lire. J'ai toutefois lu du Flaubert, du Zola, du Balzac. "Les Trois Mousquetaires", de ce cher Alexandre, ainsi que sa suite, "Vingt ans après", que j'ai eu le plaisir de lire sur une édition originale de 1850. Bien sûr, Camus, "La Chute". J'ai en revanche détesté "L'espoir" de Malraux, sur la Guerre d'Espagne. Mon seul 'espoir' en l'occurrence était de voir le calvaire s'achever. Littérature et poésie ne peuvent être approchées à travers une traduction. Telle est ma conviction. A part ça...
Je comprends bien que tu sois à la retraite. Mon père était avec les flics sur les barricades en 68. L'âge est un facteur qui peut compter, et c'est une circonstance atténuante. Mais la vie ne s'arrête pas à 80 ans. Nous vivons aujourd'hui une époque où 80 ans est encore l'âge des projets. Ma mère étudie présentement l'égyptologie à l'université. La France permet ce genre de chose.
Si tu as des soucis avec ton ouïe, sache que ça arrive à d'autres. Préviens ton interlocuteur. Je ne sais quel soins tu reçois aux USA, mais je n'ai jamais croisé quiconque de malentendant avec qui je ne pouvais discuter. En toutes choses, la bonne volonté est la valeur qui prime, et celle qui est la plus à même d'ouvrir des portes. La perfection n'est qu'un absolu. Démontrer que l'on y tend est ce qui donne de la valeur à l'effort. Je ne doute pas que malentendant ou non, des opportunités s'offrent à toi pour faire valoir ton français et nouer des liens en France. Ne parler qu'en anglais ne pourvoiera que des relations superficielles. En particulier quand on considère notre passé troublé avec l'Angleterre et les USA.
A chacun sa paroisse, bien sûr, mais je demeure de ceux qui pensent que le voyage ne peut révéler ses vertus qu'à travers la rencontre avec les locaux. Aucun château, jardin ou monument n'aura jamais vraiment de sens si l'on ne comprend pas les us de ceux qui les ont créés.
Amicalement.
@@nox8730 Merci pour cette aimable réponse. Je vais bientôt recevoir une aide auditive. La difficulté majeure est la peur de se perdre lors d'une conversation. Mais je vais y travailler!
J'ai adoré "Germinal" et "La Chute". Avec "La Chute", j'ai terminé le livre et j'ai immédiatement recommencé à le relire. Quant à Dumas, je n'ai lu que le premier livre de "La Dame de Monsoreau" et la moitié du deuxième livre. C'était une lecture agréable, mais j'ai décidé de lire "Notre Dame de Paris" à la place. Maintenant, je suis à quelques centaines de pages dans "Les Misérables". Souhaitez-moi bonne chance!
Nous avons voyagé en France sept fois au fil des ans, nous allons, principalement pour être là, acheter de la nourriture sur les marchés, cuisiner, nous promener et rencontrer des gens quand nous le pouvons.
Tchinn Tchinn!
Gun violence is the number one problem in the US for me, pure non sense. I'm French and I'm glad to hear that you are feeling safe and happy in our country.
En France, on a pas d'armes a feu mais du coup, on a le droit aux attaques au couteau ! 😂 ils se sentent en sécurité car ils vivent à la campagne (encore un peu épargnée)
@@safedreams6241 , la criminalité reste trés largement inférieur chez nous, aucne comparaison, les chiffres sont publiques sur le web. D'ailleurs, la France n'est pas plus criminalisé que la majorité du reste de l'Europe de l'ouest, la aussi les chiffres sont disponible. Trop de mauvaise presse sur la France qui sont absolument fausse dans la majorité des cas.
L’argent toujours l’argent mais j’ose à croire que ça ne va pas tarder aussi en France.
@@patricevialle
Crime is local. The US spans a continent. Some US States have lower gun violence rates than some Western European countries. Some US cities rank as some of the most homicidal on earth. France has similar contrasts, though perhaps less dramatic.
America IS marketing, IS advertisement, IS selling...thus the US advertising of politics.
#4 is the one that stands out the most for me. Yesterday half of my daughters school was absent due to threats to the schools in our county. I kept my daughter home but my other daughter is a teacher in that school and she went in to work. I was scared all day. they did apprehend the 15 yr old among others making the threats before they were acted on. Thank goodness. I feel guilty daily sending her to school. During covid i was relieved because she homeschooled. I think about moving to France daily especially since i went to visit for the first time in April. a 40 year dream for me. I love how you cover so much about everyday life there, especially with a middle school aged daughter. just like mine. Maybe one i day i can make it there and maybe even be your neighbor. lol. Thank you for this channel. I love it. My favorite TH-cam channel ever. God bless your family
Ugh, I'm so sorry about yesterday. I remember that feeling. It was why I got so emotional talking about it. Thanks for watching and good luck with move to France plans! ❤️
@@BaguetteBound I noticed you tearing up. Thanks for the kind words. Means a lot to me. I will get there. Planning ahead just like you did.
We don t know that kind of problem in Belgium too. Sorry for US citizens, I ve been there many times before. Greetings from Belgium🇧🇪🍀🍀🍀
The grass ain't greener on the other side of the Pond, my friend. This country is NOT what you imagine it in your daydreams.
The average salary for instance is 20k A YEAR. 20k, you'll be considered poor in the US.
From a Frenchie.
@@lioneldemun6033 fais des études,
When I do make that move to France I will have everything in order. Thanks to your episodes. Lots of love from Tennessee
I absolutely don't want to scare you or whatever, but please ne ready for some problems. Be chill. No matter how well préparés you are, pour administration is a nightmare. And it is very slow. You need to accept it before you arrive. But in any case, welcome ! Enjoy, have fun. Bé happy ❤
No country is perfect, but the States seems particularly broken. Things are far from perfect in the UK, but the projected division we hear about America makes me grateful for where I am (and also for next to no money, I can jump on a plane and be in a different country in no time). Politics and religion have a lot to answer for.
If you think that France is not broken... you have no idea. The country is beyond repair. Wait a couple of years...
C'est bien que vous abordiez des sujets sensibles sans faire exprès de les laisser de côté. C'est + authentique et honnête, toujours un plaisir de vous écouter !
Hope you don't mind me mentioning my home country of the UK. It might be interesting for you to compare.
We had a school shooting in Dunblane, Scotland in 1996 when sixteen very young children aged five and six and one teacher were murdered by a madman with a gun. The country was utterly traumatised. I clearly remember listening to a radio report from there when I was in a traffic jam and feeling the tears running down my face. When I looked across, the man in the car next to me was crying too.
Gun laws were then toughened in terms of the types of gun you could buy, where you kept them, why you wanted them, the method of getting a licence and monitoring of owners etc etc. Contrary to what many Americans think guns were not banned completely. They were tightly controlled. But these laws were quickly introduced and have never been challenged. We have not had a single school shooting in the 28 years since then.
Contrast that with the way the USA reacted to equally small children being murdered in Sandy Hook and count the school shootings since. It makes terrifying reading. It's in the hundreds.
I couldn’t agree with this list more. I’m sure you could go on and on, if you wanted to. I can’t wait to taste that fresh fruit when I’m visiting next month,
Thanks for the video!
Lol, yes, we had to cut ourselves off.
Hope you time here is lovely!
Side note, don't forget to being a jacket or an umbrella. It's been training lately. Sorry. But no matter what thé weather is, have fun, enjoy your stay.
It's interesting to see that you find French roads in good conditions because a lot of French people complain about them and how better they were 30 years ago. The local governments (département) have often budget difficulties to maintain the rural roads. And, nowadays with climate change, there are a lot more of floodings and landslides destroying roads.
That said, the first time I went to the US (long time ago, 1985) I was shocked, driven by my American friend on a major New Jersey highway, when we hit such a nasty pothole that I thought we had lost a wheel...
I wish I had a euro for everytime someone French tells me "you think it's good?? It was so much better 30 years ago!". I'm really beginning to be curious about France in the early 90's. 😂 And I was shocked just now to realize that yes, 1994 was indeed 30 years ago. 😳
@@BaguetteBound Maybe, it's because we love so much to complain ! 😀
@gsbeak we've realized complaining together is a form of bonding in France. 😅
But I also sometimes think that it's great in a way, because it's means French don't just accept things "that's how it is", where as we Americans are kind of like "Make the best of it! Be positive!" Even when in the case of the school shoots for example we should be in the streets like (I think) the French would be!
@@BaguetteBound I don't remember who said this, but here it is: "France is a paradise full of people who pretend they live in hell".
I was in Quebec last year, my first time in North-America, the road condition was really shocking to me. I believe every country/state/province is different in that regard but nevertheless, I've never seen this out of NA. I can confirm there is still a gap. My other frequent complaint was about how confusing direction signage on the highway could be.
Ugh. I feel ya about the gun safety issue. There was a lot of anxiety around guns in the US, and really violence in general. For us, as a half African American family, we had the additional anxiety of being targeted due to race - particularly my son who is neurodiverse and an African American male. That has, frankly, been one of the biggest sighs of relief we have had since being here - we do not feel the type of "otherness" that we'd felt in the US for our whole lives.
Also, when we met our Mairie a few days ago, he told us the cost certain aspects of keeping up our village roads and water system - there seemed to be full transparency about where our taxes were going. In the US, I NEVER EVER knew what my taxes were paying for. Ever.
Living in France is certainly a learning experience for us everyday, but if the extent of our stress is struggling through a conversation with the water company in our district (as opposed to worrying that one of my children might be gunned down in the streets of the US), then the slight discomfort of assimilation into this wonderful new culture is well worth it.
Hello @tracymartin-wray2491 👋 Your family sounds similar to mine in many ways! I have so many questions especially re ND kids and your move. Please reach out to me if you can! It's a wonderful and wise thing you have moved to France. But I sure need to do more research. Merci!!
I see that you use some cryptic words that i don't quite understand as a french: "neurodiverse" or "otherness", amongst others. We don't have this kind of censorship in France. I don't even know if such words are used at all. My advice is to forgo the reliance on that kind of thing as soon as possible. Or you will probably get offended over nothing sooner rather than later. Better prevent this from happening. A good advice is to learn the french way and the french language as soon as possible, if you don't already know it. I have worked with incapacitated kids and some had neurological problems. In France, these kids go to normal schools and get workers like me to support their inclusion with other kids. In my case, i was the teacher, too, since the "main" teacher" simply didn't have the time to handle everything. And so, i had to adapt and find solutions myself. Creating new words is not what brings solutions or a decent life to human beings, according to us. You may not be understood if you bring your vocabulary from the USA. And we don't like little boxes. For the record, i have a TDAH problem. The kids i took care of were autists and kids that suffered from neurological damages. Still, i am a french guy, and they were french kids. Period. Regards.
@nox8730 thank you for the insight! However, I think you may have misunderstood my meaning. What I was saying about France is that we no longer feel beholden to those labels like we did in the US. It's nice just to live our lives as humans without the excess baggage, including unnecessary labels! 😊
@@tracymartin-wray2491 Ah... Sorry, my bad ^^. Seems like i misunderstood indeed. While i read all those americanisms, i started to worry that you may misunderstand what France is all about :) Ouf !
I have to say the video was so smooth, wow, very talented youtubers and perfect duo 👍
We just had a gun threat at our high school this week. Lots of parents kept kids home.
It’s insane.
Great video!
It is insane. There's no other word for it at this point.
We have been following you for about a year now in preparation for our own move to France. We finally made it here a few weeks ago, one department over from you. Loving our new life. Thanks for the entertainment and information.
Greetings from Cognac!
Congrats!!
From a fellow European (Germany) - welcome 😃
We do need people who want to share our culture and values!
Enjoy France!
Alcoholic beverages are not good for your health. 😅😅
After having spent 3 weeks in Brittany in March/April, I can no longer be bothered with the garbage we call produce at the supermarket here in the US.
What you call "produce", french people just call it "food" 😉
As a French person I didn't think that this horrible phenomenon of shootings in schools was something so "engaging", it is absolutely terrible for parents. I raised 4 children but I never thought for a single second that such a tragedy could happen in a public or private school here in France. Poor people.😢
It is a constant concern here in the US. Fortunately, both my children have graduated from college but that doesn't mean we don't worry about them especially since they both live in large American cities.
@@steveh46 But where does this violence come from? Is this violent and anarchic "pioneer spirit"? This cult of violence in Hollywood films? These violent religious sects? Seen from Europe, North American civilization has completely lost its way.
You should be more worried about Samuel Paty like incidents in your schools.
@@aimmethod But we are very vigilant and thank God it affects adults, not children.
@@aimmethod Problem is: Samuel Paty is a tragedy that happens once a decade in France. Actually, it happened only twice in modern history. In the USA there is a Samuel Paty every week. Enough that the media and the people do not care to mention them anymore. But don't worry: we DO think about him indeed. He is not forgotten. And we have expectations in relation to that. It is not about saying "poor him" and then forgetting about it the next day. As may be the case elsewhere.
French here, regarding the #4
It's not that there isn't any school violence, last one was in april. But the scope is soo different!
The last school violence happened yesterday, a teacher was threatened with death by a 15 yo pupil. You are lying.
Ça depend où t'es... la racaille de cités qui ne vient pas des EU apporte la violence. Mais bon... pour un gauchiste, c'est juste cool.
There was a uni shooting in Prague too. It happens once in a decade
@@lioneldemun6033yeah ... Words vs machine guns that kill dozens of people in e few seconds. Not really thé same though. Fireatms are the leading cause of death for kids end teens in the US. Crime rate in the US is 5,6. Almost 5 times what it is in France (1,2)
We are hoping to take an early retirement and move over there in the next few years, and your channel in particular is making it harder and harder to put it off. Especially the comments about school gun violence (and gun violence in general) really hit home to me. I love every one of your videos - thanks for them.
Our country is not a paradise. When i was in middle school, in the 90's, was the time when we tried to make roms sociable. Result was: one kid got backstabbed. Many others and even teachers were hurt. Because when a 12 years old kid went and punched you out of nowhere, if you dared say anything, his "big brothers" were going to wait for you outside the school. Roms' way. Plus, even without this, in the normal classes, our spanish teacher ended up locked up in a cabinet every year starting in April (she was so, so small...). And so, she stopped coming to school in march. One english teacher was bullied hard. Bullying was a thing. And mind you, this was meant to be in the "rich" suburb of Bordeaux, not in a ZEP or ZUP.
My advice is to watch contradictory videos and testimonies that crap hard on my country. Hopefully, they will be based. Because many are not. But still, better that than hoping for a paradise that doesn't exist. Last thing, if you come anyway, make sure to adhere to french ways and values (which are fundamentally different, and oftentimes, opposed to USA values) and to absolutely learn the french language. Or you won't have have a good time. Hopefully, these warnings will be helpful to some. Regards.
J'avais conscience que les armes représentaient un problème à l'école aux Etats-Unis, mais votre émotion me montre à quel point c'est omniprésent dans la tête des parents. Cette crainte au quotidien doit être un calvaire. Les français ont parfois un regard critique sur les armes aux US, mais on oublie souvent de penser à celles et ceux qui les subissent avant de penser à celles et ceux qui les utilisent... Content que vous puissiez avoir l'esprit tranquille, ici.
Même réaction que vous. Et plus étonnée encore de l'importance du pourcentage des morts d'enfants.
Oui enfin ça se gâte en France, hein…
@@kath6720faut arrêter 2 secondes de dire n’importe quoi… la situation en France n’a rien à voir avec celle des USA, même si bien sûr tout est loin d’être parfait!
on a jamais l'esprit tranquille quand on est parent, même au Bhoutan
ça dépend apparemment des états mais je me souviens d'une étudiante américaine quand jétudiais qui a flippé quand on était chez Mcdo et que deux personnes se sont engueulées.
L'une delle a sorti son téléphone de sa poche pour commencer à filmer et elle a cru que c'était une arme à cause du geste et s'est jetée par terre de peur.
C'était assez dingue, on penserait JAMAIS à ça ici mais elle a expliqué qu'au Texas là d'ou elle venait, son père a été blessé à cause d'une telle altercation.Pas de morts heureusement mais uniquement parce que l'autre a tiré comme un pied et a regretté son juste après.
C'est fou franchement.
I never say that I'm proud to be French because I'vent choose it : only chance wanted me to be born in this place on planet earth. But I am happy to be French because I know how lucky we are to live in this country. The problem is that many French people are not aware of this luck: we always complain about everything, as if we lived in the worst place on earth! That's why hearing foreign people, especially Americans, talk about France is comforting and instructive. It reminds me of this sentence by Chateaubriand, a great French writer: when I look at myself I am sorry, when I compare myself I am consoled.
C'est une question de perspective. Moi je préfère voir ceux qui font mieux plutôt que ceux qui font pire. En dix ans notre bien-être en a pris un coup grâce à ceux qui nous gouvernent et laissent des "mineurs" immigrés illégaux livrés à eux-mêmes nous pourrir la vie en soirée. Venez sortir à Rennes ou Nantes par exemple et vous aurez la boule au ventre jusqu'à la porte de votre chez-vous.
Coluche disait "Je suis content d'être français. D'abord parce que je suis français et qu'ensuite j'aime bien être content!"
No where is perfect, but as an Englishman when I think of the greatest countries on Earth, I believe France is one of the very best places.
Love you guys - really happy you live your best life In France !
Thanks again for your videos where I discover each time themes that I would not have even imagined like that of worrying about school shootings. I think that the majority of French people have never seen a gun outside of American series! The only weapon that we know is the hunting rifle with lead cartridges that can only be used with a hunting license and only a few weeks a year.
I'm so happy it's this way in France. I grew up in a place where I could decide on the spur of the moment to go get milk and a handgun literally at the same store. It's often easier to buy a gun than get a drivers license depending on the state.
@@BaguetteBound Avez vous dû passer le permis de conduire français ?
Même pour un français, ce n' est pas facile à obtenir et j' ai l' impression, l' intuition que le permis de conduire amléricain est beaucoup plus facilement délivré aux US que le permis de conduire français aux français vue l' absence ou le manque de transports collecttifs qui priveraient l' industrie américaine de main d' oeuvre sans autonomie automobile pour le peuple.
Un peu comme les armes à feu coté industriel mais pour d' autres raisons.
La France a une administration beaucoup plus lourde et importante dans ce pays et ça se voit dans la règlementation pour cadrer son citoyen à tout moment.
Avec le permis de conduire légal en France à partir de 17 ans, vous pourriez certainement 1 an ou 2 avant cet anniversaire inscrire votre fille à l' auto école dans le cadre de la Conduite Accompagnée.
C' est important parce que le coût de l' assurance automobile pour un jeune qui souhaite conduire & obtient son permis de conduire par la procédure d' apprentiissage de la conduite accompagnée ne contient pas de malus financier Jeune Conducteur pour cette dernière ce qui est intéressant à tout point de vue comme vérifier en tant que parent qu' elle conduit en sécurité et peut être aurons nous le droit à un sujet vidéo de votre part sur cette expérience, ce sujet d' apprentissage de la conduite automobile à la française ....
Vos vidéos me rappellent ma chance en tant que français du fait pour moi de vivre en France et je ne peux que vous en remercier surtout quand on connait l' esprit râleur des français.
Je me rappelle de mon patron français qui a emmené un jour sa famille à Disneyland en Floride.
Devinez ...???
Convois de patrouille de police pour les protéger de l' aéroport jusqu' à leur hôtel à Disneyland ....
Comme vous dites : insane.
Je reste quand même médusé quand je vois, j' entends encore des français rêver d' aller vivre aux Etats Unis.
Merci pour votre vidéo ! J'ai toujours beaucoup de plaisir à vous regarder parce que je vous apprécie beaucoup! J'espère surtout que vous et votre fille serez heureux en France et ne serez pas déçus ! Thank you for your video! I always have a lot of fun watching you because I appreciate you very much! I especially hope that you and your daughter will be happy in France and will not be disappointed!
Merci!! And we will look for your TV show recommendations. 🙂
@@BaguetteBound 🥰En ce qui concerne le fait de manger des légumes et fruits de saison, c'est une volonté, je pense que la plupart d'entre nous avons pris conscience que c'était mieux pour le goût et pour l'écologie. As far as eating seasonal vegetables and fruits is concerned, it's a will, I think that most of us have become aware that it is better for the taste and for the ecology.
@@BaguetteBound Pour Noel et Nouvel an, pour les fêtes de fin d'année, on peut trouver certains fruits hors saison dans les grands magasins comme carrefour, par exemple des framboises, fraises, myrtilles For Christmas and New Year, for the end of year celebrations, you can find some out-of-season fruits in department stores such as Carrefour, for example raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
I found you guys through the BI article and immediately subscribed. Interesting and inspiring. Thank you for sharing.
I always enjoy your videos. This one really hits me. I am so overwhelmed by the politics now. And your comments about school shootings! I don't have kids in school anymore - eventually I will have grandkids in school, but also in general society the danger is there. Anybody who is upset or having a bad day can just pull out a gun. This is crazy.
Bravo!
Believe it or not, all decent countries in the world are like France.
Our friend just came back from the US after a 2 week stay, she said that fruits and vegetables are out of price and everything is way richer in sugar and fat.. She came back craving for veggies
Je pense que votre amie attend un heureux événement😮
@@PascalDupont-ft7hd peu de chance 😅
France is now your country. Enjoy our beautiful country 🇫🇷
Tell me please, can someone make a living with €1500 net income per month in France? Thank you
@@Vladimir-o8z not an American by any means 😆
@@Vladimir-o8z Hello , yes you can, but it is really the minimum to live comfortably in a small to medium sized city.
@@stephanejacq1416 Thank you!
@@Vladimir-o8zOne of the main problems in France is the cost of housing. With a net income of €1,500, it’s preferable either not to live in a large city where this cost can be prohibitive or to share expenses as a couple. But even with a combined net income of €3,000, you shouldn’t expect too much when it comes to becoming a homeowner, at least in a large city.
Some main reasons were leaving the USA next year! Also, totally agree on the produce and the European quality blows us away! I talked about it on a little poorly made YT vid I made.
Also, yes, we don't want our daughter to go through shelter in place shooting drills. So off we go
That video is great! The pacing is good and your b-roll edits were great. I just saw it this week and thought it must really be a thing for us Americans woth the produce because we had included it in this video too!
Thanks for watching, good luck with you moving plans!
@@BaguetteBound aw thanks 🙏 for the well wishes and checking it out!
Brave post guys! Well done!
Stuff that needed to be said and things that those of us as Americans living in France, all notice and embrace.
Even if you don’t have children, the chances of being gunned down in America at say, a Walmart, are astronomically higher than the rest of the world. Always reminds me of that Onion article on this very subject; how it’s “inevitable”, yet it’s the only western democracy it happens in.
The bit on the French roads was so spot on. We are in Minervois & Corbieres wine country in the Languedoc. Even the teeniest of wine roads, which we traversed today, meant for tractors and occasional vehicles, has nary a pothole. The infrastructure here is just eons better than the states. And they’ve semi-privatized the road system so I just don’t get why America can’t keep up 😮
More vlogs please!!! I’m addicted to your channel🤓
This is all great stuff. Thank you so much for your wonderful videos. My husband and I are saving up money so we can move to Nice. It makes the time go faster for us, being able to watch your videos. Thank you.
Great video. I thought for sure healthcare would make the list. How so many of us are locked into our jobs because the cost of healthcare is so outrageous. Not to mention toxic almost 24 hour a day work culture and expectations from companies with the fear of losing your job Nonstop
100 percent healthcare, but we knew (and were excited about) that coming here. This video we wanted to talk about the things that have made bigger impacts in quality of life than we expected.
Omg, USA work culture. That's a whole other video we need to make.
Thanks for watching.
I've lived in Seattle for the last 33 years. I've been planning my exit to France for some time. Just ran across your video and to my surprise, the issues you bring up in it about life in the USA are spot on and, virtually the same I encounter here. Although I have a few more. And as time goes by, the issues are getting worse. I'll be checking out the Bordeaux region in the next few months. I'm done with the U. S.
Bienvenue en France 🇫🇷 ❤
If you come here, learn french. Not just a few words. Mandatory for both your own sake and that of others. Regards.
@@nox8730 I am multilingual with 4 languages on my back (or in my head?) and have a solid knowledge of French. I expect to be fully fluent within six months.
@@restrepoje That's impressive. I myself only know 3 languages. And even then, one is beyond rusted for not using it at all (spanish). This is the reason why i use the english internet: in order not to forget whatever i learned in my 3rd language (english).
In this case, if you have good bases in french, the fastest way to learn would be to come here.
@@nox8730 I guess I was lucky to grow up multilingual. Born in the USA in a Spanish speaking environment. Lived In Germany where I did most of my high school in German, and later picked up Portuguese. My German now is rusty, and living in France I would have a N opportunity to visit Germany often to regain my fluency. You are at 3 languages, which would make it a lot easier to acquire a fourth language.
Good video. The point about food is very local specific. Whole foods has good produce (yes, expensive). Our town also has weekly farmers markets. The schools shootings hit hard.
One thing helpfull in France, and all over Europe, is public transportation. You can easily live without a car like I do and go everywhere, including in holidays. This summer, I went in holidays to Zagreb by train, from my hometown of Grenoble, and it was great. Having not to take car of a car, besides the obvious cost of ownership, is also something that gives me tranquility.
hery guys, I hope you didn't " discover" how important food is in France !! French love food , love talking about it and eating it of course, and once you finished your meal very often there is one saying and what are we going to cook or eat next , meaning tomorow ! In France we eat season vegetables and fruits, and we hate water tasting stuff ! it's got to be tasty, and it is most of the time -
left DFW in 2011 for NZ. the parallels in our experiences and perceptions here and yours in france are interesting to say the least
In 354 days we're moving to Toulouse and I wish it was yesterday. This video is exactly why we want out of this crazy place. I drive over the road currently and my nirvana is never driving a motor vehicle ever again. Thanks for the content, keep it up! ✌🏻💚
Toulouse a great town.... lot of sun, Rugby, good foods, etc...... but be aware it's not a small town compared to a village... So point #2 (traffic jam) shound be here for you...
I get it, I have literally, documented, over a million miles behind the wheel. We moved to the sw of France 2 years ago. Driving is pleasurable again. Especially moving from the east coast. Toulouse has a decent amount of traffic, but, a half hour out of the city on a weekday, you can find yourself alone on the road. Secondary roads at least. Even better in the mountains. Good luck.
Welcome in Toulouse soon then :)
😨 Be very careful in Toulouse! 🧐There's a dangerous drug circulating in that region called "le cassoulet". it is extremely addictive and will turn you into a fatty in no time. 😱 Another dangerous drug are the candied violet petals: filthily addictive! 😰A bon entendeur, salut!🙈🙉🙊 Caveat! Caveat! Caveat! 😎
@sebydocky5080 we picked Toulouse because it's a city and has great public transportation. We are retiring early so won't need to commute to and from work.
Great video as usual. I was many times to visit old Belgians friends in Ks,NM and Texas...Be happy in your new country. Greetings from Belgium🇧🇪🍀🍀🍀
To be fair, it's gridlock in any major US city. But, that isn't the case in rural areas. I've lived in DC, Denver, & close to Los Angeles. Traffic was one of the reasons I couldn't wait to leave DC and Denver. I would love to live in France! I love your videos - and if it weren't for my son and his family, I would leave the US in a New York second. The gun violence is deplorable and so are the politicians that refuse to make them less accessible. Women have to go through a more stringent pipeline for our reproductive health than people do to buy a gun!
Omg, another thing that's nuts. 🤦♀️
It's very similar in Canada, once an election is called it can take no more than 37 or up to 51 days, that is it. You receive your voter registration in the mail and on the days listed you go an vote, in and out in less than 5 minutes. There are so many polling places to vote, one even in our condo, we just had to take the elevator downstairs and vote or you can do it ahead of time, just as easy. We see more American politics on our TV than Canadian.
One thing about road condition in France is that when there's a pothole, there's usually someone calling the mayor about it. Nowadays, you can facebook chat the mayor's office about it. Of course some areas still have bad roads, it really depends. Some areas in Paris are pretty bad. But regarding highways, yeah I've been 4 times in the US and it's pretty bad compared to Europe. France and Italy have tolls, so plenty of money to take care of the roads. Compare to Germany which has no tolls, you'll see the difference. However, even freeways in France are in quite good condition compared to the US. From my trips though I found that the South West (Utah, Arizona, Cali) has worse roads than the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington) or New England (Maine, Masschussets). So it can't be just the harsh winters, and anyway the french Alps have really great roads for the most part. I haven't driven in Texas yet. What I hate is the weird concrete highways in the US, as opposed to asphalt in Europe. Asphalt is easier to repair, and gives a smoother ride. But it's not as durable, and requires more greenhouse gases to produce. The issue is that in the US, yeah concrete is twice as durable, but harder to repair, and they do not repair it...
Clear headed, articulate thank you
I kinda of agree on most things you mentioned, I love everything in France, especially the night life in Paris, it doesn't have to be in a night club,even TV is entertaining, the only thing I don't like is the concierge in my building 😅😅...!!!
Hi Raina and Jason. After watching some of your great videos, I feel like all French people should watch them to stop constantly criticizing their country (a French national sport that you’ll probably make a video about one day!). It’s really well done, very educational, and it’s very interesting for a French person to see this perspective from across the Atlantic. It really puts a lot of things into perspective regarding the complaints we might have about our country. In short, it’s very instructive for a French person! Thank you, and you are more than welcome... to your home!
oh wow ! so refreshing to hear you guys speaking about my country and having this sense of essential things. About roads : you have a strong point and this is one of the reasons people pay so much taxes. In Eastern Europe the road can be so poor...
What you omitted about the roads in France are the numerous speed bumps on roads, even major ones. Then the copious number of roundabouts which make traffic move more easily.
The thing that makes Europe better in every way? Health is wealth.
Concerning the sustainment of the roads, it all depends on their category. If it's a road in the city, it's managed by the municipality, a departementale road is taken care of by the Conseil Départemental, the State takes care of the nationales and non-conceided autoroutes and private companies handle the rest of the autoroutes when the State sold them the responsability of managing them (which is a big topic of discussion here as we feel like we sold these for a low price and these companies keep making tons of money on our back).
It's not unusual to see this kind of separation in France, for example you can see it with the scholar system: maternelles and primary schools are handled by municipalities, collèges by the Conseils Départementaux, lycées by the Conseils Régionaux and public universities by the State.
With all respect, explain to me how you had a "great life" in Houston. There is a huge difference between standard of living and quality of life, and the two are often confused or even equated.
I have spent a lot of time in Houston, and as big cities go, it's pretty good, but it pales in comparison to the lifestyle in France and many other European countries. Heck, I think it's worth moving to France just for the bread and cheeses ;-). I sincerely hope that France can keep what it has.
On the opposite side, we were so much surprised at how bad the road conditions can be in Houston, TX when we moved there from France 😆
Huge potholes on so many roads (even worse on the right lane, including on major connections like Westheimer Rd) + every kind of stuff (bits of tires mostly) to be found on highways.
Lol, I just read that to Jason and he laughed and said "oh my gosh! Westhiemer! How is it some of the most important road in the city are the worst????".
@@BaguetteBound Haha! The infamous (but great) Westheimer road 😆
And on top of that, I was mostly riding on bus line 82 (I know, using public transport is considered the weirdest thing in Houston), which is the best way to enjoy potholes 😅
I've lived in France for more than 25 years. Every time I go back to the States, I feel like I have to eat twice as much just to feel that I've ingested enough nutrition. The best part of living here is the respect the French (I'm French now too) have for food.
I will NEVER move back to the US. It is so much better in Europe. Agree with all your points
In my visits to France, the lack of politicking 24/7 was noticeable and fucking refreshing!!! and absolutely WONDERFUL to never have to worry about gun violence.
Thanks for this perspective even though some of them made me sad to think about.
As an American who has travelled to France several times, this video really hit home. We're considering buying property in France, as a vacation property, just to be able to visit and travel a couple months out of the year. My wife is a high school teacher and there are gun threat lockdowns at her school several times a year. We still have one daughter in high school and it's something she lives with as well. Also, traffic absolutely sucks in this country, not to mention how crappy and expensive the produce is. School shootings is by number one on this list, political BS and non-stop bombardment for a whole year or more leading up to an election is second. Road traffic is third as its maddening, and that leaves crappy produce fourth. And this is saying a lot as a frequent farmers market goer and foody.
Merci pour la vidéo
In France (and most of Europe) guns are mainly used for just hunting, and not for the use of protection. THAT is the biggest difference between Europe and America. In most of Europe you are mostly NOT even allowed to use a gun for protection by any means. 2nd biggest difference is ofcourse the (highly) regulation of owning a gun in Europe, compared to America.
Thank you for posting! I live in the US and agree 100%. It's exhausting to have this under current of constant division and fear.
Im right now in Cretia island. The vegs and fruits here taste soo way much better than in France, maybe the sun effect😊. Im french living in France
We leave in 48 hours for a three week trip to explore a couple of areas we are considering.
While the trip won’t be easy. The hardest thing for me to consider is having to return to the US.
Great you guys are so positive. France is the best country on earth. Enjoy!
A number of your observations come back to one issue: anxiety and fear.
Anxiety over gun violence, anxiety over travel times, anxiety over the consequence of losing your job ion your healthcare - I know you did not mention it but it’s still hovering in the back of everyone’s mind - , anxiety in a fractured society made obvious by the constant bombardment of political ads. The thing is : American society used to be open, relaxed, optimistic,open, tolerant, positive, some years back. In that regard, it was indeed a beacon. How come this was replaced over the years by this fear,often turning into anger?
And it is so great that some of these anxieties were lifted off your shoulders. But not only you.
This is also great for your daughter who doesn’t have have to go through school shooting drills, and simply has to worry that there is a dish next week in the school canteen that she doesn’t like.
Anyway, love,your videos, they’re so sincere and positive. Keep up,the great work.
Your story about the taste of strawberries reminded me of one of my and my wife’s trips to France. We bought strawberries (fraise gariguette variety) from an outdoor market and they were the best strawberries we had ever eaten. The fruit and vegetables really are better in France, at least the ones that are grown locally and not imported from some far away place. We have huge, beautiful looking fruit and vegetables in the USA, but they’re often tasteless.
Gariguettes are our favorite. The best!
@@BaguetteBoundGoutez la Mara des bois
@@BaguetteBound I don't like guariguette. They taste nothing. It is not just me saying it. Fraise des bois is the way to go. But you would need to find them... in the woods.
I hadn’t realized before watching this video just how much the issue of guns can impact daily life in the U.S.
As for the roads, I’m French and I do a lot of bike touring, and I appreciate how lucky we are to have such well-maintained country roads. With the beautiful landscape, small villages, and very affordable campsites all over, France is a fantastic destination for bike tourism.
I can relate with all your 4 things but from a French who spent so much time in the "fly over states". I’d make a few comments.
- The food quality is in the right path back to what it was in France before, we had the food industry making as much damage here than in the US so at least outside big cities your can find excellent produces at a reasonable price. Also being very close to Spain allows to have specific fruits nearly all year long. What I personally find difficult is to find genuinely good meat where I live (Paris), it is not difficult at all when I visit friends and family living in more rural areas as they good directly to the farmer for that.
- Election wise, I cannot disagree with you but I believe it comes with the system itself which does have a lot of pros too in the US where citizen can be much much more involved at any level of their governing bodies (county, city, state…). Nevertheless if you’re looking closely we are sadly taking some bad aspects on US election trends but that’s a long story…
- for the road, well the country is way too big with way too much subject to hard weather. I’m not defending the laziness or the bad managing of the roads but I understood fairly quickly why there was so many bad roads or dirty roads, which also lead to me not taking any more sedans but only SUV or Trucks for that matter, you never know where you’re going to end up… Still infrastructure is a huge bill to pay at the end, some states, counties or cities just can’t afford it.
-for the firearms, I also understand it but I’m a believer the issue is overall a cultural one, as long as the culture or let’s say some sub cultures (in the sense of not the prevalent one) is pushing left and right violence, money and other adult things you’ll have dramatic events coming. Mental illness is not treated properly in the US (I’m not saying we are better), you just need to look on the number of drug addicts sent to prison where they should not be sent, the end of psy ward in the 60s made factories for criminals. Looking at the opioids epidemic makes me think too many people are in desperate need of help and violence is only the symptom not the cause.
Thank you for being candid and brave enough to state the obvious!
I agree with you about the condition of roads in France, but my daughter lives in the Île de France, and traffic there is insane!
Politics in France is pretty much the same as in the U.S.-we talk about it all the time too. The recent legislative elections were a bit unusual because of the dissolution of the National Assembly, but otherwise, politics is always a hot topic. Between all the different elections, there’s rarely a break. One thing to note is that in France, we’re not afraid to talk about politics with family, friends, or at work-it’s a constant topic of conversation before, during and after the election, and the reason of a lot of problems. But of course, if you're living in a remote village and working remotely, you're not going to feel that at all.
No debate, French food is definitely better (raw ingredients are great quality), and yes, prices are much lower, that’s true. However, my wife’s grandmother was a farmer and spent her entire life living below the poverty line. After working for 50 years, 7 days a week, no vacation, she’s now retired with the minimum old-age pension of around 700 euros. So, I’m not sure if these very low prices are necessarily good news. American farmers seem to be living better lives.
Traffic can be terrible in the U.S., but mostly near the big cities. I lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, and never really had any major issues (though it’s definitely worse in Chicago where I'm now). But you wouldn’t be saying the same if you lived near a major French city. In Paris, the traffic is awful, and it’s not much better in Lyon, Marseille, or Toulouse specially in rush hour time...
Guns in the U.S. are definitely a problem. My kids attend public school here, and even though it’s a big concern, I don’t think about it every day. School shootings do happen, and even one is too many, but it’s important to put it in context-given the size of the U.S., it’s not an everyday occurrence. Thankfully, the vast majority of schools have never been affected. It’s also worth noting that the high rate of child deaths related to firearms is largely due to suicides. But yes, it’s a dark spot in the U.S., and there’s a lot of work to be done on that front.
France is a beautiful country, especially if you live in the countryside, have some money (it helps if you're coming from the U.S. with some savings), or if you have a job that lets you keep working remotely with American clients at U.S. rates, etc. However, living like most French people- in very expensive cities, with a lot of insecurity and lack of civility, not much money, poorly paid jobs, no real career prospects, and toxic management-is a whole different reality. The Dordogne and the countryside near Bordeaux is a wonderful place (my grandparents lived there), but very few French people can afford to live there because there’s no work. That’s the reality too.
I really enjoy your channel; it paints a beautiful picture of France, which is my country and one I love. But you're showcasing an experience that isn’t representative of most French people. You live in a highly preserved area, far from the chaos of big cities. Are you working in the French system? no, you are remote (I don't criticize but you don't have a full experience), It’s like retirees coming from the U.S.-yes, they have a comfortable U.S. pension, they benefit from France’s free healthcare, the much lower cost of living, and the chance to live in small, peaceful villages because they don’t need to commute hours to work. It’s a beautiful life, but that’s a certain part of France, far from what most French people experience. Most of the retirees in France live with less than 1000 euros, and this is not a lot...
In short, France is a great country, but it has many problems specially around big city (like the US). The U.S. has a lot of issues too (I’ve been living there for eight years), but also many positives. Personally, I love the U.S., but I’m fortunate to live a very comfortable and sheltered life (similar to yours in France). So, I could also be super positive about my experience-but is that the reality for most Americans?
Thanks to you both for the video and for your point of view !
Bienvenue dans le Sud Ouest !
Even in my old Florida they have now tolls and traffic stays the same. Here in my lovely Bretagne (Brittany) we do not have tolls (thanks to Anne de Bretagne) and traffic is smooth or non existance in my country town!! La vie est belle !!!
I had the same experience as you with the strawberries!
Last year I had an american correspondant, and we went to the market together to eat lunch. We got some strawberries and I was like yeah they're not really great, but my american friend was all over it!
When he talked back to me after returning, he was saying these were the best he ever tasted and will always be a great memory of when he came to France.
I find it kind of wild and sad to not be able to find good-tasting fruits in your country
I don't like strawberries that much. Except the "wood strawberries"? "Fraise des bois" we call them. Very small, wild strawberries. THESE are good. But only these. We had found some in a forest back when we lived in Bordeaux and had made a garden with them. That was crazy good.
What a wonderful video. Thanks.
It's funny how parents try to make things better for their children but it doesn't always go they way we want it to. My grandparents tried to improve life for my parents, who subsequently did what they could to make my life easier/better, and I did the same for my son. I am absolutely positive this is the primary goal of parents all over the world, you want the best for your kids.
When I first started school aged 4, my mother took me for the first week till I acclimatised to it. After that I was expected to get myself to school about a 10 minute walk away - this was normal for all of us. You had to cross severa major roads, but traffic was much lighter and the threat of abduction was non-existent.
By the time my son went to high school they had a dedicated bus service to get kids there, and still do, but nowadays a lot of parents are driving their kids to school in large SUVs to prevent them being knocked over by other people driving their kids to school in SUVs. The result is that traffic pollution has greatly increased and low speed zones have been established outside most schools to prevent pupils from being knocked down by cars.
As you can see, each generation making it easier for our children, but not neccessarily better overall.
I would love to see a 'caravan' of Americans crossing the border to France or any EU country to find what 'real life' feels like.
There are even more items you could have put in your video, which I totally agree with. The school shootings are terrible and beyond comprehension but it's way worse. We are Dutch and have lived in Florida for a couple of years and so many people live in a permanent state of fear there. I'm glad to be back in The Netherlands, now enjoying a vacation and wine in the Alsace area in France.
Degage nous voulons pas de vous
@@IesKorpershoek the caravan is invisible now, but it’s happening
"I would love to see a 'caravan' of Americans crossing the border to France or any EU country to find what 'real life' feels like."
Feels like a reality TV hit in the making. But i doubt they will try something like that. They need people to come and stay there, in order to milk them.
We don't know where you are living in France, I spent 10 years in the Parisian suburbs and loved it. One has to be quite well acquainted with French tradition, if you want a good reception. The neighbors were demanding and constantly received pasted memes on my door. When I did the utmost to not do anything that bothered them. I love the veggies, fruits, breads and food, plus it's good to speak fluent French. I spent some years in Florida, and then it wasn't as congested, the road and bridges were great, a lot of great local produce sold by the side of the road, the people were really friendly and so my American and French experiences were equally lovely, though if I had I would live in France but am in the Middle East now. C'est magnifique que vous adorez la vie en France et que votre enfants sont en securite, ca compte enormement.
Politics: Larger towns have more than one poll place, and panels are available at every poll place. Otherwise spot on.
Produce: Yep. It's wonderful. Before I visited France, I Had. No. Idea. that potatoes (!) could taste so good.
Roads: I think your Mairie and/or Prefecture is paying more attention to roads than ours. I could show you some pretty impresive potholes. ;)
School shootings/Guns in general: ....yeah.... This one is why my family and I don't live in the US. I simply won't tolerate putting my family through it.
It's nice to see that other people have experienced what I have. When you live in the US, you wear an emotional suit of armor and walk around in denial about the fear of losing your children to a school shooting -- or any random shooting. But when you experience life in another country, you realise that the armor and the fear are unnecessary in a healthy society. And then it dawns on you how unhealthy US society is.
That last paragraph...😥 because it rings true.
Bonjour! Excellent video, guys! As a future expat in a few years, I always look forward to your take on so many topics that are important to us. I would add that in addition to the constant fear of school shootings in the U.S., we also have to be concerned about walking into a supermarket, a Walmart, or even a movie theater. My husband and I have stopped 'going out' to see movies for this very reason. And btw... we both own guns. I even belong to a ladies sporting clays club. I'm sad to say that I believe the gun problem (shootings) in the U.S. is an irreversible problem at this point. The gun lobby is so powerful here that passage of any meaningful legislation in this arena seems impossible. Leaving behind guns in the U.S. and moving to a safer country is a no-brainer for us to enjoy living out our remaining years without fear of random shootings.
sorry to point the problem on school shootin again but since 1/1/2024 usa get a school shootin every ten days , in france we had only one school shooting since 1945 en the end of world war 2 sure we have violence in france but the scale is wild in the usa regulation are really needed over there
Yep. It's insane. 45 so far this year in the US as of Sept 2024. How can this be normal? Actually it's not, you just begin to get desensitized when something happens so often. But it is not normal and never should be.
@@BaguetteBound even one in 80 year is too much
Only four? 😊, however you’re so right about your observations and general approach to life.
Lol, we had to cut ourselves off so we didn't end up with an hour long video.
French here. It is like when you hav a noisy neighbourg. Even when he doesn"t make noise, you are subconsciously worried of the moment he will start to be annoying. It is only when you move and spend a month in your new place that you finally relax and realise how stressed out you were. Little things can really poison one's life. Quite honestly, the things you point out are a mere few amongst the many reasons why i never want to go to the USA, even on vacations.
This is such a good analogy!!
Dont want to be a gros lourd, but Switzerland is not in the EU 😅
I understand all your points and agree with you. But I would add a comment. Being a foreigner in a country somehow automatically puts you in a bubble : You’re in … but not totally. I know. I’m a French living abroad for 25 years. I speak the language fluently, I’m fully integrated & my wife is local. But still … I am not immersed or even submersed by local politics, daily stress … the difference is the same as someone without a mobile phon🎉🎉e surrounded by people addicted to social medias.
Bonjour a vous deux je ne comprend pas l'anglais mais je vous adore vivement que vous parliez un peu français toujours de belles vidéos merci à vous et plein de bonheur dans notre beau pays si vous passer par le département de l'Allier 03 vous serez les bienvenus bon week-end
Merci! 😊
The drivers are better in France (other than tailgating), and the roads are so much quieter with all those small cars. (I think we saw one pickup truck in the whole two weeks we drove around France.)
This week, after the xxx school shooting, I heard JD Vance answered to a mother, that is was just a fact of life...
🤬
So sad people can still vote for him 😢
Yes, it’s on video.
Hi, regarding the pot holes on the roads, there is in France a national free website managed by the local autorities where you can signal through "geolacalisation" with your phone while you are driving (and if the application is open while you are driving) just by a push of a button, that will inform the people in charge of the roads maintenance, and usually they will take care of the problem quite rapidly. I don't remember the name of the App anymore because I do not drive very often, but I think you may ask your "Mairie".
BTW I like your vlog very much, and because you have shown that you are clearly in the "Chocolatine" team, maybe you could also inform the anglo-saxon community about the culinary drama/comedy/wars still happening in Fance regarding some cooking/products/foods/names :
- For the "Galette des Rois" (north) during the Wise Kings day vs the "Couronne aux fruits" (south) vs the "the couronne brioché au sucre" (south west).
- And the use for bakery of the sweet butter (south west) vs the salted butter (Brittany).
- And the oil cooking (south) vs the butter cooking in the north (cf: the wonderful very old movie "La cuisine au Beurre" 1963 with Fernandel).
And not even mentionning all the other battles: Soccer (all France) vs Rugby( south and West of France) the wines, the breads, the salads, or the cheeses. Because they are all a case of Regional Sovereignty (Lol).
Fortunately, as a foreigner, you will always be excused for not knowing the local culture. But if you are a french with another french born person, it can become quit ugly. I mean fishes thrown in your face, like in Asterix and Obelix.
😲😲😲😲 We had no idea about this pothole alert app!!! That's amazing!! 🤩 The video was too long, but there was a part we cut about not being able to figure out how the road crews seem to show up - even in the middle of nowhere - when it happens!
And the names list...❤️ Thank you!
We feel so lucky to have so many generous French viewers, you all teach us so much! 🥰
tellement vrai pour les spécialités régionales, je suis du sud de naissance mais vécu dans beaucoup de région et élevé dès le biberon à la cuisine du sud ouest (moitié basque moitié landaise de sang et fière de l'être !) que de joyeuses disputes avec mes amis. Team Chocolatine ici!
@@kathyacemoi Bordelais ici. CHOCOLATINE !! Et j'te pète le nez si t'es pas d'accord 😇
Left your video and I am now a new subscriber. We’re just returned from three weeks in France and noticed many of the things you discussed. Especially the flavors in the food! Can you do a video comparing the news media in France to that of the USA? I blame the news media for a lot of the problems that we deal with in the USA. The news media in the United States provides a 7 x 24 dog whistle to negativity.
Remember Switzerland isn't part of the EU ☝🏻 also Iceland and Norway by the way
Doesn't matter, they're geographically and historically in Europe. And every country is different, EU or not EU.
@@evelynelewis7151 That's not the point. EU is nothing but bureaucracy, let's not talk about EU , let's talk about Europe
@@prouvencau6343 Exactly what I meant.
@@evelynelewis7151 👍🏻
My context is different, but you can be under much more stress or anxiety than you realise, and you only notice when you get respite from it and, in my case, go back to it.
Yes, and I'm sorry. Wishing you respite sooner rather than later.
Perhaps you could do a video about your vehicle(s) - when to rent vs buy, process of purchase, etc. Renting makes sense during a vacation or scouting trip, but suppose I buy a "lock & leave" with garage intending to spend less than 6 months/year? When does it make sense to have a scooter (plus licensure differences?) instead of a car?
Pot 🕳️ save a lot of money. Instead of them in France we build expensive " dos d anes*(Bumps) for the same result: slow down speeding cars😂
Les français devraient aussi regarder vos vidéos !
Une francaise du 25 ici !
du 13 🇫🇷 il est bon que l'on nous rappelle que nous sommes bien loti , je suis partie aux USA 1 mois en 1998...j'étais tellement heureuse de rentrer. surtout pour bien manger !
Un Français du 67 ici !
Et une du 72
@@kathyacemoimoi l inverse j ai séjourné plusieurs fois aux USA dans les années 70 et 80 je ne voulais plus rentrer au pays. Mais les choses ont bien changé là bas aussi, je m ai plus envie de m y expatrier en dépit des graves problèmes français.😮
In the US there are only 2 parties that bounce each other. In France, they are about 24 parties banging so totally different game. Vive la différence !
Yes, multiple parties! And two rounds of voting!! If we had these two things in the US it would change everything (for the better) IMO.