FRENCH HABITS I HAVE NOT PICKED UP (AFTER 10 YEARS IN FRANCE!)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Let's talk about French habits.... specifically the ones I have not picked up over the years living in France. There are plenty of French customs and cultural norms that I've embraced but there are some French habits that I just haven't adapted to as a foreigner in France. Being married to a French guy and all, you’d think that some of his Frenchness would rub off on me. Maybe some of it has but let’s be real. I lived most of my life in the USA, so there are plenty of French things I just don’t understand or do - probably a good and bad thing.
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Salut! I'm Diane, an American who has lived in France since 2012 and the creator of the blog/TH-cam channel Oui In France. My channel's focus is "Everyday French life and beyond." I make videos on French culture topics, France vs. US culture comparisons, food, travel, language, and give you my thoughts about what it's like living in France as an American in the Loire Valley. Thanks for being here and if you enjoy this sort of thing, please share with friends and subscribe!
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As a French person, I always bought my daily baguette at the bakery. I grew up with that, and couldn't think of removing this habit 😍
I lived in sweden for a year and only had blinds. As a French guy I found that horrible being awoken by sunlight at 5 a.m. in summer
the shutters are also used to limit the temperature in the house, the sun's rays are prohibited from heating the windows and transforming the rooms into a greenhouse!!
opaque curtains are a good solution if you don't have shutters
Black out blinds or curtains also insulate and block light. Personally I use a sleep mask.
The curtain thing, beyond enjoying sunlight, is related to the same reason french got garden fences where americans often don t, and for the relationship closeness thing, or even the "don t take a photo of my or my property" and so on .... We enjoy our "privacy" in such way. It feels subjectively comfortable. By night we expose our private space to the outer world. For the meals, the cheese is a way to close a meal hence it used to come later on. For the breakfast, you got it, people eating late at night can t be really hungry early morning, but i agree i ll rather go for a strong salty and protein based breakfast, carbs free or nearly, and a light dinner. As for the bakery habits, well lazyness ultimately reached us too, a full set of bread once a week to feed our freezer is way more convinient.
You can buy room darkening or blackout curtains and blinds here in the US and they work very well at keeping out the morning sun.
Love how you keep it real, Diane! I don’t even adapt 100% to my native culture so it’s only normal to not do everything the French way as a foreigner. Keep up the fun videos!
Thank you!
I would add à function to the list of benefits for volets: it keeps out the light coming from the streets. For optimal sleep, you should sleep in a place as dark as possible, without any artificial light disrupting you.
Like explanation. Merci
As a Australian/English person living in France for 8 years, I can relate to all this. Diane, I really liked how you said about trying to hard to embrace all things in the French way making you feel as if you are losing the "real" you. So I let myself be French where it's really expected of me , but at home I do me! 😉 One thing I have really embraced though is the main meal in the middle of the day, but it doesn't HAVE to be 3 courses, or be served at exactly 12 midday. 😂
Hi Helen, glad you understand where I'm coming from! I think it's only normal to do what we want in our own homes. And yes, love the big lunch, light dinner thing.
Thank you for reminding me how French I still am after 60 years living in North America. My meals have retained the patterns I grew up with and even in restaurants I push the salad aside to be eaten after the main course, it usually means some explanation for the waitress. I gave up asking for the salad to be brought at the end of the meal because it was forgotten every time.
I too have been living in France over sixty years but my roots remain in the UK where I was born and brought up. I love France and find people can be kind so I understand kindness comes naturally where ever you are.. I love French food but I have so many English foods I was brought up on. My children laugh at my cupboards full of Heinz Baked Beans; HP Sauce. Sandwhich Spread Heinz, Salad Cream of course. ginger biscuits and I could go on and on. I'v'e always kept breakfast English style not too much but I don't like sweet and no protein to start the day. I also keep to English timing for my meals and have an early dinner and drink tea very often during the day.
I lived 30 years in the US and still maintain all my French way of living, no problem ! I still hate the small talk and usually try to do the minimum ! When in US you nearly know the people’s whole life in 5 minutes ! It’s funny ! In France it takes time to make friends. But I love this country so much too !
que dieu te garde mon frère ❤
@@maureen1938que vos racines soient belles.et que vivent les belles âmes ❤
When I’ve rented an appartement in France I have always closed and opened the “volets” and a few times it’s taken me forever to figure out how to do it. There are several different mechanisms. I always felt stupid after I figured it out.
Proverbe français mieux vaut tard que jamais.
@@hervedupont6955 Mais est-ce que le jeu en vaut la chandelle ?
@@thedavidguy01 Au moins vous ne mourrez pas idiot.
@@thedavidguy01 oui car pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse
😂😂 oui
One of the things I loved was going to the boulangerie every morning.
I don't live in France 😞 but when I'm there I LOVE the "no small talk" thing. As a shy introvert, just going to the grocery store in the US can be exhausting. I have French friends and of course we'll chat, but it's so nice to be out and about and not have to come up with things to say to total strangers all the time!
shutters are important when you live in the south of France. The heat is no joke here
Les volets électriques!
One thing on French bread I learned from a LA Boulanger is that the American flour has added protéines which make bread difficult to digest for French stomachs. This is why most French bakeries in the us import their Flour, often organic if available.
I never thought about that but it’s true that the American one is enriched while in France flour must not have anything else in it.
I never had problem with the flour but the only American thing My body couldn’t tolerate is the fake Kraft parmesan.
That shit is vile and stinky !!! It smells like old socks 🥲
Yeah i think it would be a great idee to make a french floor fabrication in the us to limit the importation
I am so happy to hear that you are able to maintain your unique American personality traits while adapting to French culture. I have traveled to France many times and love so much about the culture, but then got to know a couple (ironically, she is an American) who were judgemental and downright mean. Sadly, it started to turn me off to France. But I have ditched the "frenemies" and have other friends (including a former exchange student from 12 years ago) and we are respectful and tolerant of one another's differences, seeing them as cultural and not an affront or something that needs to be "judged and then corrected." We get so much pleasure and joy from each other, we learn from each other and our lives are enriched through the experience. I have learned to be quieter in general, I have learned to always say Bonjour and I eat much later when in France ;)
Loads of idiot in France, like every where else. Just in France they don't hide. Which is good because you can weed them out quick. No hypocrisy here.
You know here we have a lot of culture, african for the most part and asian too. That's why people are quite tolerant in general. They are bad people everywhere... But for the language that's for sure something we can't....deny there is a problem. Most time people try to be "good" to help you learn but that's a reflex lool. I do too and with french people too. I'm sorry if that can be hurtful that's not our intent.
As someone moving to Lille, if someone feels they have to erase themself to move to any counrty....they should reevaluate their reasons for moving. Moving should be an embellishment of your life. ✌🙏
Exactly!
Lille is definitely a city where you can feel comfortable being yourself! At least, that's my experience as compared to Paris and other areas.
Life is short, everyone ought to try everything they're ever enticed.
I agree with you about the late dinner. I can’t do dinner after 8pm.
For french people, you cannot have a good dinner by daylight... 7 pm is ok in winter, but in summer, dinner should not start before 9.30pm ;-)
I was surprised on my last tour of France that eggs, potatoes, bacon and sausage were included on all the hotel breakfast buffets. When I first started taking French tours many years ago, the breakfast buffets were all "continental breakfast items" such as cereal, bread, jam, etc. Even the Air France lounge at CDG had a breakfast buffet with eggs and bacon!
Yes, so interesting how things change over time!
There is even a BBQ restaurant in Paris now. DH was craving American food after 2 weeks in Paris so we went there. The place was packed and we were shocked to find that we were the only Americans there.
We were so excited on a recent trip to Paris to find a brasserie serving omelettes for breakfast! They had a their chalk sign advertising it, so they knew their target market lol
@@alyria76 Chère Madame , contrairement aux dirent des anglais et étatsuniens , la France est un pays développé 🤨nous n'avons rien à leurs envier . la seul chose qui me fais honte en tant que français et soi-disant plus belle ville du monde , c'est la saleté de la capitale de notre Pays : Paris . je vous souhaites une très belle journée
both Lidl & Aldi for the last few years sell British style rashers of streaky bacon and its pretty good too and reasonably priced. . So there must be a demand apart from little me sometimes as a nostalgic treat !
I'm English, lived in France for nearly 40 years. I agree with you for breakfast (and my french husband goes for a more savoury breakfast now). I love certain french specialities such as snails , oysters and stinky cheese. Got used to doing the shutters as it's good insulation for cold or very hot days. I will never give up my strong black tea with milk !
Hi Diane. I lived in France for 17 years and had a lot of habits which made me uniquely me and hadn't thought much about it. I'll admit that I miss France and the way of life compared to here in Arizona. Oh well, life goes on. I enjoy your videos.....well done!
Thanks very much, William!
It is now normal in France that smokers should only smoke outside. Since 1991, it is forbidden to smoke indoors in public places, such as stations, cafes, restaurants, discotheques etc. And this habit has carried over into the houses. And it's perfectly normal for guests to go out into the garden to smoke, without being asked. Awareness of the impact of tobacco on health has taken place, and the number of smokers is decreasing very significantly and continuously, and smoking is no longer fashionable among young people.
1991 was only workspace, restaurant started to separate smoking/un smoking areas since then. It was forbidden to smoke in restaurants since smth like 2005.
@@GoelWCS 1991 was the voting time... 1995 = forbidden in public spaces ... then 2007 for the second round.
Since 1991?
I was born in 1993 and I remember people smoking indoors in public reas until the late 2000s at least
When I lived there I never picked up the enthusiasm for weeks long group summer holidays, and spending all day together with friends. I like to vacation with friends, sometimes. And I love being included and invited. But I also like spending time alone or with my spouse. It seems like my French friends took it personally when I took off or wanted some vacation days alone. Maybe it was an introvert/extrovert thing? But it seemed more complicated than that, and one I never quite understood.
Interesting! Being British but wanting to live in France I have quickly grown to love the 'shutter dance'. My big concern is finding the standard of bakeries seems to have gone down. I spent 3 weeks in France during the summer including a week in Paris (admittedly August in the 11th) then 3 weeks over new Year into January - I have yet to eat a decent croissant compared to years ago. The texture and even the shape seems to have changed. Too many bakery chains all saying they are 'Artisanal' when they are most definitely not! Similarly with patisseries - not so good now.
Watch the vlogs of "Jay Swanson" and "Les frenchies"
I agree. From Montreal where we had an excellent bakery next door and cannot find even a baguette as good here. Been here in France for more than two years now and when I went back to Mtl, last summer, first thing I did was to go back to my bakery. I also recall a time where the bread was better in France from when I travelled one or two decades ago
Shutter dance is quite optionnal, last person to have done this in my family was my grandmother.
For Bakery, you have to think as a French embiterred guy, hate modern design, you will see some French used to go there, even if you have the worst bakery beside of the best.
btw it is not so rare to see a bakery affilied with school, and that's always nice spot
@@veroniquelauzon2801 Entièrement d’accord avec vous en ce qui concerne les croissants, ils n’ont plus ni le goût ni la consistance qu’ils avaient autrefois. Ils sont trop secs, et pas assez gras, et ressemblent plus à de la brioche qu’à des croissants. Impossible de retrouver le goût de mon enfance.
You know there's a lot of bakery in France without trying out, the standard is not what it was decades ago. It's okay by me, as if you really like "le bon pain" you do your work and then you are good for some time. Those establishment never close really they are transmitted to new generation and the way of thing changes generally never. But about the "Artisanal" that's a word not protected correctly people do stuff with it i despise. But you never can't go wrong with a "Meilleur ouvrier de France" next time guys seek those bakery when you visit our country that's a guarantee of sucess and knowledge.
Number 8 was very relatable, I'm a new Zealander living in France and when I was working at the American Embassy as a chef, I was asked to serve the counter since we were low on staff that day, all the Americans were lovely, when a french person came by she told me stop smiling and not to do small talk people don't like that attitude in France.
😮
As a Canadian with a New Zealand parent (who has visited France) I have always been used to friendliness, warmth to stangers and small talk. Nothing wrong with that! That kind of reaction towards you goes beyond French customs imo. Some people are just not nice people.
Bro that lady was uptight.
I think French people may be surprised but not in a bad ways.
I certainly was when some American complimented my clothes randomly.
And no French person working at an US embassy should be like that.
Hi Diane, FUN video!! You truly always do such a nice job with your videos! I will be traveling to France this summer and plan on getting your 75 tips, soon! Take care!
Really appreciate that, thank you, Kellie! I hope you have a wonderful trip!
Love this video Diane ! As someone who also will not ever be 100% French and don’t want to be, I relate so much to your experience.
So glad to hear you can relate, Maux. Thank you!
Je pense que les habitudes alimentaires, qui nous viennent de notre enfance, sont le plus difficile, voire impossible à changer. Je ne me vois pas me passer de pain et ingurgiter une omelette le matin. Une omelette pour moi, ça se mange avec des champignons et une salade verte, avec un verre de vin rouge, une vraie vinaigrette (pas une bouteille remplie de conservateur, colorant, exhausteur de goût...), des noix, de l'ail. Et ça, le matin au réveil, je ne peux pas. Je comprends tout à fait que malgré votre parfaite adaptation à le France, vous continuiez à prendre un petit avec déjeuner comme vous le faisiez aux USA et que vous n'ayez pas renié tout votre passé.
Pour le tabac, vous seriez venue il y a quarante ans, qu'auriez-vous dit !!!!!!!!!
You've got me drooling over the image of a lovely omelette with 🍄 and a 🥗 with a homemade vinaigrette... accompanied by a glass of 🍷.
As for 🚬 , Diane didn't even live here before the interdiction of January 1, 2008! Indeed, what would she have said to that? 😧
@@LauraMorland "What would you have said" This is an expression which means "if you had seen, because it was worse at that time".
@@christianc9894 I'm puzzled by your message. It seems that you didn't grasp my meaning above.
I wrote, *"Indeed, what would she have said to that?"* which was *agreeing with you* that if she had experienced the smoking situation prior to January 1, 2008 -- not even having to go back 40 years -- her reaction would have been much worse!
Of course, "qu'auriez-vous dit" = "what would you have said". Maybe my use of *indeed* caused you confusion?
@@LauraMorland So we agree, it's a misunderstanding.
In summary, Diane would not have liked this era at all.
Cordially.
I was going to say something similar about smoking in France! It was so much worse even 20 years ago and I have been amazed, actually, at how quickly the ban in restaurants took over here. It used to be nearly impossible to eat at a restaurant without the good flavors of the food getting overtaken by the smell of smoke.
I’m French and never lived anywhere else but I agree with pretty much everything you said, except for the sweet breakfast. I eat both sweet or savory breakfast depending on the day, usually I go for a sweet breakfast on the weekends when I don’t have to go through classes all morning, but I enjoy both.
I grew up eating sweets for breakfast, coffee cakes, pastries, donuts, to this day I prefer a sweet breakfast. My “healthy version” is a yogurt bowl with granola and fruit. Bacon and eggs is better for an occasional dinner. My paternal grandfather was French Canadian and first generation American, maybe it was his influence?
I moved to France a little over a year ago and I still do things my way (I did that in Germany, why should I stop it here?). Maybe in Paris people are a little more strict about their habits and adhering to their standards. Here in the south I feel that people are relaxed and take me as what I am. A lover of french food and culture, but also a German who lived her way in Germany for 60 years and won't change all her habits. Most of them ask for the reasons when I do something differently and find it interesting when I talk about what I love here and happily get used to and what other things I prefer to leave the way they are in our house. Oh, by the way, we never smoked and no one smokes in my house, but I always have an ashtray on my terrace for my guests. One thing I love is the fact that the word "Liberté" comes first in the french motto.
I had a bad experience with cigarettes when I went to my german
Austauschpartner’s house. They smoked a lot and inside the house! I’d say smoking in France is very common but it’s practically outside only since the 2000s.
I’d never thought that I’d be shocked by cigarettes as a Frenchie lol.
You're Amazing ! I like how neutral and positive you are talking about this topic...And don't worry, if you live in France you are definetly French like everyone of us, even if you don't have to conform to some "cultural norms". I think we can all do things the way we like !
Back in the 70s it was quite common for teens to be out smoking behind the school and such.
Yep. In the " lycée" , was still authorize to smoke inside when I was there back in 2001! That was cool
Thank you for starting with the breakfast. I refused the last two times I spent time in France, and because I saved some protein from supper to start the day, I had smoother energy than my fellow teachers who ran to the vending machine by 10am because they were so depleted. The sugar caffeine breakfast (breaking of the fast, de jeuner)...causes sugar spikes and crashes...during a crash a person sometimes uses anger for energy so I asked an MD I met in Angers and he backed me up and told his friend there that all he is doing is carbs and caffeine with no solid food...I wish the French would adopt a Turk breakfast with eggs etc. That said, prayers for the people affected by that earthquake yesterday.
I was in a French high school in 71 for a few months. They always had smoking breaks out on the balcony. In school. They also ALL changed clothes in one locker room for Phy Ed. Yup. Later in 2000 I saw teens smoking marl boros outside. I told them, don't you know you are the target market because in the states they are being sued for marketing to teens. Tout a fait.
One time I was reading a London newspaper article about the most popular things in the UK, and it made an interesting checklist to see how many things were true. Everything from the most common brand of sports shoes to pop culture to restaurants and foods, to social norms, you could see how far up the scale of national habits you were. If you could find out this info for France, you could rate yourself (and your French family) as to how French you are. So, check levels for smoking, divorce, education, foods, wealth, car ownership, religion, media consumption, housing, kids, etc. and see if you're just like everybody else or not.
Oups ! bien sur , vous êtes britannique je suppose et tout est merveilleux sur cette île par ailleurs très belle , mais habiter par des homos- sapiens bizarres 🤔et indécis . quand aux tabloïds anglais ils vantent leurs gloires passés la guerre de cents ans qu'ils ont perdu , Wateloo ou il étaient battues par les troupes napoléoniennes , et la victoire de Waterloo reviennent en réalité aux armées de la coalition Prussiennes Autrichienne et Russes commander par le Maréchal Blücher . Wellington s'approprie une victoire qu'il n'a jamais gagner . Blücher proposait : la Victoire de l'entente . refus de Wellington ? et la plus grande débandade anglaise : Dunkerque ; le pire est que les anglais ont fait croire au monde entier que les soldats français étaient des lâches ce qui a justifier la fuite des anglais comme ils en ont l'habitude ils se donnent un passer glorieux qu'ils n'ont jamais eu .par contre les tabloïds anglais , ne parlent jamais D'Isandhlwana contre les Zoulous ; contre les Moa-Moa au Kenya, et contre l'inde , aucunes place ou rues de Londres ne portent c'est noms .
Questions : De la marque de chaussures de sport la plus courante à la culture pop en passant par les restaurants et les aliments, en passant par les normes sociales, vous pouviez voir à quel point vous étiez dans l'échelle des habitudes nationales. la restauration anglais n'est pas fameuse , la culture pop ? Bof !!! les norme sociales alors là il y a beaucoup a dire . le divorce ? il n'y a pas plus de divorces en France qu'en chez les anglais , l'éducation est la mêmes encore que ??? alimentation zéro pour les anglais , question religieux les français s'en fichent complètement , les médias sont comme les tabloïds anglais la plus par du temps ils racontent des conneries et question vacherie entre français et anglais nous sommes égaux🤔😡😠😈
@@Fkrksw Oui ! a Kidlington une petite ville au nord d'oxford. ma voiture de marque française immatriculée en France a été rayé, côté gauche du véhicule : dirty french shit du coté !!! coté droit : the French are all assholes , sur le capot avant : you are big shit , le pare-brise fêlé et les deux roues avant percées !!! totalité des frais de réparations 4670 euros dont 1970 euros payés par l'assurance et 2700 de franchises . il y avait bien les haines des anglais envers tous les français qui étaient écrits sûr ma voiture et en même tant j'ai dû payer cette haine en faisant les réparations . quand nous avons embarqués sûr le Ferry à Portsmouth pour Saint Malo les marins français faisaient la grimace , surtout qu'il y avait un autobus français avec des collégiens ou était peint : frog eaters et dirty pigs , Bon c'était peu avant le : Brexit mais quand mêmes . quand les anglais font des conneries ils s'en prennent aux français . une consolation pour nous français est le fait que nous avons fichu plusieurs pâtés aux anglais
Something I find very different from Uk is that the French tend to finish one type of food on the plate before starting on another. Even kids do this, like they’ll eat the chips (fries) before starting on the meat. In Uk we tend to take a bit of everything at the same time
I don’t know about others but sometimes I do that when I don’t like something on the plate, I keep the best for the last bites.
Funny thing: my father was born in Paris and lived there for the first 12 years of his life. WW II was just starting when his parents - who were American - took him to the US in 1939. He enlisted in the service in 1944, so whatever sunset habits he had from France were reinforced by military blackout regulations in wartime. For my entire childhood we had to “make sunset:” close all curtains and blinds.
Nice having you back Diane, I always enjoy your content so much. Bisous from Paris :)
I'm French and I lived in the US for 9 years 20 years ago, but I never though I "had'" to adapt to the American way of life, I just picked up the parts that I liked :)
PS - Love your glasses too, très chic
Thanks so much! And that's exactly it, pick up the parts that you like (while still being respectful of course) and that's really the best way!
Thanks, Diane. Always interesting to hear about your experiences in France. I agree; we will always retain something of that US upbringing. And why not?
Absolutely. Being in Germany made me realize how American I am.
I appreciate the honesty. It seems like making the best of both cultures is the way to go.
No. 4 (filtered drip coffee -- with no. 4 filters!) is all my husband wants. One of the first phrases he learned in French was *"un café allongé, s'il vous plaît".*
(My first [late] husband was Irish, and I picked up the tea-drinking habit from him. Tea is *definitely* not a French thing, although tisanes are.)
No. 5 -- also *No* on the blood saussage and tripes! And *No* on snails and frog's legs as well. On the other hand, oysters are not only a French thing; I learned to eat them in Charleston, South Carolina. (I understand it's an acquired taste, but one I enjoy, particularly at this time of year.)
Funnily enough, my husband and I *have* become French in that we now normally eat our salads after the main dish. (And we're both night owls, so late dinners work for us.) But we do plenty of things meal-wise that the French don't do, such as eating corn on the cob and chicken drumsticks with our hands. (The horror! ;-) And sometimes when my husband goes to a café in the late afternoon and orders a coffee along his meal (he wants it before the food arrives) he won't get it, because they cannot imagine that anyone would drink coffee until *after* the dessert!
No. 6. Politesse -- LIke you, I'm also at around 90% - 95% ... I sometimes still have to remind myself to say "Bonjour" and "s'il vous plaît"; it's definitely a learned habit. (But I like it.).
No. 7 Smoking. One of the happiest days of my life was January 1, 2008, when it became illegal to smoke inside restaurants and cafés in France. (Although the restaurant where we rang in the New Year's definitely didn't stop people from lighting up when the clock chimed 12! ;-) GREAT VIDEO!
I disagree with with you about tea in France. In fact the selection in the supermarkets exceeds the British. Like Whisky the French are often connoisseurs of tea and consume, I believe, nearly as much as the British now. You are right, however, about Tissanes. I must admit before arriving here I was rather ignorant of them as most British are. The difference between the regular everyday tea sold in France is in the blending. It is blended for the taste & market here. That's why I try and have a decent reserve of Typhoo or Tetleys from the old country
@@gordonspicer Well, have you ever ordered tea at à restaurant or café in France ? They bring you a cup of hot (no longer boiling) water with the teabag in its wrapper on the side. I'm always furiously tearing open the wrapper to plunk the teabag into the cup before the water becomes useless. That would *never* happen in the UK or Ireland!
Moreover, on several occasions I've never been able to order tea at all, because they only have Earl Gray available. Earl Gray is adulterated with bergamote; it's not pure Black tea.
Finally, I don't know know how many French friends you've made yet, but if you’re invited to their homes, the same situation will likely obtain: No Black tea, or only Earl Gray. If they should have black tea, I'll normally be the only person drinking it.
P.S. Of course there's Mariage Frères, but one cannot go there every day (And while their teas are splendid, their idea of a scone is risible!)
@@gordonspicer I just checked, and whoever gave you that statistic was *way off* : France is far, far, down the list on per capita consumption of tea. The UK is #3, Irlande is #2, and France is ... 39th in the world. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tea_consumption_per_capita
@@LauraMorland Have you not noticed the speciality shops selling teas and accessories in most major cities (and sometimes in the richer towns) in France? I find their selection & expertise very impressive. For your tea shop experience of being served tea I cannot comment, but it does not sound to good. I was obviously wrong about the tea consumption, but I repeat the supermarket shopping aisles are packed with all sorts of teas
@@gordonspicer I agree that the people who like teas in France have a choice. (And that Mariage Freres is a tea shop that would rival the best in any tea-drinking country.) I don't know how many French friends you have, but I've lived in France for 23 years, and since I've managed to speak the language fluently (albeit not perfectly), I have a ton of French friends, and not one of them drinks tea, nor do any of their friends when I'm invited for a meal.
Next time I go to Monoprix I'll look at the "tea shelves." I could be wrong, but I would guess that a lot of what's on those shelves are actually tisanes. The French *are* very big on tisanes.
Gordon Spicer, I love your name, by the way; it sounds so delightfully English! (My ancestors are English, going back 400 years -- thus my surname -- but an English friend complained to me some years ago that my first name is *not* English, and so he had a hard time remembering it.)
I never understood how people can eat a main meal so late in the day. Maybe I am getting old, but that messes my stomach up to eat so close to bed time. I wake up with heartburn and just feel gross. We follow the old school method of having the largest main meal in the middle of the day. The whole smoking thing is crazy to me. I grew up with parents that smoked and it gave my mom lung cancer and she died at 62. It they created something now that had the same negative side affects that cigarettes have, people would flip their lids. There is no way that it would be accepted now, so I don't know how there can be anyone that still smokes knowing what we know about it now.
I'm sorry about your mom. ;-(
Agree. If its popular among young people, they become addicted and carry the habit in to adulthood.
I'm French but I hate oysters, boudin (bloos sausage) and tripes. But I do enjoy my piece of baguette at almost every meal 😉. Like most of my compatriots I'm addicted to the sweet breakfast with "real" coffee, nevertheless one of my highlights when visiting the U.S was having a couple of brunches with the hash brown potatoes, bacon, eggs, pancakes (loved it)... then skipped lunch. But it was really weird for me to adapt to the late afternoon dinner time; at 5 or 6 PM I'm definitely not hungry yet (regular dinner time at home is around 7:30 PM). And, as a strict non-smoker the thing I probably hate most about my fellow French people is the smoking culture; at home it's definitely non-smoking, and the occasional smokers that may come visit me know it, if they do want to smoke it's in the garden or in the street, regardless of the weather.
As far as coffees goes, well... I'm French...
5:00 or 6:00 p.m.? Most people I know aren't even home from work yet at that hour.
T'es pas francais toi. Ou un francais rate alors.
Love your mindset! 😺
Nespreso has france in a chokehold like I’ve never seen before 😂😂
My favorite all time breakfast experience was at the Ritz Paris. It was a Sunday morning and I walked over from Hotel de la Place du Louvre. I ordered champagne and they brought a bread basket with the perfect croissant and an assortment of breads with a pot of French butter. I savored scrambled eggs with spinach. It was heaven!
Yummm!! Sounds delicious!
Absolutely love your channel! Am looking forward to my first trip to France and you are helping so much with the planning and the expectations. Thank you so much.
You're very welcome!
Hello, and thank you for another excellent video.
It's great to hear you talk about the things that you experience and choices that you make that resonate for me. I want to fit in and 'become French', but I'll probably always be l'excentrique Britannique - hopefully a likeable and respectful one, though.
By the way, your book about blogging is really good!
So glad you can relate! And thank you for picking up my book!! Much appreciated ;-)
It says that our inner clock (circadian rhythm) recognise the day and the night because of the light (perceived by the eyes), and so to have a good sleep our body needs to know it's night. So closing the shutters could be a good habit for a good sleep. I see in many American movies people using masks (like in the flight) for sleeping, it's something that's makes me feeling claustrophobic...
In my French family we are used to eat green salad at any moment of the meal, and more as a side dishes. With omelet for exemple.
In a bar, for drinking a coffee in an American way you can order an "allongé", meaning more longer (more water) in a bigger cup. I drink mine like that because "espresso coffee" is agressive with the belly and is able to giving me tachycardia.
Thank you Diana for sharing your point of vue.
French living in NJ and missing my volets everyday 😂
As an American having lived in France for the past 7 years I would say I pretty much agree with all 7 of your points! As much as I love my life here, I would be beyond thrilled to be able to go out for a proper American breakfast! Also kids smoking is just tragic. It’s the same in Spain…great job on the video!
If you're ever in Paris, Breakfast in America would be right up your alley. It's a diner-style place that features a lot of American breakfast items. Super popular with the French too, always a line out the door. And the owner's book is fab too! I reviewed it on my blog: www.ouiinfrance.com/book-review-pancakes-paris-craig-carlson/
Thank you for watching!
When I moved to Germany 31 years ago to marry my German husband, I told him, "The things that I HAVE to do the German way, I will, but where I have a choice, I will try the German way, then decide what works best for me and do it that way."
I agree. I don't enjoy anything sweet in the morning. I do however buy a baguette almost every day. We don't usually eat bread with a meal but it makes for an easy snack during the day. I am pretty easy going when it comes to coffee. When I am in Canada I usually drink drip coffee but when I am at our place in France I use a french press or I will get "un cafe" if I am at a cafe somewhere. I feel the same about the shutters. I love our shutters because they make the house look so pretty! Classic white made of wood. I even put some decorative black hardware on so you can see it while they are open. We however do not shut them. I think the neighbours must talk about us as we are the only ones who don't shut them. At night our indoor lights light up the town. 😛
Hi Diane, i love your vidéos ! Keep on keeping on. When a coffee is too light (like the ones served in Canada or US), we call it "Jus de chaussette" (socket juice) and that may sound quite offensive for North American 😂
Good for you! I live in the USA, but visited Paris 24 years ago. Im contemplating going back one day. Thank you for this video, which I found very informative. Cheers to you with a large mug of fresh brewed Folgers😉
americano would be called "café allongé" if you want to order one at a french café.
a latte would be "café au lait"
the expressos would come in many forms: expresso, ristretto (stronger), noisette (with milk), crème (with cream), machiato... but as much as we love them, expresso is better in italy imo :p
So much fun to learn about French culture, you're a lucky girl to live in France....
Love steel cut oats. I have it with some sliced almond or pumpkin seeds w/local honey, or berries.
That was very interesting to watch and to compare with my own habits after some years living in France.
1. Breakfast. Not a French one for me, as I usually have something like eggs or a sandwitch with ham first and a pastry or a yougurt afterwards.
2. Shutters. Yeah, that's something I'm still not used to even after 20 years in France. In fact I like to wake up and see the sunlight rather than to feel like I'm in a coffin. And even if I acidentally wake up during the night I prefer to see the Moon and stars in my window. So usually I don't close shutters, only if it's very hot outside during the daytime or when it's really windy.
3. Baguettes. We don't eat much bread for last years, so we buy bread just a couple of times per week. But I enjoy a good baguette from the boulangerie (especially une baguette tradition) and I hate those defrozen ones from the supermarket.
4. Coffee. I prefer a strong coffee. So I pour even less water than they have in a usual French espresso. I'm leaning more to the Italian way to do it. If I want a realtively big cup of coffee, I would rather make 3-4 of my "normal" portions in one mug. And no sugar in my coffee, no way! Maybe a drop of milk sometimes.
5. Order and time of meals. I'm not French at all here (except for cheese, maybe). I can (and I do) eat a salad together with a main course, the same goes for a dessert and a coffee - I prefer them together. And as for the time of meal, we had to adapt to local customs (because of restaurants, but as well because after work I'm at home later than at 7pm in most cases). But still from time to time I prefer to have a late lunch or an early dinner if I can.
6. Social politeness. I may be even worse than French in this area. :) Yes, I say "Bonjour", "Merci", "S'il vous plâit", etc. But I don't like small talks at all. Even with someone I know already, not only with stragners.
7. Smoking. I don't care much about it. For me it's a personal choice of everyone. And I think it is an educational problem. Parents and teachers have to explain it better to kids. I try to do the best for my children. The same goes for drinking alcohol.
I'm French and when I was a student, I went to the US with my school for one month. This is when I completely lost the habit of closing the "volets", to the point I can't sleep if they're closed 😅
I also agree with you about breakfast, I like having eggs or bacon (or both), even if I barely take the time to do it.
As for the coffee... well, let's agree to disagree, I like it the way Italians do: even stronger and shorter than in France 😂
I'm french and was really hapy to get rid of some of french habits as I became an adult.
A successful worldly person learns to adopt the best habits and tastes from wherever they find them, rather than being stuck in just one rut of habits. Rarely does only one country's way of life suit everybody.
Haha! Please keep smiling, we need that positivity :)
“Dinner” is at or around noon in America. The evening meal is “supper.”
I don't know if someone talk about this in the comments, but in France, shutters are mandatory in a construction (or else, you need a iron grid in front of the window, which is common for the bathrooms' windows). If you leave your house for more than 24h, with the shutters opened, and you are robbed, you will not be covered by your insurance
Love the explanation. Merci 📘🪟📘 🙂
The thing I couldn't get used to in France was eating dinner so late. I want to sleep by 9pm, not eat dinner. 😪
Nothing is better than Baguette, butter and cheese and then Baguette , butter and jam ... yummy
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one missing steel cut oats! Seriously, do you know where to find them? I’ve sporadically ordered them from Amazon or beg friends visiting the US to put some in their suitcase if they have room.
Hi Diane ! I am french and...
1 - In the morning at home for breakfast, i normaly eat biscottes with butter (sometimes with cheese too - i looooove cheese) and a big glass of orange juice. Never pain au chocolat or croissant. I don't know many people who eat viennoiseries for breakfast everyday. It's more for the weekends or in hotels. And i love a good omelette for breakfast but more for holidays, at 10-11 pm and i don't eat after.
2- Les volets... I hate to shut them all, i am lazy. But i shut the big one in my leaving room for privacy (and i don't have to open the window) and in my bedroom too because i can't sleep if it's not dark. But the others... But i live in an appartment and not on the first floor. If that was the case, maybe i would shut them all for privacy and security. Also when it's very hot outside, i shut them all.
3- I don't buy baguette/bread everyday. A lot of french do, it's true (not necessarily baguette). But i have bread in my freezer (when i want a real toast and not some biscotte for breakfast) and sometimes i buy a baguette, one or two per month like you. My parents always have fresh bread in their home. And i hate pain de mie (lot of sugar).
4- I prefer expresso ;) and without sugar. For italians, our expresso is an americano.
5- I am vegetarian so huitres, boudin noir or tripes are not for me. And i don't care for the order in a meal. When i eat alone or with my parents, i eat salad or cheese with le plat principal. ;) But i eat later than you (i live in the south west of France, near spain, where we eat a little later than in the north i think).
6- Maybe because i live in the south west... i think we do small talk here. Maybe less than in the US.
7- Well, i am part of the 20.8% smokers (electronic but smoker nevertheless). I think it's not as socially accepted that it was several years back but people are more tolerant about it than in the US. We are not as tolerant as your are with what we call "mal-bouffe" (a real threat for the health too) but i understant your shock with the teenagers.
8- Sorry for my pretty bad english
It would be so sad if everyone who went to live in a foreign country lost every bit of their first culture and adopted the new one completely. In the US we still have and celebrate the rich variety of the many cultures that came to live here in the past as well as those still coming.
I picked up the baguette and croissant habit whenever we are in France. While I can find the occasional French equivalent croissant in NA, I have yet to find totally equivalent baguette. I have even attempted to make my own but not even close.
In the USA I find the amount of small talk vs little-to-no small talk can vary depending on which part of the country you are in. Interestingly, I have also found that more superficially friendly isn't always friendly underneath, and superficially reserved can be more friendly if you know someone well enough to get past the privacy/formal barrier, if that makes sense. Of course as always, broad generalizations are not universal truths, so am just noting my experiences having lived all over the country for many years.
Also about smoking...was SO happy when states started enacting the no smoking in public spaces laws. Love being able to eat in a restaurant without the stink, burning eyes/throat and nauseating stale/fresh tobacco smoke. Now we can smell and taste the food. 🙂
I was sad to see so many young people smoking in France. I smoked for many years and quit cold turkey. I know France is trying to work toward no smoking. I hope they are successful at some point.
I love espresso but don't want it all the time so I will admit, with no shame, that my friend and I would pop into Starbucks in the afternoon to have a latte.
Our family has never eaten bread with every meal and for those who haven't been, not every baguette in France is created equal. They are not all fabulous.
I stopped off in Paris recently and I really enjoyed having ham, cheese, bread and fruit (amongst a few other options) for breakfast in the hotel. It's interesting what you said about not liking sweet breakfasts (I don't either), because I always think of a typical American breakfast to be very sweet!
You may ask for "un pain de seigle" (~ rye bread) at the bakery.. It's usually a big round bread, thick, that lasts several days and it's delicious.
Do French bakeries slice the Boule for you ?
@@PrettyGoodLookin Most generally yes, if you ask for it. I would not recommend to do this anyway in regard to conservation of the bread. Thanks to its shape the Boule doesn't get dry quickly.
Vive les volets !
Français habitant au Québec, j'aimerais pouvoir avoir des volets à fermer les nuits d'hiver pour garder un peu de la chaleur de l'appartement.
Despite having always lived in the US, when I would visit France and staying in a rental, I immediately took to closing and opening the volets/shutters each day. No prompting needed. Just seemed like the natural thing to do and actually liked it better than curtains and blinds. Now... maybe during weather like a New England or Great Plains winter, not so much.
So spot on 😂. In terms of restaurants, I would add that after years of waiting politely if begrudgingly until AFTER desert to order coffee, I now ask for coffee WITH dessert. I’ve even got my husband doing it now.
You've always been understood for asking coffee along with desserts. Nothing not French there.
La salade avant le fromage ?
Je ne pense pas, des fruits probablement en dessert mais la salade vient en principe en entrée.
Le typique basique est composé d'une entrée, un plat de resistance, puis fromage et ou dessert.
Il peut y avoir plusieurs entrées, plats de resistance (du poisson aux gibiers), un plateau de fromage (et on ne mange pas les plus forts au début) suivi des desserts où tout sera servi dans un ordre choisit selon une logique déterminée par le concepteur du menu .
Salad before cheese?
I don't think so, fruit probably as a dessert but the salad usually comes as a starter.
The typical basic is composed of a starter, a main course, then cheese and or dessert.
There can be several starters, main courses (from fish to game), a cheese platter (and we don't eat the stronger ones at the start) followed by desserts, everything will be served in an order chosen according to a logic determined by the menu designer .
I am really looking forward to coming to france. Should come soon
Have a wonderful trip!
Diane, I'm 3 for 3 with you now. 22+ years in France, and I still only buy baguettes when we're having people over for dinner! Otherwise, those *boules de pain de campagne* do it for me, and (unlike baguettes, which could be used as a weapon after 2 or 3 days) they last a while. (Actually, we are big fans of Bjorg's galettes de maïs - they're less fattening; and don't go stale if kept protected.)
There's also a special seeded bread I can only find at the Super U by my in-law's house. Strangely amazing for a supermarket bakery department. But yup, boules are the way to go in my house atleast 80% of the time.
Regarding coffee, I do agree with you.
The coffee you have in a "café" is too strong and is definitely the italian espresso.
I always ask for a "café allongé" (i.e. double size of an espresso but with the same measure of ground coffee).
The shutters think you must be careful because in inassurance may not cover you if you did not close them …
Wow you've been living there for over 10 years and you still have yet to adapt to these? I used to live with my mom in the summers in 2001 and 2002 and I adapted almost half of your list. Definitely no to smoking. I was so glad when France went smoke free 😊
AHAHAHA this video made my day :D About the "volets" it's about intimacy principally. That's my french take on this. Personnally i'm like you i don't bother most of the time but the olds... outch my mother is very focused about them lol. A good day to all ;)
Being french and living in france i don't get the part about small talk, we do that a lot, but maybe it is just a matter of subject : Americans (mostly but not only) tend to abord subjects that makes us unconfortable being to personnal... Small talk is about the weather, the news, an obvious common insterest but not much outside of that...
Always interesting, your videos, I'm becoming a regular even though I'm not American! On the social politeness, my experience is different perhaps because I live in the south, near Pézenas. I don't have the smiling at people issue you mentioned and as to small talk at things like supermarket checkouts, people chat away quite easily, even if you don't know each other. I'm guessing that this could be a regional difference within France, or even a big town / small villages difference. You're so right about shutters, though. 15 years on, I'm not converted to waking up in the dark all year round! Oh, and my tip for enjoying a drink on a terrace is only do it if you can be upwind of the smokers!
My mother used to always tell me, close the shutters when It's getting cold (for example when It's getting closer to nigh time) so that it doesn't get colder in the house, and in morning open them so that the light comes in and so you don't use light, that's the main reason why I do so. I don't have automatic shutters so yes It's annoying but I also feel like It's kinda more stylish so I prefer those.
I think it's probably a 50 -50 split between sweet and savory breakfasts here in USA. Pancakes or donuts, etc. are just as popular as eggs and bacon.
Yup, love it! The difference though is that in France, no one eats savory stuff like eggs and bacon for breakfast.
I have to let you know that in winter even if its anoying to close the shuters, it actually retain much more heat at night because glass (even with double glass pain) have a pretty poor thermal isolation render compared to if you close your shuters. Now you know :).
Love the explanation. Merci
Oatmeal with fruit is a sweet breakfast.
When I was in France, I found the coffee disgustingly weak. It drives me nuts that you don't appreciate those shutters!
Sweet breakfast : sugar brings quick energy. It's a good way to get a start, however it's not all of France that'll go for it.
Shutters : in the US, you leave the AC on all year long - disregard for energy waste is a cultural thing.
Baguette : that's mainly a thing in Paris. Other places in France, you buy a "pain" or a "boule" (regionalized names may apply) because it doesn't dry out as fast - especially when you don't make tartines for breakfast. Also, French bread is tough : most foreigners have trouble with the crust.
Specialty food : you eat them for big events or at a restaurant - you'll be hard pressed to find someone eating tripes or boudin noir every day, because they're either a pain to cook or far too rich for frequent consumption - or both.
Service order : there's a logic behind it, but salad can be had at the beginning of the meal, during the main course or after. Cheese is a different matter : you will take a piece of it after the main course only if you still are a bit peckish. As for dessert, well, not only is it nice, but it's also the occasion to push out the main dish's taste and smell - or the cheese's.
Dinner time : the main reason is that we have 4 meals in France : breakfast (petit déjeuner) - when waking up, lunch (déjeuner) around noon, "tea time" (goûter) around 4-5pm, and then dinner (dîner or souper) around 7:30; there's a 3 hours lag in average between them and the last one is supposed to be rather light - it's there to prevent you feeling hungry at night.
Politeness : when in Rome...
Smoking : was a French thing for a long time, where people would have a smoke that would take several minutes to consume itself and wouldn't go past a couple a day (because they were very strong), but it got addictive after WW2 when... US blonde tobacco forced its way heavily onto French soil. So, yeah - thanks for that :(
I don't mind tripe because I ate it as a child during autumn and winter, especially in soups and stews. I don't smoke and don't permit it in my home. When my European guests visit and ask to smoke, I explain that I don't allow it for health reasons as well as for the safety of pets. Most respect my wishes while a couple of my European visitors (I won't disclose which country) try to sneak into a room or directly outside my house, leaving residue and cigarette butter at my front door. My morning coffee is more on the strong side as I prefer using my caffè presse. I réservé coffee to week-ends or if I am at à café. My breakfast habits vary. I love a good bowl of Scottish oats in the morning, and sometimes a croissant or toasted boule with jam, but my favorite is two poached eggs and toast. I adapted well when visiting Europe. I never got used to dining after 8 pm. I would order the lightest meal on the menu , or else I will be awake all night. I also want to be in bed by 10 pm. 😮😊
Cigarettes... thanks to Marlboro who distributed free cigarettes in the night clubs... in the 80s/90s. Today it is totally forbidden in France.
Coffee is such an individual taste and that’s okay. Hoping I find coffee to my taste when I’m there soon. Love listening to all your thoughts. Cheers from 🇦🇺
I'd just like to say that for me, people who say "it gets all mixed up in the stomach, so why bother", don't understand french cuisine. It's all about combining tastes. Sure, you're ultimately right. But with that kind of thinking, we could all just eat a brown nutritive paste and be happy with it. Over my dead french body filled with Savoyarde Fondue. Just kidding (apart from the last sentence of course, Savoyarde fondue is serious business for me). Loved your video, such an interesting take on my culture :)
Blood sausage is seriously underrated. It's not even exclusive to France, they make those in Britain, in Spain or in Italy as well
As a French person, I wouldn't say that a French breakfast should be overly sweet, and for most people it is not. It should have a certain amount of fat (normally butter), and a small amount of sweet is optional. That's why a plain/butter croissant is perfectly suitable for breakfast (it is considered pastry FOR breakfast), but an almond croissant is not (it would be for a sweet snack, or for children after school for example). Same with any sweet pastry, even pain au chocolat wouldn't be normal for breakfast. Most people on a day to day basis will have bread with butter, some will add jam on top (but the butter is there for most people). Now some people have a sweet tooth for sure, but I'm talking about what a typical breakfast is in most families.
I didn't know, you don't eat oysters in the US? The filtered coffee you mentioned I am surprised because it's the main way we have it in French houses too. I agree I don't like the Espresso coffees in restaurants either
Great vid, Diane! A couple questions: What should one request when wanting an American-sized large cup of coffee that's not as strong as motor oil?
Outside of Paris and other tourist areas, do you think there are more non-smoking sections inside restaurants since 2012? Thanks!
There’s no smoking inside in France since 2008.
In Paris you find many terrasses that are semi closed but still on the street or the front of the business that’s where people still smoke. You should be completely safe inside.
For the coffee you could go for
« Un Americano or un café américain »
You would get an expresso diluted in hot water.
My grandparents like to ask for some hot water on the side to dilute their expresso if there’s no option.
To be honest it’s quite rare to find big cups of coffee outside of coffee shops/tea shops.
That smoking thing is all over Europe. It is like that in France, though I felt it was more in Belgium and in the Netherlands loads of youths smoke. Roll-ups too.
I like being this French guy who NEVER buys a baguette in the morning. I sometimes buy bread, but like... not even once a month.
If you want a coffee that's less strong, ask for : un café allongé. You will find also that people from the north of France are so different from the onces in the south of France.
Great episode!!
7 or 7:30 is a most usual time to eat at home in the evening... 8:30 is quite late...