10 French culture shock moments | American living in France
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- Let's talk about France culture shock! It's real! Oxford languages describes culture shock as “the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes.” Every country around the world has its own way of doing things and France is no exception. These cultural differences in France might make you fall in love with France, laugh, cry, throw your hands up in exasperation or leave you scratching your head. It’s all part of the process as you discover a new culture and adapt. Many might also apply to other areas in Europe, not just France. Let's get into the 10 biggest culture shocks I discovered after moving to France and living abroad for years now. Let me know if you've noticed any of them while traveling in France!
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Salut! I'm Diane, the American behind the living abroad lifestyle blog Oui In France. My channel's focus is "Everyday French life and beyond," so let me know what you want to see! I make videos on French culture topics, 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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Salut, tout le monde! Greetings from lockdown. I hope you enjoy this video all about French culture shock. If so, let me know if you'd like a Part 2 and what parts about French culture shocked or surprised you upon visiting France! Merci. ;-)
Yes, definitely a part 2 would be great!
Maybe cars and driving in France. I felt French driving was scary and they were very impatient. Perhaps not having to tip. Maybe dating too.
@@dudehere1981 I made the driving video this summer ;-)
i may have found why some people pee in public : there is no public toilets in france (or really few).
What surprised me A LOTTT was spitting on the streets! Eww!!! At least this was quite prevalent a few years ago when I lived there XD
Last year when I was in France I dropped in to a pharmacy to buy some sunscreen expecting it to take 3 minutes and ended up in 15 minute conversation with the pharmacist about my skin type before being allowed to choose a product. It was interesting, and I was impressed by how seriously the pharmacist took even the simplest things.
Or you can buy some at the supermarket. 😁
Less waste, so actually the French people are going green in this area. Viva la France👍👍
Every supermarkets sell sunscreens, and i'm pretty sur it's cheaper too (and not so great), but the pharmacy will sell you quality product for the use you need.
@@Siegdrifa The supermarket I went to did not have the kind of sunscreen I needed. The selection was very small compared to the pharmacy.
@@thedavidguy01 i don't doubt that, the product in supermarket is often mainstream, and not as specialised as pharmacy.
Keep in mind that in France it is not as acceptable as in the US to enter a restaurant or a bar just to use the bathroom. There is a great probability that the owner/waiter may tell you that the bathroom is only for the clients.
Yeah, Jean-Luc, that's no excuse for this kind of uncivilized behaviour. In Paris, you have public toilets everywhere. You even have an smartphone app to tell you where they are. And still we see people peeing everywhere and don't care to shame them. You go to any other European capital and albeit they have the same problem you've mentioned - can't use the restaurant / bar toilet - you don't see this public pissing culture happening anywhere else in the civilized world. And you don't have all those freely acessible public toilets everywhere around other cities. Just to finish - I have never ever been denied access to a toilet in a bar or restaurant anywhere in France, but it happened to me in Graz, Austria, where I have never seen anyone peeing on the street. We have to acknowledge there is a problem of lack of civility in France, and that this is one of the several ways it manifests itself, because if we don't, if we keep looking for excuses the way you are doing right now (and pretty much everyone does about the biggest problems in France), this will never change, and we will still be seen as the gross disgusting neighbours by our European fellows...
Yes, right, but also, it is not only in France that most of the restaurants wouldn't let men pissing in their toilets without consuming, at least in every western european country
Just enter in a bar without saying anything, I do it all the time when I'm in France, they don't even spot you.
I don’t even know that france have per culture maybe because you stay too much in paris 😂
@@mmarques2736 Curb your assumptions. Jean-Luc didn't say it was an excuse. That's all in your head. Perhaps you are not happy in France anymore. Portugal welcomes melancholy misers. ;)
French butchers are highly skilled and trained. They can cut an prepare in numerous ways each small different part and/or muscle of all the animals they work on. It's an old tradition. Parisian butchers always been ones of the best butchers worldwide. It takes many years to learn properly french butchery and it's directly linked to french gastronomy, meat cooking being 90% of french best recipes. It's a high level art when done properly.
I fully agree with you. And the quality of meat is really excellent. I have travelled extensively in Europe and only in GB and F did I find top quality meat.
@@francinesicard464 you meant in UK !
You said it. Butchery is an art, Parisian butchers used to have their own private language (le Louchebem), which was mostly ununderstandable if you haven't been trained by a Parisian Butcher.
As a French who has lived in different parts of France, I've NEVER seen a restaurant closed until 8pm... usually they open at 7pm.
For an American it would still feel odd. Restaurants typically are open for dinner by 6PM at the latest and often earlier. Having dinner at 8 PM would be considered quite late and anything after that downright continental LOL.
I could understand that in as pain or Italy as they tend to eat later, but tourists aren’t used to eating a meal too late. So it depends if we’re talking a dense urban area or not.
If 8pm is late, don't go to Spain, it's 10pm 😁
@@hztm oh I visited Spain a number of years ago and I was blown away by how late those people stayed up. I think it was the midst of some sort of festival and I’d be getting up in the morning and people were just rolling in from the night’s festivities it was insane. I was traveling alone so I tend to not eat sit down dinners so much as pick up food that I can eat in a park or have a picnic with on my own. I just feel awkward sitting alone in a restaurant. Given their nocturnal ways that’s probably best. Sleep deprivation must be a national epidemic.
@@pjschmid2251 Since I'm a night owl....Spain would be perfect for me😆
To all foreigners, please notice the large majority of French finds men peeing on the pavement or on buildings (it's tolerated in the grass on the side of a road) absolutely disgusting and gross ! ^^
C vrai 😅
Sure, but no one does nothing about it, no one shames the one pissing, we parisians just got so used to see it that we don't care anymore, so this culture ain't going away anytime soon, therefore, don't expect foreigners to feel less disgusted by us just because the majority (I doubt we have the right to claim it is a large majority, no way to quantify it but surely not the case in Paris or Marseille) condemn it...The true is that you will walk in any other European capital, and you won't see such behaviour passing without being shamed. We have a serious problem of civility in France.
I have spent many months in France in many different areas and I have never seen this!
@@yumyummoany You surely didn't spend a lot of time in Paris...
@@mmarques2736 you are right.
French pharmacies are hands down the best in the world. Amazing products and amazing support from the pharmacists. Only problem is that (old) people love them so much that they even kind of hang out there and make waiting times often quite long. Bonus point: it always smells amazing in them.
So true about the elderly chitchating for ours, the pharmacist usualy even knows their name.
True but eye wateringly expensive
But we usually don't say a thing because most of the time those old people are lonely and the pharmacist might be their only real conversation of the day
@@alexthomson7465 dude we have free healthcare, unless you want some aspirin or vitamins you just have to pay the doctor 20€ and the meds are free
If you're a Pharmacist you may have to smell piss from disturbed customers, like I had to for a 1/2 hour late one night in the UK. Spare a thought for the Pharmacist.
As a french vet thank you very much for that compliment about us :) it is true that it's much cheaper than in the US or even UK, but not always for the best: vets in France are not very well paid (in general) for the work they do. They have lots of pressure especially concerning shifts, and sadly many young vets give up on their job, and it is currently very difficult for employers to find new vets for their clinics. And people are not ready to pay a little more, mainly because they have no idea of the price of medical care (due to our healthcare system where you do not receive the bills). But clients like you make us think we chose the right job anyway :)
I appreciate you taking the time to comment and the work that you do. I know how demanding your patients are (and their owners!) and I would absolutely pay more because you do such important work.
French vets have been outstanding and my dog has received amazing care, both from her regular vet and in an emergency situations. I always buy Christmas gifts for the staff at my vet practice because they mean everything to me and it's the least I can do. xx
@@OuiInFrance aww thank you so much! Not all vets are perfect but most of us try their best and we get rewarded with people like you 😊
Sounds hard
France culture plus à vous tous des bisous et à bientôt bises de nous faire une demande à la recherche d'un emploi je ne sais si c'est possible pour vous deux je suis à vous deux pour vous deux je vous remercie pour vous deux je vous remercie pour vous deux pour le cas échéant de la recherche d'une personne intéressée immo à bientôt bises de me confirmer que vous allez bien je ne sais pas trop de la semaine prochaine pour votre réponse rapide je ne sais pas trop tard pour vous avez reçu une réponse rapide et de la maison de la recherche d'une entreprise qui me confirmer que vous allez recevoir un mail pour vous deux je suis à la maison de retraite et à bientôt
@@MG-nr9dt gaffe avec le terme "vet" en anglais, c'est aussi une abréviation très courante du mot "veteran" (pas besoin de le traduire je pense), à utiliser avec "prudence" pour éviter tout quiproquo.
Here in California, where marijuana is legal, the stores all display a similar green cross like the French pharmacies. I wonder if any French tourists have experienced culture shock by walking in to a cannabis dispensary thinking it was a pharmacy?
As a French person, I indeed confused a cannabis dispensary for a pharmacy once, before quickly realizing that I wasn't going to find any paracetamol in there!
@@bangchanswebbrowsinghistor5145 We call it Tylenol or generically acetaminophen in the US, and you can buy it at any supermarket or other kind of smaller food store, or at any drug store. Like in the UK.
@@bangchanswebbrowsinghistor5145 🤣🤣 sorry
yup .. walk in , buy maruana and a gun 😂😂💀
@@bangchanswebbrowsinghistor5145 Well, to be faiiir, that could also lessen pain quite well. With also some stunn...ehm stoning side effects x)
I am a veterinarian. I graduated in 1976. I went home to practice in my home area. It was rural, economical depressed, and already staffed with enough veterinarians. I made so little money; I had no employees. After 11 years, I couldn't take it anymore. I became a USDA Public Health Veterinarian supervising meat inspection. It was gainful employment. I finally had the money to enjoy life and retire. In the US, I have heard veterinary student debit on average is 3 years of gross income. It is just another example of how the education system is victimizing young people.
The pharmacist will also inspect any mushrooms that you are not sure off.
Indeed, either you found the mushrooms in the forest as well as on your feet!
@@sergeblanc799
Sorry I prefer mine on cheese!
It is part of the training of French pharmacists to learn to identify mushrooms. Prevents a lot of problems.
You can ask for advice in an Irish pharmacy as well.
They are also very kind about removing splinters and disinfecting the spot afterwards for free
in a french pharmacy the owner has almost the same study than a doctor. They are very competent.
Funny thing, we often call bank cards "carte de crédit" while they actually are "carte de débit" indeed
I call them "carte bleue"
Indeed. Many French in people come unstuck when they rent a car and cannot be pay the deposit as their card is a direct debit card and not a "credit" card. For that, you need a "deferred debit card", (carte à débit différé). To get that, your are likely to have to demonstrate a regular monthly income, otherwise the default card will be the direct debit card. On the subject of "credit cards", France is nowhere nearly into revolving credit facilities as in North America and the UK. Revolving permanent credit lines with cards to make payments do exist in France. They are horrendously expensive though. To the French, the idea of paying for ordinary shopping by credit is not so big culturally as in the US and the UK. The average amount of household debt in France compared to the US and the UK is a lot lower.
I am French. At some point in my life I found myself with 3rd degree burns and the specialist that treated me in the hospital was actually a pharmacist that was specialized in treating burns
4:00. a french owner pharmarcie is a " pharmacien". He/she has to study 6 years long to get a diploma. U will get the best medicine advises even u have just to buy Advil or Paracetamol...
the number is fixed by the french government no to have competition between them.
Same in Greece
Same in Finland as well
Same in Italy, everything you said
Same in Poland
Same in Portugal.
I'm always interested to hear about French culture shock. I was born British and have been living in France since 1983. I also have French nationality since 1992 and consider myself more French than British.
I was born and raised in Louisiana. My dad was French, and it's interesting seeing the similarities in French culture.
Thank you for sharing this!
Was your Dad French Canadian, big difference from European French?
French Canadians & Louisiana french are of French ancestry but parted company in the 1700's.
@@davidmorrill2943 yup I’m an English Quebec who speaks French too. The Cajuns were a miss pronunciation of Acadian who where kicked out of Acadia (Canada’s maritime region) by the British in the 1700s. They wound up in Louisiana
America never let the French keep their language. I’m glad in Quebec we’re protecting it (there’s 8,000,000 of them) it’s often turned into an English vs French here but being born in Montreal in 1961 and still here I’m pretty used to it and I try not to let it ‘ ruffle my feathers’ a lot of my friends who were English left long ago. Some of us stayed. Vive la difference.
Me too. I love visiting Nova Scotia and Paris. They are extremely different but then so is New Orleans. We do have a French attitude when it comes to our independent ways. My parents lived in France when they were young and totally loved it. The only part they didn’t love was being harassed by the Communists because they were American. But that may have been a function of the times. The other French people were just lovely.
Hello, I am French and I have been living abroad for many years. I find your video very interesting as it gives the perspective of a non native French on France, and you say things that I didn’t really notice since it seems normal to me.
In regards to peeing in the street, I don’t find it that common, but as mentioned above maybe I don’t notice anymore. What I can say is that in the other countries that I lived in (Spain, Ireland, Germany) or travelled to, I find it much easier to find public toilets “clean “ than in France.
To an American just seeing one person do this would be shocking. If our children are with us we would think they were in danger. I’m not exaggerating. We would get the heck out of there fast.. Maybe even call the police. 😂
@@midlifeandnailingit6342 It is illegal in every state.
@@KP-vg3zn Well, in theory, it's illegal in France too, plus, you'll only stumble upon this in big cities and almost exclusively in Paris + the surrounding areas.
I know that when I was a teenager and we spent our nights outside everyone peed in the street. Girls and boys.
Hi Florent,
Wer do you live now - those 3 countries + France were the countries I have been looking @.. .Out of these 4 which one did you like the most??
The debit/credit card thing is common across much of Europe, not just France. Most people have credit cards, but use debit cards for daily small purchases.
Or rather, people have Visa/MasterCard, but they work as debit cards.
True. I know people from a billionaire family and most of them have only prepaid credit cards: the kind you top up with a few thousand to use on a faraway vacation and if you lose it, meh, no big deal. Debit cards for everything within the EU.
People have been using debit cards in France since the early 1990s for even McDonald's. I thought it was so odd (I am from Québec but studied and worked for 8 years in France) that people were using credit cards to buy BigMacs!!! But they were debit bank cards.
but something is getting lost in translation here coz carte de crédit and carte de débit are not exactly the same but they can both be delivered at your bank (and it's a paying service contrary to checks which are free and we are fighting really hard to keep them and all the advantages they offer) whereas "revolving" credit card(carte de crédit à crédit?) can be obtained at a credit agency (not banks). also some stores like fnac for exemple in link with some credit company let you have a "revolving" credit card to use with them.
Yes, much healthier to not strch more than you can handle.
I am a Brit living in France....Calvados, Normandie....and I frequently see men peeing beside the road in broad daylight. In the UK men do pee outdoors but is generally under cover of darkness and behind a bush. lol
I have had three occasions where workmen have actually been caught 'tackle out' peeing in our garden. The telephone man, water supply man, and an electrician. All they had to do was to ask to use the toilet....but no. They do not wash their hands and i remember the electrician who I'd almost walked into while he was peeing in a rosebush then proffered his had to shake when he left. I just looked at it, aghast. The one thing I bless Covid for is the end of feeling pressured to shake hands with random people.
A ces français , ils ont tous les défauts ,! les britanniques sont parfaits ?sauf , quand ils sont en vacances en France ou Espagne ; ils boivent comme des trous , pissent n'importes insultes les forces de l'ordres ou la Guardia civil , ont des comportements , qu'ils n'auraient jamais sur leurs îles
A French living in France, and seriously, I've never seen this in my life, never heard about anyone experiencing it or doing it. I don't know if you think this is a cultural thing, but it definitely isn't. It is gross, and literally everyone thinks this way in France. I hope I brought you a little relief regarding the mental status of the average French lmao. Stay safe.
I think that's disgusting, sorry but there it is
I love your video. I was born in the USA but both my parents were born in Mexico and I see the cultural similarities between France and Mexico. I love the bakeries, pharmacies, late night meals and veterinary care in both countries. Unfortunately, I have to say that in Mexico, it is also common to see men urinating openly in public and I find it absolutely disgusting. When I visited Mexico I even saw men urinating on churches and other public buildings and monuments, which I thought was terribly disrespectful. I'm glad I did not see that in France.
I lived in Mexico for many years and don't recall men urinating in public to be a common sight. See it more here in San Diego. Here, downtown smells like urine, but despite the huge homeless problem I think it's from all the dogs being walked.
Everything that is said in this video perfectly applies also to Italy, like literally everything. Who knew France was so similar to Italy!!!
You can actually apply it to whole Europe.
Is there beckery everywhere in italy ?
@@johnrambo5407 Plutôt, oui. Vous n'y êtes jamais allé ? Il y a quelques petites différences avec la France, évidemment, mais on trouve énormément de boulangerie (panificcio, paneterria), qui fabriquent également tout ce qui est foccacia, etc ; bref, énormément de nourriture à base de pain, excellente, et qui fait que l'Italie a résisté à la malbouffe, contrairement à la France, qui compte en Europe le plus de Mc Donald's… Dommage pour nous :-)
@@heliedecastanet1882 You are still well up in the mcdo thing haha i think you are 5 in the thing with mcdo? aha
I’ve been to Italy so many times, (actually studied there) but I haven’t seen public urination as common as in France. Maybe once or twice late weekend nights some drunk men would relieve themselves behind a wall or something , but no..it’s not typical in Italy.
As a frequent visitor to France, I am always surprised that a small village will have a florist. On further investigation I found it was much more common than the UK to take a floral tribute to the cemetery or have flowers as a table decoration.
That's because we like to bring flowers to our parents when we visit them, or when we're invited at the house of people we love. It's also a nice gesture for your lover.
I love how you say that your dogs health is just as important as yours . I couldn’t agree more !
You are extremely good at presenting new information in a very pleasant way! Thank you.
Thank you, so sweet of you to take the time to tell me that.
Whenever I go back to France, I look forward to a trip to my local pharmacie: soft lights, soft music, delicious fragrance, fresh flowers on the desk, and the feeling you are in an elegant boutique, even if you are buying wart remover! Last time, the pharmacien was wearing black leather pants and red clogs. I wanted to give him a "bise"!
When I went in a pharmacist in US, I was shocked to be able to buy sodas, candies and CIGARETS ! It's suppose to be a place where you buy cure !
I have never urinated in public. It's OK in nature, not in a town. I barely never see men peeing in the street. And it's "pissotière" (a familiar word) or "urinoir" not "pissoire" (unless pissoire is a local term) 😁
Most pharmacies make their profits by selling all of the non-medical products. If the only sold medicines they oils not be able to stay in business. One major pharmacy chain, CVS, made the decision to stop selling tobacco products in 2014.
Vous ne pouvez pas acheter de cigarettes en pharmacie, ici au Canada. Eh bien, peut-être dans une province - en Colombie-Britannique - mais nulle part ailleurs.
Here in México, our meal times, at home, are quite different. The largest meal is called “comida” and is usually eaten between 2 and 4 pm. Often, the meal later in the evening is quite light in comparison, perhaps just some fruit or sweet bread (pastries) with coffee or chocolate. I just returned from having a meal with friends and we ate between 2:30 and 4:30 pm. The only time we eat a large dinner later is when we are out with friends at a restaurant for a social occasion.
I like to eat the dinner meal about 4pm too. Better for the digestion too!!!
No en Oaxaca ni comida tenemos
Same in Georgia and other eastern European countries
same in Spain. I'm french and lived in Madrid 2 years but eating at 2pm is to late when you start working at 8am.
If France is known for something, then it has to be the bakery (food). It is a great
attraction and african-american people enjoy this. You need to also need to check out the cafe and the French people are so outgoing.
Love your channel - I moved to Bordeaux (from California) in 2015 and absolutely love the life here, however it does take some adjustment. The pharmacies are all different so I have fun checking them out....although only 2 pharmacies in town are open on Sundays, so it’s always good to stock up on what you need in advance!
Janice-I am about an hour away from Bordeaux...and we love our life here too!
Wow, from Cali to rainy Bordeaux
Talk about some weather shock!
Glad to know other people agree that Bordeaux is really a special place :)
Yeah and this makes for a very tough time to get COVID test if your flight is on a monday, ask me how I know lol
@Diane, regarding public urination, keep in mind that free rest rooms are not necessarily as common in France as in the United States or Canada. Either one has to pay one or two Euros, or hit a lock door with a sign saying it is for patrons only. I also saw many restaurants with combination locks on their restroom doors that can be unlocked with a time limited code printed on the receipt.
certes, cependant les femmes se débrouillent pour ne pas pisser dehors, les hommes peuvent donc le faire aussi.
And why aren't woman peeing in tbe strees? The problem is not the free restroom please, is just male feeling entitled to get their dick put and pee all over the street because they own it
My favourite anecdote is, when my friend visited her doctor to confirm her third pregnancy (the first two were in UK) he admonished her to 'abstain from all alcohol, and to only drink one glass of wine with each meal'. Wine is considered a staple food, not an alcoholic beverage!
Wow, that must have surprised her!
My father was in hospital in a small town in the south of France (we're Dutch but speak French). He was served a quarter of wine with lunch and dinner.
bizarre ; une femme enceinte responsable ne boit pas d'alcool pendant sa grossesse , même les française ? elles ne sont pas plus débiles que les anglo-saxonnes . non , le vin n'est pas considérer comme une boisson de base , la boisson de base est l'eau . le très bon vin est réserver pour les repas de familles ou de fêtes .même a ce moment là les femmes enceintes n'en boivent pas
@@ybreton6593 honnêtement si tu es dans une région avec une tradition viticole plutôt forte, le vin est considéré comme boisson de base et beaucoup de gens en boivent à au moins un repas par jour, c'est courant. Ceci dit oui, les femmes enceintes n'en boivent pas
Even my 15 year old daughter has noticed that in the States they drink to get drunk but in France and Europe you drink wine to enjoy and cherish the moment …
I'm from the UK and have been living in France for decades! I don't like hugging as a greeting so la bise suits me better! I know what you mean about men peeing in public, 'beurk' as the French would say. I love French pharmacies and baguettes too.
« Beurk » c’est exactement cela 😉
I've had a medical condition which caused me to urinate in public....it's called "being drunk."
@@LoganRaven WTF?
@Matricx700 explain ?
@@LoganRaven Yes, in your dream France, no White French people urinate in public. Never. It's a sight you just never see. LOL
@@LoganRaven Mec... tous le monde a déjà pissé dans la rue, je compte plus le nombre de fois que je l'ai fait.
@@-Zakhiel- *tous les hommes
In France we generally finish school at 5 or 6 o’clock so we eat later because we come back from school then do homework and then eat
But it's founded on an old tradition from the Gauls. Light breakfast, normal lunch , late and big dinner
Veterinary care. I can only agree with you. I experienced the vet care in Alberta and it's nothing in comparison to France. Prices are horrible in Alberta, care and attention to the animal is really not that great. I am traveling with my cat and we needed to go to the vet in France. It was awesome. Totally liked the way they handled the situation. Bottom line, I was worrying for nothing but they checked all angles. Handle my cat with such care I almost believe she was in china. Even my cat barely noticed she was examined, no rough flip. They let her a few minutes to explore the room... Delightful.
Hey, nice video! As a French living in the US, I can mirror your experience. I'm quite lost with the credit history system and I basically stick to the debit card provided by an international online bank. I miss for sure my baguette and I slowly switched diner time earlier to fit the schedule. The pharmacy in the US is indeed quite different and we have to acknowledge that medication in France is perhaps more relying on physician's prescriptions since most of the medicine purchase happens over the counter. For the pissing thing, well... I think you'll find it mostly in Paris and other big cities (Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier..). Be sure it annoys everyone. Could be either people that do not have the choice because they live in the street and sadly they are many in the capital. Otherwise it would be some drunk or disrespectful folks but I would definitely not bring this in among the 'cultural specificities of France' ;)
Joliment dis, chere
Au tout début les français appelaient : cartes de crédits ; mais c'était une fausse appellation ? maintenant ,depuis plus de vingt ans nous les appelons : cartes bancaires ; le paiement est débité immédiatement de votre compte .
I don't understand why people would eat dinner at 8pm or so when you're going to bed at 10 or 11.
Because usually in france, people mostly get off work around 6pm ?
@@Malanu00 It could be their dinner is VERY light. That I could understand.
Hi Diane, I moved here to France from Ireland a couple of years ago and lots of what you talked about are very familiar to us in our home country. But two things stand out as radically different , peeing in public and the poor quality of meat compared to Irish butchers. My wife and I were driving on the outskirts of Carcassonne about a year ago when a military Jeep in front of us suddenly stopped, the passenger soldier jumped out with a full toilet roll in his hand and sprinted across a busy road narrowly missing cars and dived into a bush, a bit gross but really funny to watch.
I remember going to my first big Saturday market in Rennes and seeing the meat display. Quite shocking! I loved my pharmacy there but I also love my pharmacy here in Gensac too. They are super sweet and helpful. As far as eating late, I noticed this when my friend visited. She has children and they have to be in bed by 7. So...no going out for dinner since the restaurants near me don’t start serving until 7! Thanks again for another lovely video. Much love from Gensac!
I absolutely love the meat markets in France. Seeing poultry,fish or game with the head and feet still on is a sign that the meat is fresh as the head will be the first part to start going bad. The vendors are showing you that their meat is fresh. The butcher will remove and dress your purchase before you take it home.
You could easily solve the urination problem by simply putting an electrified mesh around the base of bushes and every time somebody lets loose they get a 240 volt surprise
No. You would go to jail.
It is strictly forbidden to piss on walls of buildings in France, you risk to be fined if you are caught of course.
English grammar- gotta love it. Caught not catched. ;)
RUN!
@@noneofurbusiness5223 Yes and more the worst, I know it
I just discover your channel and I love the fact that you explain how things work in France *and* how things work in USA for us French viewers as well
French here... regarding the pharmacies, to open a pharmacy, you need a diploma (PharmD) and a licence, there are attributed depending the number of inhabitants, so it prevents the installation of pharmacy chains (but some exists, they are not as big as cvs or walgreens though). So if you have just graduated and want to open your own pharmacy, you have to buy it from a retiring pharmacists for example, it is a relatively regulated job, it is not a business like others...
"pharmacy chains (but some exists, they are not as big as cvs or walgreens though)" = you are confusing of "ParaPharmacy Chains" in France !
@@youpihat the examples I had in mind : Pharmacie Lafayette or Gifar are pharmacies, not only parapharmacies, are organised in chains but operate differently from CVS
My daughter just got her PharmD, 6 years at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (University of the Sciences) and is doing a one year residence in Oncology pharmacy. She has little desire to work in a pharmacy and prefers hospital pharmacy. And yes she has taken and passed her boards and licensed in Pennsylvania she going to take the New Jersey Pharmacy law test to get her licence in her home state. Each US state licences their pharmacists, the main pharmacy boards are the same and transferable at this time. She went to her University right out of high school. When she graduated, NJ and Pa. removed her pharmacy tech licence which she got at 18.
@@larabelle78 Tiens, tiens, c'est nouveau ! Depuis quand la loi a changé ?
Accepte elle La CMU en ligne ?
Merci beaucoup "Iarabelle78" !
Très bonne journée !
Wow. So much of this reminds me of my childhood in the sixties. The hands on pharmacy, no credit cards (debt), smoking, even the cuts of meat. It would be strange to visit, and enjoyable.
The peeing on the street thing is common in Spain too. It’s not a matter of laziness or illness. I’ve seen parents with boys around 5 to 7 years old, walk them over to the bushes at a busy urban corner to have them pee, if they have to “go” on the way home from school. No one takes any notice or cares. I think that the boys, having grown up with the habit, don’t think anything of it as adults either.
Just a little precision : 'la bise' is not a kiss on the check. Actually, the cheeks are touching side by side and the lips are "kissing the air". When people actually kiss the cheek and are not from your close family, they are seen as perverts.
or making a move. but kissing on the cheek is real as with family. the whole side by side was made by bourgeois to give themself contenance. also popularise by les inconnus. "salut! TU ! VAS! BIENNN!"
Very old people are the only ones doing it these days.
@@ultima3542 thank god..I dont want anybody to feel my oily ass face 😫
My family members who did college in the US used la bise until covid started
@@glossyncap careful...american may come for you then.
As a Canadian I would lose it if someone pissed in public and I find it shocking bc I thought that the French where shy and not that open but I’m going to assume that that’s more of a pairs thing. I see it as a uncivil thing to do and that if you do it that you should be ashamed and yelled at
There are private pharmacies in America that are only pharmacies and not drug stores. They are usually small and sometimes expensive or if not, have discount, generic drugs. They are usually open to the public, but have deals with certain local care groups, home nursing, hospice, etc., for most of their business.
I am Dutch and I live for nearly thirty years half time in France, I have never ever seen somebody peeing in the street.
Consider yourself lucky! ;-)
I'm french and i Can tell you that it's a cliché
u should see an ophthalmologist
@@im-pn3ug Difference might be that you live in the gutter and I don’t.
@@abrahamcusters2987 perfect clarification
Would love to see you do a review of Netflix’s Emily in Paris in terms of how they depict her experience of an American women moving to Paris.
For me (as a french person) it had some funny moments but was mostly annoying because she was kind of a mary sue. Even when she did mistakes or bad things (like having sex whith a teenager!!!) there where almost no bad consequences. And I felt like it depicted the american way as being the good way for a lot of things. Like she was some kind of hero here to teach french people how to do things...
Then you should watch Friendly Space Ninja's video about Emily in Paris! He is French but his video is in English
My first experience in Europe was visiting Paris and literally in less than 5 minutes of arriving in town a man walked into the street directly facing my bus and began peeing in the middle of the street, again facing us. What level of 'middle ages depravity' is France operating on that this is a thing? While it left a lasting impression of France, I had choked up it to being unlucky timing and that he must be a drunk or mentally unwell but, no its just the culture, so much so that it gets a mention here. Come on France, civilization moved on from this sort of behavior centuries ago.
French don't have dinner at 6pm because most of them are still at work at this time. The normal time for the beginning of the dinner in France is between 7.30pm and 8.30 pm, depending if you have young children or not. Later in restaurants in city centers.
Thank you for all the videos about my country. You have choosen an original way to compare our both countries. It's interresting ang sometimes very funny.
Hello!
I am French.
Well, some start to eat at 7pm. Generally, I have dinner between 5 pm and 6 pm. But most of French people are not like me.
What a cute little dog! Adorable :-)
Bank checks were common for in-store/grocery payment in the US until the late 1980s when point of sale terminals had a wide enough availability.
There are less and less checks used in France. 3,1 billions in 2009, 1,9 billions in 2017. I remember my mother using checks for groceries in late 80's, start of 90's but debit card use was not as massive as today. Today, almost nobody pays with a check in supermarkets, and it's always an elder person. More and more places do not accept checks because of frauds. Banks wants to stop the usage of checks, because their processing is expensive for them.
I have a check book. I use it maybe once or twice a year. Sometimes, you have to because you need a bank record and you can't pay with a card. I had to pay my rent of my appartement by check every month, the owner did not want a transfer.
Lol when I was 13/14, I visited France on a school trip as a student ambassador. In Paris, I had to go to the bathroom really bad one day, and was scrambling to find a restroom. But everyone I found, you had to pay for, and in my young American mind, that was preposterous. I thought I finally found one inside a restaurant when some guy stepped in front of the door at the last second and scolded me in French (I couldn't understand anything). So I turned around, saw some steps, walked down, and peed under some random bridge in Paris. I didn't know it was a common thing there, but I didn't care if I was breaking the law or not, I just had to go so bad.
Wonderful video! I live in Germany, the peeing in public happens here but usually they are standing beside a road/car.
I'm from Belgium and Spain, where peeing is very much ok in a park or other grassy area where you can turn away from people who are looking for an opportunity to be offended.
I laughed a lot over the urination in public. Good presentation of shock culture. One more subscribed.
Doesn’t all this urination publicly cause bad smells that the public has to put up with.
As a frenchman, I'm shocked about this peeing outside kind of thing.
Always been taught and seen it as rude and can definitely confirm it's not just me but all people around me.
Like it's fine in the woods, or being hidden from view if the urge is pressing, but heck.
that's gross, I rarely ever saw that too, both in paris and most of france wherever I went across the country.
Side note, very interesting video and quite a few different and interesting perspective that changes from what you usually read or hear about between US and France, I'd be very interested in seeing a part 2 :)
If only the whole World didn't have a credit culture.
You can of course pay them off every month like a debit card, check, or cash. But it's painless to use and people go nuts.
@@emjayay en France ce ne sont pas des cartes de crédits , mais des cartes bancaires le paiement est pris directement sur votre compte en banque . si vous n'avez pas suffisamment d'argent sur votre compte bancaire le paiement sera refuser .
How about you imagine the whole world acting responsible with credit.
@@johnlafever3162 but why do you absolutly need to "pay later" even for small things? Why not use the money you have when you have it?
I can understand credit for a house a car or something expensive but for clothes or food I don't get it. It makes no sense to me.
Very well explained and with a lot of respect! Great video
Hello.
It is illegal in France to write a cheque without sufficient funds in your bank account to back it up and there can be quite serious consequences for doing so.
Bonne vidéo ! J'ai appris beaucoup de nouvelles choses.
When a kid in the USA, 6PM (5:30-6PM) was considered late, normally it was 4:30 to 5PM fo dinner . In the countryside and Sunday 2-4PM. So it is funny to hear 6PM as being early. We would have a supper between 7-8PM (9PM for late people).
I live in Montreal Québec Canada and the things that you said about France explain a lot about what I see here!
Yes!
Debit cards are common and popular in Canada as well in addition to credit cards. An increasing number of businesses accept debit cards as the sole method of payment.
Debit cards very common.
Hi Diane! On the subject of credit/debit cards in Europe, I like to point out that the extreme situation is in Germany, where so many people prefer to pay in cash due to the private life question. Indeed, nowadays, the bank, the police, the tax administration aso know, or at least could find out, how much you earn, how much you spend and where. Historically, it seems fully justified in Germany and in countries of the ex-communist countries. Due to Covid-19, many stores invite the customers to pay with a card instead of cash. I wish to congratulate you for your clear and precise presentations. Take care and stay healthy, with greetings from Luxembourg.
I'm pretty sure the use of debit/credit cards for everyday shopping skyrocketd all over the world with Covid. I honestly haven't returned to the ATM since. Before Covid I used to feel "guilty" of paying anything below 10€ with the card, but now I just don't care anymore.
Frenchy living in Canada. Went to a canadian pharmacy with my parents when they visited. They were shocked. They had to send a picture of the isles to the family whatsapp subtitled "guess where we are". Nobody guessed it was a pharmacy.
I just visited France from the UK and, arriving at Gare du Nord the first thing that struck me was the the smell of actual smoke from actual cigarettes (and it continued from there). Vaping is common in the UK (and France), but I'd almost forgotten about smoking.
I have culture shock when I drive to middle America and the rural areas. 🤣
Oh yeah, very different than NYC! We definitely don't have to travel far to experience it. Thx for watching ;-)
I have a culture shock every time the American president addresses the public.
That too but thankfully not for much longer.
@@louismartMore like traumatic shock followed by PTSD.
@@louismart Presidents tend to like the sound of their own voice more than I.
I live in the south of France since right before COVID (wow that sounds like a translation from French). I love your vids. So helpful, and I can sooo relate to a lot of it.
Public urination. In Paris most restaurants, bistros or bars sort of almost require you to at least drink a coffee or mineral water to use their toilets.The urinol is sometimes outside the door of the toilet (almost always up or downstairs). Many require a jeton to open the door. If you are a frequent client, they will give one to you without a problem, but if you just come in to use the toilet without consuming anything they might refuse you.
Same in Germany.
Greg: yes , it’s understandable as they do the cleaning up themselves yet it s annoying and perhaps why some do pee wherever ...
I'm new to your channel.
Love your videos.❤️
Thank you!
Thanks for subbing & welcome!
I am French, lives in France, and the last time I have seen someone pissing in public was several decades ago. I think this is not something specific to France but something specific to Paris or some areas of Paris. To be fair, Brussels is even worse: there, public urination is a tourist attraction! ;-)
I see it all the time in an around a park where I live in the Pays de la Loire unfortunately. But certainly not JUST a French thing by any means.
Really? I’ve lived here 17 years and I see someone pissing on the side of the road every time I leave the house.
Me too, I see it a lot in the Loire Valley - one man in a Mercedes stepped out of his car and peed next to it, even though he was parked at a rest stop with a toilet!
I've seen it in Denmark.
I see it very often too ! And I live in Finistère. When I lived in Rennes it was the same, and wherever I go I think I can see men piss on the bushes or a wall.
As a French woman, I am getting culture shock just from your description of the contrast with american culture. Like "dinner at 6, especially with young children"? I would have been starving by the time I'd go to bed, especially if I were to have afterschool activities (danse lessons in my case) after dinner instead of right after class.
Most young children in the USA are in bed by 8 or 9pm. We eat around 6:30 pm in my household.
When l was a child, my father got home at 4.30.. my mother had dinner ready and waiting for him to arrive. We all ate together.
@@KP-vg3zn we french kids go to bed at the same hour approximately. It's just that it's, dinner, nice chat & quick relax time, then shower and bed 😁
Awesome video. Informative and well paced!
Glad you liked it! Merci
I'm American and I'll take a piss outside but only if I can get where nobody can see me. Cause when you gotta go , you gotta go.
It's especially bad for those of us with bladder and prostate issues. Ever since my prostate was removed my urge comes suddenly and forcefully. Any trip outside the house takes planning so I can stop somewhere and go discreetly. As quickly as I find a place I still have some leakage. I also have issues with my bowels because a foot of my large intestine was remove due to diverticulitis. That's difficult to deal with but it's not as bad as the urination problem.
Don't get caught pissing outside. My Uncle did after foing in some bushes off of a highway going to Long Island. He got a heavy fine and was listed as a sex offender for exposing himself in public.
Same with English people.
Same with French people, if you see someone peeing in broad daylight, he's probably drunk. No sober-minded French would expose itself peeing without any cover.
Along with hair salons, I noticed a lot more optical shops in France than here in the US. Have you noticed this as well?
Yes!
Oui ! And once they get your address, they will send you "publicité" forever. At least the one near us has done so... about once a month, after my husband walked in 17 years ago to get a screw for his frames. That's about 150 envelopes that I've had to drop right into the recycle bin.
Some of the points that you mention in the video are very close to the culture in Spain. But specially in the case of late dinner, in Spain we have dinner like at 10 pm. approx. At 6-7 we make sort of a snack time or something like that, but is not "commonly done", many people wait until 9-10 pm for the dinner. Even there are people that have dinner at 11 pm - 12 am because there are restaurants opened until that hour or later.
#5 : What surprised me during my six month stay in Paris in '04 was that not all bakeries are created equal. The tiny one across the street was so-so, another around the corner excellent, and the big chain "Paul" somewhere in the middle by quality, but at the top by selection. Also, that baguette really _has_ to be consumed very fresh (there _are_ other types of bread that keep longer, like anywhere else, but baguette is good for few hours.)
You know you are half-way "native" when you have _your_ boulanger and _your_ fromager.
#8 : On smoking: there was a cute neighborhood cafe at the corner of my building in Paris 16e. I knew that smoking is allowed (I smoke small cigars). The first time I entered, probably forgot to say "bon jour!" (perhaps not), ordered a café crème, lit, and noticed there is nowhere an ashtray to be seen. I "asked" (by miming tapping my cigar with puzzled expression) about that, and the keeper answered by wide, sweeping hand movement indicating the floor. Indeed, the floor was covered in ash and cigarette butts. Next tme i brought the small "travel ashtray" I always have in my luggage, but didn't think I would need it in a cafe.
I guess it is similar to those sawdust-covered floors in traditional pubs.
If you ever come back, be aware that since 2006 it is now forbidden to smoke in public area in France 😅
@@IroquoisPlissken 😞 Where is this world going ?!? Next they will say that baguettes are so good they are bad for you.
@@bazoo513 There is a lot more smokers in France than in the USA, so it was a mess. It is a public health problem here and smokers are younger and younger each year. Also it was proven that unvoluntary smoking (breathing smoke from nearby smokers) is in fact more dangerous than directly smoking. So for public and workers safety, it was forbidden to smoke in public areas.
@@IroquoisPlissken "Also it was proven that unvoluntary smoking (breathing smoke from nearby smokers) is in fact more dangerous than directly smoking."
I find it hard to believe this. Can you provide me with a reference to some peer-reviewed study showing this?
But, regardless of this - if your neighbor minds tobacco smoke, you refrain from smoking; its as simple as that. Farts are not dangerous, and we try not to fart near others. I have no problems with that. I will miss well ventilated "smoking allowed" sections of cafes, but i live without them. (But coffee without a small cigar is not a coffee; so, I will frequent the cafes much less often.)
Seriously, where is smoking still allowed? In open air cafes?
I love the French Pharmacies, myself. The Pharmacists were exceptional, caring and very competent. Many a time I was saved by a Pharmacist who had more experience and expertise than even the doctors I saw. We need more professionals like this. I was prescribed a cough medicine made of pine tree bark (yes…tasted terrible) that worked better than anything that I have had before or since. He was a “compounding pharmacist”, which are in very short supply in the US…usually a person in an old-fashioned and very expensive pharmacy in large cities in the US, and not at your local CVS or Walgreen’s.
hi, french here, to me, hugging is really for close friends or familly to show a lot of love (a thank you for example). It's seems more intimate, a larger part of your body is touching the other person than just your face.
Just give your hand to shake it... I've never done "la bise" with an unknown, France is not just upper class from Paris, like USA is not just upper class from NYC
@@LoganRaven you don't need to be from the paris "upper class" to do la bise, i do it with nearly every female i meet and with my close male friends, and we're from the working class !
An American here, and hugging would be reserved for family and very close friends. That being said there is a range of people in the US some are huggers and some are not. On the other hand the kiss kiss on the cheek that they do in France would be very, shall I say, shocking to me as an American. Far too personal for a mere acquaintance. Saying hello is just fine. Kissing in any form is reserved for spouses, a boyfriend/girlfriend and very close family.
@@LoganRaven You don't do "la bise" to everybody. Men shakes hand between each others unless it's family of very close friends and do la bise to women they know or at a party with friends's friend. You don't do la bise at your first day at work (unless you are Rachel Green🤣)
@@pjschmid2251 it's not really a kiss we just make the sound of it, it's more like a cheek tap
public urination?!? this one really took me by surprise. I never really experience this issue unless it s saturday evening and party people get drunk. But since alcohol is not known to make you smart, I guess that this can happen not only in france but wherever you can find drunk people.
I am a French native and I find the urinating thing absolutely revolting .
Thanks for your videos by the way ☺️
Thank you Oui en France. Such pleasurable memories (at least I don't cry anymore😂). I love listening to your videos. I was expatriated to Lille for awhile. Culture shock...still fresh memories & funny now.
So happy you enjoy my content!
I have seen some pharmacies in France who can check if your mushrooms pickings are safe to eat or poisonous - as free service.
This encourages non-experts to go for autumn mushroom picking and get it checked for free.
That is very nice.
I love these kind of videos. I'm new to your channel and i think I'll stick around awhile.
The pharmacys in France sound great, like what a pharmacy should be. France has universal health care, right? So the professional pharmacy is a great way to keep the public health system from getting boged down with minor medical issues. Plus, I'd love to get advice from my pharmacist about the meds and supplements I take.
The vet care...yes, crazy expensive in the states. i just had an issue with my kitty. He had a liver infection. He's a senior cat and I was told that this is something that happens to older cats. The whole visit and treatment costed me $623.00!!! But, I love my kitty. Like you say, he's my child...fur baby.
there are exactly no differences to Italy to be quite honest! (except for restaurants... we’re open all the time.)
Ciao Antonio ! I agree with you. We're quite cousins, actually. And I love your country (SO beautiful). A writer whose name I can't remember said once a very funny thing : "French people are Italian people, but with a bad temper" ;-)
Have a good day ! :)
Eons ago when doing a summer abroad in Tours, I had no idea what the bidet in my dorm room was for.
Also was shocked to see a drawing of a horse along with a cow, sheep, etc over the butcher case in the supermarket.
I had a friend that went to Brussels. Her young son was impressed with the "kids toilet" in their room. I had to explain to her what it was. Lol!
Good detailed information and tips for everyday living in France! I’ve recently started my research for planning to move to France from the US. Some Expat sites are entertaining,, but yours is both entertaining and informative
Thank You For Sharing 😊
Thanks so much!
We’re in South Africa have a similar situation with pharmacies and debit cards are out go to. Especially with young people. We are terrified of debt
I mean who spend money he hasn't and have no plan to reimburse every month (like a loan for a house)? I only once finished a month with -20 € and I felt terrible... eventhought it was at the end of the day not that big of a deal
I really don't understand how certain people can spend money that doesn't exist knowing interest rates! And the worse for me is consumer credits!
I feel you. I have money to burn but I don't use CC except for intercontinental travel (admittedly 2 or 3 vacations a year) and even then I use prepaid CCs from the post office. I am stingy by nature and like to know how much I spend per day, hence I prefer cash. With the prepaid CC I check the app every few days. Big spenders with their stash of diamond CCs don't impress me in the least. Most of them aren't even very wealthy, just posing.
Really enjoy your videos here in serious lockdown in London , thanks !
What limits the peeing in public in the usa is that it legally considered indecent exposure. So the person can end up facing sexual offence charges rather that paying a fine or nothing at all (fine are usually for urbanised areas) like in most of the world.
Pharmacy story
In the late 1980s I was in Dubrovnik in November and acquired a serious sinus infection. I found a pharmacy and had looked up some pertinent words in a Serbo-Croat dictionary to ask for meds. The lady pharmacist struggled for a minute, and then asked if I spoke French, which I did passably. She had been trained in France and worked there for years to save up money to open a pharmacy in her home town.
She asked many questions (some of which I had to guess at), took my temperature, felt my pulse, and even looked in my eyes and ears. She gave me some meds with very specific instructions and told me to return the next day. The little bag full of meds cost perhaps $3US. My sinuses did get better, and I went back a couple times and got even more meds.
When I got back I happened to show the meds to my brother-in-law, who's a physician. He said that the antibiotics were fine, for curing a massive infection in a horse.
Oh boy!!!
In France, Pharmacist can't give you antibiotics without a medical prescription. Some other medicine too.
simone Sims nope
They are pill happy in the Balkans.
I just moved to Montreal and I've noticed many of the things you mentioned like tons of bakeries and hair salons and people smoking but no public urination thank God. Also a lot of 'dépanneurs' here (convenience stores) and daycares (publicly funded).
Credit cards are quite common in France but they're mostly linked to specific shop chains, with a few specialized consumer credit companies like Cetelem, Sofinco, Cofinoga... and there are also some problems of overdebt even if they're less usual than in the US.
I love your insights. I am a Californian who has been to France 11 times and I love it. We concur with the things that we have noticed. Above all, the bread! In France it is very definitely a human right!
Yes, bread is huge and definitely not a stereotype about French people. You definitely do see people with baguettes under their arm. Glad you enjoy my content. Thank you!
Juste une petite précision concernant le fait d'uriner en public, surtout ne jamais dire au touristes que c'est quelque chose qui est faisable en France ils risquent d'avoir une "mauvaise surprise" si l'on peux dire. En fait c'est quelque chose d'interdit en réalité si la police vous prends sur le fait d'uriner sur la voie publique vous risquez une amande assez salé. Mais le fait est que les Français sont assez réfractaire aux règles. Sinon à titre personnel je trouve ça dégoûtant de voir quelqu'un pisser en public surtout que les villes on généralement des urinoirs gratuit. Mais le problème est que dans les grandes villes comme Paris elles sont souvent délabrée ou utilisée pour les gens qui veulent se drogué et c'est une des raisons pour lesquelles les Parisiens ont tendance à ne pas les utiliser.
135€ fine
Im french and I’m in erasmus in Spain haha what shock. Dinner is at 10 hahaa love it
Since following you the urge to travel to France has grown stronger. Thank you
As a french myself the thing that shocked me when I visited Paris was this strong odor of urine, and the trash everywhere.