1. The novelty of drinking champagne hasn't quite worn off. I expected the novelty to wear off within a few weeks but I still love tasting & buying the stuff. I also very much enjoy going to the champagne houses in the region and hope to do more in the new year.
2. Beer and wine is often cheaper in restaurants than soft drinks - this would probably be against the law in the UK?
3. Everything is more expensive in France except beer, wine and bread. Of course being in the champagne region, champagne is marginally cheaper.
4.French McDonalds are so much more sophisticated than any other McDonalds that I've been to. You can get a real cup of tea served in a pot. But there is more security there so you can't just nip to the loo as I've often done in Croydon- a man stands on the staircase checking if people have purchased food.
5. The French are extremely bureaucratic. They love their forms. At the bank, everytime you go to sign something you have to write - lu et approuvé meaning read and approved!
6. France is a socialist country. President Obama would be seen as far-right by many French people. The only thing in which the UK is more socialist is when it comes to the healthcare system & that is probably a good thing!
7. French drivers are the worst I've ever seen after Indians!
8. You have to "composter" your bus or train ticket. The act of composting means to validate, punch or stamp your ticket through a machine. No one checks on the buses & you can simply get away without buying a ticket. The public transport system, however is much better than in the UK.
9. First class seating on trains can often be cheaper than second class or only 1 or 2€ expensive.
10. I've gotten used to having the Euro as my currency but it has confirmed to me that I do not want it in the UK.
11. I don't want to be a teacher!
12. I find it very uncomfortable when intelligent, polite kids call me "Monsieur" at school. When the nasty ones calls me "Monsieur", I love it and refuse to correct them.
13. French classrooms are much more backwards than English ones - many of them still have blackboards & none of them have interactive whiteboards.
14. Who to call "Tu" & "Vous" - the French words for you, the former being informal & the latter being more formal still confuses me. I sometimes say "vous" to both my students & to teachers who have already told me to say "tu" to them.
15. French studio kitchens are not cooking-friendly. No oven & no microwave!
16. My favourite French word is 'un coquelicot' meaning poppy. My second favourite is 'un pamplemousse' meaning grapefruit.
17. Everything is shut on a Sunday except the laundrette & McDonalds.
18. That Christmas markets are wonderful with lights, food, mulled wine and other various bits and bobs. The only thing I don't like is the fact they use real animals and they aren't treated very well, for example the donkey and sheep do not have enough space to move around and are not given adequate water.
19. I have made some amazing friends here!
20. I love my vie française!
i DO NOT love the blackboards - all my clothes (black, of course, to fit in with the french) are covered in chalk!
ReplyDeleteFunny what you say about French drivers. I learnt Spanish on the France-Spain boarder so there were a lot of Frenchies driving about, and they have the saying in northern Spain:
ReplyDelete"Amarillo adelante, peligro constante"
- basically meaning that if the car in front has a yellow number plate (which French cars do of course) then you're in danger!