Our differences

[idun]

There are so many differences between the french and the british with regards to every day things and simply generalising here are a few I can think of and there must be a many more.

Firstly pepper pot one hole in France, salt many holes, reverse in the UK.

Forks placed prong down.

Constant bread in hand and eaten during a meal.

Wiping a plate clean at the end of a meal.

Weak tea in France.

Strong coffee in France.

And I'll add tailgating, as I do find that happens far more in France than happens to me in the UK.

[Chancer]

Tasting something by smelling it and not willing to put it in their mouth if they dont like the smell.

 

Walking or running on roads with the back to the traffic, that is just another "on m'a dit" or "on m'a appris" as the people in my new running club take a sensible view to safety and like me run/walk against the oncoming traffic, 9 out of 10 in my old club could be rund down and killed by a car or cars from behind and the 10th would still continue on the right side.

 

Urinating in public especially against the front wall of a hosts house before shaking hands with them!

[andyh4]

Washing hands before going to the toilet, not afterwards.

[dave21478]

Do schools not teach some kind of Green Cross Code or anything? I see folk walking or jogging with the traffic flow every single day.

Almost as annoying are the chumps walking in a group on a narrow road who scatter to BOTH sides of the road when a car approaches.

[lindal1000]

We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

― Maya Angelou,

I find the coffee in France rather weak.. but then I like Italian coffee!

[Alan Zoff]

A French friend said after 5 years he was beginning to appreciate my English sense of humour.

To be fair, there are a lot of English who don't appreciate it.

[Chancer]

[quote user="dave21478"]Do schools not teach some kind of Green Cross Code or anything? I see folk walking or jogging with the traffic flow every single day. Almost as annoying are the chumps walking in a group on a narrow road who scatter to BOTH sides of the road when a car approaches.[/quote]

 

Around me its the "on m'a dit" mentality, someone told them they must do so and they will blindly do it until they are mown down from behind, they cannot tell you why or what the reasoning is, its just once again "on m'a dit" or even more importantly (to them) "on nous a appris" why did you not ask the reason? say I but its like I am an alien life form again to suggest such heresy.

 

I do actually know whats behind it because the first time i was told to walk on the dangerous side and I said rowlocks will I the guy who was educated, a retired medecin explained that a peloton of more than 12 people (think it was 12) is considered to be a vehicle and is subject to the code de la route and hence must use the right hand side of the road, he also was worldly Wise enough to agree that it was stupid but as he was responsable for the walking group they would all walk on the right and I could continue on the left but I would have to put up with a lot of head shaking and tut tutting from the sheep [:D]

 

My new running group from a more prosperous and educated town just run on the sensible side whatever the numbers they will cross over when its a blind left hand bend without a verge, very sensible.

 

And yes we are all far more alike than the few différences that we have.

 

I have just recalled what causes them to scatter to both sides, its when I refuse to run on the right and first a few and then all of them join me when they realise their tutting has no effect, if they can see an oncoming vehicle and also hear one coming from behind, the most risky situation but one where you definitely want to be facing the car that might hit you, half of them will run across the road right in front of the oncoming vehicle presumably so that if they are going to die nobody will think they were on the "wrong" side [:'(]

[idun]

I too like strong coffee as well as strong tea.

But this is about generalities and as they go, is how it is for the mass of people. And the mass does not know how other nations live, or they are told nonsense about life in other countries, which they too often believe.

[Judith]

Teaspoons for dessert instead of proper sized ones!  And no forks!

[lindal1000]

I love teaspoons for eating those lovely patisserie gateau and I never could get my head round what you were meant to do with a dessert fork.

On that note, lovely light but decadent desserts rather than a big bowl of stodge.

Civilised drinking..ie very rarely see a group of French people getting absolutely hammered just for the sake of it or a group intent on 'going out on the piss'

Not so hung up about having everything 'now', with the expensive car, house, appliance.

Wine.. very unlucky to find a bad one in this region

Less traffic in general..and yes I know traffic jams exist in France but nothing like I remember from UK.

Motorways that mean I can do 800km in a day.

Enormous insects and species that I've never seen before.

Weather on average 4 degrees warmer than the South of England, with more sunshine ( although I do live in the South West)

Most things still shut on Sunday.

[lindal1000]

A few more:

Greetings.. took me a while to get used to who to kiss on the cheek, when to do it and how to do it.

Saying a general bonjour to everyone when you enter a waiting room.

Late nights.. parties go on longer.. (never have got used to that one as I'm usually ready for bed by 11.00)

The apero.. compulsory before every meal.

[Patf]

Their work ethic - in general they work to live, don't live to work. Maybe that's just in rural areas though.

I expect it's the same as UK in the big towns and cities.

It's even changing here now though - eg more and more shops open over lunchtime, and on Sundays.

[idun]

Differences in politesse, yes, bonjours and bisous and all cheery until it comes to queueing and then I have been pushed out of the way, cut up. Very different.

But is it an urban myth that people in the UK want everything 'immediately'? As much as les anglais eat jam with their meals is?[Www]

[alittlebitfrench]

Men who wear scarfs in summer to look cool.

Looking cool and very hot at the same time just does not work.

[lindal1000]

I think at the moment French people here seem far less into having all the latest of everything, if I compare to the UK, although I expect that will change as all things do..although maybe not now. As the UK distances itself more and more from the rest of Europe maybe it's influence on culture will get less.

Another difference..no tea breaks. Yes you can grab a coffee but no break as such. The 'pause' really is just 10 minutes to go to the Loo or have a ciggie.

On that note, smoking isn't quite as socially unacceptable in France as it is in UK, although that is changing as well.

My French friends said they liked all the British chocolate, especially Cadbury'x caramel.

[Cendrillon]

To add to the list:

A coffee and fag for breakfast

Serving cheese before the dessert (I love this and have totally adopted the habit)

Waiting for everyone to arrive before the aperos are served.

Bonjour and 're bonjour when you meet the same person twice in one day.

[Judith]

[quote user="Cendrillon"]

Serving cheese before the dessert (I love this and have totally adopted the habit)

Waiting for everyone to arrive before the aperos are served. [/quote]

Cheese before dessert - adopted long ago

Waiting for all to arrive for apero - NO way!

[NormanH]

No Cat's eyes on roads.

[idun]

I have read that cheese helps clean teeth at the end of a meal, and I don't care, as I just love pudding last.

Where I lived every last morsel of the pre dinner apero had to be eaten before any other food would be served. I have no idea if that is what happens in other parts of France. Fortunately it just applied to the food and not the drink too!

[chessie]

Isn't this a lovely thread - delightful.

All the comments above have made me smile, made me realise all the nice, enjoyable, good things about France and the French.

Vive le difference.

Even though the tax bill has arrived - and I'm sure we'll be paying more than we should - what the heck - it's less than 50 euros (social charges) - not going to fight it.

Can I add -

Swallows and house martins swooping over the pool first thing in the morning, and late in the evening;  humming bird hawk moths hovering over the lavender bushes;  swallow tail butterflies;  owls hooting at night; spotting deer in the next door fields (and in our garden);   the sound of a small moped carrying young person home late at night.... can't even get cross about that as in rural areas it's the only way for them to be with friends......

Oh - and the clear, clear star gazing nights - no light pollution - see to the end of the universe.

Chessie

[Lehaut]

Not serving crème fraiche with desserts.

The conviction that in the UK you only buy your house for 99 years, after that it goes back to the government (have been "told" this loads of times).

Intense dislike of loss of face, almost to chinese proportions.

The expression "c'est pas normal" when there is any sort of problem, even if you know in your heart of hearts it is completely common place!

[Loiseau]

Ha ha re the 99-year thing, leHaut! I have been "told" that many times too.

Oh, that reminds me: "ah ah" instead of "ha ha" (and indeed in place of a ha-ha in the garden of one's stately home!).

The fact that is seen as more flattering to guests if you have BOUGHT the dessert, instead of having made it yourself.

I totally love having salad-cheese-pud, and force it on all wherever I am. Seems so logical to me.

And I can't stop myself wanting to say "Bonjour Messieurs/dames" on entering a shop or a restaurant - I get some very funny looks if I try it in London.

Though I do rather like being called "darling" and "love" by shopkeepers in England. My French friends were horrified when they first moved to London, as they took such endearments for gross over familiarity!

Angela

[Patf]

Chessie - the night sky- I was awake during the night and went outside to look at the sky. New moon tomorrow I think.

For the first time I could see not only the usual bright stars, but millions of others, probably farther away, some sprinkled about, others in cloudy clusters, stardust. Beautiful.

[Cendrillon]

"The conviction that in the UK you only buy your house for 99 years, after that it goes back to the government (have been "told" this loads of times)."

Ah yes, the other day a very friendly French guy in the supermarket told me he understood that all UK property is eventually owned by the Queen!

He was very pro Britain as he has a daughter working there. He mentioned a wonderful dessert he liked......turned out it's jelly!

[Cendrillon]

[quote user="Judith"][quote user="Cendrillon"]

Serving cheese before the dessert (I love this and have totally adopted the habit)

Waiting for everyone to arrive before the aperos are served. [/quote]

Cheese before dessert - adopted long ago

Waiting for all to arrive for apero - NO way!

[/quote]

But we regularly visit two French families here for dinner and they do wait for everyone to arrive before the aperitifs are served. However this was not the case at their big party we attended last weekend. There everyone arrived in dribs and drabs from 20.00 onwards and ate and drank aperos until 22.30 when it was actually time to sit down to the meal.