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Adopting French ways.....


mint
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I have noticed amongst my Brit friends and acquaintances that there are those amongst them who are not ever going to be emigrant material.  You know, people who HAVE to make their own bread because they don't like French bread and people who HAVE to have Coop tea bags and a whole list of other things which they claim is essential to their lives here in France.

Don't get me wrong, I am NOT passing judgement, merely observing what is there before my eyes.  People can have whatever they want; they can even go "home" to see their doctors or to have their annual MOT on their cars.  I genuinely don't care what the heck they do. 

I thought it might be interesting to see which of the French ways and practices members of the forum have adopted to make their lives in France easier and more enjoyable.  To that end, I'll start off and I hope others will post.

I have replaced UK pillows as they lose shape and comfort qualities with square French ones and I love my "traversin".

I have coffee instead of tea at breakfast.

Now for the very BEST change of all:  I use those oil cloth things that the French use for table-cloths thus obviating the need for putting out the best damask for when people come to eat and having to launder and iron the damn thing afterwards (not to mention the crisp white napkins)!  How nice life is when you only need to give the old oil cloth a wipe and it's ready for the next meal!

OK, so over to you fellow migrants.  Tell us what makes YOUR life so much more carefree since you have gone "native"! 

 

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Just a couple but there are loads more.

I shrug my shoulders and say "Bof!" a lot.

I take filet de bacon fumé and other French food with me to England.

Oh and my personal hygiene is not what it used to be but that is because I am wooing a French lady [:D]

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[quote user="J.R."]

Oh and my personal hygiene is not what it used to be but that is because I am wooing a French lady [:D]

[/quote]

I bet your French lady doesn't smell anything like madame la voisine; especially as she recently broke an arm and I have a suspicion she has a problem washing her hair and her body!

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Fitted carpets : Never want to see any of those again as long as I live.

Pillows : Agreed Sweet 17, I've been using the square ones and traversins for years now.

Shutters : Cannot imagine how I managed without them - so nice to be able to sleep in a really dark room.

But a decent cup of tea now.. Can't see myself ever getting out of that habit.

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Kissing people [+o(] i would never do that , but since spending more time in france I find my self doing it with out thinking about it now , even do it here in England [:-))]

Yes I also like the square pillows and have even brought some back to cornwall

Eat bread at meal times never use to do that , how can people not like french bread ? I love it.

Apart from books clothes and yorkshire tea for hubby we take nothing to france but always bring loads back [:)]

 

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Ha.....

They use those over here to ............I remenber being woken in the middle of the night by a great big chap of another colour while I was in hospital who was trying to shuff one of these in me [:-))] I often wonder now if he worked there or weather I had been attacked by a perv as it never happened again and i was there for weeks

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[quote user="sweet 17"]You see, Pads, for the BMW, you have to have the face that would launch a thousand ships.  I mean, not meaning to insult you or anything, dear Pads, how many mirror dinghies do you think you could launch?[Www] [/quote]

 

What ???[8-)] it was up my jacksee not my nose

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[quote user="sweet 17"][quote user="J.R."]

Oh and my personal hygiene is not what it used to be but that is because I am wooing a French lady [:D]

[/quote]

I bet your French lady doesn't smell anything like madame la voisine; especially as she recently broke an arm and I have a suspicion she has a problem washing her hair and her body!

[/quote]

Quite clearly you have not fully assimulated as you would either have failed to notice or have insisted in aiding her inthe shower.

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I agree with the pillows bought 2 beauties on last trip.

Already have (had) oilcloth table cloth here for years, brilliant.

Never give up my TEA, only 1 cup of coffee for me per day!

Already do a lot of kissing!!! and shrugging!!

2 hour lunches a must.

Don't really like wine  unless its got a bit of cassis in it,

Never drink and drive

Don't smoke

Drive to fast!

Can't eat offal, snails [+o(]

5/10 makes me only 1/2 French, but with a name like Jacqueline might just tip the balance[:D]

 

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I have always been a shake hands guy in the UK and hadnt realised that it has sadly  now become an old fashioned thing.

I personally never liked the false kissing (in the UK) amongst people,  mainly the young who are either  not friends or in some cases have never met,I think this came about from watching too many episodes of Friends! I am much more comfortable here with the seperation of vousvoiement and tutoiement.

I shocked some English male friends whom I have always shaken hands with, when I gave them a peck on the cheek as a parting gesture  knowing that I would not be seeing them again for a long time.

I also shocked my sister (we are not a close family) by kissing her cheeks in greeting "what do you think you are doing?" she said[:)]

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Well I stopped washing months ago. I only shave once a week. I will eat anything that has walked ,crawled slithered or swam. I don't mind stopping for a pee anywhere instead of looking for a public convenience. I always wear a zip up boilersuit. I chew garlic because I like the smell.I drive a white van. I keep my dog chained to a tree for weeks on end. I'll happily hold up people in a hurry while telling the girl at the checkout what I did yesterday. I drive as close to the car in front as possible and risk life and limb to overtake them if they have UK plates. This is even better if I can do it just before I turn off. If we have guests I'll cut them a piece of cheese with the same knife I used to castrate the pigs five minutes before. When I'm out hunting I like to park my vehicle so that it causes as much obstruction as possible and then glare at anyone who drives past. I've had all the indoor plumbing taken out of my house and run all the electrics off of one socket.

 

Other than that I've hardly adopted any french ways

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Having spent 6 years in France and now in the UK

Have been kissing our English friends for years and now they come to expect it - I think they like it too :-)

The French Apero, friends get excited when we suggest it as they like the informal nature of it.

My kids eat alot of french food and their friends think they are a bit weird, especially when they comment on the content of their lunch boxes!

Am a foie gras convert, also eat veal as long as it is local and not Dutch. 

Appreciate the Hunt/Chasse, but dont like it when its on my land...... out strolling with two kids is not fun!

Get annoyed when the shops here close at 5 or 6pm (sauf Tesco/Sainsb/etc)!  I seem to always forget!

Deby

 

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Pimpernel - I like your reply .Have you been in France long? Are you reincarnated?  Change of clothing is another sign  of adopting french ways. Both in the sense of wearing certain items eg tabards, and of getting changed out of mucky old clothes to go shopping. Do you put on clean things to go out? Do you put a bit of lipstick on?(ladies). Or do you just throw on a jacket and jump into the white van, muddy boots and all?
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