Quirky???

[Cerise]

Drinking the wrong things at the wrong times.  Bartender in our local café nearly has a fit when les anglais order café crème at 11.45 (everyone knows you have aperos then).  Local restaurant owner - very drole - brought me a stale croissant when I ordered a large coffee with milk after dinner, and announced to all and sundry that as a nation we had no idea what time it was!  Friends get frightfully anxious if I have a glass of wine after dinner - just not done.  Whilst in UK with French girl friend some people came round to the house we were staying in just before lunch and were given tea and biscuits - she then went in to panic mode as she was sure that the hostess was not going to give us any lunch if she was handing out tea and biscuits just before the approved time.  She now tells everyone that we are so 'brave' because we eat or drink what we like when we like without worrying about rules - very wierd.

[Teamedup]

And we had a french friend over in England and took him to the pub.

 

'What you drinking?'

reply was 'nothing, I 'm not thirsty'.

 

EDIT

 

There may be rules, but the french don't always know them either. We were invited to a soiree and there was an impressive buffet when we got there. Only it wasn't quite a meal either. No one knew if that was it, or we were getting a meal later. AND ofcourse, as soon as the last thing had gone, then the meal was served. But there was lots of whispering.

 

[Tresco]

[quote user="Teamedup"] But there was lots of whispering.[/quote]

I bet there was. That's quite reassuring in a way.

We know a guy who spent two weeks in England (many years ago) Hop picking in Kent.

He said it was OK, but that English people are mad, because they eat Cassoulet for breakfast every day. [:-))]

[Russethouse]

Once on the last day of a holiday with French friends we had a huge salad at lunchtime, I was thinking how clever they were to serve something light as they knew we had to leave for the ferry etc, they cleared the plates and I expected a cheese course - but no, a roast dinner (pork), desert and coffee followed :(

How we got to Le Havre in time for the ferry I will never know...........

[opas]

When your elderly gardening neighbour tells you that you planted your feves toooo early.........2 days before he did!

[chessfou]

[quote]

Certain eating habits are considered quirky by the French (or at least by some of my French family or friends).

- eating Marmite - many French are puzzled by this, and find it an acquired taste

- eating cheese after pudding - I suspect this is considered barbaric.

- eating mint sauce with roast lamb.[5-element][/quote]

Not just by the French, I'm sure I'm not the only one who

(1) succeeded in losing all desire to eat Marmite by the age of about four and have never succumbed since;

(2) considers cheese after dessert at least inappropriate (oh, all right, barbaric);

(3) gave up the mint sauce as soon as I started drinking decent reds - it must be a close run thing which of mackerel and mint sauce is the least appropriate thing to combine with red wine, especially one with sufficient tannins to cope with lamb.

[5-element]

Chessfou, maybe you are really French.[:D]

What the French part of me also finds quirky:

(I do notice this a lot now, with our  English visitors)

- having to stop what you are doing at regular intervals, to have a cuppa - after 6 years back in France, I have grown out of the habit.

 

[Teamedup]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

Once on the last day of a holiday with French friends we had a huge salad at lunchtime, I was thinking how clever they were to serve something light as they knew we had to leave for the ferry etc, they cleared the plates and I expected a cheese course - but no, a roast dinner (pork), desert and coffee followed :(

How we got to Le Havre in time for the ferry I will never know...........

[/quote]

 

 

You lucky thing!

[powerdesal]

[quote user="chessfou"][quote]

Certain eating habits are considered quirky by the French (or at least by some of my French family or friends).

- eating Marmite - many French are puzzled by this, and find it an acquired taste

- eating cheese after pudding - I suspect this is considered barbaric.

- eating mint sauce with roast lamb.[5-element][/quote]

Not just by the French, I'm sure I'm not the only one who

(1) succeeded in losing all desire to eat Marmite by the age of about four and have never succumbed since;

(2) considers cheese after dessert at least inappropriate (oh, all right, barbaric);

(3) gave up the mint sauce as soon as I started drinking decent reds - it must be a close run thing which of mackerel and mint sauce is the least appropriate thing to combine with red wine, especially one with sufficient tannins to cope with lamb.

[/quote]

1. Marmite is gross, Bovril is much better.

2. Eat cheese instead of pudding, its less fattening.

3. Drink white wine.

[Missy]

[quote user="powerdesal"]

1. Marmite is gross, Bovril is much better.
2. Eat cheese instead of pudding, its less fattening.
3. Drink white wine.

[/quote]

 

Alors là ça je suis d'accord!

Les tartines de Marmite [+o(] c'est dégueulasse..... Du fromage au lieu d'un dessert c'est mieux pour les dents et les os (calcium au lieu de sucre) ... et du vin blanc au lieu du vin rouge, dans mon cas la gueule de bois le matin est plus facile à gérer!...[:D]

[chessfou]

[quote]

Chessfou, maybe you are really French.

What the French part of me also finds quirky:

(I do notice this a lot now, with our  English visitors)

- having to stop what you are doing at regular intervals, to have a cuppa[5-element][/quote]

No but it's easier to fit in when all around you seem to think the same way ...

Aaarggh. Tea! "Cuppa" = tea with milk!! euugghh! I stopped that when about three years old. Since then I have never drunk milk and have rarely drunk tea outside of Russia (with lemon), India, Japan, China and Turkey (apple tea) and sometimes in restaurants - Chinese, Japanese, North African (mint tea).

[quote]1. Marmite is gross, Bovril is much better.

2. Eat cheese instead of pudding, its less fattening.

3. Drink white wine.[powerdesal - Steve, Sharjah][/quote]

1. Never tried it (nor Vegemite), nor will I (if I can avoid it);

2. No, a small piece of cheese (I need the calcium, not drinking milk) followed by dessert and the only cheeses that are less fattening than (most) desserts don't deserve to be known as "cheese";

3. Of course, generally speaking white wine matches cheese better than red wines do, and then there's the Gaillac or Jurancon or Monbazillac with dessert, unless it's got chocolate, in which case break out the Rivesaltes Ambré.

[powerdesal]

[quote user="Missy"]

[quote user="powerdesal"]

1. Marmite is gross, Bovril is much better.

2. Eat cheese instead of pudding, its less fattening.

3. Drink white wine.

[/quote]

 

Alors là ça je suis d'accord!

Les tartines de Marmite [+o(] c'est dégueulasse..... Du fromage au lieu d'un dessert c'est mieux pour les dents et les os (calcium au lieu de sucre) ... et du vin blanc au lieu du vin rouge, dans mon cas la gueule de bois le matin est plus facile à gérer!...[:D]

[/quote]

To my surprise I could read and easily understand the French, I guess some of that Aliiance Francais stuff must have sunk in after all.

[Alison Robinson]

Now keeping 6 pigs as pets- they sure find that quirky!

[Cerise]

Having large dogs as pets and actually taking them for walks on leads.  All my neighbours keep telling me it is OK I can just let them run down the road.

Not minding if people pop round without phoning and not doing a spring clean before every visitor.  Not polishing my windows all the time (actually I don't think they think that is quirky, I think it is probably a mortal sin)

[Missy]

[quote user="Alison Robinson"]Now keeping 6 pigs as pets- they sure find that quirky!
[/quote]

Non! that is storing fat and filling up the larder for the coming winter! if not preparing for the social do at la salle des fêtes!... [:D]

[Teamedup]

They are not obsédé with window washing around here, thank goodness.

[Coco]

Reading this thread has reminded me why of a few similar situations:

Being refused a glass of port following coffee in a restaurant (it should have been served with ice as an apero)

Offering our French workmen tea or coffee mid morning and mid afternoon

French friends asking to be taken to a typical English pub then, like TUs friends, not wanting a drink because they weren't thirsty

Inviting neighbours round for aperos and then ushering them to the settees and armchairs instead of the dining table

Watching their horrified faces when, having invited them round for a buffet supper we had filled our plates with meats, pasta salad, remoulade, green salad all at the same time, whilst they had all taken just a little salad, to go back later for the meat, and then again for cheese.

Popping round for a coffee with a neighbour (Thursday morning I think) as I had been told to do..... any time.  When what she meant was, any time as long as it was on a Saturday afternoon, after I had phoned first!

And the worst sin of all, when popping down to see how OH was getting on helping to set up the mechoui tents and walking past 20+ guys I had never seen before and 10+ that I knew vaguely, all seated round the lunch table, and just raising my hand and saying "Bonjour a tous" as I walked by.  OH suddenly turned French on the spot and whispered that I had better get up pretty sharpish and go back round the whole table and shake hands with the ones I didn't know and kiss the ones I did - as all the other wives who had "popped by" had done.  Oh how could I embarrass him so???   I'd only popped down there for a 2 minute chat.  The introductions took fifteen!!  I leave him to it now!

[Mistral]

[quote user="Coco"]

Popping round for a coffee with a neighbour (Thursday morning I think) as I had been told to do..... any time.  When what she meant was, any time as long as it was on a Saturday afternoon, after I had phoned first![/quote]

That one's familiar.[:)] It reminds me of when a friend came to stay the night.I showed her her romm, where to find the toilet and then did a quick tour of the kitchen (here are the cups, coffee, tea....) She burst into laughter and told me she wasn't planning on buying the house.

I love this thread. I might collect all the comments and show them to my pupils next time they ask me what I find strange about living in France compared to the UK.  It all seems to come down to not knowing (or bothering with) the unwritten social rules.

Personally, I prefer cultivating my difference rather than sticking slavishly to the rules. It took me long enough to work out the french rules, by which time I had decided I wasn't going to make myself ill trying to following them all.  

 

[Teamedup]

I think that not being able to 'pop' round and see people is the thing that gets me most. It is what I do and like doing it. And that is another reason why I am bored at the moment, as that is exactly what I would do if I could.

 

[Bugsy]

Kettles on TU.........................................[:)]

[Teamedup]

thanks  you are trés gentil bugbear, is this a good reason why I should live near brits..................................[:)] ..................................

 

maybe that is why I'm moving back.

[RumziGal]

[quote user="Teamedup"]

I think that not being able to 'pop' round and see people is the thing that gets me most. It is what I do and like doing it. And that is another reason why I am bored at the moment, as that is exactly what I would do if I could.[/quote]

This comment and the other one about social life being so "couple" oriented ring so true.  It's very limiting if you're used to variety.  And Betty is right - why sit on comfy chairs when you can sit at the PVC-covered table!

French people find it odd that I can eat anything in any order.  Finishing off some leftover carrot salad after the cheese course nearly had them passing out with shock.

Being able to drink coffee in the evening gets them too.  They believe in their hearts that they just won't sleep if they drink coffee any time after 2pm.   But it's never stopped me!  [:)] 

 

[Tresco]

[quote user="RumziGal"]But it's never stopped me!  [:)]  [/quote]

Me neither![:)]

[Dick Smith]

I can't sleep without coffee, or caffeine in some form...

[Tresco]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]I can't sleep without coffee, or caffeine in some form...
[/quote]

I have mine in a milky form.

It's never stopped me going to sleep. Someone should do a study on people like me. We buck trends and no one cares. [;-)]