La vie Franglaise: The Beginning
It has been almost six months since I left Manchester, my family, and all of my friends behind to see what opportunities I could find in Paris.
Having previously spent a year here, it's safe to say, my experience then, was somewhat different to what it is like now.
Before, I was a university student, dependent on student loans and an Erasmus grant, and so naturally, I spent the whole year on what was almost, one big, extensive holiday. Merci mille fois, Student Finance England.
My recent experiences as a graduate in Paris have been a contrast to say the least. Meaning... a lot less livin' la vida loca and a lot more livin' la vida broka. Less holidaying, more working and unfortunately less money too. Ah, adulthood... you've finally managed to catch up with me.
Even though, living in a foreign country/foreign language does still have its holiday like perks, such as meeting new people, trying new foods and discovering new places for instance. Lo and behold, my holiday in Paris is well and truly over, as I am now getting used to a heavy work load. At the moment, I am working two jobs as an English teacher, this means my work and le bonheur ratio's are somewhat unbalanced. Comparatively, one side of the scales seems to be overweight and needs to slim down, whilst the other side of the scales (in the words of Carrie Bradshaw)would devour a "cheeseburger, large fries and a Cosmopolitan". Although, that's not to say I don't still eat baguettes and drink wine every other day because I do- cultural research.
The past few months may have had their ups and downs, but I am now finally starting to feel settled into life in Paris. I have also been able to accept my English identity as a foreigner in France, which is something I was previously very afraid of.
When living in a foreign city, surrounded by not just local Parisians, but people from almost every corner of the world, I've been able to experience and observe some notable Parisian and English cultural differences. Some of said differences are what attracted me to Paris in the first place, some I have learnt to enjoy since living here, and others, I will never get my head around...
1. French administration and bureaucracy is far too slow and long. Anything important requires copious amounts of paperwork and administration when living in France. Renting an apartment requires a French bank account, but setting up a French bank account requires a permanent address. Trying to find an apartment requires wifi, but setting up wifi requires an apartment and a bank account. Not to mention, registering with social security which adds a whole new level of extra to French administration. Then, if like me, you have hurdled over the basic obstacles, and you want to use internet banking for example (because you're a millennial and it's 2018), you will have to wait around 3-5 days for your bank balance to refresh each day- the dangers.
2. People in Paris have an admirable 'don't give a fuck' attitude towards life. It seems that people in Paris often put themselves before others, well... at least they do so in public/social situations. Such as, when queueing in the post office, supermarket or metro station. People are always shoving in front of you to pile on the metro or cutting in front at the tills because they simply don't give a fuck . As a Brit, I am not used to such a lack in queueing etiquette and as I don't think I'm going to be able to understand such behaviour, I am beginning to think- if you can't beat them, then join them!
I've also seen women walking around the shops with their dogs. Fair enough. They may be well behaved, nicely groomed dogs... but in Zara? They aren't usually on leads either, which suggests their owners couldn't care less about what their dog might do whilst free to roam around. Likewise, it seems that many dog owners quite literally don't give a shit as they fail to pick up after their little poo-ches... even on a busy street where there are lots of pedestrians?
3. You'll want to speak French but everyone will want speak to you in English. English is the global language, so as soon as someone realises you're English or simply not French, they will try to speak to you in English- even if they can only string together about three words. This can make things difficult when you are trying to learn French... people seem to be surprised when they hear an English accent speaking French. So I've come to conclude, French speakers are perhaps not as accustomed as native English speakers, when hearing foreigners speak their language with a different accent. I suppose it makes sense, as there are more non-native speakers of English than there are native speakers. Hence why it doesn't come as a surprise to me, when I hear somebody with a foreign accent speak my mother tongue.
4. There are far too many homeless people on the streets in Paris. I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing so many homeless people out on the streets every day. Considering France's status as a well developed country, I find this particularly shocking; the homeless situation in Paris is far worse than in any other European city I have personally ever seen. On top of this, there is a serious problem with pollution within the city. Paris may have a romantic reputation with its architectural beauty, but it's truly unfortunate that this is juxtaposed by the potent stench of urine lingering under your nostrils. Perhaps this is why basically EVERYONE in Paris wears a scarf (even when it's not in season). Perhaps, they are used to protect pedestrians noses from pissy fumes every time a gust of wind passes by...
5. Le bonheur de vivre. All negative aspects aside, I of course completely adore Paris and all of its charm. What I love most about Paris and the French lifestyle is the importance of having a good time and actually enjoying life. Whilst in Britain, when working full-time, people are put under so much pressure to work long hours, with shorter lunch breaks and very little time to socialise. I have found in Paris having 1-2 hours at lunch time, breaks up my day nicely and lets me meet friends for a coffee or eat in a restaurant for lunch, as opposed to eating a meal deal at my desk (although I do miss Greggs). In Paris, the terraces are always full of people socialising in the evenings after work as well as the weekends. A contrast to what I am used to when living in Manchester for example, where the bars are pretty much empty every day except for on Friday and Saturday.
Having previously spent a year here, it's safe to say, my experience then, was somewhat different to what it is like now.
Before, I was a university student, dependent on student loans and an Erasmus grant, and so naturally, I spent the whole year on what was almost, one big, extensive holiday. Merci mille fois, Student Finance England.
My recent experiences as a graduate in Paris have been a contrast to say the least. Meaning... a lot less livin' la vida loca and a lot more livin' la vida broka. Less holidaying, more working and unfortunately less money too. Ah, adulthood... you've finally managed to catch up with me.
Even though, living in a foreign country/foreign language does still have its holiday like perks, such as meeting new people, trying new foods and discovering new places for instance. Lo and behold, my holiday in Paris is well and truly over, as I am now getting used to a heavy work load. At the moment, I am working two jobs as an English teacher, this means my work and le bonheur ratio's are somewhat unbalanced. Comparatively, one side of the scales seems to be overweight and needs to slim down, whilst the other side of the scales (in the words of Carrie Bradshaw)would devour a "cheeseburger, large fries and a Cosmopolitan". Although, that's not to say I don't still eat baguettes and drink wine every other day because I do- cultural research.
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| Pont l'Alma |
When living in a foreign city, surrounded by not just local Parisians, but people from almost every corner of the world, I've been able to experience and observe some notable Parisian and English cultural differences. Some of said differences are what attracted me to Paris in the first place, some I have learnt to enjoy since living here, and others, I will never get my head around...
1. French administration and bureaucracy is far too slow and long. Anything important requires copious amounts of paperwork and administration when living in France. Renting an apartment requires a French bank account, but setting up a French bank account requires a permanent address. Trying to find an apartment requires wifi, but setting up wifi requires an apartment and a bank account. Not to mention, registering with social security which adds a whole new level of extra to French administration. Then, if like me, you have hurdled over the basic obstacles, and you want to use internet banking for example (because you're a millennial and it's 2018), you will have to wait around 3-5 days for your bank balance to refresh each day- the dangers.
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| La Butte Montmartre |
2. People in Paris have an admirable 'don't give a fuck' attitude towards life. It seems that people in Paris often put themselves before others, well... at least they do so in public/social situations. Such as, when queueing in the post office, supermarket or metro station. People are always shoving in front of you to pile on the metro or cutting in front at the tills because they simply don't give a fuck . As a Brit, I am not used to such a lack in queueing etiquette and as I don't think I'm going to be able to understand such behaviour, I am beginning to think- if you can't beat them, then join them!
I've also seen women walking around the shops with their dogs. Fair enough. They may be well behaved, nicely groomed dogs... but in Zara? They aren't usually on leads either, which suggests their owners couldn't care less about what their dog might do whilst free to roam around. Likewise, it seems that many dog owners quite literally don't give a shit as they fail to pick up after their little poo-ches... even on a busy street where there are lots of pedestrians?
3. You'll want to speak French but everyone will want speak to you in English. English is the global language, so as soon as someone realises you're English or simply not French, they will try to speak to you in English- even if they can only string together about three words. This can make things difficult when you are trying to learn French... people seem to be surprised when they hear an English accent speaking French. So I've come to conclude, French speakers are perhaps not as accustomed as native English speakers, when hearing foreigners speak their language with a different accent. I suppose it makes sense, as there are more non-native speakers of English than there are native speakers. Hence why it doesn't come as a surprise to me, when I hear somebody with a foreign accent speak my mother tongue.
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| View from the office |
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| Chez Lily of the Valley- Republique |
Alex x
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