France and the French
Like any country, France is "different"; it's a special place, with its ways, its quirks, its wonderful variety, its joie-de-vivre and its bureaucracy. Depending on circumstances, life in France can be anything from incredibly relaxed to frustratingly rigid. Stereotypes die hard; there is still a comic-book stereotype image of the Frenchman dressed in a striped tee-shirt and beret, smoking a Gauloise, and carrying a string of onions round his neck; or else driving a Citroën 2CV to market, with two chickens and a rabbit on the back seat. But it is doubtful if this stereotype still exists anywhere; perhaps just here and there, but without the onions, and certainly not in modern urban France. And the iconic 2CV or "Deux-chevaux" is today a rare site on French roads.
Most people say that that the French are very rude and cold…That seems to be one of the most inaccurate stereotypes. TThe French are among the friendliest and most helpful people I've ever encountered. There are cultural differences, however, that lead some to believe the French are rude. The key is to understand the culture and learn at least some basic French terms before you go. A very little effort towards education and understanding will go a huge distance to getting friendly treatment from French people.
Tips on Living in France:
- Learn at least a few basic phrases, especially ones you will use often (such as transportation and menu terms, etc.). Although the French are taught English in grade school, some do not know much English.They also are more likely to reveal their ability to speak English if you at least make an attempt to speak their language first.
- Compared to Americans, they are always on their guard: remember the number of wars and observe that, in French, the equivalent of "I'm doing OK" is "je me défends" (= I am defending myself alright")
- The French have a different idea of friendship : when you are the friend of someone, it is a serious matter and you are really committed: you tell him/her what you think!
- If you are told to come at 8, do not show up at 8 pm(actually, the custom is : 15 minutes after the announced time
- Do not dress TOO casual
- If you bring something to a party, do NOT bring wine (except to close friends). Your host has chosen the wine he considers the most appropriate and you will jeopardize his choice ! Bring flowers (but not chrysanthemums--which are for cemeteries--or carnations--which the French think bring bad luck) or a box of chocolates.
- Do not eat a lot of the hors d'oeuvres, even if you're really enjoying them : it is only the first course! (remember a French meals includes five courses : first course, main course, salad, cheese, dessert).
- You should tear your bread into a bite-sized piece before eating it. It is very impolite to take a bite from the whole piece of bread.
- At the end of a party, the hostess will offer orange juice or something like that : it means "the show is over"!
”A la French" Dress Code
While the chic women of Paris do wear casual clothing, the real sophistication comes from how they put it together. They don't suffer from the same dimwitted arrogance of being badly dressed weasring sloppy sweats, dumpy shorts, beachy flip-flops, or athletic sneakers in favour of being dressed "comfortably" at all times. Parisians, for the most part, wear well-fitting clothes that suit their frame. The French understand the magic of a good tailor and proper fit. They also understand the power of quality. They do not buy every trend simply because it is in style. They buy what suits them in the best quality that they can afford. French chic is not a matter of having it all, but a matter of having the best of all that you need. Fashion is like food for the Parisian.
That comes even to hairstyles that are never overdone or complex. Makeup is always natural, even when lips are a bold scarlet. There's an expert sense of undoneness that makes every detail more clever but never tricky and without ostentation.
Everything comes to the simple explanation: French chic, is really not about designer labels and more about how you put it all together. It is about starting out with the right pieces that you can mix and match to wear anywhere.
French Cuisine
French cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of France. It evolved from centuries of social and political change of lavish banquets of the Middle Ages, spices and more liberal usage of herbse of the French Revolution was codified in the 20th century by Georges Auguste Escoffier to become the modern version of haute cuisine.
But still, ingredients and dishes vary by region. There are many significant regional dishes that have become both national and regional. Many dishes that were once regional, however, have proliferated in different variations across the country in the present day. Cheese and wine are also a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles both regionally and nationally with their many variations and Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) (regulated appellation) laws. There are many dishes that are considered part of the nation's national cuisine today. Many come from haute cuisine in the fine-dining realm, but others are regional dishes that have become a norm across the country.
Below are lists of a few of the more common dishes available in France on a national level:
Bread: Ficelle ;Baguette ;Flûte ;Pain ; Pain Poilane (large thick crusted circular loaf)
Savory Dishes: Steak frites (steak and fries) ;Poulet frites (chicken and fries); Blanquette de veau (blanquette of veal);Coq au vin (chicken in red wine);Pot au feu (beef stew with mixed vegetables);Bouillabaisse (fish soup);Endives (Belgian endive) ;Boudin blanc (Delicate flavored sausage similar to bockwurst) ;Foie de veau (calf's liver) Andouillette (chitterling sausage);Foie gras (fatty duck or goose liver).
Desserts and Pastries: Mousse au chocolat ;Crème Brûlée ;Mille-feuilles;Choux à la Crème(cream see choux pastry); Tartes aux fruits (fruit tarts);Religieuse chocolate éclair to resemble a nun) ;Madeleine (a small cake-like cookie;) Tarte Tatin (caramelized apple tart);Gâteaux (cake);Éclairs;Profiteroles (baked pu pastries (choux) filled with cream or ice cream).
Religion
France is a secular country as freedom of religion is a constitutional right, although some religious organisations such as Scientology, Children of God, the Unification Church, and the Order of the Solar Temple are considered cults.[41] According to a January 2007 poll by the Catholic World News 51% identified as being Catholics, 31% identified as being agnostics or atheists (another poll[44] gives atheists proportion equal to 27%), 10% identified as being from other religions or being without opinion, 4% identified as Muslim, 3% identified as Protestant.
Sports
Popular sports include football, both codes of rugby football and in certain regions basketball and handball. France also hosts the annual Tour de France, the most famous road bicycle race in the world. France is also famous for its 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race held in the Sarthe department. Several major tennis tournaments take place in France, including the Paris Masters and the French Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
Hoidays
April 16/17 - Easter Sunday/Monday - Pâques
May 1 - Labor Day (Sunday) - Fête du Travail
May 25 - Ascension (Thursday, 40 days after Easter)
May 8 - Victory Day 1945 (Sunday) - Fête de la Victoire 1945 (marks the end of WWII)
June 4/June 5 - Whit Sunday/Pentecôte
July 14 - Bastille Day (Thursday) - Fête Nationale
August 15 - Assumption Day (Monday) - Assomption
November 1 - All Saints Day (Tuesday) - La Toussaint
November 11 - Armistice Day (End of WWI) (Friday) - Le 11 Novembre
December 25 - Christmas Day (Sunday) - Noël
