french Logic
 

Love it!

Oh well, another expat who is clueless and who would be better off leaving the country... It is pefectly possibly to buy food on Sunday anywhere in France, but not if you sleep past 1 p.m. Food for thought! Not to mention the fact that "planning ahead" is considered to be a valued quality in most cultures.

Oh, I guess I should ask why "mouvement social" is any worse than the English language term "industrial action."

I'm with kerouac, I hate that kind of nonsense from British expats who think they are so cool writing about how weird French people are. There is a whole industry of them. That woman writes a lot of stupid stuff IMO. Besides, there are even regular weekley street markets selling food in enough neighborhoods that if you lived there, you would certainly know about them (unless you were her, I guess). I just think she's a real twit who is so dumb she can't even plan ahead to have milk in the house for a couple days in a row.

she's right about the Navigo card. She said she like to sleep late so most markets would be closed.
A little harsh Christina, as usual.

There was a time in Germany when stores closed on <b>Saturday noon</b> for the weekend, although I think that this has changed.

I remember when I first came to an up/down escalator. It was in Berlin. The first person to get on the escalator established its direction. No big deal.

A monthly commuter card in SF can only be obtained at the beginning of the month, why not any day for the next 30 days?

I think that Brits like to complain about the French.

Yet they buy into so many areas of France.
My Brit friends don't put them dowm.
We have many Americans who do.

Oh I think she's sweet and a bit funny. It's natural for an expat to notice the differences in their host country. It's a wordpress blog, no advertisers. She's obviously writing for herself, friends and family and few extra followers. She isn't petitioning the newspapers and politicians for change.

But, I do find it a tiny bit ironic that a Brit would complain about Sunday hours! All major grocery stores have limited trading hours on Sundays in England, most closing by 4pm.

For the record, I'm an expat, I did find England's trading laws to be silly, I had to adjust to them, and I did blog about them as well!

Well - as an American - with no ax to grind it appears to me that all of these complaints are the height of provincialism - and do distinctly complain that everything isn't done exactly as at home.

Frankly = I don't understand any of the complaints.

But to me the silliest is not being able to buy milk after a certain time on Sunday. Does one not now in advance that one needs milk? Is there some reason that it must be bought on the day it is used? Is there any reason not to buy enough on Thursday or Fri to last for the weekend (it is good for at least a week isn't it?)

And what's wrong with MORE types of yogurt. I can understand complaining that there are too FEW types of yogurt. But too many???

IMHO - if you look for minutia to complain about - it's possible anywhere?

If they stopped selling "yaourt aux figues" (I don't think it is really called that) I would have to start eating baked goods for breakfast in Paris. BTW, we found a somewhat acceptable version in the Chelsea section of NYC.

I have some questions for Thornley:

- Why do the English have water cisterns in their attics that can freeze and make a mess below?

- Why are the plumbing pipes on the outside of their houses? Ugly, and again, prone to freezing.

- Why don't the English have electric plugs outside their houses? You have to open a window if you want to run an electric lawnmower.

- Why don't the English have pulleys for their clothes lines?
You have to walk the length of the line to hang things up and then prop things up with a stick.

- Why are there 2 layers of brick in a typical home exterior wall but no insulation between them to keep out the cold and damp?

- Why do they call it an "airing cupboard" when it's a closet with little air?

- I've stayed in hotels where the lamps were not only turned off at the wall switch but unplugged as well. So were the TVs. Do the English think electricity leaks out if the plugs are left in the wall?

I won't ask about ludicrous pub hours that until recent times make the lack of food stores in France on a Sunday look sane.
I couldn't believe being told it was last call in a Scottish pub the first day I was in the UK... it was 10:30 PM!

I have no doubt someone will have a list about how silly we Canadians are. It just goes to show you every country is different... if they weren't there would not be much point in travel would there? ;^)

I'm in Paris right now so have to laugh at the article and think it was just being extreme in an attempt at humour. Ther are figs and girolles and cepes and clementines in abundance right now.

I agree with Cigale's post of 3.42pm, especially the last phrase, lol. Thinking of you while sipping a Pineau on a streetside bar/cafe at one of those tiny tables in a long row, with a pair of equally tiny chairs squished tightly together that is so... 'Paris', Cigale.

Simple yogurt is healthier than those with additives, agast! sugar

AH, Mathieu, wish I were there with you.
The figs ( I love) are at the end of the season I've been buying them where ever I can find them.


I

love the wine bar Baron Rouge. they shuck the oysters outside
(I'm an oyster freak)It reminded me of the London locals where the over flow drank on the streets

I would be more than happy to buy milk ahead of time, renew my card on Monday and eat any yogurt available if only I were sitting at a cafe in Paris or Provence right this minute.

Michael, I lived in Germany in the mid-seventies and the stores did close at noon on Saturday and not open until Monday. I loved it, seeing all the families out together in their gardens, etc. because nobody had to be working. All the weekend work plays havoc with family life.

That is the reason behind the closing in France on Sunday as well -- to ensure that family time is not spent shopping instead. Of course, this doesn't quite work anymore and France is slowly but surely moving in the direction of more and more Sunday openings...

OK, I haven't read the article. But the comments remind me of Tennyson's Tears Idle Tears or something like that, because there's a lot of stuff people are talking about that used to be, but are no more.

I say this from the perspective of someone who lived in France in the early '70's and England in the early '80's.

So Mark Twain's commentary in Innocents Abroad, as well as Erica Jong's commentary in Fear of Flying -- well it's all true to the writer, but may not be true to others. Although I think anyone who travelled in the 60's or early '70's would have to agree with Erica's discussion about toilet paper.

Adapt. That's what it's all about. Totally interesting to see different countries with cultural differences, especially the blue laws and learning to adapt to those seemingly archaic differences.

HOWEVER. Even since the early '70's, I learned there's always been milk in both England and France in containers that did not need refrigeration if you looked for it, and I remember even back then wondering why Americans never took advantage of this.

The oily scratchy TP from England from the early '70's, however, I thought was kind of gross, and didn't think it something we should copy.

The plumbing pipes are on the outside so they're easy to get at when they freeze.

Sassafrass,

I'm not complaining, just observing.

Reminds me of English friends who came to France, exclaiming how much they loved the lifestyle here, so much better than in England - 'but why does everything close just when we want to go out?????' i.e., lunch time. Well, most people, at least in the country, are enjoying their lunch (read lifestyle)

In fact we had Canadian family here last week who were amazed that the butcher and baker were open on Sunday morning. They're used to supermarkets being open all the time but not small shops. Because, of course, Sunday lunch is the most important meal of the week, and people have to stock up on fresh food.

Cigale, there are dozens of bars like that one all over the city, with an oyster cart/kiosk/stand attached to the side. I don't know if the oyster stands are seasonal or permanent, but I know of at least three just a few meters from my apartment, and spent two pleasant hours yesterday evening with a couple of friends in one, and doing just that. The Gillardeau oysters we had were great.

The past is like a foreign country they do things differently there.

And we like it just fine the way they do things here

If she thinks French Sundays are bad she should try living in the Netherlands, away from the tourist routes.

Thanks for the post cigalechanta. The French think they understand everything about joie de vivre. So change happens slowly.

I could say the blogger has too much time on her hands but that would be rich coming from one who spends far too much time online.

Her issues are fairly silly. However, I admit that after three years in rural France we have not fully adjusted to the noon to 14:00 closings. We're getting better, trips to our market town now include a long lunch until the shops open again. We have to be careful the wine doesn't loosen the purse strings.

Great "problem" to have, when you think about it!

I agree with Cath. What's wrong with a few tongue-in-cheek musings from an expat? After all, all of us who spend a lot of time in cultures different from our own notice these differences. Not having enough milk because of store closings is dumb, for sure, but it's not so far-fetched a concept - I've spent many a day in France waiting for things to open up after the mid-day closings, or driving somewhere only to find out that there was a fermeture exceptionelle.

I will gladly trade places with her and take all those problems in exchange for the privilege of living in Paris. I think Navigo should be available on other days of the week to be topped.

@hetismij2, same with Switzerland. everything is closed on Sundays. Stores are generally open until 8 pm on weekdays. Planning is essential.

> Switzerland ... Stores are *generally* open until 8 pm on weekdays.

Kurosawa, that's TOO general. I live in Geneva but know no cities where shops are open generally till 20h00 so I'm curious, where do you live? Here in Geneva most closes at 18h30 - 18h45 but some bigger stores at 19h00. ( exception are smaller food stores often run by Indian or of similar sorts that stay open till much later than that). Thursday is "nocturn" like in Zurich I think, many shops remain open until 21h00.

<i>The French think they understand everything about joie de vivre.</i>

Other cultures might think so, but certainly not the French. In every international opinion poll, the French come out as one of the most depressed and pessimistic societies in the world.

kappa1, you are right, stores close at 6:30 - 7:00 pm. you are absolutely right about thursdays too.

Some of you are a bit harsh, it's just a bit of light-hearted humour. That said, the comment about Remembrance Day did rub me up the wrong way. Not only do plenty of countries have days off to remember war(s) and veterans - I think the UK may be more the exception than the rule - but it's pretty obvious why France places special emphasis on the World Wars, whereas she makes it sound like some weird entitlement thing, like they think they're more worthy of remembering the war than other countries.

Michael, Yes, I knew that, sorry if it appeared I didn't understand. I was just agreeing with you.

Hello all,

I've only just seen all this and have no idea if you'll receive a notification that I have finally got round to replying.

First, let me say thank you for taking the time to read my post (which was, as some suspected just for fun whilst on my year abroad).

My intention was never and is never to offend anyone and nearly all that is said is said tongue in cheek. I love Paris and had the best year there, all the "problems" I had were trivial indeed but still apparent and distinct from certain problems (plenty of them) I have at home here in England or anywhere else in the world. I didn't particularly wish to blog about my enjoyable and frequent morning trips to the market down by the Bastille on Sunday mornings like the thousands of others who do. We all know Paris is great, for me there was no challenge in affirming this and it wouldn't have been all too funny.

Furthermore, may I again reiterate the fact that I DO like France, I'm studying French at university and I am passionate about its culture, to mock it does in no way mean I dislike it, in fact quite the opposite. I understand that not everyone has the same approach to life as I, a sarcastic and self deprecating individual, and my caustic manner is often hard to grasp via the internet.

Thanks again and sorry to anyone who was even slightly annoyed by me, I don't mean any harm.

First of all, may I enquire as to why, as a first world, developed country, you feel the need to stop everything on a Sunday. I mean everything>

like kerouac says this shows the writer is simply uninformed about what she writes - lots of things are open on Sunday in France - not hypermarches in most areas as stores of over a certain square-footage cannot open I guess but what was writ is just ignorant of reality and says reams about her/his experiences there.

Wherever you are in Paris there will be Djerba shop nearby where one certainly can buy milk and other convenience store items. Not necessarily so in the country.

I am well aware a lot of shops are open in Paris on a Sunday. It was a JOKE.

thornley, thanks for posting. Don't let the grumpy critics
get you down. Your photos on your blog are wonderful.
Bon Chance!