Of course, I can't judge the French culture without calling out some strange things Americans do! If you found this video interesting and want to hear about some culture shocks about USA from the French perspective, check out my video on "Weird Sh*t Americans Do" here: ruclips.net/video/aL1y_IociSU/видео.html
@@WhereTianaTravels Indeed, and it's very weird for us French people that it is such a cultural shock for Anglo-Saxon people. It seems to surprise everyone, even from New Zealand 😅 Like Natalie Portman who made such a drama about it when she got back home ☹
Metric system for beginners: 1 meter = around 3 feet 1 centimeter (cm) = 1/100 meter 1 liter = the volume of a cube 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm. 1 kilogramme = the weight of 1 liter of water 0° C = temperature at which ice melts into water 100° c = temperature at which water turns into vapor
The bonjour thing is indicative of France's culture of equality and social justice. They fought hard against tyranical monarchies and managed to create more of a "collectivist" society. That mindset is still ingrained in French culture today. Formally greeting someone before speaking to them is basically saying "I see you as my equal. Not someone inferior to me." That's why french people tend to get really defensive with foreigners who just walk up to them and start yapping away. They basically interpret that as "Hey you! I'm talking to you so I EXPECT you to respond." Bonjour is that very basic initiation of respect to someone before speaking to someone.
the whole point is that every culture has different standards of what's considered polite ... a lot of european customs are considered rude in other places but it doesn't mean they're impolite
That's so cliché, any American living in France making videos about their expat life is doing the same complaints over and over. It sounds like Americans like to complain as well. Moreover, some of the delays you're facing with the administration or banks is in fact due to your situation (non EU-citizen immigrant) which slows the process down a lot. As a French person, I never experienced so much delay, or is it just Parisian administrations not doing their job properly. It's a mystery to me. Well, in fact, no, because I know that for every administrative task, I need some documents that will prove my identity or my eligibility to do something. So, you never show up to offices without any document you think might help. And concerning banks, as you're a foreigner, they need to check information about your right to open a bank account or get a credit card, for that, they need to check your history in your country of origin to ensure you don't owe money, etc. They have to take that kind of precautions because they don't want to be scammed, and I think it is required by law. When banks don't do that background checking, you get situations like the 2008 crisis and others before. Late dinner time, not really, when in Rome, do like the Romans. And yes, most restaurants are closed between 3 pm and 7 pm because waiters are paid by the hour, so if there are no customers, it's wasting money, so they get a big afternoon break and then work late until 1 am. And I think it disturbs mostly North American people because in Europe, it's pretty standard to have dinner "late", but in large cities, there are more and more restaurants doing continuous service from 10-11 am to 1 am. I don't know what you mean about not being able to go out with comfy clothes, unless you're in the posh arrondissements, many people are wearing sport suits, especially in the suburbs. But yeah, nobody will go buy some bread in his pajamas, it would be inappropriate as they're supposed to be worn only inside. And of course, Bonjour is the best way to be polite, addressing yourself to someone else without conforming to it is quite insulting, it's a bit like talking to your dog or your servant, so, it's a way to show respect, whatever the social class of your interlocutor. But don't worry, all those cultural shocks can be destabilizing at the beginning, but after some time, you'll get used to it and embrace them. Every immigrant in the world has to face the same challenges adapting to a new culture.
@@shaungordon9737 I'm not upset :-) I just pointed out some weaknesses, every person who emigrated to another country will face some problems with administration, housing, etc. It's not typically French to have a slow and complex administration. I'm pretty sure legal immigrants in the US are also dealing with ununderstandable and complex situations and they probably also think the administration is stupidly complex. And as I heard that kind of complaint in almost every "culture shock" video, it's not original. Instead of complaining, that would be more constructive for the future immigrants to know more about the process, what not to forget, make sure you have all the required documents before going to the office in person.
@@Redgethechemist I've also heard horror stories about the French bureaucracy and that it's worse than most other countries. But I don't know how true that is.
@@shaungordon9737 The horror is in the eyes of the viewer :-D But it's always more complicated when you don't speak the local language. When I was living in Italy, it took me 6 months to change my car plates, and I could speak Italian, it's just that the registration department was not very reactive, not used to change plates from foreign countries and although my Italian was correct, I did not master it to perfection, so it slowed the process down. This excerpt from Asterix will give you an idea of how we conceive administration :-D ruclips.net/video/JtEkUmYecnk/видео.html
You can translate to complain by "se plaindre" or by the colloquial term "râler". I think you mean "râler". The French like "râler", that is, to complain about very little things when they talk to each other. It's not complaining to somebody to sort out a problem. You can see it positively though. Complaining/râler about the weather, a bus running late, whatever is an occasion of striking a conversation or to release your stress.
We often strike because in France there's no opposition against executive policy (who includes the president, his secretary, the Prime Minister and his minestries and secretaries public choises) any more. Since Pr. Chirac revision of the Constitution in 2002 (in a total legal way), the legislative branch majority is always in the same political color as the President. And deputy of the majority have to vote what the President decided they have to or they are getting out of the majority group. Also, since the 80' and the second term of President Mitterand, France is going futher into néo-liberalism and european inclusion (who is clearly leaning-right on economic issues). It goes in contradiction with the social history of France construction (once under christian charity and after, the revolution under the Republic system and the idea of Lumieres). A lot of people have loose their jobs, nottably in industry (like in US) and in public services. Inequity beetween riche and poores have exploded. French strikers are asking for including the citizens in political major choices; they fight against the numerous entreprises closures and asking to the State to protect the poorest. It's important for me to help the strangers to understand why there's so much strikes in France. While the idea of separation of powers is inherited, for the most part, of Philosophy of French Revolution (Montesquieu and John Locke are the pionners on this during the 18 century), France is one of the democraties who have the worst lecture and application of theses principles (ours checks and balances beetween the three branches of power are far lass developped that in US (as Alexis De Tocqueville demonstrated in Democracy in America, 1835). And it's worst now than ever since the third Republic (but the 5th and actual Republic is more stable than the 4th). Really pleasant and fun video by the way 😁
Maybe it's me americans keep also saying this about Italy but WE DON'T HUG OR KISS A STRANGER THAT WE FIRST MEET! Gosh, I barely give a kiss to my mother, figure out kissing a friend everytime we hang out! About dress nice...it's basic education, I think, here in Europe even if we wear sportsuits and snickers prett often for the basic errands. Metric system: it's the system US units is based upon. Can you picture 1$? Well, 1000$ is 1k$ as k=kilo (a thousand, from ancient greek "kilos" or χίλιοι). And this type of division it's applied in everything (except in time measurement, of course). Remember the 1$? Divide it in 100 parts and you have 1 cent! Exactly, 1 centimeter is 1/100 of a meter. And 1 millimeter is 1/1000 of 1 meter...and so on for weight measurement, gramms and kilogramms and milligramms... Temperature: 0°C = watern turn into ice, then it's cold; 100°C = water turn into steam, so it's boiling hot! Between 20°C and 27°C it's a beautiful day! Btw, "here" it's not just France...it's the whole world but USA, basically (plus Liberia and Myanmar...).
There is no real problem for girls or guys sweat pants outside. But for yoga pants, I guess it's because you're almost naked in that. I supposed you would get the same reaction for wearing any tight clothes. For dinner, we're used to eat "late" because we're use to have meal kinda every 4 hours. 8am, 12pm, 4pm and 8pm. Personally I don't eat breakfast and at 4pm 🤷🏻♂️
@@WhereTianaTravels, je suis amie , depuis 3 ans , avec une texane, ce qui l'étonne le plus = que nous avons des médecins qui viennent à domicile lorsque nous sommes malades 🙂 J'espère que tu te plais en France, je te souhaite le meilleur 👍 Une parisienne qui s'est expatriée en Belgique 🖐
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Of course, I can't judge the French culture without calling out some strange things Americans do! If you found this video interesting and want to hear about some culture shocks about USA from the French perspective, check out my video on "Weird Sh*t Americans Do" here: ruclips.net/video/aL1y_IociSU/видео.html
You (US) often consider "bise" as very intimate. We, in Europ consider the same about hug.
Exactly the opposite !
Metric system is world wide, US is... US.
Bonjour/ au revoir, s'il vous plaît/ merci...that's the basic drilled into every properly raised child in France.
You won't go very far without that !
As it should be!
@@WhereTianaTravels Indeed, and it's very weird for us French people that it is such a cultural shock for Anglo-Saxon people. It seems to surprise everyone, even from New Zealand 😅
Like Natalie Portman who made such a drama about it when she got back home ☹
Metric system for beginners:
1 meter = around 3 feet
1 centimeter (cm) = 1/100 meter
1 liter = the volume of a cube 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm.
1 kilogramme = the weight of 1 liter of water
0° C = temperature at which ice melts into water
100° c = temperature at which water turns into vapor
Thank you!
Great video -I especially enjoyed your observations on saying 'bonjour' when you speak with someone.
The bonjour thing is indicative of France's culture of equality and social justice. They fought hard against tyranical monarchies and managed to create more of a "collectivist" society. That mindset is still ingrained in French culture today. Formally greeting someone before speaking to them is basically saying "I see you as my equal. Not someone inferior to me." That's why french people tend to get really defensive with foreigners who just walk up to them and start yapping away. They basically interpret that as "Hey you! I'm talking to you so I EXPECT you to respond."
Bonjour is that very basic initiation of respect to someone before speaking to someone.
As someone who studies history, I really appreciate this thoughtful, studied response.
LOL Politeness is a culture shock for the Americans
the whole point is that every culture has different standards of what's considered polite ... a lot of european customs are considered rude in other places but it doesn't mean they're impolite
In Celsius system the 0 is when water freezes. Convenient 😉
Make sens
BONJOUR! LOUNGEWEAR WEARING OUT LOL that was a good one because in the states its so much more casual! no sweatpants out, EVER lolol
isn’t it normal to complain about a train being late or a bird poop on your car ?
That's so cliché, any American living in France making videos about their expat life is doing the same complaints over and over. It sounds like Americans like to complain as well. Moreover, some of the delays you're facing with the administration or banks is in fact due to your situation (non EU-citizen immigrant) which slows the process down a lot. As a French person, I never experienced so much delay, or is it just Parisian administrations not doing their job properly. It's a mystery to me. Well, in fact, no, because I know that for every administrative task, I need some documents that will prove my identity or my eligibility to do something. So, you never show up to offices without any document you think might help. And concerning banks, as you're a foreigner, they need to check information about your right to open a bank account or get a credit card, for that, they need to check your history in your country of origin to ensure you don't owe money, etc. They have to take that kind of precautions because they don't want to be scammed, and I think it is required by law. When banks don't do that background checking, you get situations like the 2008 crisis and others before. Late dinner time, not really, when in Rome, do like the Romans. And yes, most restaurants are closed between 3 pm and 7 pm because waiters are paid by the hour, so if there are no customers, it's wasting money, so they get a big afternoon break and then work late until 1 am. And I think it disturbs mostly North American people because in Europe, it's pretty standard to have dinner "late", but in large cities, there are more and more restaurants doing continuous service from 10-11 am to 1 am. I don't know what you mean about not being able to go out with comfy clothes, unless you're in the posh arrondissements, many people are wearing sport suits, especially in the suburbs. But yeah, nobody will go buy some bread in his pajamas, it would be inappropriate as they're supposed to be worn only inside. And of course, Bonjour is the best way to be polite, addressing yourself to someone else without conforming to it is quite insulting, it's a bit like talking to your dog or your servant, so, it's a way to show respect, whatever the social class of your interlocutor. But don't worry, all those cultural shocks can be destabilizing at the beginning, but after some time, you'll get used to it and embrace them. Every immigrant in the world has to face the same challenges adapting to a new culture.
Why are you getting upset?? People are just saying the differences from their country
@@shaungordon9737 I'm not upset :-) I just pointed out some weaknesses, every person who emigrated to another country will face some problems with administration, housing, etc. It's not typically French to have a slow and complex administration. I'm pretty sure legal immigrants in the US are also dealing with ununderstandable and complex situations and they probably also think the administration is stupidly complex. And as I heard that kind of complaint in almost every "culture shock" video, it's not original. Instead of complaining, that would be more constructive for the future immigrants to know more about the process, what not to forget, make sure you have all the required documents before going to the office in person.
@@Redgethechemist I've also heard horror stories about the French bureaucracy and that it's worse than most other countries. But I don't know how true that is.
@@shaungordon9737 The horror is in the eyes of the viewer :-D But it's always more complicated when you don't speak the local language. When I was living in Italy, it took me 6 months to change my car plates, and I could speak Italian, it's just that the registration department was not very reactive, not used to change plates from foreign countries and although my Italian was correct, I did not master it to perfection, so it slowed the process down. This excerpt from Asterix will give you an idea of how we conceive administration :-D ruclips.net/video/JtEkUmYecnk/видео.html
It's to long i Can Guess u want to complain but do u think i'm gonna read all this complain + why u Can complain and they can't ?
You can translate to complain by "se plaindre" or by the colloquial term "râler". I think you mean "râler". The French like "râler", that is, to complain about very little things when they talk to each other. It's not complaining to somebody to sort out a problem. You can see it positively though. Complaining/râler about the weather, a bus running late, whatever is an occasion of striking a conversation or to release your stress.
For french hug is more private than "la bise" ^^
Restaurants opening at 20h ? That's in Paris, or very large towns. Paris alone isn't France.
Yea that restaurant thing was real different for me.
It was wilddd at first but now i kinda prefer eating late lol
@@WhereTianaTravels right. What part France you live in ?
@@Dlo_Chess1_1 Paris! What about you?
@@WhereTianaTravels Amiens, it’s about 45 mins north of Paris
We often strike because in France there's no opposition against executive policy (who includes the president, his secretary, the Prime Minister and his minestries and secretaries public choises) any more. Since Pr. Chirac revision of the Constitution in 2002 (in a total legal way), the legislative branch majority is always in the same political color as the President. And deputy of the majority have to vote what the President decided they have to or they are getting out of the majority group. Also, since the 80' and the second term of President Mitterand, France is going futher into néo-liberalism and european inclusion (who is clearly leaning-right on economic issues). It goes in contradiction with the social history of France construction (once under christian charity and after, the revolution under the Republic system and the idea of Lumieres). A lot of people have loose their jobs, nottably in industry (like in US) and in public services. Inequity beetween riche and poores have exploded. French strikers are asking for including the citizens in political major choices; they fight against the numerous entreprises closures and asking to the State to protect the poorest.
It's important for me to help the strangers to understand why there's so much strikes in France. While the idea of separation of powers is inherited, for the most part, of Philosophy of French Revolution (Montesquieu and John Locke are the pionners on this during the 18 century), France is one of the democraties who have the worst lecture and application of theses principles (ours checks and balances beetween the three branches of power are far lass developped that in US (as Alexis De Tocqueville demonstrated in Democracy in America, 1835). And it's worst now than ever since the third Republic (but the 5th and actual Republic is more stable than the 4th).
Really pleasant and fun video by the way 😁
In the UK you can wear anything it like the USA.
That's what I've heard! The people there seem to be a bit more accepting ;)
@@WhereTianaTravels of course that why it better to live in the UK on Friday to Saturday you can party and wear any type of clothes you want.
striking by any means necessary TRULY
I definitely should work on metric system before I study abroad there
I loved this video I learned so much.
A centimeter is metric too of course...lol
yes lol
If you know centimeters, you can figure out kilometers...
Nice your video. Where do you live and you do in france ?
Thank you! I live in Nice and I teach English 😊
It's Nice :)
... i totally agree on the No. 6...😁😁😁
Metric throws me still to this day. Nice vid.
Maybe it's me americans keep also saying this about Italy but WE DON'T HUG OR KISS A STRANGER THAT WE FIRST MEET!
Gosh, I barely give a kiss to my mother, figure out kissing a friend everytime we hang out!
About dress nice...it's basic education, I think, here in Europe even if we wear sportsuits and snickers prett often for the basic errands.
Metric system: it's the system US units is based upon. Can you picture 1$? Well, 1000$ is 1k$ as k=kilo (a thousand, from ancient greek "kilos" or χίλιοι). And this type of division it's applied in everything (except in time measurement, of course).
Remember the 1$? Divide it in 100 parts and you have 1 cent! Exactly, 1 centimeter is 1/100 of a meter. And 1 millimeter is 1/1000 of 1 meter...and so on for weight measurement, gramms and kilogramms and milligramms...
Temperature: 0°C = watern turn into ice, then it's cold; 100°C = water turn into steam, so it's boiling hot! Between 20°C and 27°C it's a beautiful day!
Btw, "here" it's not just France...it's the whole world but USA, basically (plus Liberia and Myanmar...).
There is no real problem for girls or guys sweat pants outside. But for yoga pants, I guess it's because you're almost naked in that. I supposed you would get the same reaction for wearing any tight clothes.
For dinner, we're used to eat "late" because we're use to have meal kinda every 4 hours. 8am, 12pm, 4pm and 8pm. Personally I don't eat breakfast and at 4pm 🤷🏻♂️
Definitely grabbed some wine..😍
Dont kno wer u at in france buh we do use yoga pants... to go out quickly 😄 feel free giirl 😊😊
Metric gives you problems? Laugh in Star Trek mode... They've uszd metric since the original series...
I've never watched... guess that's my problem LOL
not accurate at all. clichés over & over. and restaurants do not open at 8, never, they open at 6.30, 7.00.
again, these are MY personal experiences. What may have been accurate for me may not have been accurate for you :) Thanks for watching!
wow we love you sm bye
US can hug someone but not do "la bise"🤔 okay 🤷♀️
Sinon, est ce que tu parles français ? 😀
oui bien sûr! 🙂
@@WhereTianaTravels, je suis amie , depuis 3 ans , avec une texane, ce qui l'étonne le plus = que nous avons des médecins qui viennent à domicile lorsque nous sommes malades 🙂
J'espère que tu te plais en France, je te souhaite le meilleur 👍
Une parisienne qui s'est expatriée en Belgique 🖐
@@domimonfrans755 Ah oui! Ça c'est certainement l'une des meilleures choses de la vie en France!! Merci beaucoup! 🥰
OMG i wont come in France