I have been singing the praises of French healthcare. My care here has been fabulous. Not having the stress of high cost while undergoing treatment has been wonderful. I also totally agree with tipping. I hired a cleaner for my gîte. She came yesterday and did an amazing job. I tipped her because it was warm and because it REALLY needed a clean. She was thrilled.
The USA feels broken. I totally agree with what you've said. Unless you try not to focus on all these things it definitely creates a stressful environment. Thank you for sharing.
For our overall wellbeing and enjoyment of life regardless of where we live, I think it's imperative for us to not focus on things we can't feasibly change. It just creates unnecessary stress and anxiety.
The reason why people in America have multiple jobs and side hustles is because it's expensive to live here. There was a time when you could work one full-time job and afford a nice middle-class lifestyle but those days are long gone. It's not about FOMO, it's about survival and being able to pay the bills.
It's expensive to live in France too ( at least in Paris) - differences may include pay levels (the federal minimum wage in the US hasn't been raised since 2009 - at $7.25), and differences in terms of what people need to pay for/save for such as health care and kids' educations...
Wrong. The reason why Americans work themselves to a frenzy, is materialistic, acquisitiveness. They never have enough. America is about consumerism, and acquiring stuff. You make the bed you lie on. Money making,and talking about money, is given a high priority and given pride of place in America
Indians don't speak French, but we do have international scammers - they're based in French-speaking Africa mostly. There's even a term for them, "brouteur". And it's not that rare to get a call with an Ivoirian accent offering you dodgy deals - you're probably kinda lucky too. I get those often!
6 years for me! NO IDEA how I survived >40 years in American hustle culture! I still have extremely stressful and vivid work-related dreams. I worked in law firms - total pressure cooker environments. I hope the dreams eventually stop.
Many years ago, a French friend who was in the U.S. for a couple of years or so doing a post-graduate in NY mentioned to me that he couldn't believe the amount of ads on TV for medications. Prior to that I had thought it was normal but when he told me these types of ads didn't exist in France (I've spent a couple of months at a time in France and sure, I don't remember seeing such ads on French TV). I guess that stuck with me because every time I come across those pharma ads I find them ridiculous for many reasons. But why am I surprised. It's a cash cow industry in the U.S.
You must be young, because there didn't use to be such ads in the US. They're something which happened only when the FDA first allowed pharma ads directly to consumers in the US in 1985 (this was just in print, not on TV). TV ads became a thing in the late 1990's. They're a scourge, IMHO.
Je donne très souvent un pourboire quand je suis servi à table. En général 2 €, ce qui fait 10% d'un repas à 20€. Ce n'est pas mal. Si tout le monde fait cela, à la fin de la journée cela fait une somme non négligeable pour le serveur 👍
Years ago, I had a waitress tell me that she included many coins when giving customers change along with the bills since she found that most people grabbed the bills and left the change. This was especially helpful for her when there was a dollar coin the size of a quarter, the only difference was the dollar's color (goldish) and the fact it had many sides and was not round like a quarter.
That gold coin with the octagonal shape. Was that a Canadian looney? Here in Canada we have one dollar and two dollar coins. The dollar coin is called a looney because there is a loon on the coin and a silhouette of the queen on the other side, and the two dollar coin is called a Tunie. It has various images on it but the one I remember the most is remembrance Day and again it has the queen silhouette on the back, but nowadays, I think it has the face on one side of the coin.
Diane I live in Florida and you hit on all of the things that just make me count the days till I can move to France. Your channel and your perspectives are fantastic and I am so grateful for all of your efforts to put out such great content. Thank you!! PS I love Tours and had one of the best meals of my life at La Deauvaliere!
I go to Florida every year for family reasons. Detest it. If I had to live in an area wuth agreeable climate, that is civilized, I'd rather it be France.
It's funny, because I live in Canada (French Canada) and we are so much more like the French!Everything you listed as French ways apply here, except for the 5 weeks paid holidays (I wish) and tipping. So interesting!
I just came back from France yesterday. I love how the food is so good and much better then the us I could be happy living there. And speaking of scams, I made the mistake of getting into a fake taxi. He tried to charge me €150 euros for going 10 miles .
FYI, the Ozempic jingle is catchy because it’s a rewording of the 70s hit song “Magic,” by the Scottish band Pilot. It was catchy enough to reach number 5 on the US charts, so there’s no need to be embarrassed because it’s stuck in your head. Also, your dad can avoid spam calls if he has an iPhone. Go to Settings > Phone and enable “Silence Unknown Callers.” The calls won’t be blocked, but the phone won’t ring when they call. It will only ring when someone in his Contacts calls: family, friends, trusted businesses, etc. I enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work!
Regarding tipping at a restaurant - I have two requirements that must be met before I consider the serving to fall into the tipping eligible category. 1) A live person has to come to me at the table where I am eating the meal to take my order and bring the food to me. 2) I should not be expected to set or clear my table.
En France, ça se passe toujours comme ça. Éventuellement, on vous demandera de régler votre note au comptoir, mais ce n'est pas le plus courant. Généralement, on vous l'apporte à votre table, où vous pouvez la régler. Dès qu'un client est parti, la table est débarrassée, nettoyée et dressée pour le client suivant.
A lot of what you say about France exists in Canada, guns restrictions, pharmaceutical ads on TV, , etc. Some like tipping are the same as in the US. I agree with a lot of what you say. I really love France, been 13 times, and was just there again last month. A lot of people from the US experience some of the same things in Canada when they move here, that you mentioned in the video, and we're close! No place is perfect, but if I had to move out of Canada, it would be France.
I had an American dad & a French mom. I lived for my first 25 years in US, but brought up with French cuisine & French habits from my mom. Now been in france since 1985…Lots of nice things & love the family closeness, but no country is perfect & there are some things I miss from US…seeing my brothers more often 🌸
I’m a dual citizen (not French ) and I love living in America. I do take it for granted my life here . I go to Europe every year and this time I’m visiting Manchester, Liverpool, South of France and Paris in October 2024 .I don’t miss where I was born due to too much violence .
My French grandpa loves his firearms and lives for his boar hunts. "La chasse aux sangliers" is his favorite activity, and when it is not the season for hunting, he talks about the coming hunting trips. 😁 He calls this obsession with hunting boars his "syndrome d'Obélix"!!! 🤣🤣 He tried to get me interested when I was a teen but it didn't take. I explained to him that gay and guns didn't go well together. Now, my bf was raised on a ranch in the Rockies and loves everything that shots, he totally is my granpa's favorite American. 🤔 This fall, they've organized a boar hunt for my bf and it's all he talks about these days. 😒 I guess that'll make me Astérix.
I agree with the tip culture. I'm always afraid of doing things wrong. But what I feel is really bad is that sometimes you have to tip before receiving any services like in food ordering. Then your meal comes late and is cold and you are missing half of the things you ordered 😂
Greetings from Southern California! Thumbs up on all 5 of your points. We just got married after 18 years as partners, in Paris, at the Louvre! I've been visiting France since the 70s with my Mom's High School French class as a tag along and then on my own as a young adult. We're in our early 60s. Ah, if we were 20 years younger and had the e-commerce capability that we have today, we'd be living part-time in a cute town that tourists haven't swarmed yet. But we're making our 2nd trip this year in a couple of months, so it's all good. We like the weather here.
When I lived in the US I saw an ad that said "Because NOT all marriages are made in heaven! 1-800-DIVORCE" that made me laugh incontrollably! :D I get at least one scam call and one scam text messages a day in France too...
Hi Diane, I came across your channel only recently and I love your vids on your life in France. If you ever think of a city trip, pls come to my hometown Vienna. I promise you, it's worth a visit. Btw, did you ever regret your move to France? Decades ago my friends and I came to Dijon and started a houseboat trip on a side arm of the Loire from there. It was wonderful, but I recommend rudimentary knowledge of French language. I think French are not particularly fond of speaking foreign languages. 😂 Fondly from Vienna ... and I will stay tuned in 😃🙋♀️🇦🇹
Hi there, welcome! Thanks for being here and subbing. ;-) I've never been to Vienna (except the airport) and I'd love to check it out! Will let you know if I make it your way! I've never regretted my move to France. Of course on hard days, you question all your life decisions, but I've never seriously regretted moving here. There are pros and cons to life everywhere. Very cool about the houseboat trip. I love that kind of stuff! And yes, I can imagine how it may have been challenging without speaking French. Take me with you next time. ;-))) I have a Q&A coming up soon so I hope you'll check it out! Thx again! Diane
I've been to France maybe 6 times, starting in 1974 when I was 19 (I remember the year b/c I was at le Gare du Nord when I saw in the International Tribune that Nixon had resigned). My husband and I spent a month in Paris in 2018... I've always found the French, including the Parisians, nothing but friendly and accommodating. (And my French is truly awful, I'm sad to say, although I try.) Anyway, I feel the French have an undeserved reputation for not being friendly, etc.
Tipping in the U.S. is predatory. Our group of 10 ate at a very expensive restaurant in Whitefish, Montana. The server did not point out the 18 per cent automatic gratuity and processed payment from every couple who individually tipped 20 per cent. So pay attention; that over friendly server will happily rob you.
i started in NJ then Florida and now 22 years in France, nothing misses me Vive la France !!! Last back on a conference in 2015 2 days period, not thinking of going back,now retired la vie est belle !
The hustle culture. Felt it right away when I started my au pair year in the US. And, of course, I felt like it was going to drown me, but the difference is that I knew that it was only for a year and I didn't even have to stay that long if I didn't want to! Definitely one of the strongest bad points about the US that makes me feel I could never live there, because I don't want to live a life of being stressed out all the time! If I ever meet an American guy, I'll convince him to live in France lol, at least he'll have vacations and decent working hours and real breaks from it!
The waiters/waitresses are usually longtime employees, not just students trying to pay their studies, so they, depending on how long they’ve been working at the restaurant (a proper restaurant/not fast-food or self-serve types) are paid well & they are highly considered & proud to be working in a nice restaurant. The tip is included, but in really nice or fancy ones, the customers will usually leave a nice tip if the food & service deserves it.
Wait staff here in Australia are paid a fair and very decent wage which is legislated (and frankly ridiculously convoluted) but that's why we don't tip unless the person has really gone above and beyond. Same goes for all other service industries like hairdressing. I think this puts the customer and server on a more equal footing - you pay for the service, the person does their job and makes you happy, if not the employer has the option of replacing that server. Relying on tips to survive puts both parties in a master-servant relationship which is not good on so many levels! I moved from Canada in the mid 80's and to this day I do NOT missing the tipping culture - just the opposite! Cheers from Oz!
Wait staff pay is legislated in America. If they work away from the busy cities, where there aren't a lot of tips and their tips do not bring their pay up to non-wait staff pay, their employers must bring their pay up to non-wait staff pay. In busy cities, the wait staff get so many tips, that their pay ends up much higher than non-wait staff pay. Nobody is paid only wait staff pay.
Hello Diane, since 1933 and the Loi Godart, in France, the tips are mandatory included in the bill from 5% to 15%. Then, you always pay tips in France. And when you think you are paying tips, you actually pay extra tips. It should be notified as "service" in the bill... If it's not, it to lets you think there are no tips which is not legal in France.
the next 5: 6) Huge trucks as passenger vehicles 7) Tax-phobia (Americans afraid of taxes more than almost anything else) 8) Geographic and historic ignorance 9) Rampant drug abuse/homelessness/hopelessness 10) Vitriolic politics/brand loyalty to a party vs. understanding issues BONUS: 11) Fetishizing the military and police
Bonus Bonus Bonus, but i am french: *Cars (and the pollution that go with them and screw the world, including me. One of the things i really dislike about the USA) *lawyer ads (apparently sueing your dog for peeing on your shoes is a thing if it can make you $$$) *surrendering jokes (that should be the number one for very obvious reasons) *NSA, CIA and all those national agencies that spy on us, steal our things, and rob our companies whenever they dare compete against american ones (like Airbus Vs Boeing) *the cult of idiocy (as Aasimov warned long ago) *the cult of fat (why bother setting positive standards for society when you can stick a "-pride" suffix to everything ?) *the poisonous food (and GMOs as a whole) *the lack of transportations and walkability (i got rid of my car in 2010. I am happy about it) *the inability of too many people to think before speaking, or to think at all (i have been told quite a few times by americans on social medias that i had a superiority complex merely because i could actually prove how they were wrong) *Disney (obviously. With Hollywood) *the GAFAM (and then all the others, starting with Starbucks. Unfortunately, the plague spreads and it reached our lands) *the lack of workers' rights. *the legalized corruption (through the concept of lobbies or the genius idea that financing politicians is a right for people (when it really is legalizing corruption for corporations)). *the outdated constitution and all the worshipping going on around it or the dreaded "forefathers". This becomes nasty, especially when coupled with the "rewriting of History" and "flag pledge" points below. *the pledge on the flag at schools, and the overall censorphip around the concept of criticism *the worhsipping of billionnaires that exploit the lack of workers' rights, and the worshipping of serial killers. Actually, worshipping all the wrong things. *the fact that there are more guns than people in the USA, and that yet again, this is not even about "rights" anymore, it is about "religion" *and by the way, the fact that the "USA" became a religious concept in lieu of a place meant for people to live in. *the idea that bombing and bringing chaos to foreign civilians for oil is Ok, and shamelessly using national agencies for the sake of private corporate interests. And despite that going on and on and on about, apparently, being the (unelected) "leader of the free world". Frankly, this is infuriating. *the rewritting of History that tries to convince us that the USA landed in France in 1944 in order to free France, and that they launched nuclear bombs on civilians for the "greater good" *this hero/police of the world bullshit that is spreads everywhere in US medias. Especially, this "land of the brave" thing is really jarring for the worst possible reasons. I won't detail here. *medias as a whole, especially since Reagan, they have become a joke *the lack of regulations in pretty much every area, which allows, for example, pharmaceutical companies to overprice things like insulin times 10, with total impunity. And the fact that shaddy backroom deals between competing companies to circumvent the laws of competition in order to maintain high prices are never adressed or punished. Also, the fact that the whole "healthcare" debate in the USA never adresses the very nature of the problem, making it a mere distraction for the people. *the fact that the people take every bait and let itself be swayed right and left without even noticing. Also, the fact that americans never stand for their rights, except if it is about guns. And then, they make RUclips Channels about how they want to leave for Europe because the USA get worse by the day. This is particularly noticeable for me as a french, since we made 3 Revolutions and are always ready for a 4th. The natural result of doing nothing is everything getting worse. *the fact that some americans, or the USA as an entity maybe, are generally eager to teach the world when they are consistently last in class. Like when i see on this very RUclips so many channels calling us racists because we don't have laws to segregate people depending of the color of their skin. Also, the fact that americans will call black people "african american". Even if their ancestors never set a foot in Africa, or didn't for 3 or more centuries. Simply because they are black. This translates clearly the fact that what truly matters here is not their ancestors' origins, it really is that they are black, period. This one is pretty horrible. *the corrupted police and justice. The corrupted institutions. *the lack of guaranteed abortion rights for women (i am a man). *the lack of lodging rights for the people. *the fact that one's life is tied to their job, by design, which deprives people of many basic freedoms. Like the right to a guaranteed healthcare that we have here. Since one needs always to work his life away, there is no time to pause and reevaluate one's life, or try to solve deeper problems with one's life. Meaning that people are put on a leash like cattle, are deprived of the strenght to rebel, and through the "best country in the world" propaganda, even deprived of the will to do so. Your job is your life, because this is the logic that makes 'them' most money. There is more, but i don't have that much time. Let's note that i can do i list regarding my own country too. Although, i don't see it ending up that long.
6. I'd maybe just say "car centricity" (if you can say it like that 😅) - the big trucks (most vehicles in general, really) are part of it, but it feels like everywhere is made for cars and public transit and bike lanes are basically a joke in most places 😕
Ils ont raison d’être taxophobes. Nos états européens, et singulièrement la France, sont devenus fous en terme de prélèvements obligatoires. Et malgré cela sont perpétuellement en déficit avec une dette publique qui menace de nous engloutir.
I am French and have lived for over 50 years in your native country going back to forth from the US to ma native country. I only watch TV channels on Internet. I don’t have a TV. My favorite channel is PBS (public Broadcasting Services) high quality TV. You are contracting yourself advertising “Mental Sleep”…
As a USA native, I, too despise the drug ads (well, ALL ads, actually). As they rattle off the side effects in rapid-speak, I'm thinking, "No thanks; I'll just keep the original problem!" I agree with you ten thousand percent on the tipping issue!
We spent almost three months in France this year. We got a lot of laughs from seeing the French version of various American foods. For example, they had tacos, which tended to be pita wrap sandwiches with a lot of French fries as the bottom layer of the contents of the sandwich. They also had some sort of sauce that you were supposed to put on burgers and such. I've never seen that sauce in the US, but it was sold as though it was a necessity for real American style food. We used to spend some time speculating about what the French people think Americans typically eat. We found nice restaurants served very nice food, but a lot of the fast food types served "American style" food that was junkier junk food than we typically see in the US. (Note: we mostly cooked for ourselves when in France, but treated ourselves to restaurant food occasionally.) I'd love to see you talk about these types of things.
If we don't usually tip waiters in France it's because the service is already included in the bill (service compris) which doesn't mean that you can't tip but there's no obligation (legal or customary), you tip if you want, if the waiter has been particularly kind to you. I can't think of any other instances where we would tip in France, and that's a good thing too;
The minimum wages in the US (which is very low in many places) often also has a category for wait staff where they get paid significantly "less" than they would in any other job b/c it's assumed that they'll make up the difference in tips (which, of course, may not happen). For example, the current minimum wage in Texas is $7.25/hour (the federal minimum wage) while the minimum wage for serving staff is $2.13/hour. Truth.
Agreed about the drug co advertisements. IMO, they target vulnerable people and encourage them to pressure their doctors to prescribe drugs that may not be appropriate/necessary for them. Gun culture in this country is insane. We get scam calls frequently too.
I agree that demands for tips have increased in the last ten or so years in the US. Earlier, tips were usually for personal services like restaurant wait staff, hairdressers, taxi drivers, parking valets, and so on. Increasingly, tips are requested when you buy food at the counter or even pick up food to go, which I think a lot of people find annoying. I don't really agree that tipping would go away if workers were paid more, though. Some tipped workers are already paid an ordinary wage or work for themselves and the tips are just extra. With workers who are paid less but depend on tips, I don't think you're correct that the business owner would just eat the cost if they had to pay workers more. They would raise prices, and customers would pay more. Basically, instead of a voluntary tip, it would be mandatory and built into the price.
One precision. At sometimes, ads in France were almost as bad as in the US. Except for the number of ads that have been regulated very early around the 70-80s. Total screen time per day, total time in a TV show, etc ... Alcohol was banned from ads in the 90s I think. Even indirect ads like sponsorship. I don't remember when tobacco was banned from ads but I think it should have been around the same time. Pharmaceutical ads did exist and still exist, they are heavily regulated. Thus what we can see are at most ads for vitamins, supplements and other parapharmacy stuff. The fines are always exemplary for pharmaceutical companies but there are still some that exploit loopholes and in the last decades, there are a few products that have been re-categorized as drugs instead of parapharmacy and banned from ads. There are a few jobs that are banned from ads. Those you mention like lawyers of any specialty, any medical job, bailiff and "notaires" (should be attorney in US English but it's not the same job), weapon related jobs, etc ... "It's not the customer's responsibility to make up the difference". In my opinion, it is in a certain sense as he is the one making the business revenue. But it shouldn't be his responsibility to pay directly the waiter's wage. Price wise, restaurants and fastfood are no cheaper than in Europe. I believe it's even more expensive now than when I was there in 2015 and fastfood was cheaper than in France. Now it's more expensive and they can't even pay their employees decently and make customers pay for them ? What a joke. It's plain greed. Would you tip 15% to buy a car, a house or anything ? No. Then it should be the same for restaurants. Anyway, always refreshing to see you so passionate about the subjects you bring in your videos, Diane ! Keep it up. Not too serious but always interesting point of views. 👍👍
I agree about everything you discussed. I’m American, married to a 🇫🇷 guy living near DC & I was amazed about the difference in advertising, phone bills & tipping between our 2 countries.
I'm old enough to remember when a physician would NEVER advertise on TV. And if an attorney was caught advertising on T.V.; it was career suicide because you stood a good chance of being disbarred.
There are some commercials for medications on French TV but they are very reglemented. Like Ibuprofen, nurofen. And then there was the iconic "Si juavabien, c'est Juvamine"
@@OuiInFrance boujour Diane, can you please do a video on the French beauty line caudalie. I’m using a few of their products and would love to hear your thoughts.
Unless I'm wrong, in Quebec, they can talk about a drug brand like Ozempic or Rybelsus in TV ads but you can't say what it does. Another thing, in Canada, we do have the equivalent of Bloctel. In Canada, you have to have a permit to own a gun and another one to transport said gun to a gun club for shooting practice. Tipping is about 15% in Quebec but waiters must pay income taxes on at least 8% of all tables they have served during a year like if they had received a 8% tip
One thing that I noticed about France is the cost of living there is not too bad. Of course paris's expensive but outside of Paris is really affordable.
I couldn't agree more about drug advertising and your segment set this out so well. I seldom watch broadcast TV in no small part because the Pharma ads steam me so much. Ethical drugs which require RXs, require RXs for a reason. Consumers generally are in no position to evaluate what these ads are promoting. Worse the cost of these ads are passed along to consumers or sucked away from R&D. Once in a grocery in the Cayman Islands the pharmacist cornered me for about an hour to show me his wholesale catalogs from the US, UK and Canada from which he stocked drugs. He showed me example after example after example…of how much significantly more drugs from the US cost, often twice or more expensive. It’s because Pharma is unchecked on how much they spend on things like media ads.
I always get a kick out of the ads for drugs for some disease/issue that seems relatively mild (say, a skin condition), which lists one of the side effects of the drug as "death." Okey-dokey....
J ai trouvé la parade lorsque je reponds par inadvertance a ce type d appel : soit je dis avec un réel accent allemand : tut mir leid, ich spreche kein franzosich, ou sorry, i don't speak French, ou encore "Madame n est pas là ". Ils raccrochent immédiatement
I disagree with the use of the word "culture" at all here. Using "culture" there or in "gun culture" really feels like a cheap way to put something above criticism. Because these days, you can't criticize "culture". "Culture" is never wrong.
Hustle culture exists in Toronto. I don't know it is because it is one of Canada's larger cities that draws people from all over. American ideas do have a way of creeping across the border.
Im French and love the USA. There are three categories of things for me : 1- Things I like or love (a lot, even cultural differencies I'm not used to) ; 2- Things I don't like but it's on me. Cultural differences I can't stomach or just little annoyances (too much ice in every drink, air-conditioning set too high, very big servings in restaurants, poor public services, catastrophically bad public transportation, etc.) 3- Three things I hate because it is objectively awful : gun culture, the health system and, above all, race relations. We have racism here as much as in the USA, but you have somthing on top of racism we don't have ie. the black and white relationship. Racism on top of racism. Real apartheid in the USA is quite recently gone (in the end of the 1960s) but mostly everywhere in the US, with very different degrees, it is a burden on everyday life. First a burden for the black community who are the first target of this very American kind of racism, but also for the white people : long ago, being white, there where many places I couldn't go with my black girlfriend of the time. The Land of the Free where you are still not free to go where you want. This thing is a lose-lose game, even if the black community loses the most.
Yes you get scam calls here in the UK-but definitely not daily, maybe once a week-it usually concerns US companies like Amazon/Microsoft- but there are also bank ones, but easy to spot.
Preach Sister!!! I'm moving to France in October (not far from you I think). The other thing I love is how rarely you see billboards or ads littering all the streets and highways... You don't feel like you're constantly being bombarded with BUY ME!!!! - However last month when I was in Paris I had 2 different restaurant servers say 'gratuity is not included so it's at your discretion' when they brought the bill - that has never happened to me before... hopefully it doesn't become widespread!
@@ybreton6593 😂 Good one! I wish I was that quick with a response. I just went wide-eyed and eyebrows up. One of them was an extraordinary server at a highly rated restaurant in the Marais... I was already going to tip her because she was that good, but when she said that, my heart sank. I still left a tip but it made me sad that the 'hustle' thing was penetrating my favorite city.
In Canada we get lots of scam calls from all African countries that speak French 😅 Tipping is also getting out of control… it used to be 15% before taxes… now it is 18-20% or more, after taxes… always looking for the F4 button to give a personalized tip! Tout à fait d’accord avec les points de cette vidéo… je vais voir ma famille en France chaque été! 😃
Believe me, there's nothing polical about not wanting to be around random people carrying guns. That's just basic common sense, which unfortunately is something that is disappearing from the US. I grew up in Massachusetts in the 70's and 80's, and I was educated to see American freedom as having the right to live the way you choose while respecting the rights and safety of others, and also understanding my civic duty to the common good. Today far too many people see "freedom" as "I have the right to have and do anything I want, and screw everybody else."...
Hello Diane. It’s Joe and Gigi in Cape May. I am in complete agreement with you. I can’t tolerate the overwhelming amount of pharmaceutical ads, Lawyer advertisements (Im a retired lawyer and remember when advertising was a breach of ethics), zero mandatory vacation leave or sick leave ( yes we have the FMLA but you are using your own earned leave time. FOMO and hustle culture is out of control in the US. I can’t stand overly assertive wait staff who constantly ask “ is everything alright “ or “are you still working on this?” I get never ending scam calls and during the election season, electioneering from the candidates and their supporters doesn’t end even when you sent STOP to end them. They continue to constantly beg for money even though the candidates get millions from rich donors etc. Elon Musk just stated hes planning on pledging $45 million a month to one of the presidential candidates. I could go on but I need a nap 😴😂. All best. Joe.
As a recently retired health care provider of 40 years. Especially as a Nurse Practitioner I saw exhausted patients nearly every day. Even though they were high achieving workers they felt pushed to work extremely hard because they HAD to JUST TO KEEP their jobs NOT to be the BEST or MORE IMPORTANT than other employees. These are people who have upper Science degrees as the town I work in has had the highest or among the highest PhD degrees per capita in the country so we are not talking about entry level jobs as maybe a grocery store or Walmart cashiers who can get fired just because they had the flu and worked in a place like Walmart that has a point system that if they didn’t “show up for work for more than 3 days” even with a written “medical excuse” that they tested positive for flu!🤧🤒 These are often single mothers with little ability to save their pennies trying to put food on the table for their children. Granted Electrical Engineers, Physicists etc.. have more flexibility and PTO are still so scared that they might lose their jobs because of their bosses beliefs that “a really dedicated employee doesn’t want time off ” so they continue working accumulating months of PTO that they eventually are forced to take a check for all their accumulated PTO because there company wont allow them to carry more than a certain amount of PTO. Then it becomes a “pizzing contest” for who “had” to get the most hours paid out to prove that they are a valuable part of the company. I’ve even seen people wreck their cars driving in on black ice because “ other people” can make it in so “what kind of slacking wimp can’t make it in?!” When I first started as a young Registered Nurse we were FORCED into staying at the hospital with NO clean undergarments, socks or scrubs and have no where to really get some sleep. Occasionally they might get a couple hours of rest in a room filled with basically camp beds sometimes waiting for days to get in because of the number of people who work at the hospital that will lose their jobs if they leave like LPNs, housekeeping, orderlies etc.. what’s worse is Nurses who attend University for 4 years would not only get fired they would also LOSE THEIR LICENSES AS REGISTERED NURSES!! When other RN’s absolutely couldn’t make it in because of ice storms leaving INCHES of ice on the roads. If the RNs leave because they now have kids home from school or just were able to walk to a hotel to shower and get some rest would by LAW be “ abandoning their patients” but not Drs. They can leave when ever they want. And Drs. were often driven home and back by the volunteer fire departments… Who do you think helped make these laws for Nurses? 10 points if you guessed Medical Doctors!! That’s why I decided to get higher University educational degrees breaking my heart by tearing me away from my love of caring for people. Because even though I felt nursing was a calling to help people. I worked in Open Heart ICU and Neuro ICU both jobs I loved but I just had to get away from the hospital system of how they often treat Nursing staff. Thank goodness my love of helping people took me to becoming a Nurse Practitioner that allowed me a chance of having normal working conditions and helping others. My point being that from what I’ve seen a lot of Americans don’t hustle because they are workaholics but because they’re terrified of losing their jobs and not being able to support their families… are their a few people that will do anything to climb a ladder? Yes, every where. However, those people are more likely the kind of people that crave power rather than LOVE their jobs…. again just my 2 cents but I did have contact with a lot of people suffering from a lot of work related stress, anxiety and even depression. I think most people would be so happy to have 5 paid weeks off a year AND that was a law that everyone HAD to take 5 weeks off a year… not that it was available but a MUST would be so wonderful!! My husband had 3 MONTHS of PTO at a job in his mid 40s while he was working full time on for NASA on the Space Station. (Electrical Engineer)All of his grandparents had French as their first Language… so please say a little prayer for your French cousins!!😅 Great video as always!!♥️♥️♥️
Hello PeonyBlossom3, Wow, this is so sad. I'm French, and I have seven paid weeks for a year to take when I decide it. In France, all these days are paid but not worked: New Year's Day (January 1), Easter Monday (variable date), Labor Day (May 1), Victory Day 1945 (May 8), Ascension Thursday (variable date) and my employer systematically offers Friday which follows (it is written in my employment contract), Whit Monday (variable date), National Day (July 14), Assumption (August 15), All Saints' Day (November 1), the Armistice 1918 (November 11), Christmas (December 25) and of course, I don't work on Saturday and Sunday, and I have two hours at lunchtime to eat. You should also know that companies with more than 50 employees in France must pay you an annual profit-sharing bonus. You can either place it in an account that earns money (but blocked for at least five years) or touch it directly, but the state will then consider this sum a salary and tax it as such. For my part, this represents around €2,500 per year, sometimes more (and even much more when the year's profits are substantial). My company (not all companies offer this bonus) doubles the amount if I choose to invest this money. Furthermore, I'm subrogated. This means that if I'm on sick leave, my employer pays me my full salary. I should also add that although it's not obligatory, most companies in France pay a thirteenth month. It can either be divided by twelve (so you receive one-twelfth of your salary more per month), be split into two or three annual payments, or be paid in full in December. We then receive a double salary that month (which is my case). I really feel sorry for the people you mentioned in your comment. The way they're treated is absolutely terrible. So, I'm really not a fan of ultraliberalism and its consequences. Have a pleasant day,
I live in St Louis, Mo. and I’ve spent a total of six weeks in France, spread over three different trips. AGREE 110% with everything you just said. In addition to the pharmaceutical and ambulance chaser ads, we now have non stop political ads (almost every “conservative” political ad has the politician carrying or shooting a gun, in one instance…. a FLAME THROWER!) Viva La France!!
To get rid of spam phone calls get an answering machine and screen all calls through this. Spammers will not leave a message and after a week they stop.
My wife and I get junk phone calls all day. We normally ignore them. She has been known to mess with them by answering in her childhood language, which happens to be from a very remote part of the Philippines.
Of course, just like everyone else, I receive multiple spam phone calls, e-mails and text messages per day. I don’t answer the phone unless I recognize the number and delete the texts and e-mails. One item that I think you didn’t mention are the gargantuan SUV’s and pickup trucks that people drive as their personal car. They take up more than one parking space and impossible to see over to check for oncoming traffic.
In the U.K. we get a lot of scam calls. I do get some protection from them but not much. My husband often tries having a conversation with them but I’m just very rude to them then block them. Yes, they have a multitude of numbers but I just get rid of them quickly.
Hello 😊…. About waiters, I don t think it has changed so I ll explain, you have a minimum wage for lot of jobs like in admin etc, and you have minimum wage for people in restauration (and maybe hotels but I never worked in this field) who have another minimum wage amount because the fact they work not regular hours, but in the eve, w/e etc is taken into account. It s not a big difference but there is one. So in a way it takes into account the fact you ll work when others are out for leisure to put it grossly. It s kind of you to have stressed that it s global regulation and people should be paid a living wage and not be expected to live on tips. People often complain about regulations when it s what makes in fact their life quite good to start with compared to where it does not exist.
I tell every "business" who calls after five to call me during normal business hours. By the way, spot-on on tipping. Re: job perks: don't like the perks? don't work there. Simples. (American living in UK and France)
The restaurants in the US are taking advantage on the law allowing them to pay the waiting staff below the minimum wage and sometimes not to pay at all (in bars). This is a pure exploitation of their workers. And by passing their salaries on customer's mercy, is not a good practice. Not good for the customers and it's degrading the workers. They do their "song-and-dance" trying hard to appease in hope for a bigger tip. Frankly I find it rude and intrusive when a waitress is coming over every 10 min asking the same questions, expecting the same answers at the time I'm involved in a conversation or just eating. I remember the time when a tip was 10%, then 15 then 18 and now is 20. 25% is not unheard of. America become a nation of beggars in the service industry.
I just posted above - In Texas, the minimum wage for tipped employees is - get this - $2.13/hour. I imagine you'd be pretty anxious for some tips if that's all you were going to get in your pay check! (In states with higher minimum wages, wait staff also get maybe half - with the expectation that they'll make it up in tips...)
Waiters prefer to get tip. they make more money with tip than with a fix salaries. There is no exploitation going on. If they don't like their job, they can easily move to another one where they feel better.
Agree. Lived most of my life here, but have lived in Europe as well. The US has indeed changed,and its not for the better. It appears engaged in a mad race to achieve 3rd world status.
I've been living in Mexico for over a year...I don't think I've every received a spam call since being here. Of course, there are plenty of other scams.
Moved for employment in 2003. Found a culture where capitalist had to respect and treat their employees with dignity. Sure the bureaucracy seems to never end, but it is because you are treated as a human. Healthcare means you can see any doctor of your choice, with no need to get approval. Work-life balance and public facilities for all to use. An appreciation for family time, good food, and good wine. These are just a few things that made me choose to retire in the French countryside.
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My daughter finally has her dual citizenship in France! She's been there 10 years! I love to visit her!
Wow great congratulations to her 🎉
I have been singing the praises of French healthcare. My care here has been fabulous. Not having the stress of high cost while undergoing treatment has been wonderful. I also totally agree with tipping. I hired a cleaner for my gîte. She came yesterday and did an amazing job. I tipped her because it was warm and because it REALLY needed a clean. She was thrilled.
The USA feels broken. I totally agree with what you've said. Unless you try not to focus on all these things it definitely creates a stressful environment. Thank you for sharing.
For our overall wellbeing and enjoyment of life regardless of where we live, I think it's imperative for us to not focus on things we can't feasibly change. It just creates unnecessary stress and anxiety.
@@OuiInFrance Agreed!
@@OuiInFrance agree. That is why I focus on things I can do and do not listen to news and chaos surrounding me. I am content.
The reason why people in America have multiple jobs and side hustles is because it's expensive to live here. There was a time when you could work one full-time job and afford a nice middle-class lifestyle but those days are long gone. It's not about FOMO, it's about survival and being able to pay the bills.
Exactly, that's the crux of the problem!!
It's expensive to live in France too ( at least in Paris) - differences may include pay levels (the federal minimum wage in the US hasn't been raised since 2009 - at $7.25), and differences in terms of what people need to pay for/save for such as health care and kids' educations...
Wrong. The reason why Americans work themselves to a frenzy, is materialistic, acquisitiveness. They never have enough. America is about consumerism, and acquiring stuff. You make the bed you lie on. Money making,and talking about money, is given a high priority and given pride of place in America
@@LUIS-ox1bv It's sickening the level of materialism in the US and it's why the vast majority are enslaved to debt.
@@LUIS-ox1bvVous faites le lit sur lequel vous vous êtes allongé👍👍 excellent vous avez tout compris.
One thing that throws off people when visiting the US is tax being added at checkout, rather than included in the price.
Indians don't speak French, but we do have international scammers - they're based in French-speaking Africa mostly. There's even a term for them, "brouteur".
And it's not that rare to get a call with an Ivoirian accent offering you dodgy deals - you're probably kinda lucky too. I get those often!
Yep, absolutely
We moved to the US nearly two years ago from France and I cannot more than agree with you. It's 110% true what you have said.
Hustle Culture: I've been retired 8 years and I got out just in time. Took me a couple of years to deprogram.
It’s a symptom of the ‘American dream’ ideology.
6 years for me! NO IDEA how I survived >40 years in American hustle culture! I still have extremely stressful and vivid work-related dreams. I worked in law firms - total pressure cooker environments. I hope the dreams eventually stop.
Vive la France! Vive Diane! Merci pour tous les videos! ❤🎉😊
Many years ago, a French friend who was in the U.S. for a couple of years or so doing a post-graduate in NY mentioned to me that he couldn't believe the amount of ads on TV for medications. Prior to that I had thought it was normal but when he told me these types of ads didn't exist in France (I've spent a couple of months at a time in France and sure, I don't remember seeing such ads on French TV). I guess that stuck with me because every time I come across those pharma ads I find them ridiculous for many reasons. But why am I surprised. It's a cash cow industry in the U.S.
You must be young, because there didn't use to be such ads in the US. They're something which happened only when the FDA first allowed pharma ads directly to consumers in the US in 1985 (this was just in print, not on TV). TV ads became a thing in the late 1990's. They're a scourge, IMHO.
Je donne très souvent un pourboire quand je suis servi à table. En général 2 €, ce qui fait 10% d'un repas à 20€. Ce n'est pas mal. Si tout le monde fait cela, à la fin de la journée cela fait une somme non négligeable pour le serveur 👍
I'm an American and I'm fed up with all these things too!
Amen. I am French educated and live in NC.
Henessay? C'est où?
Years ago, I had a waitress tell me that she included many coins when giving customers change along with the bills since she found that most people grabbed the bills and left the change. This was especially helpful for her when there was a dollar coin the size of a quarter, the only difference was the dollar's color (goldish) and the fact it had many sides and was not round like a quarter.
Omg that's kinda genius
That gold coin with the octagonal shape. Was that a Canadian looney? Here in Canada we have one dollar and two dollar coins. The dollar coin is called a looney because there is a loon on the coin and a silhouette of the queen on the other side, and the two dollar coin is called a Tunie. It has various images on it but the one I remember the most is remembrance Day and again it has the queen silhouette on the back, but nowadays, I think it has the face on one side of the coin.
Diane I live in Florida and you hit on all of the things that just make me count the days till I can move to France. Your channel and your perspectives are fantastic and I am so grateful for all of your efforts to put out such great content. Thank you!! PS I love Tours and had one of the best meals of my life at La Deauvaliere!
Michelle you’re more than welcome ❤
I go to Florida every year for family reasons. Detest it. If I had to live in an area wuth agreeable climate, that is civilized, I'd rather it be France.
Interesting list, Diane! As always I enjoy your honest yet diplomatic way of discussing differences. Salut!
It's funny, because I live in Canada (French Canada) and we are so much more like the French!Everything you listed as French ways apply here, except for the 5 weeks paid holidays (I wish) and tipping. So interesting!
I just came back from France yesterday. I love how the food is so good and much better then the us I could be happy living there. And speaking of scams, I made the mistake of getting into a fake taxi. He tried to charge me €150 euros for going 10 miles .
In that case call police.
FYI, the Ozempic jingle is catchy because it’s a rewording of the 70s hit song “Magic,” by the Scottish band Pilot. It was catchy enough to reach number 5 on the US charts, so there’s no need to be embarrassed because it’s stuck in your head.
Also, your dad can avoid spam calls if he has an iPhone. Go to Settings > Phone and enable “Silence Unknown Callers.” The calls won’t be blocked, but the phone won’t ring when they call. It will only ring when someone in his Contacts calls: family, friends, trusted businesses, etc.
I enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work!
Thank you!
Regarding tipping at a restaurant - I have two requirements that must be met before I consider the serving to fall into the tipping eligible category.
1) A live person has to come to me at the table where I am eating the meal to take my order and bring the food to me.
2) I should not be expected to set or clear my table.
En France, ça se passe toujours comme ça.
Éventuellement, on vous demandera de régler votre note au comptoir, mais ce n'est pas le plus courant. Généralement, on vous l'apporte à votre table, où vous pouvez la régler.
Dès qu'un client est parti, la table est débarrassée, nettoyée et dressée pour le client suivant.
A lot of what you say about France exists in Canada, guns restrictions, pharmaceutical ads on TV, , etc. Some like tipping are the same as in the US. I agree with a lot of what you say. I really love France, been 13 times, and was just there again last month. A lot of people from the US experience some of the same things in Canada when they move here, that you mentioned in the video, and we're close! No place is perfect, but if I had to move out of Canada, it would be France.
My thoughts exactly.
Merci ! :)
I had an American dad & a French mom. I lived for my first 25 years in US, but brought up with French cuisine & French habits from my mom. Now been in france since 1985…Lots of nice things & love the family closeness, but no country is perfect & there are some things I miss from US…seeing my brothers more often 🌸
I’m a dual citizen (not French ) and I love living in America. I do take it for granted my life here . I go to Europe every year and this time I’m visiting Manchester, Liverpool, South of France and Paris in October 2024 .I don’t miss where I was born due to too much violence .
the grotto of Sainte Baume in Provence looks like a good place to go.
Stratford upon Avon is where Shakespeare grew up and is a medieval town.
My French grandpa loves his firearms and lives for his boar hunts. "La chasse aux sangliers" is his favorite activity, and when it is not the season for hunting, he talks about the coming hunting trips. 😁 He calls this obsession with hunting boars his "syndrome d'Obélix"!!! 🤣🤣 He tried to get me interested when I was a teen but it didn't take. I explained to him that gay and guns didn't go well together. Now, my bf was raised on a ranch in the Rockies and loves everything that shots, he totally is my granpa's favorite American. 🤔 This fall, they've organized a boar hunt for my bf and it's all he talks about these days. 😒 I guess that'll make me Astérix.
Love this story. ;)
I agree with the tip culture. I'm always afraid of doing things wrong. But what I feel is really bad is that sometimes you have to tip before receiving any services like in food ordering. Then your meal comes late and is cold and you are missing half of the things you ordered 😂
Greetings from Southern California! Thumbs up on all 5 of your points. We just got married after 18 years as partners, in Paris, at the Louvre!
I've been visiting France since the 70s with my Mom's High School French class as a tag along and then on my own as a young adult. We're in our early 60s. Ah, if we were 20 years younger and had the e-commerce capability that we have today, we'd be living part-time in a cute town that tourists haven't swarmed yet.
But we're making our 2nd trip this year in a couple of months, so it's all good. We like the weather here.
Congrats and hope you have a wonderful upcoming trip!
When I lived in the US I saw an ad that said "Because NOT all marriages are made in heaven! 1-800-DIVORCE" that made me laugh incontrollably! :D
I get at least one scam call and one scam text messages a day in France too...
Hi Diane,
I came across your channel only recently and I love your vids on your life in France. If you ever think of a city trip, pls come to my hometown Vienna. I promise you, it's worth a visit.
Btw, did you ever regret your move to France? Decades ago my friends and I came to Dijon and started a houseboat trip on a side arm of the Loire from there. It was wonderful, but I recommend rudimentary knowledge of French language. I think French are not particularly fond of speaking foreign languages. 😂
Fondly from Vienna ... and I will stay tuned in 😃🙋♀️🇦🇹
Hi there, welcome! Thanks for being here and subbing. ;-) I've never been to Vienna (except the airport) and I'd love to check it out! Will let you know if I make it your way!
I've never regretted my move to France. Of course on hard days, you question all your life decisions, but I've never seriously regretted moving here. There are pros and cons to life everywhere.
Very cool about the houseboat trip. I love that kind of stuff! And yes, I can imagine how it may have been challenging without speaking French. Take me with you next time. ;-)))
I have a Q&A coming up soon so I hope you'll check it out!
Thx again!
Diane
I've been to France maybe 6 times, starting in 1974 when I was 19 (I remember the year b/c I was at le Gare du Nord when I saw in the International Tribune that Nixon had resigned). My husband and I spent a month in Paris in 2018... I've always found the French, including the Parisians, nothing but friendly and accommodating. (And my French is truly awful, I'm sad to say, although I try.) Anyway, I feel the French have an undeserved reputation for not being friendly, etc.
Tipping in the U.S. is predatory. Our group of 10 ate at a very expensive restaurant in Whitefish, Montana. The server did not point out the 18 per cent automatic gratuity and processed payment from every couple who individually tipped 20 per cent. So pay attention; that over friendly server will happily rob you.
You've mentioned my pet peeves about today's US, as well. So grateful to be living in Europe!
i started in NJ then Florida and now 22 years in France, nothing misses me Vive la France !!! Last back on a conference in 2015 2 days period, not thinking of going back,now retired la vie est belle !
The hustle culture. Felt it right away when I started my au pair year in the US. And, of course, I felt like it was going to drown me, but the difference is that I knew that it was only for a year and I didn't even have to stay that long if I didn't want to! Definitely one of the strongest bad points about the US that makes me feel I could never live there, because I don't want to live a life of being stressed out all the time! If I ever meet an American guy, I'll convince him to live in France lol, at least he'll have vacations and decent working hours and real breaks from it!
The waiters/waitresses are usually longtime employees, not just students trying to pay their studies, so they, depending on how long they’ve been working at the restaurant (a proper restaurant/not fast-food or self-serve types) are paid well & they are highly considered & proud to be working in a nice restaurant. The tip is included, but in really nice or fancy ones, the customers will usually leave a nice tip if the food & service deserves it.
Wait staff here in Australia are paid a fair and very decent wage which is legislated (and frankly ridiculously convoluted) but that's why we don't tip unless the person has really gone above and beyond. Same goes for all other service industries like hairdressing. I think this puts the customer and server on a more equal footing - you pay for the service, the person does their job and makes you happy, if not the employer has the option of replacing that server. Relying on tips to survive puts both parties in a master-servant relationship which is not good on so many levels! I moved from Canada in the mid 80's and to this day I do NOT missing the tipping culture - just the opposite! Cheers from Oz!
Wait staff pay is legislated in America. If they work away from the busy cities, where there aren't a lot of tips and their tips do not bring their pay up to non-wait staff pay, their employers must bring their pay up to non-wait staff pay. In busy cities, the wait staff get so many tips, that their pay ends up much higher than non-wait staff pay. Nobody is paid only wait staff pay.
@@BrandonLeeBrown Thanks - I didn't know that.
I've only neem to the USA once - I spent 5 weeks there in 2015. My very first impression was the pharmaceutical ads!
Hello Diane, since 1933 and the Loi Godart, in France, the tips are mandatory included in the bill from 5% to 15%. Then, you always pay tips in France. And when you think you are paying tips, you actually pay extra tips. It should be notified as "service" in the bill... If it's not, it to lets you think there are no tips which is not legal in France.
I’ve been in France for decades and this is so spot on! Totally agree with you.
Tipping in the US is OUT OF CONTROL and you're right, there is a better way!
the next 5:
6) Huge trucks as passenger vehicles
7) Tax-phobia (Americans afraid of taxes more than almost anything else)
8) Geographic and historic ignorance
9) Rampant drug abuse/homelessness/hopelessness
10) Vitriolic politics/brand loyalty to a party vs. understanding issues
BONUS:
11) Fetishizing the military and police
BONUS BONUS:
12) Automobile-centric zoning laws
Bonus Bonus Bonus, but i am french:
*Cars (and the pollution that go with them and screw the world, including me. One of the things i really dislike about the USA)
*lawyer ads (apparently sueing your dog for peeing on your shoes is a thing if it can make you $$$)
*surrendering jokes (that should be the number one for very obvious reasons)
*NSA, CIA and all those national agencies that spy on us, steal our things, and rob our companies whenever they dare compete against american ones (like Airbus Vs Boeing)
*the cult of idiocy (as Aasimov warned long ago)
*the cult of fat (why bother setting positive standards for society when you can stick a "-pride" suffix to everything ?)
*the poisonous food (and GMOs as a whole)
*the lack of transportations and walkability (i got rid of my car in 2010. I am happy about it)
*the inability of too many people to think before speaking, or to think at all (i have been told quite a few times by americans on social medias that i had a superiority complex merely because i could actually prove how they were wrong)
*Disney (obviously. With Hollywood)
*the GAFAM (and then all the others, starting with Starbucks. Unfortunately, the plague spreads and it reached our lands)
*the lack of workers' rights.
*the legalized corruption (through the concept of lobbies or the genius idea that financing politicians is a right for people (when it really is legalizing corruption for corporations)).
*the outdated constitution and all the worshipping going on around it or the dreaded "forefathers". This becomes nasty, especially when coupled with the "rewriting of History" and "flag pledge" points below.
*the pledge on the flag at schools, and the overall censorphip around the concept of criticism
*the worhsipping of billionnaires that exploit the lack of workers' rights, and the worshipping of serial killers. Actually, worshipping all the wrong things.
*the fact that there are more guns than people in the USA, and that yet again, this is not even about "rights" anymore, it is about "religion"
*and by the way, the fact that the "USA" became a religious concept in lieu of a place meant for people to live in.
*the idea that bombing and bringing chaos to foreign civilians for oil is Ok, and shamelessly using national agencies for the sake of private corporate interests. And despite that going on and on and on about, apparently, being the (unelected) "leader of the free world". Frankly, this is infuriating.
*the rewritting of History that tries to convince us that the USA landed in France in 1944 in order to free France, and that they launched nuclear bombs on civilians for the "greater good"
*this hero/police of the world bullshit that is spreads everywhere in US medias. Especially, this "land of the brave" thing is really jarring for the worst possible reasons. I won't detail here.
*medias as a whole, especially since Reagan, they have become a joke
*the lack of regulations in pretty much every area, which allows, for example, pharmaceutical companies to overprice things like insulin times 10, with total impunity. And the fact that shaddy backroom deals between competing companies to circumvent the laws of competition in order to maintain high prices are never adressed or punished. Also, the fact that the whole "healthcare" debate in the USA never adresses the very nature of the problem, making it a mere distraction for the people.
*the fact that the people take every bait and let itself be swayed right and left without even noticing. Also, the fact that americans never stand for their rights, except if it is about guns. And then, they make RUclips Channels about how they want to leave for Europe because the USA get worse by the day. This is particularly noticeable for me as a french, since we made 3 Revolutions and are always ready for a 4th. The natural result of doing nothing is everything getting worse.
*the fact that some americans, or the USA as an entity maybe, are generally eager to teach the world when they are consistently last in class. Like when i see on this very RUclips so many channels calling us racists because we don't have laws to segregate people depending of the color of their skin. Also, the fact that americans will call black people "african american". Even if their ancestors never set a foot in Africa, or didn't for 3 or more centuries. Simply because they are black. This translates clearly the fact that what truly matters here is not their ancestors' origins, it really is that they are black, period. This one is pretty horrible.
*the corrupted police and justice. The corrupted institutions.
*the lack of guaranteed abortion rights for women (i am a man).
*the lack of lodging rights for the people.
*the fact that one's life is tied to their job, by design, which deprives people of many basic freedoms. Like the right to a guaranteed healthcare that we have here. Since one needs always to work his life away, there is no time to pause and reevaluate one's life, or try to solve deeper problems with one's life. Meaning that people are put on a leash like cattle, are deprived of the strenght to rebel, and through the "best country in the world" propaganda, even deprived of the will to do so. Your job is your life, because this is the logic that makes 'them' most money.
There is more, but i don't have that much time. Let's note that i can do i list regarding my own country too. Although, i don't see it ending up that long.
Tax phobia is the reason we have a private health system and under regulation.
6. I'd maybe just say "car centricity" (if you can say it like that 😅) - the big trucks (most vehicles in general, really) are part of it, but it feels like everywhere is made for cars and public transit and bike lanes are basically a joke in most places 😕
Ils ont raison d’être taxophobes. Nos états européens, et singulièrement la France, sont devenus fous en terme de prélèvements obligatoires. Et malgré cela sont perpétuellement en déficit avec une dette publique qui menace de nous engloutir.
Love your video Diane! Couldnt agree more. Listening while in France visiting again!
I am French and have lived for over 50 years in your native country going back to forth from the US to ma native country. I only watch TV channels on Internet. I don’t have a TV. My favorite channel is PBS (public Broadcasting Services) high quality TV. You are contracting yourself advertising “Mental Sleep”…
As a USA native, I, too despise the drug ads (well, ALL ads, actually). As they rattle off the side effects in rapid-speak, I'm thinking, "No thanks; I'll just keep the original problem!"
I agree with you ten thousand percent on the tipping issue!
I agree about the gun culture. I agree with you on the tipping culture. We need to pay employees enough so they don’t have to rely on tips.
We spent almost three months in France this year. We got a lot of laughs from seeing the French version of various American foods. For example, they had tacos, which tended to be pita wrap sandwiches with a lot of French fries as the bottom layer of the contents of the sandwich.
They also had some sort of sauce that you were supposed to put on burgers and such. I've never seen that sauce in the US, but it was sold as though it was a necessity for real American style food.
We used to spend some time speculating about what the French people think Americans typically eat. We found nice restaurants served very nice food, but a lot of the fast food types served "American style" food that was junkier junk food than we typically see in the US. (Note: we mostly cooked for ourselves when in France, but treated ourselves to restaurant food occasionally.)
I'd love to see you talk about these types of things.
If we don't usually tip waiters in France it's because the service is already included in the bill (service compris) which doesn't mean that you can't tip but there's no obligation (legal or customary), you tip if you want, if the waiter has been particularly kind to you. I can't think of any other instances where we would tip in France, and that's a good thing too;
The minimum wages in the US (which is very low in many places) often also has a category for wait staff where they get paid significantly "less" than they would in any other job b/c it's assumed that they'll make up the difference in tips (which, of course, may not happen). For example, the current minimum wage in Texas is $7.25/hour (the federal minimum wage) while the minimum wage for serving staff is $2.13/hour. Truth.
Waiters live on wages, not tips in France. The French consider it insulting not to pay wait staff a living wage.
Agreed about the drug co advertisements. IMO, they target vulnerable people and encourage them to pressure their doctors to prescribe drugs that may not be appropriate/necessary for them. Gun culture in this country is insane. We get scam calls frequently too.
I agree that demands for tips have increased in the last ten or so years in the US. Earlier, tips were usually for personal services like restaurant wait staff, hairdressers, taxi drivers, parking valets, and so on. Increasingly, tips are requested when you buy food at the counter or even pick up food to go, which I think a lot of people find annoying. I don't really agree that tipping would go away if workers were paid more, though. Some tipped workers are already paid an ordinary wage or work for themselves and the tips are just extra. With workers who are paid less but depend on tips, I don't think you're correct that the business owner would just eat the cost if they had to pay workers more. They would raise prices, and customers would pay more. Basically, instead of a voluntary tip, it would be mandatory and built into the price.
One precision. At sometimes, ads in France were almost as bad as in the US. Except for the number of ads that have been regulated very early around the 70-80s. Total screen time per day, total time in a TV show, etc ...
Alcohol was banned from ads in the 90s I think. Even indirect ads like sponsorship. I don't remember when tobacco was banned from ads but I think it should have been around the same time.
Pharmaceutical ads did exist and still exist, they are heavily regulated. Thus what we can see are at most ads for vitamins, supplements and other parapharmacy stuff. The fines are always exemplary for pharmaceutical companies but there are still some that exploit loopholes and in the last decades, there are a few products that have been re-categorized as drugs instead of parapharmacy and banned from ads.
There are a few jobs that are banned from ads. Those you mention like lawyers of any specialty, any medical job, bailiff and "notaires" (should be attorney in US English but it's not the same job), weapon related jobs, etc ...
"It's not the customer's responsibility to make up the difference". In my opinion, it is in a certain sense as he is the one making the business revenue. But it shouldn't be his responsibility to pay directly the waiter's wage. Price wise, restaurants and fastfood are no cheaper than in Europe. I believe it's even more expensive now than when I was there in 2015 and fastfood was cheaper than in France. Now it's more expensive and they can't even pay their employees decently and make customers pay for them ? What a joke. It's plain greed.
Would you tip 15% to buy a car, a house or anything ? No. Then it should be the same for restaurants.
Anyway, always refreshing to see you so passionate about the subjects you bring in your videos, Diane ! Keep it up. Not too serious but always interesting point of views. 👍👍
I agree about everything you discussed. I’m American, married to a 🇫🇷 guy living near DC & I was amazed about the difference in advertising, phone bills & tipping between our 2 countries.
The commercial advertising industry has been perfecting these techniques since WWI. The US is Ground Zero.
I'm old enough to remember when a physician would NEVER advertise on TV.
And if an attorney was caught advertising on T.V.; it was career suicide because you stood a good chance of being disbarred.
Totally agree. Great job
There are some commercials for medications on French TV but they are very reglemented. Like Ibuprofen, nurofen. And then there was the iconic "Si juavabien, c'est Juvamine"
Attention JUVAMINE est une marque de compléments alimentaires ce ne sont donc pas des médicaments.
Yeah, that's right vitamins, well-being, beauty, weight loss products. The strongest one is for ibuprofen.
Boujour Diane, I love your eye glasses, they look very nice on you 😊
Thank you so much!
@@OuiInFrance boujour Diane, can you please do a video on the French beauty line caudalie. I’m using a few of their products and would love to hear your thoughts.
You speak so well, so clearly....I agree with all you don't like or miss about living in the US
Unless I'm wrong, in Quebec, they can talk about a drug brand like Ozempic or Rybelsus in TV ads but you can't say what it does. Another thing, in Canada, we do have the equivalent of Bloctel. In Canada, you have to have a permit to own a gun and another one to transport said gun to a gun club for shooting practice. Tipping is about 15% in Quebec but waiters must pay income taxes on at least 8% of all tables they have served during a year like if they had received a 8% tip
One thing that I noticed about France is the cost of living there is not too bad. Of course paris's expensive but outside of Paris is really affordable.
Paris isn't France. Thank goodness!
I couldn't agree more about drug advertising and your segment set this out so well. I seldom watch broadcast TV in no small part because the Pharma ads steam me so much. Ethical drugs which require RXs, require RXs for a reason. Consumers generally are in no position to evaluate what these ads are promoting. Worse the cost of these ads are passed along to consumers or sucked away from R&D.
Once in a grocery in the Cayman Islands the pharmacist cornered me for about an hour to show me his wholesale catalogs from the US, UK and Canada from which he stocked drugs. He showed me example after example after example…of how much significantly more drugs from the US cost, often twice or more expensive. It’s because Pharma is unchecked on how much they spend on things like media ads.
I take naps a bit. I'm 74 and still going strong.
Merci pour cette œuvre de raison !
You are making a good case for France😊
Love your content ty soo much for the cultural eye opening
“Your arm falling off”…lol
I always get a kick out of the ads for drugs for some disease/issue that seems relatively mild (say, a skin condition), which lists one of the side effects of the drug as "death." Okey-dokey....
SCam calls: I get them. My phone tags spam risks. I don't pick up most calls, I let it go to voice mail. Extremely few scammers leave a message.
I knew the jingle for ozempic long before what it was for. 🤦♀️
J ai trouvé la parade lorsque je reponds par inadvertance a ce type d appel : soit je dis avec un réel accent allemand : tut mir leid, ich spreche kein franzosich, ou sorry, i don't speak French, ou encore "Madame n est pas là ". Ils raccrochent immédiatement
Moi, je décroche et pose mon portable sur la table pour les laisser parler dans le vide.
The hustle culture is probably unique to the USA. Does anyone disagree?
I disagree with the use of the word "culture" at all here. Using "culture" there or in "gun culture" really feels like a cheap way to put something above criticism. Because these days, you can't criticize "culture". "Culture" is never wrong.
Hustle culture exists in Toronto. I don't know it is because it is one of Canada's larger cities that draws people from all over. American ideas do have a way of creeping across the border.
Lol no, there are countries with worst work culture than we do Japan, Korea, and many countries in Latin America for example
Im French and love the USA. There are three categories of things for me :
1- Things I like or love (a lot, even cultural differencies I'm not used to) ;
2- Things I don't like but it's on me. Cultural differences I can't stomach or just little annoyances (too much ice in every drink, air-conditioning set too high, very big servings in restaurants, poor public services, catastrophically bad public transportation, etc.)
3- Three things I hate because it is objectively awful : gun culture, the health system and, above all, race relations. We have racism here as much as in the USA, but you have somthing on top of racism we don't have ie. the black and white relationship. Racism on top of racism. Real apartheid in the USA is quite recently gone (in the end of the 1960s) but mostly everywhere in the US, with very different degrees, it is a burden on everyday life. First a burden for the black community who are the first target of this very American kind of racism, but also for the white people : long ago, being white, there where many places I couldn't go with my black girlfriend of the time. The Land of the Free where you are still not free to go where you want. This thing is a lose-lose game, even if the black community loses the most.
Great video! I like the points presented. Like the side-hustle culture and consuming drugs for all sorts of things.
Thank you Diane!
You are so welcome!
Yes you get scam calls here in the UK-but definitely not daily, maybe once a week-it usually concerns US companies like Amazon/Microsoft- but there are also bank ones, but easy to spot.
Preach Sister!!! I'm moving to France in October (not far from you I think). The other thing I love is how rarely you see billboards or ads littering all the streets and highways... You don't feel like you're constantly being bombarded with BUY ME!!!! - However last month when I was in Paris I had 2 different restaurant servers say 'gratuity is not included so it's at your discretion' when they brought the bill - that has never happened to me before... hopefully it doesn't become widespread!
Those waiters were trourists' scammers. By French law service fees have to be included in the bill, and parts of the prices indicated.
je suis français et cette histoire de serveurs disant
Arnaque !!!
@@jfrancobelge such a bummer too because both were in highly rated restaurants in the Marais. I was shocked!
@@ybreton6593 😂 Good one! I wish I was that quick with a response. I just went wide-eyed and eyebrows up. One of them was an extraordinary server at a highly rated restaurant in the Marais... I was already going to tip her because she was that good, but when she said that, my heart sank. I still left a tip but it made me sad that the 'hustle' thing was penetrating my favorite city.
In Canada we get lots of scam calls from all African countries that speak French 😅
Tipping is also getting out of control… it used to be 15% before taxes… now it is 18-20% or more, after taxes… always looking for the F4 button to give a personalized tip!
Tout à fait d’accord avec les points de cette vidéo… je vais voir ma famille en France chaque été! 😃
Believe me, there's nothing polical about not wanting to be around random people carrying guns. That's just basic common sense, which unfortunately is something that is disappearing from the US. I grew up in Massachusetts in the 70's and 80's, and I was educated to see American freedom as having the right to live the way you choose while respecting the rights and safety of others, and also understanding my civic duty to the common good. Today far too many people see "freedom" as "I have the right to have and do anything I want, and screw everybody else."...
Another great video ❤
Hello Diane. It’s Joe and Gigi in Cape May.
I am in complete agreement with you. I can’t tolerate the overwhelming amount of pharmaceutical ads, Lawyer advertisements (Im a retired lawyer and remember when advertising was a breach of ethics), zero mandatory vacation leave or sick leave ( yes we have the FMLA but you are using your own earned leave time. FOMO and hustle culture is out of control in the US. I can’t stand overly assertive wait staff who constantly ask “ is everything alright “ or “are you still working on this?”
I get never ending scam calls and during the election season, electioneering from the candidates and their supporters doesn’t end even when you sent STOP to end them. They continue to constantly beg for money even though the candidates get millions from rich donors etc. Elon Musk just stated hes planning on pledging $45 million a month to one of the presidential candidates.
I could go on but I need a nap 😴😂. All best. Joe.
As a recently retired health care provider of 40 years. Especially as a Nurse Practitioner I saw exhausted patients nearly every day. Even though they were high achieving workers they felt pushed to work extremely hard because they HAD to JUST TO KEEP their jobs NOT to be the BEST or MORE IMPORTANT than other employees. These are people who have upper Science degrees as the town I work in has had the highest or among the highest PhD degrees per capita in the country so we are not talking about entry level jobs as maybe a grocery store or Walmart cashiers who can get fired just because they had the flu and worked in a place like Walmart that has a point system that if they didn’t “show up for work for more than 3 days” even with a written “medical excuse” that they tested positive for flu!🤧🤒 These are often single mothers with little ability to save their pennies trying to put food on the table for their children. Granted Electrical Engineers, Physicists etc.. have more flexibility and PTO are still so scared that they might lose their jobs because of their bosses beliefs that “a really dedicated employee doesn’t want time off ” so they continue working accumulating months of PTO that they eventually are forced to take a check for all their accumulated PTO because there company wont allow them to carry more than a certain amount of PTO. Then it becomes a “pizzing contest” for who “had” to get the most hours paid out to prove that they are a valuable part of the company. I’ve even seen people wreck their cars driving in on black ice because “ other people” can make it in so “what kind of slacking wimp can’t make it in?!” When I first started as a young Registered Nurse we were FORCED into staying at the hospital with NO clean undergarments, socks or scrubs and have no where to really get some sleep. Occasionally they might get a couple hours of rest in a room filled with basically camp beds sometimes waiting for days to get in because of the number of people who work at the hospital that will lose their jobs if they leave like LPNs, housekeeping, orderlies etc.. what’s worse is Nurses who attend University for 4 years would not only get fired they would also LOSE THEIR LICENSES AS REGISTERED NURSES!! When other RN’s absolutely couldn’t make it in because of ice storms leaving INCHES of ice on the roads. If the RNs leave because they now have kids home from school or just were able to walk to a hotel to shower and get some rest would by LAW be “ abandoning their patients” but not Drs. They can leave when ever they want. And Drs. were often driven home and back by the volunteer fire departments… Who do you think helped make these laws for Nurses? 10 points if you guessed Medical Doctors!! That’s why I decided to get higher University educational degrees breaking my heart by tearing me away from my love of caring for people. Because even though I felt nursing was a calling to help people. I worked in Open Heart ICU and Neuro ICU both jobs I loved but I just had to get away from the hospital system of how they often treat Nursing staff. Thank goodness my love of helping people took me to becoming a Nurse Practitioner that allowed me a chance of having normal working conditions and helping others. My point being that from what I’ve seen a lot of Americans don’t hustle because they are workaholics but because they’re terrified of losing their jobs and not being able to support their families… are their a few people that will do anything to climb a ladder? Yes, every where. However, those people are more likely the kind of people that crave power rather than LOVE their jobs…. again just my 2 cents but I did have contact with a lot of people suffering from a lot of work related stress, anxiety and even depression. I think most people would be so happy to have 5 paid weeks off a year AND that was a law that everyone HAD to take 5 weeks off a year… not that it was available but a MUST would be so wonderful!! My husband had 3 MONTHS of PTO at a job in his mid 40s while he was working full time on for NASA on the Space Station. (Electrical Engineer)All of his grandparents had French as their first Language… so please say a little prayer for your French cousins!!😅
Great video as always!!♥️♥️♥️
Hello PeonyBlossom3,
Wow, this is so sad.
I'm French, and I have seven paid weeks for a year to take when I decide it.
In France, all these days are paid but not worked: New Year's Day (January 1), Easter Monday (variable date), Labor Day (May 1), Victory Day 1945 (May 8), Ascension Thursday (variable date) and my employer systematically offers Friday which follows (it is written in my employment contract), Whit Monday (variable date), National Day (July 14), Assumption (August 15), All Saints' Day (November 1), the Armistice 1918 (November 11), Christmas (December 25) and of course, I don't work on Saturday and Sunday, and I have two hours at lunchtime to eat.
You should also know that companies with more than 50 employees in France must pay you an annual profit-sharing bonus.
You can either place it in an account that earns money (but blocked for at least five years) or touch it directly, but the state will then consider this sum a salary and tax it as such.
For my part, this represents around €2,500 per year, sometimes more (and even much more when the year's profits are substantial).
My company (not all companies offer this bonus) doubles the amount if I choose to invest this money.
Furthermore, I'm subrogated. This means that if I'm on sick leave, my employer pays me my full salary.
I should also add that although it's not obligatory, most companies in France pay a thirteenth month.
It can either be divided by twelve (so you receive one-twelfth of your salary more per month), be split into two or three annual payments, or be paid in full in December. We then receive a double salary that month (which is my case).
I really feel sorry for the people you mentioned in your comment. The way they're treated is absolutely terrible.
So, I'm really not a fan of ultraliberalism and its consequences.
Have a pleasant day,
Agreed about all you Saud. THE Rx commercials are especially obnoxious! So refreshing to travel outside the USA & not see Rx commercials! ❤🎉
I left the US 8 years ago and would never ever go back. Ready to celebrate renouncing my citizenship soon
I live in St Louis, Mo. and I’ve spent a total of six weeks in France, spread over three different trips. AGREE 110% with everything you just said. In addition to the pharmaceutical and ambulance chaser ads, we now have non stop political ads (almost every “conservative” political ad has the politician carrying or shooting a gun, in one instance…. a FLAME THROWER!) Viva La France!!
To get rid of spam phone calls get an answering machine and screen all calls through this. Spammers will not leave a message and after a week they stop.
Merci ❤
I LOVE YOUR SHIRT!!!💕💕💕💕💕💕😂
Thank you! It's available in my shop ;)
My wife and I get junk phone calls all day. We normally ignore them. She has been known to mess with them by answering in her childhood language, which happens to be from a very remote part of the Philippines.
Of course, just like everyone else, I receive multiple spam phone calls, e-mails and text messages per day. I don’t answer the phone unless I recognize the number and delete the texts and e-mails. One item that I think you didn’t mention are the gargantuan SUV’s and pickup trucks that people drive as their personal car. They take up more than one parking space and impossible to see over to check for oncoming traffic.
In the U.K. we get a lot of scam calls. I do get some protection from them but not much. My husband often tries having a conversation with them but I’m just very rude to them then block them. Yes, they have a multitude of numbers but I just get rid of them quickly.
Thx
Jim Browning once showed a scam call to a French number from a Tunisian scammer.
When I lived in the states, I answered unfamiliar numbers in Czech. The same person never called again. 😊
BONJOUR ❤
Bonjour !
Hello 😊…. About waiters, I don t think it has changed so I ll explain, you have a minimum wage for lot of jobs like in admin etc, and you have minimum wage for people in restauration (and maybe hotels but I never worked in this field) who have another minimum wage amount because the fact they work not regular hours, but in the eve, w/e etc is taken into account. It s not a big difference but there is one. So in a way it takes into account the fact you ll work when others are out for leisure to put it grossly.
It s kind of you to have stressed that it s global regulation and people should be paid a living wage and not be expected to live on tips. People often complain about regulations when it s what makes in fact their life quite good to start with compared to where it does not exist.
Nothing I disagree with.
I tell every "business" who calls after five to call me during normal business hours. By the way, spot-on on tipping. Re: job perks: don't like the perks? don't work there. Simples. (American living in UK and France)
I almost thought the transition to the sponsor was gonna be about sleeping pills XD I guess that first point primed my expectations
The restaurants in the US are taking advantage on the law allowing them to pay the waiting staff below the minimum wage and sometimes not to pay at all (in bars). This is a pure exploitation of their workers. And by passing their salaries on customer's mercy, is not a good practice. Not good for the customers and it's degrading the workers. They do their "song-and-dance" trying hard to appease in hope for a bigger tip. Frankly I find it rude and intrusive when a waitress is coming over every 10 min asking the same questions, expecting the same answers at the time I'm involved in a conversation or just eating.
I remember the time when a tip was 10%, then 15 then 18 and now is 20. 25% is not unheard of.
America become a nation of beggars in the service industry.
I just posted above - In Texas, the minimum wage for tipped employees is - get this - $2.13/hour. I imagine you'd be pretty anxious for some tips if that's all you were going to get in your pay check! (In states with higher minimum wages, wait staff also get maybe half - with the expectation that they'll make it up in tips...)
@@renastone9355 Pure exploitation of service workers.
In California waiters have the same minimum wage as everyone else, and yet you're still expected to leave 20%.
@@t0rnt0pieces Sure. Now it became already a habit. If customers pay, then why not to expect... It's a shame.
Waiters prefer to get tip. they make more money with tip than with a fix salaries. There is no exploitation going on. If they don't like their job, they can easily move to another one where they feel better.
Couldn't agree more.I live in Ireland and the only thing I miss about the US is relatives and the way the country used to be.It's unrecognisable now.
Agree. Lived most of my life here, but have lived in Europe as well. The US has indeed changed,and its not for the better. It appears engaged in a mad race to achieve 3rd world status.
I've been living in Mexico for over a year...I don't think I've every received a spam call since being here. Of course, there are plenty of other scams.
Hi Diane, could you make a video on how to make friends in the US for foreigners
Moved for employment in 2003. Found a culture where capitalist had to respect and treat their employees with dignity. Sure the bureaucracy seems to never end, but it is because you are treated as a human. Healthcare means you can see any doctor of your choice, with no need to get approval. Work-life balance and public facilities for all to use. An appreciation for family time, good food, and good wine. These are just a few things that made me choose to retire in the French countryside.
The drug ads are also on streaming. Where have you been?