In the comments I see a few people have mentioned the French government "collapse". This is NOT what is happening. What's happening is important built-in checks and balances for the government here in France. Macron has managed to set up a difficult to manage situation. 🙄 If you're interested our take from this side of the Atlantic, make sure you're on weekly our newsletter. I send it on Sundays and that's the place we talk about more topical subjects. If you download our resource list from the link in the description, you'll be automatically added to the list.
Macron has manouvered himself into a really tight corner. Agreed. I have the feeling (as I live between France, the UK and Switzerland and I professionally have to keep au fait with news from the rest of the world) that the countries which are mentioning French "collapse" are precisely the countries also facing government crises. Making a big fuss about France 1)detracts from what they are facing 2)enables them to say "look, we are not doing so bad!" 3)enables them to directly criticise the political side they do not like, at home! I wonder if doing these videos also allows you to integrate better, because they make you reflect upon and analyse everything you are going through?
As a French, even though I don't really follow politic, I can second that sentiment: it's really, really, not a big a deal. ROughly: for internal political reasons the (right-wing slightly centrist) President took a really long time (or dragged his feet) to have a new Prime Minister, and went for a fragile low power right one (presented as centrist-right, in reality very very to the right) one, despite recent elections favoring the left. And despite the new prime minister making a lot of concessions to the far right extremists, it was still a weak government trying to pass a big budget bill which no one can agreed with, and they try to force it. Note: what we call "government" is the collection of ministers, lead by the prime minister. They are the executives leaders. Like the US Cabinet, but with more powers and traditionally a bit more respect and independence than US cabinet member (although it depend, not every minister position are equal in prestige and power). Day to day, civil servants, none of that really change. The flipping side of that attempt in force, is that the gouvernement opened themselves to censure, it was basically a ultimatum (one that is in the Constitution, and has been used before): accept the new law (the new budget), or censure (unseat) the government. The far left put censure on the table, the left strongly voted for, and the far right extremist too, and in the end most people voted for it. Getting rid of a fairly disliked prime minister and his government. Why this weird alliance? Well the far right extremists still hope to have a strong say in a new gouvernement, and more importantly their leader is currently on trial for various fraudulent use of taxpayer money, and the trial doesn't go well for her, so it's probably some kind of lashing out. While censure is not common, it really doesn't change much of anything on a day to day basis for the people. Probably the president will be pressured to name a left new Prime Minister, which isn't a first to have a President from one side and a Prime Minister from the other. Historically the president is just pushed back into his more traditional personal powers of commander in chief and foreign relations, and the prime minister will make and manage a new government for some time, until a new president is elected. As to the general sentiment, yes the far right extremists have gotten a lot of votes and seats this past legislative election, although still clearly a minority and minor power. But if you're the US, that party is more akin to moderate, or maybe plain old regular, republicans. It's not a perfect copy the issues aren't the same. But French right is more like US independent centric, French centre is more like democrats, and French far right is more like republicans. Edit, TL;DR: it's very close in US terms to say "the Cabinet was fired, a new one is incoming". That's what we call "the government", not the host of civil servants and services that will keep working during this time.
it was known that probably the government BARNIER wouldnt last long! thats what happened, not a surprise here. its not a problem, we have already other candidates for the job, waiting in line...we will have another government soon.
Bonjour, BaguetteBound (Jason, Raina and Juliana). I continue to be impressed by how engaged the French people and government are with issues. There is still much I must learn in my appreciation for the Socratic dialogue in France. Merci. Dean et Cindy
i seldom disagree with you on the way you describe all things french but you are right on this one. the French gov didn't "collapse" in the way a US citizen would comprehend it. the French state is much deeper than its "shallow" american counterpart. it's an administrative state that is built to continue operating despite having no government for much longer than you can think. still, the collapse of the Barnier government has been the 2nd in over 2 generations. this is no coincidence. many changes are occurring in France. much divide exist in its society, now. a more ingrained rejection of foreigners can be felt, i think. if you want to understand a country you want to live in, do 2 things: - learn the language beforehand: it's astounding to me that you came with little to no knowledge of French and that your daughter seem to have been in the same situation a couple of years back. count yourselves very luck to live in the south west. you might not know this but you chose a part of france were people are very supportive of one another, this dates back to the albigensian crusade, prolly. would you have been in Alsace or near the Alps, you'd have dealt with a different animal. - read the press, don't stop at newletters :). "Le Monde" has a decent english version online.
Vous faites un super boulot d'aide à la compréhension et à l'amitié entre les peuples, au delà des clichés. Je suis français et j'habite au Royaume Uni depuis 23 ans (maintenant en Écosse), et je m'imagine souvent faire des vidéos similaires aux vôtres, car toutes les cultures, mêmes proches, recèlent des profondeurs qu'on ne voit pas au premier abord, et qui méritent d'être expliquées et explicitées aux autres. Merci en tout cas pour votre travail, j'espère que la France continuera à vous faire une maison agréable et comfortable. N'oubliez pas de visiter TOUT le pays ;) Il y a beaucoup à voir. :)
I’m amazed at the enormous knowledge of French culture you have gathered, your information is totally reliable. As a French person I never find anything wrong in your videos. Congratulations! 👍
So refreshing to see that video as a french person, one of our main flaws is that we can be so self-deprecating 😅 we tend to forget we live in a rich country with some things going not so bad
@@bassemgabra5936 Yeah, i am french, and this propensity to complain and troll all the time is so tiresome and have been for so long, that i am considering leaving the country for SE Asia.
@@bassemgabra5936 I get your point (but believe me, the moaning abilities of the Germans and Brits is just as remarkable!!), but at the same time, I think it is important to remain critical and vigilant, else governments will take away important planks of the welfare system. The rich oligarchs at work in the USA have got equivalents everywhere, and their greed is without limit.
I can't remember where I read this but here it is: "France is a paradise full of people who like to pretend they live in hell". That's not totally wrong.
@@jfrancobelge Yep. And since you are part belgian, une blague en reponse aux blagues belges des francais: "Comment un belge est devenu millionaire? Il a achete des francais au prix qu'ils valent et les a revendus au prix qu'ils se croient. ;)" J'ai grandi sur la frontiere belge (Wattrelos) et passe bcp de temps en Belgique que j'adore.
@@BaguetteBound Oui mais j'ai un peu honte, car sur une précédente vidéo, vous avez un peu critiqué la France (ce n'était pas méchant) mais je vous ai blâmé en argumentant que vous n'aviez pas la légitimité. Je le regrette et, je vous présente mes excuses ...
@@BaguetteBound lol what would have it been if you had talked about the french blackmailing haiti in 1825, the war in algeria and how it affects current politics i think that your vids will get better with time once they are free from their initial purpose and once you'll have a proper french passport🙂 i'm often critical of your work but i think that you're on point concerning many subjects on your vid. the least of those being that the best vids you make are about subjects you can't google i much appreciate how you thread lightly concerning the US. it's a sad time for this country too.
@@bluefandango Je peux te dire que si ces sujets avaient été traités, j'aurais condamné l'attitude de la France ... Mon père a fait la "guerre d'Algérie" J'ai des photos, je peux t'affirmer que c'est pas beau ... Si tu veux aussi je peux te dire que la le Vel d'Hiv c'était pas beau ... J'assume ... De toutes façon, tu es toujours obligé un jour ou l'autre d'avouer tes crimes ... Ca soulage ... Tous les criminels te le diront, c'est pareil pour un pays , surtout la France .qui a fait la guerre à toute l'Europe pendant des siècles .... Mii il n'y a qu'une seule chose, c'est la vérité historique ...
Quickest way to make friends, drive a Citroen 2CV. I love the French classic car scene, particularly the tours that local clubs organise, I drive over from the UK regularly and have witnessed and met some lovely french people.
Thank you so much. I've pretty much decided on France as my future home, and am so very glad to hear that the right there is not the same as the right here.
Are you from the US? If so people, even if you are an "african-american" won't be racist to you at all. Perhaps frustrated ; if they can't properly communicate with you. However as sad as it is more and more frenchies are getting racist against muslims. Note that gay marriage is legally allowed. Abortion too (in every region of the country). Freedom of speech, religion, political opinion are defended by the Constitution. Since 1905 the State has separate itself from religion. Unless you put your children in private schools - often partially financed by the catholic church - you won't have "bible classes". Christianity will be evoked in history or philosophy classes. The USA and it's citizens have a good image in France. Only a few on the extreme left share "anti-american" opinions. Nevertheless; I'm not gonna lie : "MAGA" has hurt the very positive opinion of some French people about the US.
We live between Philly and Paris, and I can tell you there is no better place than France. The people are really good once you get to know them. Just learn French
@@bassemgabra5936 I took French throughout high school, and for one year in college. That alone doesn't make one fluent, of course, and I have a lot of reviewing to do, but what I did know seems to be coming back quickly. Occasionally, it comes back at inopportune moments, like when I'm practicing Spanish, which I've also been trying to learn.
I grew up in France and now live in USA. I can add a few things here. 1. Schools and Laïcité: Religious signs are forbidden in schools and I did appreciate this growing up. You can be friend with anyone, there's nothing dividing us. Obviously some religious fanatics have been trying to damage this in the past few years with some success. I hope the institutions will hold. Once religion gets in the mix, people will find reasons to not be friend. 2. Hospitality. South of France is the Latin side, North of France is the Celtic/Saxon side. In Latin side, making friends is super easy but sometimes those are not long lasting friendships. Much harder to make friends in the North, but once you find a friend, it's forever. 3. Politics. Unlike in USA, if a politician says "god first", his career is over in France. The right in France is close to Democrat in USA (minus universal healthcare) while the far right is close to republicans. Bernie Sanders would be a centrist here. There's nothing in USA that would look like the left here. A lot can be explained about the French people when you study our history. Thousands of years of suffering, hundreds of wars, religious tyranny, religious taxes, religious betrayal during WWII. We feel it, it's our history, our inheritance and we won't let any religion near power ever again.
Bonjour. Thank you for the enlightened response. I had a very different opinion of the eastern part of France. If Bernie Sanders were a centrist and Le Penn democrat, I would have much to learn. We arrive in Peropugan in two weeks for a month's stay. Merci. Dean et Cindy
@@FanNy-ku6wt Not the same really, only a part of the actual US population can relate to the suffering caused by slavery or the colonization genocide. The French population are mostly the descendants of the people that suffered, not of the people that caused the suffering.
As a french and based on what I’ve learned at school regarding the US, I find this pretty accurate. Happy to see that you and your daughter are feeling integrated 😊
Concerning the place where to live, I would advise beside personnal preference such as city / coutryside /seaside/ momtains to check the statistics of security provided by the ministère de l intérieur. These stats give a good views of the areas which are not suitable for security reasons.
I think observation is what helps us fit in. Watch people and see how they react, speak and their manners and copy them, you'll some become part of the group.
We had already come to the conclusion that the points you make are the case in France, and as such we looked first at the climates of different parts before choosing Brittany. So far we have only visited for a few weeks, and we did indeed find that it was easy to find most of the things we cared about in the areas we looked. Still have another 2 years til retire and we make the move though.
Hi, Raina and Jason. My chin dropped to my chest when Raina mentioned Greenville. Half of my family lived just outside Sulphur Springs, and I practically grew up there. Further, you lived many years in Houston, and I lived many years in Dallas. I can personally attest to your comments about SSM. Everyone in our tiny village and also in our local small town have treated me and my husband no differently than they treat everybody.
Super informative! We are not “city people” and I keep thinking we need to target a minimum population size to achieve everything you mentioned but realizing that’s not necessarily a determining factor.
At primary level, most schools are equivalent in France, though in some places with very few children, two levels may be joined in a single room. Sports in France are not organized around schools, but around clubs, often attached to the municipality. The bigger the town, the bigger and most famous the club. But village teams are great too: for once, you may be part of it in you are interested in rugby, soccer, petanque... and if you are not part of the tam, you know some of the players, so even if the competition is not that great, it is important because you know the people, they are not just a name on the TV. In the South West of France, there are often artistic events organized on a regular basis. You have to go when the even is organized, you cannot go on a whim, that famous pianist will come to the church to perform ONE concert, but the guy is legitimately famous. Beside, until a couple years ago, my parents lived in the village the other side of the RN21, the round medieval village. I had the opportunity to come to the farmers market in your village a couple of times when visiting my parents. Where you live, the farmers market is in town only once a week, but there are farmers markets in other villages 20km around, every day. And 20km is nice small rural, picturesque roads, not boring highways. Have you visited the prehistoric sites around? There are many in your region.
Hello I have been watching your videos, I really love to learn from your perspective. I am not American I am French actually but lived many years abroad (in the Uk and in Brazil). I am now living in France again with my husband (he is Brazilian) and my two kids. I just wanted to let you know you mentioned at one point on schools, l’école Maternelle wasn’t mandatory, but Macron changed this law (it’s recent) and now it’s mandatory. School now is mandatory from 3 years old. Just wanted to let you know.
An excellent example of international headliners in a small community is the Marciac Jazz festival in a town in the Gers with a population just over 1,200. Next summer the Black Eyed Peas are playing at Garorock in Marmande a small city of just over 17,000 in the Lot et Garonne.
Marciac indeed is a great example, but you also have a world class jazz festival in Vienne, with a population below 40 000, I remember seeing James Brown there way back when.
Merci pour cette nouvelle video. Je connais bien les USA et les Américains. Vous avez absolument TOUT compris des petites différences culturelles entre nos deux pays. BRAVO. Votre analyse de la France et du mode de vie des Français est absolument remarquable. La France compte deux citoyens de plus ☺ A bientôt Philippe
We were pretty surprised at how diverse the population was in a city the size of Quimper (65K). We also really appreciated the lack of religion being shoved down your throat like we have in the rural south. We really need to plan our next trip!
Thanks for this. I have to confess I have pulled up that exact electoral map several times. :-) It’s reassuring to hear from you what I’ve heard from others regarding expatriate immigration. We definitely wanna go somewhere we feel welcomed.
From a survey that was done last year, one can conclude that around 80% of us french are fed up with immigration the way it is done (massive, and not chosen). The survey was about a law on immigration that pretty much solved everything that annoys us. The law fell through because deemed non-consititutional, and so we need to change the consitution first. Being against a system we dislike doesn't mean that we are necessarily at the throat of people who immigrate. That's two different things. In the end, we don't mind too much people who assimilate and 'chose' France for something that is not exclusively its social net (the one we pay for with our taxes). We have a much bigger problem with people who come here but don't care about the place, its heritage, History, values, language and laws. Those, we want to tell them 'go home'. That's pretty much it. France is Fance and cannot and shouldn't be something else, meant to cater to every migrant that doesn't care to fit.
Nous avons un problème avec "les migrants qui viennent et décapitent nos professeurs" ou qui viennent pour profiter de notre système social sans y participer (ou qui brûlent les écoles avec un coût de plus d'1 milliard pour tout reconstruire) ! C'est de l'humour noir, vraiment très noir compte-tenu de ce à quoi je fais référence mais je pense que vous comprenez bien de quelle immigration nous ne voulons plus et ça ne concerne pas les nord-américains qui ont les mêmes valeurs occidentales que les Français qui ont fait de la France ce qu'elle est depuis plus de 2000 ans.
Try moving into a small town in the bible belt of the US. The local pastors will be round pretty damned quick to find out what type of Christian you are, which church you will be going to and whether you'd like to donate 10% of your salary. Never let on if you are an atheist. It will not go down well.
Thanks for sharing this, so much. After last week's vote, which looked exactly like the hot messes of 2021-22 in US and UK Houses, I have been pretty much ONLY thinking about this topic. As an LGBTQ+ person and a woman traveling alone, these are very important considerations. Most expat support groups don't allow political talk, and while that is well-meaning, there's no getting around that a person whose identity is not the majority-power-structure-approved identity has no option except to either be in the closet or have a body that IS politically charged. I SO appreciate you addressing this today. It's literally keeping me up nights since last week's debacle. I would point out one item, though, which is that the protection of women's reproductive care is still only to 14 weeks. MANY people in this era of birth control and irregular cycles don't have monthly cycles so 14 weeks is actually not a long time to know - if we call this trimester+2wks, someone could easily not know they are pregnant the entire 1st tri and then have to make a very rapid decision that one should be able to take one's time with as it is frequently a hard decision. Less hard when one isn't saddled with medical debt like we are in the US, but still a very hard decision in many situations. Also, I remember lahhhts of coverage ~2016 about severe aggression toward Muslim people in France, and I'm sure with a history of the white pillaging of brown and black cultures, with France's riches coming straight from Africa in most cases over the centuries, it's worth mentioning that BB and I both are experiencing life from an Anglo experience. So there's that too. Thank you again for sharing this - it's definitely the elephant in the room in expat groups and this video is a very helpful way to discuss!
I retired to France in 2015 and what you have observed is true. Mind you, I had the advantage of being able to speak the language before I moved here. Grammar School Boy! I live in La Creuse, an area of run-down villages where most of the young people leave in order to find work but every summer there are a series of chamber music concerts performed by musicians from Paris. PS. Lots of Parisiens have second homes down here! 😉
This was a great video you guys. So true about fitting in to small rural US towns, just going from PNW to ks was incredibly shocking. I love that you guys talk about the subjects so many others seem afraid to even bring up. Thank you so much, really, thank you ❤
I'd put a small asterisk on that "you'll feel welcomed in every region you choose to settle in" statement. I'd say it's true for continental France. You might experience different sentiments if you choose to settle in Corsica, Guadeloupe, Réunion or other parts of overseas France. They're historically less developped, infrastructures are lacking, there are less job opportunities, and given historical reasons, and local living conditions, distinctive identities etc could lead to the locals looking at you sideways like some do for continental French living/settling in. Not even mentioning the terrible situation in Nouvelle-Calédonie, Mayotte etc
The only really important thing that American citizens who want to settle in France have to worry about: learning to speak French. English is not our mother tongue, we almost never have the opportunity to speak English in France (plus, even if it seems that you find it cute, the French accent in English is just horrible for French ears. I hate speaking in English because of my accent. But I think that is true for any speaker, regardless of their language)
Je pense que la plupart des Américains aiment l'accent français en anglais. Mais je comprends parfaitement, je suis horrifié lorsque je m'entends parler français. Merci pour votre commentaire.
One thing about language usage which can be a little annoying. I speak French quite well, but with an accent. Some times French people will think that I may have trouble with it so try to help me by speaking in English when my French is better than their English. It would be just more efficient to stick to French. Another thing is people who stop what they saying and ask me if I understood a word they used. The word is hardly ever that rare and I very rarely don't know it, even slang, and it just interrupts the conversation. If I don't understand something, I will ask.
@@BaguetteBound Lorsque vous aurez atteint un niveau de français élevé, notamment concernant la prononciation, il y a des chances pour que vous commenciez à comprendre pourquoi nous détestons spécifiquement notre accent français en anglais, et pas en allemand, espagnol ou japonais. C'est un problème spécifique à l'anglais.
I'm excited to one day try out living in France, thanks again for a great video. Interesting points, right/left look different, religion being seen as more personal/private, love it! Story time, a german friend was working with an American in an engineering firm, and said American (LDS) sent him a Book of Mormon in German and it blew away said German lol! He was saying this could get him fired in DE haha. Classic Americans (Mormons)
Good video. I think it shows the rule everywhere. If you want to migrate successfully, you must integrate. Religion and political party are not defining as they seem to be in US. Once you participate (in whatever) people are accepting. Once you involve yourself with groups, the solidarity is amazing. You can take good food and good healthcare for granted. One thing I notice is that fitting in with your groups is important. The group will look out for you, but you need to stick with the group. Politeness is extremely important in France. It is amazing how being polite makes you feel more comfortable.
J'adhère à votre analyse. Je voudrais juste dire que la politesse est une singerie de la vertu... Méfiez vous des gens polis en France, ce sont des bourgeois ... Le Français n'est pas poli, il est nature ... Une personne qui parle comme un charretier, peut avoir la main sur le cœur ... En France, on ne dit pas bonjour à tout le monde par politesse, mais par humanité ...La politesse nous écœure ... Nous ne sommes pas des Anglais ! 😄
@@thierrysanchez3161 Peut etre au lieu de parler de politesse, il faut parler du respect pour l'humanité des autres. C'est important que la politesse vient du respect. Merci pour votre reponse.
No. Our healthcare, no more than anything else, can be taken for granted. It is when you take things for granted that you carelessly let things slip to the gutter as they have in the USA (with the ridiculous costs). One needs to fight for it. Our paid vacations, our healthcare, and everything else didn't come to be just because our grand parents wanted to live a careless life.
@@nox8730 Yes, I agree. New arrivals need to integrate, play their part in ensuring that the quality of life in France stays good. Life in France is good, but not carefree.
@@thierrysanchez3161 Alors, c'est totalement injuste pout les anglais (j'habite dans le Yorkshire). Mais bien sur, il ne faut pas confondre politesse et hypocrisie (je souris par devant et te plante un couteau dans le dos a la premiere occase) et en France, les serveurs de restaurant qui ne vous ont jamais vus (et qui en fait s'en foutent) ne vous demanderont pas "Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui? Vous faites du tourisme ou vous etes ici professionnellement?". I
I whole heartedly agree with you with regards to having a "national curriculum." As an educator, a lot of countries, with the exception of the US has a national curriculum that is supported by almost every country. One major reason why the US does not have one is that we don't believe in freedom of an education that is standardized. Especially, politics/money is going to be one of the downfall of the US. Look at China, India, Japan, Singapore, France, UK, Germany etc...
Bonjour de Belgique. Merci pour le bel enthousiasme avec lequel vous défendez la France auprès de vos concitoyens. Je vous invite à un jour prendre le TGV pour Bruxelles et faire une vidéo chez nous. Vous serez aussi émerveillé par la chaleur des gens du Nord (mais surveillez quand même la météo avant de venir. Quelques incontournables ? La grande place de Bruxelles, Bruges, la côte, la gare de Liège, ...
En tant que français ancien frontalier je ne peux qu'enchérir sur la gentillesse, la simplicité et l'accueil de nos amis belges ! Mangez une gaufre à Bruges ... hummm
Oui, je viens de me rendre en Belgique (5ème fois, je crois). J'ai toujours adoré nos amis les Belges. Et oui, la grande place de Bruxelles est extraordinaire !
Can you provide some context on the government collapse for us trying to determine if it will impact life in France from an expat perspective? I lived through the bankruptcy of Orange County ca and it was a shocking headline but didn’t keep homes from appreciating and companies from hiring. Wondering if that might be reality even though it sounds terrible in the press.
Are you on our email list? That's the place we tend to address more topical subjects. If you download our move to France resources guide from the link in the description you'll be added.
French guy here. French politics can look dramatic and horrible from an outside point of vue, but we are well accostumed to express ourselves like that (protests, strikes, etc). It's our latin way to rock'n'roll.... but it doesn't affect our daylife, and if you live in the countryside, it's more a kind of show we see on TV. But every French has politic opinions and we love to discuss them strongly but without hate.
Cher ami, connaissez vous Silas Deane ? Il fut le premier agent secret envoyé par le Congrès continental en 1776 pour négocier un soutien en armes et en fournitures auprès de la France. Il s'est tellement enrichi en France en spéculant comme un vrai américain que le congrès la rappelé ... Trop c'était trop, Louis XVI était gêné ... Même pendant la Terreur, l'horreur n'a été que franco-française. Aucune crise n'a jamais attentée aux expatriés à ma connaissance ...
I think you are panicking. Everyday life continues. I am an expat living in France for 22 years and have had no difficulty in getting permanent residency. It was more difficult exchanging my drivers licence for a French one than obtaining my Carte de Sejour. Learn French, be polite, and whatever you do try not to compare France to where you have come from. Have an open mind. The quality of life is far superior. Also, the healthcare system works well and is affordable. Beaurocracy is a game over here and you soon learn to play by the rules. Oh, and did I say learn French?
Vous êtes devenus des vrais Français parce que vous avez tout compris de la France.we are a gay Franco-American couple and as Patrick is French and I too understand everything about France, we live our life the French way
France isn't perfect, but no country is. What France offers is a beautiful way of life and a population who seem determined to protect it. I've travelled all over France (I'm English) and not found a Department I didn't like. I live in Lot-et-Garonne but I love the Bretagne coast. So yes, France has very slow beaurocracy. The French know this, it aggrevates them as well (but Wine is cheap, so chill out with some Wine). Maybe the price of your favourite biscuits is double. You need to weigh the importance of a beautiful way of life for your family against occasional slow administration and €5 biscuits. I'm choosing life. You can keep your Shortbread biscuits.
Having moved to France many many years ago, here are a couple of examples of cultural differences. Two different French friends told me similar stories about going to the US for their jobs. One was a military officer who went with his family on a cooperation exchange and training program in Texas. They rented a house in a nearby suburb. He told me that one of the first things that some neighbors asked them was what church they went to. A real culture shock. Long ago I once worked for a travel agency which organized special stays and tours for clients. I would meet them and help them with their stay. In one case, I went to see a man who had his own business in Tennessee. I meet him on the terrace of his hotel. He turned out to be African-American and started talking. He told me that he had been sitting there for an hour and nobody noticed him. He liked it as he felt he just blended in. He also told he was surprised at seeing mixed couples walking down the street and nobody paid any attention to them. I suppose that has improved in the US.
The church thing...I too was asked and when I answered I was an atheist, they would not have it. They corrected me "agnostic". I gave up discussing and said agnostic from then on. I am an atheist.
Hope you had a nice thanksgiving weekend. Missed seeing you. This is an excellent video reminding me why I am moving as opposed to why the couple from San Fran left in less than a year. 😢They got too much coverage on RUclips etc. My house tour begins on January 20 2025. Looking at houses in Creuse, east of Limoges, Charentes and Brittany. Several houses which look attractive and affordable on line and I’ve made contact with the listing realtor. And thank you for referencing the US rather than as America. We tend to forget that America has many individual countries from Canada to Cape Horn in Chile. My biggest challenge at the moment is figuring out how to transport my 7 year old female Frenchie because she’s a Brachycephalic breed and a bit larger than what can fit under the airplane seat in front. She’s not coming in January but will be long term. Thank you and please keep up your interesting videos. Joseph.
Thanks! 😃 We're always a tiny bit nervous, but we know it's on people's minds and what does our channel matter if it's not to address those kinds of things? The stuff you can't google is the hardest. Thanks for watching!
Hello! I just discovered your video and I'm excited. For the past 2 yrs, I have been planning to retire in Europe. I was wondering how long can one stay on a visa in France? Thank you!
It depends on the visa. Many are renewable. The long stay visitor visa most common for retirement can be renewed annually. After five years of renewals, there may be other options.
If you mean a tourist visa (which is automatic for US citizens, and many other countries, like UK, Australis, etc.), then you can be in the Schengen area for 90 days in during any 180-day period. I've heard of people spending 30 days here, 30 days out of the Schengen area throughout the year. But, if you get one of the long-stay visas, then that's usually at least a year. There are some special, I think non-renewable visas that are 6 months, but I'm not too familiar with those. Anyway, make sure you do research on whatever kind you want to apply for to be sure it's the right one for you. I know of one couple that didn't fully understand that, and found out they could not work here or even start a business because they had the kind that didn't permit that sort of thing, and they were already here and had bought a home. A truly sad situation all the way round because they were doing a nice thing here.
Great video. As a gay man interested in eventually moving to France and being very overwhelmed by the most recent turns in US politics, then hearing last night about the "collapse of the French government" I was just today wondering about the first two items on your list in this video. Were you reading my mind!? Love your videos, very helpful and well put together. Thanks for doing these.
The collapse of the government is just political folklore. Our president is so inconsistent. But our institutions are solid. There are sometimes acts of homophobia in France from morons, we mustn't be naive. But homophobia (even in words) is punishable by law in France.
Rien n'est effondré. C'est la France ! Ca va être le "cirque" pendant quelques jours, peut-être jusqu'à Noël et les politiciens vont faire leur numéro de claquettes. Ca va se calmer. De toute façon, quelque soit le parti qui sera au pouvoir, il n'y a aucune inquiétude pour les homosexuels en France (sauf certains quartiers.....!). Le jour où toute la France sera dangereuse pour les homosexuels, c'est le jour où la France s'appellera le Frankistan et les Français ne laisseront jamais une telle chose se produire, c'est contre cette immigration massive qui vient détruire nos valeurs et notre civilisation que les Français votent, c'est cela qu'il faut comprendre.
It is not really a collapse. The problem is that there are 3 political groups with almost the same % . Macron wants to put a first minister in the center right but the extrem right and the left don't want him and they have voted against his budget for 2025. Macron will be forced to put a first minister more at left but he doesn't want to lose all his reforms since 2017. There are talks between macron and the left now to search common ideas ( not the extrem left) . I think that our next gov will be at the center left until 2027. Macron wants to keep his reforms for retirement , taxes for entreprises , laws for jobless.
Living in France, this is how I see things. Here, no one cares about your sexuality! If you live with a man, it's your private life, and in general, it doesn't bother many people! You will inevitably find a few annoying people who don't appreciate it, but it's not comparable to the anti-gay mentality of many countries, even in the West. In short, be calm! 😉
One of the reasons our family (3 generations) is considering a move from the US is our granddaughters. The US offers little protection for women; healthcare, equal pay, safety, etc. This will get even worse under the new government. While there appear to be more protections for women overall in France is it a safe place to raise girls such that they have equal opportunity as boys?
Hi from South France (Perpignan), 🌴🌞 Your question may seem funny to a French person. Indeed, why could a woman/girl feel less safe than elsewhere in France? But ultimately, having seen several American or Australian media or RUclipsrs discuss the subject, I understand your concern. To try to answer it, it's important to take the time to distinguish between villages (less than 5,000 inhabitants), small (5,000 to 20,000 inhabitants approximately), medium (20,000 to 60,000), and large cities (over 60,000), "chief towns" (100,000 and more) and finally, what we could call metropolises where the number of inhabitants exceeds 500,000 (Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse). First, it must also be understood that unlike in the USA, in France, city centers are much safer than suburbs. Even if, as in the USA, there are also very chic "suburbs". In France, for the past thirty years, African immigration has taken on a disproportionate scale. This is how Maghrebi or sub-Saharan families have crowded into suburban neighborhoods (as explained above, rents in the city center are often unaffordable for these working classes and the larger the cities, the more this is true). Unemployment, precariousness, communitarianism (due to crowding, precisely), culture, and lack of education have created areas of illicit trafficking and insecurity. But in general, these are areas that everyone here knows. And, the closer you live to city centers, the less you need to go there or cross them. In small towns, there may be a few neighborhoods described as more insecure. In villages, this is extremely rare. In medium-sized cities, they'll be a little more numerous and of course, the larger the city, the more these neighborhoods are likely to be numerous, but scattered. However, in general, it's localized. You just have to find out a little in advance to know where not to hang around too much. And then rest assured, as everywhere in so-called "Western" countries, the news tends to always show the worst and the most sensational. What's not doesn't sell. For an English speaker, I think the best thing, once you've found the French region that seems to suit you best (cost of living, climate, rurality, amenities, transport, etc.) is to register in the English-speaking communities of expatriates in the chosen region you'll undoubtedly find on the various social networks available on the web. These communities, through their knowledge of your Anglo-Saxon culture and therefore of your expectations, and through their own experience as expatriates in France, will be the most likely to better answer this type of question and advise you in this regard. Peace, folks. ☮👈😎
@misteebrowning7481 From what I understand, crimes are higher in the US than France (or than almost anywhere else from that matter) I actually don't know the numbers about crimes against women in France OR the USA so I have to be honest....I don't know which is safer. From what I do know, they are too high and it's a world thing (ask in Brazil, Italy or South Korea and it's the only answer possible). Unlike the previous person posted/answered I will have to remind that crimes against women are usually done by someone close to them (reason it's so difficult to act preventively) and it's not proven race has anything to do with it... But if safety is amongst your priorities (very much understandable), I have to remind you that the risk of school shooting is close to zero here, being shot by a neighbor who "thought you were a thief" and so on,... If I can add....americans tend to forget that France is part of the EU. You could decide to move to France and have your grand daughter take a semester in a university in Milan, another in Amsterdam and later work in Barcelona while being only a few hours from you by high speed train or cheap flight... => France could be your "family base/nest" and only the first step towards the rest of the EU for the rest of your family later on, while style enjoying common perks (easy travel, common diplomas, healthcare, better food standards, in many cases same currency,...)
I would respectfully disagree with the idea someone mentioned that it might seem funny to a French person to ask this question. One search on The Guardian or anywhere else on women's issues in France would reveal it is anything but. They may have meant to say "man" rather than "person", but to a woman (and you'd hope to any man as well), it is a very valid question and women are very concerned with how women are portrayed. I have to regularly change what I watch bc I can't seem to find a French show that doesn't contrive some ridiculous level of victimization for women (not suggesting that's unique to France, but that it's certainly present). Looking up the man who had his wife drugged and raped for decades by other random guys in his own house should be a first clue that your question is not hysterical or "funny". There's nothing funny about it
The statistics are roughly the same for France and the UK, 5.5% of women report having suffered an assault in the previous year related to their gender in both countries. By cons, concerning the USA, it's 18.3%! So yes, it may seem surprising for a Frenchman (or a European) that this question comes from an American woman. Then, taking an example of an abuse of a woman which is a truly exceptional case and even unique to date to draw a generalization about an entire country is totally ridiculous. Sorry to tell you, Messyhomestead.
Gabriel Attal. :). In Europe politics tends not to interfere with people's private life. Religion is also a private business. It's football, not soccer :)
@@nox8730 Same, I didn't know he was gay. And I couldn't care less (unless it open more doors or inspire more people). To be fair, we French tend to care much less about sex. The president when I was a kid was fairly known (as in contently rumored) to be a hound, sleeping with many actresses that could be his kids age wise, while married. At best it was a joke, but really nobody cared, it was between him and his wife, and it didn't stopped him from being re-elected. Not that being gay is the same as cheating of course. I'm just saying, we really don't care much about what people do in bed (or car, train toilets, behind trees in parks, in dark alleys, in dark corners of nightclub, or wherever) and with whom. We do care how candidates go to big farmer convention, walk in the mud with their costly shoes, and how they handle talking to often angry farmers though. That's both important, and very entertaining (for us).
@@LiraeNoirI was happy to see an openly gay PM for France who can be a role model for many..similarly I am happy of Kylian Mbappé whose success in the national team can tone down racial tensions. I was happy to see Hervé Berville, Rwandan born politician as a minister.
I am really glad that you three are doing so well. You have done everything right. A problem I am seeing is that so many Americans are showing up in Europe. I am German living in Berlin. And tens of thousands seem to want to flee the orange bufoon. Not all of them in Berlin are making themselves welcome. What I like about you three, and a key to your success, is a complete lack of arrogance. For those FLEEING the orange bufoon, leave your "exceptionalism" at home.
This is great information for our planning. I checked your blog recently and found a lot of areas “under construction “. Are you going to be adding more there, or is it a lower priority right now? I really appreciate your very helpful videos. Merci beaucoup!
I always love your videos. They are so practical and answer a lot of basic question that aren’t answered elsewhere. That said, HOW IS THE CURRENT SITUATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE GOING TO AFFECT THE LIVES OF EXPATS? Do you have a clear crystal ball?
excellent question! i think that nobody really knows. still this country needs emigration to balance its population and find a qualified workforce my guess is that if you have diplomas and can speak and write in french, you should be ok. if you are white, it will help. still, french administration is tightening up its stance, notably.
I think it's a worthwhile question. While it's easy to say nothing will change, no one would have thought 10 ya that the US would have deconstructed its checks and balances and no longer be a functioning democracy 10y hence, yet here we are. And no one thought the world would repeat the conditions of WWII, yet we have.
It is, although you can see some attempts, here and there, to introduce such events (kids watch a lot of US TV series😂). They are not part of French culture and history, schools are places meant to learn, not to party or do sport. However most kids party together to celebrate « baccalauréat », the mandatory exam at the end of high school, just not on school ground.
L'un de mes amis m'avait raconté avoir suivi une formation professionnelle aux États-Unis pendant plusieurs semaines, il entretenait de bon rapports avec son formateur qui l'avait invité un dimanche à un barbecue, durant cette journée l'épouse de son formateur lui a demandé quelle était sa religion, il a répondu qu'il était athée, le lundi matin, le formateur ne lui adressait plus la parole.
My biggest concern is that I don’t like at all living in a house that is attached to another house and I like having a workshop. This places me on the outskirts most likely and something in my price range possibly pushes me further out. So this is my greatest concern, getting to places I need to be such as the super Marché or other requirements for daily living…passing the on road driving test which is in French. How would I survive until my French is good enough to follow instructions if I can’t find a house close to services?
@@BaguetteBound I don’t and I understand that they are now requiring a year in one of those states so you can’t just pop in, get a license, then jump over to France
@@djway6479 about the driving test, it consist of two separate parts => one theoretical which is a bit tedious and can be a bit tricky even for us... but learning booklets are available in english for practicing and some arrangments can be made for those who don t speak french at the exam (state you don t speak french and bring a translator) only one way to success... practice, practice and practice again. => one practical which in theory doesn t really require a high french level but you ll need to be able to follow the examiner guidances for the itinerary. that saying, your taste in housing screams countryside which usually means no public transport but a car would be necessary or not depending of place size and distance to a bigger one. some small villages are far from everything and are without commodities = car mandatory some villages are without commodities but very close to a city and have regular busses lines deserving some villages are big enough to have enough commodities to live until you pass the test and get a car we have places in france which can be very rural with small villages but very close to each other a very concrete example. i live in an individual house with a nice shed/workshop in a small rural 300 people village with no commodities aside of a mecanic (helpful) BUT i have a 1500 people village with a small supermarket 5 milles away. if my car d broke, i could go get some groceries with my electric bike (and a trailer) or a cargo bike if i d had one with not much issues. i also leave less than 10 miles from a 25000 people city with all commodities and i have a bus which can get me there on the morning and bring me back at night on work days from this town i can take an half an hour train (40miles) to a 150 000 people city if i need something more specific and last thing, depending of the location and how much money you want to put in a house, it s totally possible to find a house with a shed even in a city (ok not the biggest ones but still) with everything at walking distance and/or with public transport
@ thank you. I had thought of the electric bike, sounds like a viable solution. I understand that a translator is allowed for the written test and test don’t bother me. The driving test even with a manual transmission is fine, just the language comprehension is a concern as translation is not allowed for that.
For markets, the biggest tv channel host every summer a contest to find the most beautilull market, there is a preselection to know which market will represent his region and then the public vote to elect the winner
Funny thing : there is a difference between European Union citizen and others, US, Canadians, etc. If you're an EU citizen, in small town or villages, locals will try to enlist you to take part of municipal administration... Fresh and enthousiast are welcomed, and it's look "open minded" to have EU citizen in the local council. 😀
@@messyhomestead7320 naaaah... the locals will have torched down everything before. did you know that level of violence there are akin to those you can fin in columbia or batlimore? just kidding everybody knows that St Louis is much worse. no joke though, alcohol does have a major impact on the local community. devastating. vive la france there too!
@@messyhomestead7320 naaah the locals will have torched everything well before that. levels of violence are comparable to those you can find in columbia or baltimore... just kidding it's more dangerous than St. Louis alcohol and unemployment are ravaging the local community. vive la france, there too
👍 c'est un plaisir de vous ecouter. Je suis allé plus de 20fois pour mes occupations chez vous aux Usa. En vous écoutant j'apprends aussi nos differences, nos points communs notre regard mutuel . Vous montrez beaucoup de respect, d'ouverture d'Esprit..d'envies positives et honnêtes.. Nous sommes comme nous sommes n'est ce pas !? Mais, il est possible aussi de se remettre en question.. De voir.. d'ouvrir les yeux, son intérieur... D'observer, de ressentir. De s'ouvrir.. de... Etc etc... C'est presque Spirituel... Voyez vous ce que je veux dire ?? Bien a Vous Tous A la prochaine fois 🗽❤️☮️🌏.
Vous allez voir les Girondins? :D . Je suis bordelais d'origine (plus au sud maintenant) et je ne les ai vus qu'une fois, il y a bien 25 ans, quand j'étais lycéen. En ce moment, ils ont la tête au fond du seau par contre. Vive le rugby. AS a side note, when it comes to religion. As he said, religion and beliefs pertain to the oprivate sphere. This means that one should not approach others in the street with "God this, god that". Some (me included) would get pissed in a mere 3 seconds. So better keep that for those who care about god. Keep that at home. This is genuine advice. Good day.
Oui, je pense que nous sommes mieux lotis en tant que fans de rugby avec les Girondins comme équipe. 😂 Mais c'est quand même sympa d'y aller ! Peut-être qu'ils vont s'améliorer... Jason était un fan des Houston Astros pendant des années terribles, puis ils ont tout gagné !
@@BaguetteBound Les Girondins sont allés loin à l'époque ^^. Il y avait 3 des plus grands joueurs de l'équipe nationale, dont le plus célèbre était Zinédine Zidane.
Thank you for the resource-list. I have saved it on my hard drive. Just in case some atheist friends make their mind to escape the orange cad and his henchmen, and decide to cross the big pond. During the past twenty days I have gorged on videos posted by Jesse Dollemore, Brittany Page and Michael Popock. I am halfway through "It can't happen here" by Sinclair Lewis. Quite a difficult read. Because of the vocabulary (English is not my first language) and some cultural references which completely escape me. For your info, I live on the French side of Lake Geneva. We have some British and American expats living in Morzine (French Alps). I like your videos. Good content. Very informative. Keep up the good work.
You have markets everywhere everyweek, sometimes several times a week ( my middle town). And as long as its not invasive, we dont care if you are gay our not, and what your religion is.
Thanks for addressing Same Sex marriage. My husband and I are retirement age and are seriously considering moving to France. I already speak fluent French and my husband has a good vocabulary of nouns. We just wondered how we would be perceived. Thanks again.
Overall reasonably good. It's not perfect of course, and it will improve inversely with the age of people you talk to. But things like insults, assaults, refusal of service and the like are very rare, and each are quite a scandal, and all are criminalized as far as I know. From personal experience, while I'm not at retirement I am at potential grandfather age, and from my generation it's mostly between acceptance and active support. And even now that I unfortunately live in a very far right and rural district in the South, around me even people at retirement age seem extremely ok with it. As I understand it (I'm not expert) we're behind the US from a language point of view, especially for gender fluidity pronouns, but to be fair the French language is fully gendered (a car is female, a ship is male, type of language) and we don't have a gender neutral third person pronoun (we don't have "they") so it's harder to find something appropriate and get it used by the general population. Hopefully we'll get there...
Another point to consider that people from the US might not know: in France there is (comparatively) much less local political, legislative, and judicial power. We don't elect our judges. We don't elect our sheriff, we have no sheriff. The local mayor doesn't name the local chief of police (well, the real police, the criminal police). There is no state or county laws, only national ones for the whole country (mostly, a few exceptions for some little things and for non metropolitan lands). So even in a say far right political area, the local cops or judges are not pressured by the ambient sentiments to have to bend things in a certain way to keep their job. Doesn't mean a Parisian cop with years and years of experience won't get more open minded than a rural cop from say the Var, but the official rules are the same, and the difference in mindset should be minimal compared to some US counties.
From a former French LGBT activist’s point of view, I would say that France is a pretty safe place when it comes to same-sex life. Civil rights have been the same for more than a decade now and are not under threat in any way. On this matter, France finally caught up with its second principle, Égalité. Acceptance across the general population is quite high thanks to a fair open representation of lgbt people in media, fiction works, sports and various trades (including politics, from far right to far left). However the overall situation is not all rosy either, France is not a huge West Hollywood. As with any other minority, individual opinions vary from one place to another, from one social and cultural environment to another. « Homophobia is not an opinion, it’s a crime » says the French governement’s ad. They say it because they still need to. Casual homophobia, homophobic bullying and discrimination are still a thing. NGOs committed to protecting and supporting lgbt persons are not out of business, and won’t be in the foreseeable future. But, of course, it’s a matter of proportion. Overall, France is a pretty safe place, as I said😉
Oui! Un peu...there is a little league team near us for the kids. But it's hard to find games to attend regularly like in the USA...are we missing something?
a little less than 13,000 registered players for Baseball-Softball in France. 30,000 for American Football. This is far too few to be able to organize regional competitions.
@@BaguetteBound Maybe some location have regular local baseball, but I'm french and I wouldn't know where to start looking. I'm of grandfatherly age, and I've never seen or heard about a local baseball field or team or match in my life. Local sports are usually football (US soccer), basketball, athletics (I think you call them field), and swimming things. Handball and volley ball after that, in popularity. A decent amount of rugby too, but that's highly region dependent. And more horseback things one might imagine, both for learning or leisure, but also competitive (both speed events, and dressage).
@@LiraeNoirI think you forgot tennis. The vast majority of French people are in love with tennis. There are tennis clubs in almost every community and all sorts of activities are organized around local and regional tennis clubs.
Well done. I just booked my first "landing" for Juin - Août 2025 -- Castelnaudary! The birthplace of cassoulet. Too bad it will not be on the menu in summer, but... Also: good info re: separations and such. I can safely state that after 5.5 years in Marble Falls, I am marked safe from any religious affiliation! Which is somewhat of a miracle.
Oh, forgot to add, lets be honest, standard FranPrix produce in FR is as good as most farmers market produce here in the States (from our experiences).
That's because there are laws. And rules. And they are the same for everyone. Every farmer has to follow the same rules. To grow his vegetables more or less the same way. Meaning naturally. I seem to remember that these days even pesticides are becoming illegal. In some places at least. And many, many are forbidden, to preserve the soils, the water, and wildlife. GMO are entirely illegal in France, but not in the rest of the EU. Meanwhile, in the USA, there are barely any rules, laws or limits. All this applies to pretty much everything. I guess this si the reson why some americans claim we have much less freedom than them.
Regarding attitudes toward immigration in different regions, here is a direct and politically unfiltered perspective: it is not the immigration of a few Americans, English, Germans, or anyone else who respects local customs and laws that causes issues for the French. The problem lies more with the immigration of undocumented individuals or North African Muslims, which many French people perceive as problematic. This is not racism; for example, African Americans who respect the laws have traditionally been well-received in France. The French value individuals who integrate into society, not those who cause disruptions. I assume this sentiment is similar in most countries.
> This is not racism; for example, African Americans who respect the laws have traditionally been well-received in France. Discrimination based on color of skin is a thing in France. Trying to rent an apartment or find a job as a person of color is harder than for a white person, whether they respect the law or not. This is well documented.
That's racist, here is why. (I'm french, just in case) Why would be English, Americans, Germans (white people in general) well received and arabs, muslims or Africans (non white, non christian, or perceived as such) seen as problematic ?? Other than by racism ? And why do you need to add that "That's not racism, black Americans who respect the law are well received". And black Africans who respect the law, what about them ? Why would they not be well received ? Black Americans are better perceived than black Africans because they are AMERICAN, not because there is no systemic racism in France.
@@FanNy-ku6wt That's because we stem from the same kind of background and values. Why is it so hard to understand for you, considering how obvious it is?
@@FanNy-ku6wtim asian, living and breath french every second of my life. Muslim immigrants pose problems : dont want to integrate, ask the locals to adjust the century customs to them etc. One ex in my town: no pork served in the school canteen...
Question: France is on our radar for early retirement. Seems idyllic in certain respects. Are you guys worried at all with the financial situation that France is in with the Government folding like it did? Just curious. Thanks.
Private money is not at risk. The financial situation is all about public money and deficit. But, you know, things must be put into perspective : French debt is 112% GDP, but US debt is 122% GDP, British debt 102%, Japanase debt 255%, Chinese debt is 272%, etc, etc… None of those countries is supposed to collapse any sooner 🙂
@@heliedecastanet1882 Good to hear... we don't get much news here regarding the French government mess. Just want to try to ensure that we don't get into a situation where we would find ourselves wanting to leave if we move there. Seems like many countries are on the wrong path when it comes to debt- one of these days, reality is going to set in that you just can't keep printing money. Appreciate any, and all, feedback. Thank you.
Dont worry about our financial situation or our "collapsing" government. Our country has debts like ... Always ... And our Parliament votes again the government. So the prime minister has to resign. That s a democratic process and it s written in our Constitution. You can come🎉 .
For cultural activities, here a reason why you always can find something : the biggest festival of metal music in Europe (and probably in the world) takes place in a town of... 7000 inhabitants (no 0 missing).
As a french teacher : I agree about what you said. Moreover, you can find online the official ranking of each schools for the national exams (Brevet, Bac...) if the quality of your local school is really something worrying you. The vast majority of schools are fairly good. As a general rule, the schools in the city center are generally better than the schools in the suburb, mainly because of the difference of wealth of the local population. And if you really don't like your local school, you can either ask for the right to move to an other public school (you do have to give a reason though), or you can go to a private school. The vast majority of private schools have a contract with the government, so in exchange for subsidies, the programs are identical with the public schools and the annual fees are usually not really high (one of my friends pays around 700e a year)
More info: There's two types of private schools. Under contract has to follow the national cursus, same as public schools, and is more controlled. Fees can be quite low. Outside of contracts the cursus can be anything, and fees are usually very high. Personally I would advocate for public schools every-time, but I would be especially ware of outside of contract expensive schools they are usually not worth it.
In the comments I see a few people have mentioned the French government "collapse". This is NOT what is happening. What's happening is important built-in checks and balances for the government here in France. Macron has managed to set up a difficult to manage situation. 🙄
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Macron has manouvered himself into a really tight corner. Agreed. I have the feeling (as I live between France, the UK and Switzerland and I professionally have to keep au fait with news from the rest of the world) that the countries which are mentioning French "collapse" are precisely the countries also facing government crises. Making a big fuss about France 1)detracts from what they are facing 2)enables them to say "look, we are not doing so bad!" 3)enables them to directly criticise the political side they do not like, at home!
I wonder if doing these videos also allows you to integrate better, because they make you reflect upon and analyse everything you are going through?
As a French, even though I don't really follow politic, I can second that sentiment: it's really, really, not a big a deal.
ROughly: for internal political reasons the (right-wing slightly centrist) President took a really long time (or dragged his feet) to have a new Prime Minister, and went for a fragile low power right one (presented as centrist-right, in reality very very to the right) one, despite recent elections favoring the left. And despite the new prime minister making a lot of concessions to the far right extremists, it was still a weak government trying to pass a big budget bill which no one can agreed with, and they try to force it.
Note: what we call "government" is the collection of ministers, lead by the prime minister. They are the executives leaders. Like the US Cabinet, but with more powers and traditionally a bit more respect and independence than US cabinet member (although it depend, not every minister position are equal in prestige and power). Day to day, civil servants, none of that really change.
The flipping side of that attempt in force, is that the gouvernement opened themselves to censure, it was basically a ultimatum (one that is in the Constitution, and has been used before): accept the new law (the new budget), or censure (unseat) the government. The far left put censure on the table, the left strongly voted for, and the far right extremist too, and in the end most people voted for it. Getting rid of a fairly disliked prime minister and his government.
Why this weird alliance? Well the far right extremists still hope to have a strong say in a new gouvernement, and more importantly their leader is currently on trial for various fraudulent use of taxpayer money, and the trial doesn't go well for her, so it's probably some kind of lashing out.
While censure is not common, it really doesn't change much of anything on a day to day basis for the people. Probably the president will be pressured to name a left new Prime Minister, which isn't a first to have a President from one side and a Prime Minister from the other. Historically the president is just pushed back into his more traditional personal powers of commander in chief and foreign relations, and the prime minister will make and manage a new government for some time, until a new president is elected.
As to the general sentiment, yes the far right extremists have gotten a lot of votes and seats this past legislative election, although still clearly a minority and minor power. But if you're the US, that party is more akin to moderate, or maybe plain old regular, republicans. It's not a perfect copy the issues aren't the same. But French right is more like US independent centric, French centre is more like democrats, and French far right is more like republicans.
Edit, TL;DR: it's very close in US terms to say "the Cabinet was fired, a new one is incoming". That's what we call "the government", not the host of civil servants and services that will keep working during this time.
it was known that probably the government BARNIER wouldnt last long! thats what happened, not a surprise here. its not a problem, we have already other candidates for the job, waiting in line...we will have another government soon.
Bonjour, BaguetteBound (Jason, Raina and Juliana). I continue to be impressed by how engaged the French people and government are with issues. There is still much I must learn in my appreciation for the Socratic dialogue in France. Merci. Dean et Cindy
i seldom disagree with you on the way you describe all things french but you are right on this one.
the French gov didn't "collapse" in the way a US citizen would comprehend it. the French state is much deeper than its "shallow" american counterpart.
it's an administrative state that is built to continue operating despite having no government for much longer than you can think.
still, the collapse of the Barnier government has been the 2nd in over 2 generations. this is no coincidence. many changes are occurring in France.
much divide exist in its society, now. a more ingrained rejection of foreigners can be felt, i think.
if you want to understand a country you want to live in, do 2 things:
- learn the language beforehand: it's astounding to me that you came with little to no knowledge of French and that your daughter seem to have been in the same situation a couple of years back. count yourselves very luck to live in the south west. you might not know this but you chose a part of france were people are very supportive of one another, this dates back to the albigensian crusade, prolly. would you have been in Alsace or near the Alps, you'd have dealt with a different animal.
- read the press, don't stop at newletters :). "Le Monde" has a decent english version online.
Vous faites un super boulot d'aide à la compréhension et à l'amitié entre les peuples, au delà des clichés. Je suis français et j'habite au Royaume Uni depuis 23 ans (maintenant en Écosse), et je m'imagine souvent faire des vidéos similaires aux vôtres, car toutes les cultures, mêmes proches, recèlent des profondeurs qu'on ne voit pas au premier abord, et qui méritent d'être expliquées et explicitées aux autres. Merci en tout cas pour votre travail, j'espère que la France continuera à vous faire une maison agréable et comfortable. N'oubliez pas de visiter TOUT le pays ;) Il y a beaucoup à voir. :)
I’m amazed at the enormous knowledge of French culture you have gathered, your information is totally reliable. As a French person I never find anything wrong in your videos. Congratulations! 👍
Thank you! 😃
So refreshing to see that video as a french person, one of our main flaws is that we can be so self-deprecating 😅 we tend to forget we live in a rich country with some things going not so bad
We live between France and the USA. We love France and the French people. The funny thing is the French don't really appreciate what they have
@@bassemgabra5936 Yeah, i am french, and this propensity to complain and troll all the time is so tiresome and have been for so long, that i am considering leaving the country for SE Asia.
@@bassemgabra5936 I get your point (but believe me, the moaning abilities of the Germans and Brits is just as remarkable!!), but at the same time, I think it is important to remain critical and vigilant, else governments will take away important planks of the welfare system. The rich oligarchs at work in the USA have got equivalents everywhere, and their greed is without limit.
I can't remember where I read this but here it is: "France is a paradise full of people who like to pretend they live in hell". That's not totally wrong.
@@jfrancobelge Yep. And since you are part belgian, une blague en reponse aux blagues belges des francais: "Comment un belge est devenu millionaire? Il a achete des francais au prix qu'ils valent et les a revendus au prix qu'ils se croient. ;)" J'ai grandi sur la frontiere belge (Wattrelos) et passe bcp de temps en Belgique que j'adore.
Je suis agréablement surpris de votre intégration à la culture française ... Je pense que vous avez compris l'essentiel
...
Merci !
@@BaguetteBound Oui mais j'ai un peu honte, car sur une précédente vidéo, vous avez un peu critiqué la France (ce n'était pas méchant) mais je vous ai blâmé en argumentant que vous n'aviez pas la légitimité. Je le regrette et, je vous présente mes excuses ...
@@thierrysanchez3161 ce n'est pas grave.🙂 Merci de regarder d'autres vidéos avant de vous décider pour nous. 💛
@@BaguetteBound lol what would have it been if you had talked about the french blackmailing haiti in 1825, the war in algeria and how it affects current politics
i think that your vids will get better with time once they are free from their initial purpose and once you'll have a proper french passport🙂
i'm often critical of your work but i think that you're on point concerning many subjects on your vid.
the least of those being that the best vids you make are about subjects you can't google
i much appreciate how you thread lightly concerning the US. it's a sad time for this country too.
@@bluefandango Je peux te dire que si ces sujets avaient été traités, j'aurais condamné l'attitude de la France ... Mon père a fait la "guerre d'Algérie" J'ai des photos, je peux t'affirmer que c'est pas beau ... Si tu veux aussi je peux te dire que la le Vel d'Hiv c'était pas beau ... J'assume ... De toutes façon, tu es toujours obligé un jour ou l'autre d'avouer tes crimes ... Ca soulage ... Tous les criminels te le diront, c'est pareil pour un pays , surtout la France .qui a fait la guerre à toute l'Europe pendant des siècles .... Mii il n'y a qu'une seule chose, c'est la vérité historique ...
Quickest way to make friends, drive a Citroen 2CV. I love the French classic car scene, particularly the tours that local clubs organise, I drive over from the UK regularly and have witnessed and met some lovely french people.
Thank you so much. I've pretty much decided on France as my future home, and am so very glad to hear that the right there is not the same as the right here.
Are you from the US? If so people, even if you are an "african-american" won't be racist to you at all. Perhaps frustrated ; if they can't properly communicate with you.
However as sad as it is more and more frenchies are getting racist against muslims.
Note that gay marriage is legally allowed. Abortion too (in every region of the country). Freedom of speech, religion, political opinion are defended by the Constitution. Since 1905 the State has separate itself from religion. Unless you put your children in private schools - often partially financed by the catholic church - you won't have "bible classes". Christianity will be evoked in history or philosophy classes.
The USA and it's citizens have a good image in France. Only a few on the extreme left share "anti-american" opinions. Nevertheless; I'm not gonna lie : "MAGA" has hurt the very positive opinion of some French people about the US.
We live between Philly and Paris, and I can tell you there is no better place than France. The people are really good once you get to know them. Just learn French
@@bassemgabra5936 La campagne française (French country) est magnifique aussi ❤
@@bassemgabra5936 I took French throughout high school, and for one year in college. That alone doesn't make one fluent, of course, and I have a lot of reviewing to do, but what I did know seems to be coming back quickly. Occasionally, it comes back at inopportune moments, like when I'm practicing Spanish, which I've also been trying to learn.
Love these videos. Thank you.
I grew up in France and now live in USA. I can add a few things here.
1. Schools and Laïcité: Religious signs are forbidden in schools and I did appreciate this growing up. You can be friend with anyone, there's nothing dividing us. Obviously some religious fanatics have been trying to damage this in the past few years with some success. I hope the institutions will hold. Once religion gets in the mix, people will find reasons to not be friend.
2. Hospitality. South of France is the Latin side, North of France is the Celtic/Saxon side. In Latin side, making friends is super easy but sometimes those are not long lasting friendships. Much harder to make friends in the North, but once you find a friend, it's forever.
3. Politics. Unlike in USA, if a politician says "god first", his career is over in France. The right in France is close to Democrat in USA (minus universal healthcare) while the far right is close to republicans. Bernie Sanders would be a centrist here. There's nothing in USA that would look like the left here.
A lot can be explained about the French people when you study our history. Thousands of years of suffering, hundreds of wars, religious tyranny, religious taxes, religious betrayal during WWII. We feel it, it's our history, our inheritance and we won't let any religion near power ever again.
Bonjour. Thank you for the enlightened response. I had a very different opinion of the eastern part of France. If Bernie Sanders were a centrist and Le Penn democrat, I would have much to learn. We arrive in Peropugan in two weeks for a month's stay. Merci. Dean et Cindy
Our history is also slavery trade and colonisation, you forgot those ones...
@@FanNy-ku6wt Ce n'est pas le sujet et vous le savez. Néanmoins merci de votre merveilleuse illustration du propos de @jeanmas4197...
@@FanNy-ku6wt Agreed. The slave trade and colonialism engaged many players. The film Battle of Algiers is a good reference...
@@FanNy-ku6wt Not the same really, only a part of the actual US population can relate to the suffering caused by slavery or the colonization genocide. The French population are mostly the descendants of the people that suffered, not of the people that caused the suffering.
That was really very useful. Important considerations. Thanks
As a french and based on what I’ve learned at school regarding the US, I find this pretty accurate. Happy to see that you and your daughter are feeling integrated 😊
You guys are great for all the informations for people like me and my husband and Mochi. Chin
Overall, you have a good sense of observation and analysis as the way you compare France and US seems quite accurate to me.
Merci
Concerning the place where to live, I would advise beside personnal preference such as city / coutryside /seaside/ momtains to check the statistics of security provided by the ministère de l intérieur. These stats give a good views of the areas which are not suitable for security reasons.
I think observation is what helps us fit in. Watch people and see how they react, speak and their manners and copy them, you'll some become part of the group.
We took a tour through the regions which were suitable, to narrow it down. People were kind and friendly everywhere!
We had already come to the conclusion that the points you make are the case in France, and as such we looked first at the climates of different parts before choosing Brittany. So far we have only visited for a few weeks, and we did indeed find that it was easy to find most of the things we cared about in the areas we looked. Still have another 2 years til retire and we make the move though.
The most beautiful region in France. But beware of grey and rain throughout the year. Not as bad as Ireland though...
Good luck with all your plans!
Bienvenue en Bretagne; mais pour le climat vous avez mal choisi mdr
@@thierrysanchez3161 Non, j'ai choisi avec sagesse.
@@gabelov Yep, fully aware of what it is like. I am very ready to live somewhere that the winters are not so cold and the summers are not so hot.
Baguette Bound team will always be at home in France 👍❤
Hi, Raina and Jason. My chin dropped to my chest when Raina mentioned Greenville. Half of my family lived just outside Sulphur Springs, and I practically grew up there. Further, you lived many years in Houston, and I lived many years in Dallas.
I can personally attest to your comments about SSM. Everyone in our tiny village and also in our local small town have treated me and my husband no differently than they treat everybody.
It's such a small world!! Oh how I miss Braum's...😍
East Dallas and Sherman over here :). But now the food/medical desert of rural TX...so obv that's why I'm here! Nice to see you DHaley
Great video! Thank you for clarifying those things…truly helpful!☺️
You nailed it in this video!!!
Merci les ‘baguettes’ pour tout ces compliments sur notre pays , je suis vos aventures de temps en temps (lorsque j’ai le temps) !
Super informative! We are not “city people” and I keep thinking we need to target a minimum population size to achieve everything you mentioned but realizing that’s not necessarily a determining factor.
At primary level, most schools are equivalent in France, though in some places with very few children, two levels may be joined in a single room.
Sports in France are not organized around schools, but around clubs, often attached to the municipality. The bigger the town, the bigger and most famous the club. But village teams are great too: for once, you may be part of it in you are interested in rugby, soccer, petanque... and if you are not part of the tam, you know some of the players, so even if the competition is not that great, it is important because you know the people, they are not just a name on the TV.
In the South West of France, there are often artistic events organized on a regular basis. You have to go when the even is organized, you cannot go on a whim, that famous pianist will come to the church to perform ONE concert, but the guy is legitimately famous.
Beside, until a couple years ago, my parents lived in the village the other side of the RN21, the round medieval village. I had the opportunity to come to the farmers market in your village a couple of times when visiting my parents. Where you live, the farmers market is in town only once a week, but there are farmers markets in other villages 20km around, every day. And 20km is nice small rural, picturesque roads, not boring highways.
Have you visited the prehistoric sites around? There are many in your region.
Thank you, again, for the helpful and reassuring information!
Hello I have been watching your videos, I really love to learn from your perspective. I am not American I am French actually but lived many years abroad (in the Uk and in Brazil). I am now living in France again with my husband (he is Brazilian) and my two kids. I just wanted to let you know you mentioned at one point on schools, l’école Maternelle wasn’t mandatory, but Macron changed this law (it’s recent) and now it’s mandatory. School now is mandatory from 3 years old. Just wanted to let you know.
I'm in the waiting lounge at the immigration office right now watching this! 😀
Good luck!! 🙌
Que Dieu vous bénisse si vous êtes africain ... Bon courage ! 😄
@thierrysanchez3161 Merci Thierry! Je suis Canadian au Vancouver.
@@FBGbarge Ca en dit long sur ce qu'on a l'habitude de voir dans les offices d'immigration. mdr.
@@FBGbarge 😀Je blaguais
An excellent example of international headliners in a small community is the Marciac Jazz festival in a town in the Gers with a population just over 1,200. Next summer the Black Eyed Peas are playing at Garorock in Marmande a small city of just over 17,000 in the Lot et Garonne.
The Black Eyed Peas are at Garorock this year?!?! Omg, I didn't know, I gotta go get tickets! 😂 Thanks!
Not to mention Brioude and its world class art exhibitions (Hans Hartung this year). A beautiful little town, well worth visiting.
Marciac indeed is a great example, but you also have a world class jazz festival in Vienne, with a population below 40 000, I remember seeing James Brown there way back when.
Merci pour cette nouvelle video.
Je connais bien les USA et les Américains. Vous avez absolument TOUT compris des petites différences culturelles entre nos deux pays. BRAVO.
Votre analyse de la France et du mode de vie des Français est absolument remarquable.
La France compte deux citoyens de plus ☺
A bientôt
Philippe
If they vote democrats they can get the hell out of France.
Another great discussion! Thank you for being such voices of sanity and reason. ❤
We were pretty surprised at how diverse the population was in a city the size of Quimper (65K). We also really appreciated the lack of religion being shoved down your throat like we have in the rural south. We really need to plan our next trip!
Thanks for this. I have to confess I have pulled up that exact electoral map several times. :-) It’s reassuring to hear from you what I’ve heard from others regarding expatriate immigration. We definitely wanna go somewhere we feel welcomed.
From a survey that was done last year, one can conclude that around 80% of us french are fed up with immigration the way it is done (massive, and not chosen). The survey was about a law on immigration that pretty much solved everything that annoys us. The law fell through because deemed non-consititutional, and so we need to change the consitution first. Being against a system we dislike doesn't mean that we are necessarily at the throat of people who immigrate. That's two different things. In the end, we don't mind too much people who assimilate and 'chose' France for something that is not exclusively its social net (the one we pay for with our taxes). We have a much bigger problem with people who come here but don't care about the place, its heritage, History, values, language and laws. Those, we want to tell them 'go home'. That's pretty much it. France is Fance and cannot and shouldn't be something else, meant to cater to every migrant that doesn't care to fit.
You can throw away the map. It's no matter of US or GB immigration, but about Magreb countries people immigration !
Nous avons un problème avec "les migrants qui viennent et décapitent nos professeurs" ou qui viennent pour profiter de notre système social sans y participer (ou qui brûlent les écoles avec un coût de plus d'1 milliard pour tout reconstruire) ! C'est de l'humour noir, vraiment très noir compte-tenu de ce à quoi je fais référence mais je pense que vous comprenez bien de quelle immigration nous ne voulons plus et ça ne concerne pas les nord-américains qui ont les mêmes valeurs occidentales que les Français qui ont fait de la France ce qu'elle est depuis plus de 2000 ans.
Try moving into a small town in the bible belt of the US. The local pastors will be round pretty damned quick to find out what type of Christian you are, which church you will be going to and whether you'd like to donate 10% of your salary. Never let on if you are an atheist. It will not go down well.
Thanks for sharing this, so much. After last week's vote, which looked exactly like the hot messes of 2021-22 in US and UK Houses, I have been pretty much ONLY thinking about this topic. As an LGBTQ+ person and a woman traveling alone, these are very important considerations. Most expat support groups don't allow political talk, and while that is well-meaning, there's no getting around that a person whose identity is not the majority-power-structure-approved identity has no option except to either be in the closet or have a body that IS politically charged. I SO appreciate you addressing this today. It's literally keeping me up nights since last week's debacle.
I would point out one item, though, which is that the protection of women's reproductive care is still only to 14 weeks. MANY people in this era of birth control and irregular cycles don't have monthly cycles so 14 weeks is actually not a long time to know - if we call this trimester+2wks, someone could easily not know they are pregnant the entire 1st tri and then have to make a very rapid decision that one should be able to take one's time with as it is frequently a hard decision. Less hard when one isn't saddled with medical debt like we are in the US, but still a very hard decision in many situations.
Also, I remember lahhhts of coverage ~2016 about severe aggression toward Muslim people in France, and I'm sure with a history of the white pillaging of brown and black cultures, with France's riches coming straight from Africa in most cases over the centuries, it's worth mentioning that BB and I both are experiencing life from an Anglo experience. So there's that too.
Thank you again for sharing this - it's definitely the elephant in the room in expat groups and this video is a very helpful way to discuss!
Most french people dont like the lgbt propaganda and its a good thing.
I retired to France in 2015 and what you have observed is true. Mind you, I had the advantage of being able to speak the language before I moved here. Grammar School Boy! I live in La Creuse, an area of run-down villages where most of the young people leave in order to find work but every summer there are a series of chamber music concerts performed by musicians from Paris.
PS. Lots of Parisiens have second homes down here! 😉
This was a great video you guys. So true about fitting in to small rural US towns, just going from PNW to ks was incredibly shocking. I love that you guys talk about the subjects so many others seem afraid to even bring up. Thank you so much, really, thank you ❤
you convinced me! I move to Greenville.
Always good advice and tips. I can't wait for next years trip for 3the summer and moving in 26.
Gifts for teachers
I'd put a small asterisk on that "you'll feel welcomed in every region you choose to settle in" statement. I'd say it's true for continental France. You might experience different sentiments if you choose to settle in Corsica, Guadeloupe, Réunion or other parts of overseas France. They're historically less developped, infrastructures are lacking, there are less job opportunities, and given historical reasons, and local living conditions, distinctive identities etc could lead to the locals looking at you sideways like some do for continental French living/settling in. Not even mentioning the terrible situation in Nouvelle-Calédonie, Mayotte etc
absolutely
As a married gay man thinking of retiring in France, this is really reassuring.
The only really important thing that American citizens who want to settle in France have to worry about: learning to speak French.
English is not our mother tongue, we almost never have the opportunity to speak English in France (plus, even if it seems that you find it cute, the French accent in English is just horrible for French ears. I hate speaking in English because of my accent. But I think that is true for any speaker, regardless of their language)
Go to England for a year to learn the language. If you survive the food and the weather, you'll be perfectly bilingual!
Je pense que la plupart des Américains aiment l'accent français en anglais. Mais je comprends parfaitement, je suis horrifié lorsque je m'entends parler français. Merci pour votre commentaire.
One thing about language usage which can be a little annoying. I speak French quite well, but with an accent. Some times French people will think that I may have trouble with it so try to help me by speaking in English when my French is better than their English. It would be just more efficient to stick to French.
Another thing is people who stop what they saying and ask me if I understood a word they used. The word is hardly ever that rare and I very rarely don't know it, even slang, and it just interrupts the conversation. If I don't understand something, I will ask.
@@BaguetteBound Lorsque vous aurez atteint un niveau de français élevé, notamment concernant la prononciation, il y a des chances pour que vous commenciez à comprendre pourquoi nous détestons spécifiquement notre accent français en anglais, et pas en allemand, espagnol ou japonais. C'est un problème spécifique à l'anglais.
@@nox8730 Intéressant ! Parce que l'accent français en anglais est très beau pour nous les Américains, et probablement pour les Anglais aussi.
What is that place at the 8:03 mark?
That's a market in Montpellier near the old Roman aqueduct.
I'm excited to one day try out living in France, thanks again for a great video. Interesting points, right/left look different, religion being seen as more personal/private, love it!
Story time, a german friend was working with an American in an engineering firm, and said American (LDS) sent him a Book of Mormon in German and it blew away said German lol! He was saying this could get him fired in DE haha. Classic Americans (Mormons)
Wow. Although not totally surprising and exactly why we brought it up. Thanks for the comment!
Good video. I think it shows the rule everywhere. If you want to migrate successfully, you must integrate. Religion and political party are not defining as they seem to be in US. Once you participate (in whatever) people are accepting. Once you involve yourself with groups, the solidarity is amazing. You can take good food and good healthcare for granted. One thing I notice is that fitting in with your groups is important. The group will look out for you, but you need to stick with the group. Politeness is extremely important in France. It is amazing how being polite makes you feel more comfortable.
J'adhère à votre analyse. Je voudrais juste dire que la politesse est une singerie de la vertu... Méfiez vous des gens polis en France, ce sont des bourgeois ... Le Français n'est pas poli, il est nature ... Une personne qui parle comme un charretier, peut avoir la main sur le cœur ... En France, on ne dit pas bonjour à tout le monde par politesse, mais par humanité ...La politesse nous écœure ... Nous ne sommes pas des Anglais ! 😄
@@thierrysanchez3161 Peut etre au lieu de parler de politesse, il faut parler du respect pour l'humanité des autres. C'est important que la politesse vient du respect. Merci pour votre reponse.
No. Our healthcare, no more than anything else, can be taken for granted. It is when you take things for granted that you carelessly let things slip to the gutter as they have in the USA (with the ridiculous costs). One needs to fight for it. Our paid vacations, our healthcare, and everything else didn't come to be just because our grand parents wanted to live a careless life.
@@nox8730 Yes, I agree. New arrivals need to integrate, play their part in ensuring that the quality of life in France stays good. Life in France is good, but not carefree.
@@thierrysanchez3161 Alors, c'est totalement injuste pout les anglais (j'habite dans le Yorkshire). Mais bien sur, il ne faut pas confondre politesse et hypocrisie (je souris par devant et te plante un couteau dans le dos a la premiere occase) et en France, les serveurs de restaurant qui ne vous ont jamais vus (et qui en fait s'en foutent) ne vous demanderont pas "Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui? Vous faites du tourisme ou vous etes ici professionnellement?". I
I whole heartedly agree with you with regards to having a "national curriculum." As an educator, a lot of countries, with the exception of the US has a national curriculum that is supported by almost every country. One major reason why the US does not have one is that we don't believe in freedom of an education that is standardized. Especially, politics/money is going to be one of the downfall of the US. Look at China, India, Japan, Singapore, France, UK, Germany etc...
Bonjour de Belgique. Merci pour le bel enthousiasme avec lequel vous défendez la France auprès de vos concitoyens.
Je vous invite à un jour prendre le TGV pour Bruxelles et faire une vidéo chez nous. Vous serez aussi émerveillé par la chaleur des gens du Nord (mais surveillez quand même la météo avant de venir. Quelques incontournables ? La grande place de Bruxelles, Bruges, la côte, la gare de Liège, ...
Nous rêvons d'aller à Bruges depuis un certain temps ! Un jour prochain j'espère ! Merci d'avoir regardé. 😊
Merci beaucoup! I am so happy that you addressed these topics! You both are so nice and helpful. Appreciate your channel more than you know. 😊
En tant que français ancien frontalier je ne peux qu'enchérir sur la gentillesse, la simplicité et l'accueil de nos amis belges ! Mangez une gaufre à Bruges ... hummm
Les Belges ont vécu 541 jours sans gouvernement en 2010-2011, une belle performance ! La France est bien partie pour très bientôt imiter cet exemple !
Oui, je viens de me rendre en Belgique (5ème fois, je crois). J'ai toujours adoré nos amis les Belges. Et oui, la grande place de Bruxelles est extraordinaire !
Merci pour cette vidéo explicative. Puisse-t-elle dissiper les idées reçues au sujet de la France 🇫🇷♥️🇺🇲.
Merci pour la vidéo
Can you provide some context on the government collapse for us trying to determine if it will impact life in France from an expat perspective? I lived through the bankruptcy of Orange County ca and it was a shocking headline but didn’t keep homes from appreciating and companies from hiring. Wondering if that might be reality even though it sounds terrible in the press.
Are you on our email list? That's the place we tend to address more topical subjects. If you download our move to France resources guide from the link in the description you'll be added.
French guy here. French politics can look dramatic and horrible from an outside point of vue, but we are well accostumed to express ourselves like that (protests, strikes, etc). It's our latin way to rock'n'roll.... but it doesn't affect our daylife, and if you live in the countryside, it's more a kind of show we see on TV. But every French has politic opinions and we love to discuss them strongly but without hate.
Cher ami, connaissez vous Silas Deane ? Il fut le premier agent secret envoyé par le Congrès continental en 1776 pour négocier un soutien en armes et en fournitures auprès de la France. Il s'est tellement enrichi en France en spéculant comme un vrai américain que le congrès la rappelé ... Trop c'était trop, Louis XVI était gêné ... Même pendant la Terreur, l'horreur n'a été que franco-française. Aucune crise n'a jamais attentée aux expatriés à ma connaissance ...
I think you are panicking. Everyday life continues. I am an expat living in France for 22 years and have had no difficulty in getting permanent residency. It was more difficult exchanging my drivers licence for a French one than obtaining my Carte de Sejour. Learn French, be polite, and whatever you do try not to compare France to where you have come from. Have an open mind. The quality of life is far superior. Also, the healthcare system works well and is affordable. Beaurocracy is a game over here and you soon learn to play by the rules. Oh, and did I say learn French?
There's no collapse or bankruptcy or anything like that.
Vous êtes devenus des vrais Français parce que vous avez tout compris de la France.we are a gay Franco-American couple and as Patrick is French and I too understand everything about France, we live our life the French way
Merci
2:40 "Of age" in France is... 😮
15.
France isn't perfect, but no country is. What France offers is a beautiful way of life and a population who seem determined to protect it.
I've travelled all over France (I'm English) and not found a Department I didn't like. I live in Lot-et-Garonne but I love the Bretagne coast.
So yes, France has very slow beaurocracy. The French know this, it aggrevates them as well (but Wine is cheap, so chill out with some Wine). Maybe the price of your favourite biscuits is double. You need to weigh the importance of a beautiful way of life for your family against occasional slow administration and €5 biscuits. I'm choosing life. You can keep your Shortbread biscuits.
But you voted for Brexit, didn't you?
J'ai trouvé du bon céleri !! ... Dommage que le couple soit parti !! 😂😂😂
Having moved to France many many years ago, here are a couple of examples of cultural differences. Two different French friends told me similar stories about going to the US for their jobs. One was a military officer who went with his family on a cooperation exchange and training program in Texas. They rented a house in a nearby suburb. He told me that one of the first things that some neighbors asked them was what church they went to. A real culture shock.
Long ago I once worked for a travel agency which organized special stays and tours for clients. I would meet them and help them with their stay. In one case, I went to see a man who had his own business in Tennessee. I meet him on the terrace of his hotel. He turned out to be African-American and started talking. He told me that he had been sitting there for an hour and nobody noticed him. He liked it as he felt he just blended in. He also told he was surprised at seeing mixed couples walking down the street and nobody paid any attention to them. I suppose that has improved in the US.
The church thing...I too was asked and when I answered I was an atheist, they would not have it. They corrected me "agnostic". I gave up discussing and said agnostic from then on. I am an atheist.
Grand Merci but you didn't mention taxation. Really interesting topic
They address that in other videos - it was not the topic of today's
Hope you had a nice thanksgiving weekend. Missed seeing you.
This is an excellent video reminding me why I am moving as opposed to why the couple from San Fran left in less than a year. 😢They got too much coverage on RUclips etc. My house tour begins on January 20 2025. Looking at houses in Creuse, east of Limoges, Charentes and Brittany. Several houses which look attractive and affordable on line and I’ve made contact with the listing realtor.
And thank you for referencing the US rather than as America. We tend to forget that America has many individual countries from Canada to Cape Horn in Chile.
My biggest challenge at the moment is figuring out how to transport my 7 year old female Frenchie because she’s a Brachycephalic breed and a bit larger than what can fit under the airplane seat in front. She’s not coming in January but will be long term.
Thank you and please keep up your interesting videos. Joseph.
Life pro tip: Many people who have pets choose to take the Queen Mary 2 or other ocean liners, which are pet friendly.
Another great episode! I love how you address some hot-button (if you’re here in the US) issues. Bravo!
Thanks! 😃 We're always a tiny bit nervous, but we know it's on people's minds and what does our channel matter if it's not to address those kinds of things? The stuff you can't google is the hardest. Thanks for watching!
Hello! I just discovered your video and I'm excited. For the past 2 yrs, I have been planning to retire in Europe. I was wondering how long can one stay on a visa in France? Thank you!
It depends on the visa. Many are renewable. The long stay visitor visa most common for retirement can be renewed annually. After five years of renewals, there may be other options.
If you mean a tourist visa (which is automatic for US citizens, and many other countries, like UK, Australis, etc.), then you can be in the Schengen area for 90 days in during any 180-day period. I've heard of people spending 30 days here, 30 days out of the Schengen area throughout the year. But, if you get one of the long-stay visas, then that's usually at least a year. There are some special, I think non-renewable visas that are 6 months, but I'm not too familiar with those. Anyway, make sure you do research on whatever kind you want to apply for to be sure it's the right one for you. I know of one couple that didn't fully understand that, and found out they could not work here or even start a business because they had the kind that didn't permit that sort of thing, and they were already here and had bought a home. A truly sad situation all the way round because they were doing a nice thing here.
Great video. As a gay man interested in eventually moving to France and being very overwhelmed by the most recent turns in US politics, then hearing last night about the "collapse of the French government" I was just today wondering about the first two items on your list in this video. Were you reading my mind!? Love your videos, very helpful and well put together. Thanks for doing these.
The collapse of the government is just political folklore. Our president is so inconsistent. But our institutions are solid.
There are sometimes acts of homophobia in France from morons, we mustn't be naive. But homophobia (even in words) is punishable by law in France.
Rien n'est effondré. C'est la France ! Ca va être le "cirque" pendant quelques jours, peut-être jusqu'à Noël et les politiciens vont faire leur numéro de claquettes. Ca va se calmer. De toute façon, quelque soit le parti qui sera au pouvoir, il n'y a aucune inquiétude pour les homosexuels en France (sauf certains quartiers.....!). Le jour où toute la France sera dangereuse pour les homosexuels, c'est le jour où la France s'appellera le Frankistan et les Français ne laisseront jamais une telle chose se produire, c'est contre cette immigration massive qui vient détruire nos valeurs et notre civilisation que les Français votent, c'est cela qu'il faut comprendre.
You should be alright here… Hope you can make it happen.
The dog is also very welcome 🤗
It is not really a collapse. The problem is that there are 3 political groups with almost the same % . Macron wants to put a first minister in the center right but the extrem right and the left don't want him and they have voted against his budget for 2025.
Macron will be forced to put a first minister more at left but he doesn't want to lose all his reforms since 2017. There are talks between macron and the left now to search common ideas ( not the extrem left) . I think that our next gov will be at the center left until 2027.
Macron wants to keep his reforms for retirement , taxes for entreprises , laws for jobless.
Living in France, this is how I see things. Here, no one cares about your sexuality! If you live with a man, it's your private life, and in general, it doesn't bother many people!
You will inevitably find a few annoying people who don't appreciate it, but it's not comparable to the anti-gay mentality of many countries, even in the West.
In short, be calm! 😉
One of the reasons our family (3 generations) is considering a move from the US is our granddaughters. The US offers little protection for women; healthcare, equal pay, safety, etc. This will get even worse under the new government. While there appear to be more protections for women overall in France is it a safe place to raise girls such that they have equal opportunity as boys?
Hi from South France (Perpignan), 🌴🌞
Your question may seem funny to a French person. Indeed, why could a woman/girl feel less safe than elsewhere in France?
But ultimately, having seen several American or Australian media or RUclipsrs discuss the subject, I understand your concern.
To try to answer it, it's important to take the time to distinguish between villages (less than 5,000 inhabitants), small (5,000 to 20,000 inhabitants approximately), medium (20,000 to 60,000), and large cities (over 60,000), "chief towns" (100,000 and more) and finally, what we could call metropolises where the number of inhabitants exceeds 500,000 (Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse).
First, it must also be understood that unlike in the USA, in France, city centers are much safer than suburbs.
Even if, as in the USA, there are also very chic "suburbs".
In France, for the past thirty years, African immigration has taken on a disproportionate scale. This is how Maghrebi or sub-Saharan families have crowded into suburban neighborhoods (as explained above, rents in the city center are often unaffordable for these working classes and the larger the cities, the more this is true).
Unemployment, precariousness, communitarianism (due to crowding, precisely), culture, and lack of education have created areas of illicit trafficking and insecurity.
But in general, these are areas that everyone here knows.
And, the closer you live to city centers, the less you need to go there or cross them.
In small towns, there may be a few neighborhoods described as more insecure. In villages, this is extremely rare. In medium-sized cities, they'll be a little more numerous and of course, the larger the city, the more these neighborhoods are likely to be numerous, but scattered.
However, in general, it's localized. You just have to find out a little in advance to know where not to hang around too much.
And then rest assured, as everywhere in so-called "Western" countries, the news tends to always show the worst and the most sensational. What's not doesn't sell.
For an English speaker, I think the best thing, once you've found the French region that seems to suit you best (cost of living, climate, rurality, amenities, transport, etc.) is to register in the English-speaking communities of expatriates in the chosen region you'll undoubtedly find on the various social networks available on the web.
These communities, through their knowledge of your Anglo-Saxon culture and therefore of your expectations, and through their own experience as expatriates in France, will be the most likely to better answer this type of question and advise you in this regard.
Peace, folks. ☮👈😎
@misteebrowning7481
From what I understand, crimes are higher in the US than France (or than almost anywhere else from that matter)
I actually don't know the numbers about crimes against women in France OR the USA so I have to be honest....I don't know which is safer.
From what I do know, they are too high and it's a world thing (ask in Brazil, Italy or South Korea and it's the only answer possible).
Unlike the previous person posted/answered I will have to remind that crimes against women are usually done by someone close to them (reason it's so difficult to act preventively) and it's not proven race has anything to do with it...
But if safety is amongst your priorities (very much understandable), I have to remind you that the risk of school shooting is close to zero here, being shot by a neighbor who "thought you were a thief" and so on,...
If I can add....americans tend to forget that France is part of the EU. You could decide to move to France and have your grand daughter take a semester in a university in Milan, another in Amsterdam and later work in Barcelona while being only a few hours from you by high speed train or cheap flight...
=> France could be your "family base/nest" and only the first step towards the rest of the EU for the rest of your family later on, while style enjoying common perks (easy travel, common diplomas, healthcare, better food standards, in many cases same currency,...)
Women have several laws protecting them in France. As for the safety, depends where u live, avoid big cities is better.
I would respectfully disagree with the idea someone mentioned that it might seem funny to a French person to ask this question. One search on The Guardian or anywhere else on women's issues in France would reveal it is anything but. They may have meant to say "man" rather than "person", but to a woman (and you'd hope to any man as well), it is a very valid question and women are very concerned with how women are portrayed. I have to regularly change what I watch bc I can't seem to find a French show that doesn't contrive some ridiculous level of victimization for women (not suggesting that's unique to France, but that it's certainly present). Looking up the man who had his wife drugged and raped for decades by other random guys in his own house should be a first clue that your question is not hysterical or "funny". There's nothing funny about it
The statistics are roughly the same for France and the UK, 5.5% of women report having suffered an assault in the previous year related to their gender in both countries. By cons, concerning the USA, it's 18.3%!
So yes, it may seem surprising for a Frenchman (or a European) that this question comes from an American woman.
Then, taking an example of an abuse of a woman which is a truly exceptional case and even unique to date to draw a generalization about an entire country is totally ridiculous. Sorry to tell you, Messyhomestead.
I would be interested to find out more about the differences in the way the civil war is taught in various parts of the US. If you have any sources...
Gabriel Attal. :). In Europe politics tends not to interfere with people's private life. Religion is also a private business.
It's football, not soccer :)
I didn't even know he was gay. Not that i care, though.
@@nox8730 Same, I didn't know he was gay. And I couldn't care less (unless it open more doors or inspire more people).
To be fair, we French tend to care much less about sex. The president when I was a kid was fairly known (as in contently rumored) to be a hound, sleeping with many actresses that could be his kids age wise, while married. At best it was a joke, but really nobody cared, it was between him and his wife, and it didn't stopped him from being re-elected.
Not that being gay is the same as cheating of course. I'm just saying, we really don't care much about what people do in bed (or car, train toilets, behind trees in parks, in dark alleys, in dark corners of nightclub, or wherever) and with whom.
We do care how candidates go to big farmer convention, walk in the mud with their costly shoes, and how they handle talking to often angry farmers though. That's both important, and very entertaining (for us).
@@LiraeNoirI was happy to see an openly gay PM for France who can be a role model for many..similarly I am happy of Kylian Mbappé whose success in the national team can tone down racial tensions. I was happy to see Hervé Berville, Rwandan born politician as a minister.
🇨🇵 🙏 NOTRE DAME DE PARIS 🙏 🇨🇵
So exciting that it's open again!!
@@BaguetteBoundRendez vous demain pour un évènement qui n'arrive pas tout les jours.
@@first-dooblette6911Macron used the event very cleverly by courting to Trump and organising a trilateral meeting with President Zelensky
preschool is now mandatory from 3 years old since few years
thank you for this info - much appreciated!
Me and my BF leave in differents places , very small village, middle village and smal city and we had never troubles
I am really glad that you three are doing so well. You have done everything right. A problem I am seeing is that so many Americans are showing up in Europe. I am German living in Berlin. And tens of thousands seem to want to flee the orange bufoon. Not all of them in Berlin are making themselves welcome. What I like about you three, and a key to your success, is a complete lack of arrogance. For those FLEEING the orange bufoon, leave your "exceptionalism" at home.
je ne sais pas si vous en avez déja parlé ou si vous avez déja envisage cette possibilité mais d'avoir la double nationalité ?????
You have understood everything about France
This is great information for our planning. I checked your blog recently and found a lot of areas “under construction “. Are you going to be adding more there, or is it a lower priority right now? I really appreciate your very helpful videos. Merci beaucoup!
I always love your videos. They are so practical and answer a lot of basic question that aren’t answered elsewhere. That said, HOW IS THE CURRENT SITUATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE GOING TO AFFECT THE LIVES OF EXPATS? Do you have a clear crystal ball?
excellent question!
i think that nobody really knows. still this country needs emigration to balance its population and find a qualified workforce
my guess is that if you have diplomas and can speak and write in french, you should be ok. if you are white, it will help.
still, french administration is tightening up its stance, notably.
The government has resigned. It is still in place but in a caretaker role until a new prime minister is appointed. This does not affect anyone.
I think it's a worthwhile question. While it's easy to say nothing will change, no one would have thought 10 ya that the US would have deconstructed its checks and balances and no longer be a functioning democracy 10y hence, yet here we are. And no one thought the world would repeat the conditions of WWII, yet we have.
Is it true that in France, they do not have high school graduation ceremonies or prom?
It is, although you can see some attempts, here and there, to introduce such events (kids watch a lot of US TV series😂). They are not part of French culture and history, schools are places meant to learn, not to party or do sport.
However most kids party together to celebrate « baccalauréat », the mandatory exam at the end of high school, just not on school ground.
Thank you!
L'un de mes amis m'avait raconté avoir suivi une formation professionnelle aux États-Unis pendant plusieurs semaines, il entretenait de bon rapports avec son formateur qui l'avait invité un dimanche à un barbecue, durant cette journée l'épouse de son formateur lui a demandé quelle était sa religion, il a répondu qu'il était athée, le lundi matin, le formateur ne lui adressait plus la parole.
Wow. Mais je ne suis pas surpris. 😕
My biggest concern is that I don’t like at all living in a house that is attached to another house and I like having a workshop. This places me on the outskirts most likely and something in my price range possibly pushes me further out. So this is my greatest concern, getting to places I need to be such as the super Marché or other requirements for daily living…passing the on road driving test which is in French. How would I survive until my French is good enough to follow instructions if I can’t find a house close to services?
Have you checked to see if you live in a state where you can exchange you license? You may not have to take the driving test.
You have lots of small towns in the countryside where u can live without a car, at least for a few month/years, And in a house with your criterias.
@@BaguetteBound I don’t and I understand that they are now requiring a year in one of those states so you can’t just pop in, get a license, then jump over to France
@@djway6479 about the driving test, it consist of two separate parts
=> one theoretical which is a bit tedious and can be a bit tricky even for us...
but learning booklets are available in english for practicing and some arrangments can be made for those who don t speak french at the exam (state you don t speak french and bring a translator)
only one way to success... practice, practice and practice again.
=> one practical which in theory doesn t really require a high french level but you ll need to be able to follow the examiner guidances for the itinerary.
that saying, your taste in housing screams countryside which usually means no public transport but a car would be necessary or not depending of place size and distance to a bigger one.
some small villages are far from everything and are without commodities = car mandatory
some villages are without commodities but very close to a city and have regular busses lines deserving
some villages are big enough to have enough commodities to live until you pass the test and get a car
we have places in france which can be very rural with small villages but very close to each other
a very concrete example.
i live in an individual house with a nice shed/workshop in a small rural 300 people village with no commodities aside of a mecanic (helpful)
BUT i have a 1500 people village with a small supermarket 5 milles away.
if my car d broke, i could go get some groceries with my electric bike (and a trailer) or a cargo bike if i d had one with not much issues.
i also leave less than 10 miles from a 25000 people city with all commodities and i have a bus which can get me there on the morning and bring me back at night on work days
from this town i can take an half an hour train (40miles) to a 150 000 people city if i need something more specific
and last thing, depending of the location and how much money you want to put in a house, it s totally possible to find a house with a shed even in a city (ok not the biggest ones but still) with everything at walking distance and/or with public transport
@ thank you. I had thought of the electric bike, sounds like a viable solution. I understand that a translator is allowed for the written test and test don’t bother me. The driving test even with a manual transmission is fine, just the language comprehension is a concern as translation is not allowed for that.
For markets, the biggest tv channel host every summer a contest to find the most beautilull market, there is a preselection to know which market will represent his region and then the public vote to elect the winner
The contest is "le plus beau marché de france"
7:22 Allez Bordeaux.
Funny thing : there is a difference between European Union citizen and others, US, Canadians, etc. If you're an EU citizen, in small town or villages, locals will try to enlist you to take part of municipal administration... Fresh and enthousiast are welcomed, and it's look "open minded" to have EU citizen in the local council. 😀
The way she knots her scarf is so chic. She's a true trendsetter. He's so suave. They are both so sophisticated.
I'm so jealous. I wish I could move there.
I'm old enough to remember Richard Nixon. He would be far left in today's US!!
Makes me grateful for making the decision to build my home in French Polynesia ❤.
lol
All will be well until climate change takes the islands
@@messyhomestead7320 naaaah... the locals will have torched down everything before.
did you know that level of violence there are akin to those you can fin in columbia or batlimore? just kidding everybody knows that St Louis is much worse.
no joke though, alcohol does have a major impact on the local community. devastating. vive la france there too!
@@messyhomestead7320 naaah the locals will have torched everything well before that.
levels of violence are comparable to those you can find in columbia or baltimore... just kidding it's more dangerous than St. Louis
alcohol and unemployment are ravaging the local community. vive la france, there too
👍 c'est un plaisir de vous ecouter. Je suis allé plus de 20fois pour mes occupations chez vous aux Usa.
En vous écoutant j'apprends aussi nos differences, nos points communs notre regard mutuel .
Vous montrez beaucoup de respect, d'ouverture d'Esprit..d'envies positives et honnêtes..
Nous sommes comme nous sommes n'est ce pas !?
Mais, il est possible aussi de se remettre en question..
De voir.. d'ouvrir les yeux, son intérieur...
D'observer, de ressentir.
De s'ouvrir.. de...
Etc etc...
C'est presque Spirituel...
Voyez vous ce que je veux dire ??
Bien a Vous Tous
A la prochaine fois
🗽❤️☮️🌏.
Vous allez voir les Girondins? :D . Je suis bordelais d'origine (plus au sud maintenant) et je ne les ai vus qu'une fois, il y a bien 25 ans, quand j'étais lycéen. En ce moment, ils ont la tête au fond du seau par contre. Vive le rugby.
AS a side note, when it comes to religion. As he said, religion and beliefs pertain to the oprivate sphere. This means that one should not approach others in the street with "God this, god that". Some (me included) would get pissed in a mere 3 seconds. So better keep that for those who care about god. Keep that at home. This is genuine advice. Good day.
Oui, je pense que nous sommes mieux lotis en tant que fans de rugby avec les Girondins comme équipe. 😂 Mais c'est quand même sympa d'y aller ! Peut-être qu'ils vont s'améliorer... Jason était un fan des Houston Astros pendant des années terribles, puis ils ont tout gagné !
@@BaguetteBound Les Girondins sont allés loin à l'époque ^^. Il y avait 3 des plus grands joueurs de l'équipe nationale, dont le plus célèbre était Zinédine Zidane.
Thanks for commenting on the politics. What's going on over there (and here) is very concerning.
Thank you for the resource-list. I have saved it on my hard drive. Just in case some atheist friends make their mind to escape the orange cad and his henchmen, and decide to cross the big pond. During the past twenty days I have gorged on videos posted by Jesse Dollemore, Brittany Page and Michael Popock. I am halfway through "It can't happen here" by Sinclair Lewis. Quite a difficult read. Because of the vocabulary (English is not my first language) and some cultural references which completely escape me. For your info, I live on the French side of Lake Geneva. We have some British and American expats living in Morzine (French Alps). I like your videos. Good content. Very informative. Keep up the good work.
You have markets everywhere everyweek, sometimes several times a week ( my middle town). And as long as its not invasive, we dont care if you are gay our not, and what your religion is.
Thanks for addressing Same Sex marriage. My husband and I are retirement age and are seriously considering moving to France. I already speak fluent French and my husband has a good vocabulary of nouns. We just wondered how we would be perceived. Thanks again.
Overall reasonably good. It's not perfect of course, and it will improve inversely with the age of people you talk to. But things like insults, assaults, refusal of service and the like are very rare, and each are quite a scandal, and all are criminalized as far as I know.
From personal experience, while I'm not at retirement I am at potential grandfather age, and from my generation it's mostly between acceptance and active support. And even now that I unfortunately live in a very far right and rural district in the South, around me even people at retirement age seem extremely ok with it.
As I understand it (I'm not expert) we're behind the US from a language point of view, especially for gender fluidity pronouns, but to be fair the French language is fully gendered (a car is female, a ship is male, type of language) and we don't have a gender neutral third person pronoun (we don't have "they") so it's harder to find something appropriate and get it used by the general population. Hopefully we'll get there...
Another point to consider that people from the US might not know: in France there is (comparatively) much less local political, legislative, and judicial power.
We don't elect our judges. We don't elect our sheriff, we have no sheriff. The local mayor doesn't name the local chief of police (well, the real police, the criminal police). There is no state or county laws, only national ones for the whole country (mostly, a few exceptions for some little things and for non metropolitan lands).
So even in a say far right political area, the local cops or judges are not pressured by the ambient sentiments to have to bend things in a certain way to keep their job. Doesn't mean a Parisian cop with years and years of experience won't get more open minded than a rural cop from say the Var, but the official rules are the same, and the difference in mindset should be minimal compared to some US counties.
From a former French LGBT activist’s point of view, I would say that France is a pretty safe place when it comes to same-sex life.
Civil rights have been the same for more than a decade now and are not under threat in any way. On this matter, France finally caught up with its second principle, Égalité.
Acceptance across the general population is quite high thanks to a fair open representation of lgbt people in media, fiction works, sports and various trades (including politics, from far right to far left).
However the overall situation is not all rosy either, France is not a huge West Hollywood. As with any other minority, individual opinions vary from one place to another, from one social and cultural environment to another. « Homophobia is not an opinion, it’s a crime » says the French governement’s ad. They say it because they still need to. Casual homophobia, homophobic bullying and discrimination are still a thing. NGOs committed to protecting and supporting lgbt persons are not out of business, and won’t be in the foreseeable future.
But, of course, it’s a matter of proportion. Overall, France is a pretty safe place, as I said😉
there's baseball in france !
Oui! Un peu...there is a little league team near us for the kids. But it's hard to find games to attend regularly like in the USA...are we missing something?
a little less than 13,000 registered players for Baseball-Softball in France. 30,000 for American Football. This is far too few to be able to organize regional competitions.
@@BaguetteBound Maybe some location have regular local baseball, but I'm french and I wouldn't know where to start looking. I'm of grandfatherly age, and I've never seen or heard about a local baseball field or team or match in my life.
Local sports are usually football (US soccer), basketball, athletics (I think you call them field), and swimming things. Handball and volley ball after that, in popularity. A decent amount of rugby too, but that's highly region dependent. And more horseback things one might imagine, both for learning or leisure, but also competitive (both speed events, and dressage).
@@LiraeNoirI think you forgot tennis. The vast majority of French people are in love with tennis. There are tennis clubs in almost every community and all sorts of activities are organized around local and regional tennis clubs.
Well done. I just booked my first "landing" for Juin - Août 2025 -- Castelnaudary! The birthplace of cassoulet. Too bad it will not be on the menu in summer, but...
Also: good info re: separations and such. I can safely state that after 5.5 years in Marble Falls, I am marked safe from any religious affiliation! Which is somewhat of a miracle.
Welcome in France ! No one will ask you anything about religion, and you'll have complete peace and freedom about that.
You can eat cassoulet all year round in Castelnaudary
@@victormercier5922 True, although to me it sounds better in the colder months! But it is delicious! I make it for myself from time to time.
Oh, forgot to add, lets be honest, standard FranPrix produce in FR is as good as most farmers market produce here in the States (from our experiences).
Franprix is about the most expensive common supermarket you can go to.
That's because there are laws. And rules. And they are the same for everyone. Every farmer has to follow the same rules. To grow his vegetables more or less the same way. Meaning naturally. I seem to remember that these days even pesticides are becoming illegal. In some places at least. And many, many are forbidden, to preserve the soils, the water, and wildlife. GMO are entirely illegal in France, but not in the rest of the EU. Meanwhile, in the USA, there are barely any rules, laws or limits. All this applies to pretty much everything. I guess this si the reson why some americans claim we have much less freedom than them.
Regarding attitudes toward immigration in different regions, here is a direct and politically unfiltered perspective: it is not the immigration of a few Americans, English, Germans, or anyone else who respects local customs and laws that causes issues for the French. The problem lies more with the immigration of undocumented individuals or North African Muslims, which many French people perceive as problematic.
This is not racism; for example, African Americans who respect the laws have traditionally been well-received in France. The French value individuals who integrate into society, not those who cause disruptions. I assume this sentiment is similar in most countries.
> This is not racism; for example, African Americans who respect the laws have traditionally been well-received in France.
Discrimination based on color of skin is a thing in France. Trying to rent an apartment or find a job as a person of color is harder than for a white person, whether they respect the law or not. This is well documented.
That's racist, here is why. (I'm french, just in case)
Why would be English, Americans, Germans (white people in general) well received and arabs, muslims or Africans (non white, non christian, or perceived as such) seen as problematic ?? Other than by racism ?
And why do you need to add that "That's not racism, black Americans who respect the law are well received". And black Africans who respect the law, what about them ? Why would they not be well received ?
Black Americans are better perceived than black Africans because they are AMERICAN, not because there is no systemic racism in France.
@@FanNy-ku6wt That's because we stem from the same kind of background and values. Why is it so hard to understand for you, considering how obvious it is?
@@FanNy-ku6wtim asian, living and breath french every second of my life. Muslim immigrants pose problems : dont want to integrate, ask the locals to adjust the century customs to them etc. One ex in my town: no pork served in the school canteen...
@@FanNy-ku6wt he said why.
Question: France is on our radar for early retirement. Seems idyllic in certain respects. Are you guys worried at all with the financial situation that France is in with the Government folding like it did? Just curious. Thanks.
Private money is not at risk. The financial situation is all about public money and deficit. But, you know, things must be put into perspective : French debt is 112% GDP, but US debt is 122% GDP, British debt 102%, Japanase debt 255%, Chinese debt is 272%, etc, etc… None of those countries is supposed to collapse any sooner 🙂
@@heliedecastanet1882 Good to hear... we don't get much news here regarding the French government mess. Just want to try to ensure that we don't get into a situation where we would find ourselves wanting to leave if we move there. Seems like many countries are on the wrong path when it comes to debt- one of these days, reality is going to set in that you just can't keep printing money. Appreciate any, and all, feedback. Thank you.
Dont worry about our financial situation or our "collapsing" government. Our country has debts like ... Always ...
And our Parliament votes again the government. So the prime minister has to resign. That s a democratic process and it s written in our Constitution. You can come🎉
.
@@swtexan6502 You're welcome ! 🙂
@@fb1880 On our way shortly for a visit... I need to see Normandy. Thanks for your feedback.
Liberte, Fraternite. Egalite. This is very French.
...and adjust your final stay/place to live when you're actually in France! You dreamarea can chance, when you live there or your priorities.
👍👍👍
For cultural activities, here a reason why you always can find something : the biggest festival of metal music in Europe (and probably in the world) takes place in a town of... 7000 inhabitants (no 0 missing).
It amazes us! But it's so cool.
🤘hellfest🤘
Et vous êtes les bienvenus! :D
it is state - not government. The word state not meaning what it does in the USA!
Yes, you're right. Both words carry slightly different meanings in the two countries. Thanks
As a french teacher : I agree about what you said. Moreover, you can find online the official ranking of each schools for the national exams (Brevet, Bac...) if the quality of your local school is really something worrying you. The vast majority of schools are fairly good. As a general rule, the schools in the city center are generally better than the schools in the suburb, mainly because of the difference of wealth of the local population. And if you really don't like your local school, you can either ask for the right to move to an other public school (you do have to give a reason though), or you can go to a private school. The vast majority of private schools have a contract with the government, so in exchange for subsidies, the programs are identical with the public schools and the annual fees are usually not really high (one of my friends pays around 700e a year)
More info: There's two types of private schools. Under contract has to follow the national cursus, same as public schools, and is more controlled. Fees can be quite low.
Outside of contracts the cursus can be anything, and fees are usually very high.
Personally I would advocate for public schools every-time, but I would be especially ware of outside of contract expensive schools they are usually not worth it.