Ma Vie in France

What do you wear to go the gym/to work out? Do you care about having the latest fancy adapted workout clothes (special bike shorts? running pants?), fix your hair, put on makeup? Or are you like me, and sometimes make an effort, but also sometimes just throw on an old faded t-shirt and pants and are ready to go? This question has sparked a small debate in my household and opens up discussions of clothes in general in France. My significant other, who is French, is very interested in dressing well in general (and he does!). The gym is no exception - he will style his hair and would probably avoid wearing sneakers that were somehow not coordinated with his clothes. My argument : Who cares? This is one place where how I'm dressed doesn't matter, I'm just going to sweat anyway. His argument: There are other people there, therefore it is important! This small example, while maybe not the same across the board for everyone, illustrates a larger issue of appea...

In the US regional differences are stretched out for miles and miles. Even though are regions and landscapes can be incredibly diverse, the change from one to another is fairly gradual and you often have to drive a long way before anything changes. Not the case in France. Just taking the area Lyon, you have to the east flatlands with small lakes and ponds, and if you go further, you run into the Alps. To the northwest, vineyards and rolling hills with naturally ochre colored stone for building constructions, and further west still the Loire river valley and then, the Massif Centrale, dormant volcanoes which make up a small, low, mountain-like range. Not to mention due south, where you can find prehistoric caves, or the north where you eventually leave the Beaujolais vineyards for Burgundy vineyards. All of these changes are within about a 2 hours drive of Lyon. But it's not only landscape we're dealing with, it's also regional identity, and of course food. Eac...

The title of this post Simple comme bonjour (literally 'easy as hello') is a French expression used to mean that something is easy, roughly the equivalent of 'easy as pie' in English.  There are certain things that you need to know in order to function in society in France, and especially, in order to be treated like a normal human being by others. One of these is the importance of greetings and closings, or more specifically, the use of hello and goodbye. This may sound silly, but don’t be fooled.   It is, in my opinion, one of the most important social cues in France. And without prior cultural knowledge, there's nothing simple about it.  Hello and goodbye (bonjour and au revoir) structure your interaction with just about anyone in France.  When I get onto an elevator with a stranger, I say hello and goodbye. When I enter a store, the clerk and I both say ‘hello’ and make eye contact. And obviously, when I meet up with friends or family, I will also ...

Now almost a month after the Charlie Hebdo attacks here in France, things are settling down.   I personally didn't learn about the attacks until the night of Wednesday, 7th. Two Muslim extremists gunned down cartoonists from the Charlie Hedbo newspaper in Paris. The cartoonists targeted were known for controversial political drawings, some depicting the prophet Mohamed.   In total 12 people died, the most violent shooting France has known for over 50 years. The reaction in France was immediate upon hearing the news. Rallies and vigils were held all over the country and the slogan 'Je suis Charlie' (I am Charlie) was and is still visible everywhere as the public tried to make sense of what happened. The news coverage and commentaries were non-stop. There have been a lot of comparisons with Sept. 11, and I have to say, the feelings the event provoked were similar to what I felt after Sept. 11. Fear, worry, and unfortunately, a fatalism that also tells me there is...