FRENCH HABITS I HAVE NOT PICKED UP (AFTER 10 YEARS IN FRANCE!)

It is now normal in France that smokers should only smoke outside. Since 1991, it is forbidden to smoke indoors in public places, such as stations, cafes, restaurants, discotheques etc. And this habit has carried over into the houses. And it's perfectly normal for guests to go out into the garden to smoke, without being asked. Awareness of the impact of tobacco on health has taken place, and the number of smokers is decreasing very significantly and continuously, and smoking is no longer fashionable among young people.

As a French person, I always bought my daily baguette at the bakery. I grew up with that, and couldn't think of removing this habit 😍

I just came back from France. I found the french people warm and amazing. Loved the no small talk, but there was a genuine warmth. We got into some sticky situations and people were so helpful and hospitable.

I lived in sweden for a year and only had blinds. As a French guy I found that horrible being awoken by sunlight at 5 a.m. in summer

Love how you keep it real, Diane! I don’t even adapt 100% to my native culture so it’s only normal to not do everything the French way as a foreigner. Keep up the fun videos!

It is green salad with cheese after main meal. But we eat often “crudités” as starter at the beginning of the meal. 😊

One of the things I loved was going to the boulangerie every morning.

I would add à function to the list of benefits for volets: it keeps out the light coming from the streets. For optimal sleep, you should sleep in a place as dark as possible, without any artificial light disrupting you.

shutters are important when you live in the south of France. The heat is no joke here

I am Franco-American. My mother from FRANCE my father from Alabama USA. So I was born speaking French until I was 7. I lived between France & States since my father was in Air Force. I understand both American and French habits, characteristics, etc. I could fill a book on my 63 years of experiences and my parents’ experiences…I live both homes, foods, people, languages….. I’m not well right now just out if a 3 month stay at Hospital but maybe later I could ask questions. And elaborate. Merci/thanks

As a Australian/English person living in France for 8 years, I can relate to all this. Diane, I really liked how you said about trying to hard to embrace all things in the French way making you feel as if you are losing the "real" you. So I let myself be French where it's really expected of me , but at home I do me! 😉 One thing I have really embraced though is the main meal in the middle of the day, but it doesn't HAVE to be 3 courses, or be served at exactly 12 midday. 😂

I live in the States since 1982 and I miss my volets...

I don't live in France 😞 but when I'm there I LOVE the "no small talk" thing. As a shy introvert, just going to the grocery store in the US can be exhausting. I have French friends and of course we'll chat, but it's so nice to be out and about and not have to come up with things to say to total strangers all the time!

One thing on French bread I learned from a LA Boulanger is that the American flour has added protéines which make bread difficult to digest for French stomachs. This is why most French bakeries in the us import their Flour, often organic if available.

I agree with you about the late dinner. I can’t do dinner after 8pm.

I do like to open the volets when it's cold. I like to know how does the weather feels like before getting dressed. It's also perfect for being well awake. I even let the window open for like 5 minutes so my room is well-ventilated.

As someone moving to Lille, if someone feels they have to erase themself to move to any counrty....they should reevaluate their reasons for moving. Moving should be an embellishment of your life. ✌🙏

When I’ve rented an appartement in France I have always closed and opened the “volets” and a few times it’s taken me forever to figure out how to do it. There are several different mechanisms. I always felt stupid after I figured it out.

Thank you for reminding me how French I still am after 60 years living in North America. My meals have retained the patterns I grew up with and even in restaurants I push the salad aside to be eaten after the main course, it usually means some explanation for the waitress. I gave up asking for the salad to be brought at the end of the meal because it was forgotten every time.

I have spent a lot of time in France as my mother was born in France, and I would give anything for a sandwich jambon beurre on 🥖 or one with butter and jam. Yummmmmm.