Life in France

The French have a unique and genuine approach to life that is apparent through the smallest routines, such as buying a baguette from the bakery. The culture is more relaxed and the people are more connected to one another and to their surroundings. It can be difficult for a Canadian to find their place here, to blend into a society that is so different despite the many similarities. "Laissez-faire" seems to be the epitome of French culture; to let people do as they choose.

As I walk a block and a half each morning to meet my colleagues for our drive to work, I notice the characteristics of the young and the old. Children gather in the town square before school, talking and laughing with cigarettes in hand. Men and women traverse the cobblestone pathways towards the familar scent of freshly baked bread before heading to work. And, the elderly take a breath of fresh air as they walk their dogs without even the slightest regard to the mess their pets make on the sidewalk.

France presents a society that takes each day, in fact each hour, as it comes. Life slows down and practically comes to a stop. Stores and businesses close down every day from 12 to 2 so that families can return home and share in the midday meal. On Sundays, and sometimes Mondays, everything is closed (grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants etc.). It is a strictly observed day of rest - a chance to sleep in, spend a day outdoors or simply enjoy the beauty of relaxation.

The French prefer daily interaction with the local celebrities such as the baker and the butcher. Department stores are extremely rare, and shopping malls don't exist. It's refreshing to encounter a society that isn't so fast-paced and commercialized, but challenging to adjust one's lifestyle to it. It can also be difficult to accept their laid-back approach to some things such as cleanliness and health; when not only adults are addicted to smoking, when streets are lined by litter rather than trees, and when historical buildings tarnish due to lack of preservation.

Each culture is marked by positive and negative characteristics. Every country can be compared and contrasted to another. When travelling, it is important to be observant, to try living life a little bit differently and to open our hearts and minds to the lessons that this world can teach us.

Now for some pictures of our life in France thus far...

("Le Petit Place" lit up at night)