You know you’ve been living in France too long if…

- You know G20 is not a music band but a supermarket
- You know when 2 people seem to be arguing in the street, they are just having a normal conversation
- You call people by their first name only if you know him/her very well
- The feeling of the just-made-warm-bread in your hand doesn’t make you want to scream “I love being in France!”
- The average expresso coffee served in café doesn’t make your heart beats fast anymore, for an entire day
- Talking with your hand is the only way to express what you really mean
- Teasing people is the only way to be funny. What? You don’t think it’s funny?!
- You think 5 annual holiday weeks are well-deserved! And why don’t they make it 6 weeks hu?!
- You measure things in meters, kilograms and litres
- You don’t understand why you would have to wait for the light to turn green before crossing the street.
- It’s ok to give wine to a kid
- Not being able to smoke a cigarette wherever you want is against freedom of rights … regardless to non-smokers
- You are not shocked anymore by the insignificant French customer service.

The great shot is from this site

Most common French phrases

Best baguette in Paris

On March, every year there is the Concours pour la Meilleure Baguette de Paris (contest for the best baguette in Paris).

In 2007, the winner is Arnaud Delmontel. He though it was a joke when the Paris Mayor Assistant announced he was the winner.

I need to mention it's a big deal here! Last year, the winner got his baguette sales increased by X10 and icing on the cake, he gets to provide for a whole year, bread to the Elysees Palace! It is the official residence of the President of the French Republic, where the president's office is located, and the Council of Ministers meets. Big deal, I told you!

Monsieur Delmontel owns two boulangeries in Paris: rue des Martyrs et rue Damrémont, in the 18th arrondissement.

Making baguette is a real art! Bonne Baguette!

Thanks to ...Antonio... for the great shot.

I'm on strike, you're on strike, he's on strike

It seems that November is a month of discontent in France (feel the irony?!).

Indeed, last month there was a strike from the SNCF (rail network) and RATP (metro network – Paris only). It lasted about 2 days.
Tomorrow will start a strike by the same people: SNCF and RATP. It’s renewable, meaning that it can last a looooong time. These people are unhappy because the government wants to modify their pension. The last time they tried to do so, it was in 1995 and the strike lasted an entire month! Yeah, that’s right!
But there are not the only ones on strike. Let’s have a look…
On November 14th, EDF-GDF (the electricity and gas company) will be on strike. To protest, they might cut off the power on their protest day. Renewable too.
The Opéra de Paris whose employees are concerned by the new government’s reform will be on strike too. They will cease all the representations. The Comédie Française will also be on strike.
November 20th, the main unions call on strike for the people working in the Education, teachers for example.
The French students protest against Pécresse Law which would give more autonomy to French universities.
November 21st, the “buralistes” (people selling tobacco and cigarettes in France, in “tabac”) will be in the streets to demonstrate. France will become smoke-free in 2008 and they want this law to be modify so they wouldn’t “loose too much” in this situation.
The unions at the French bank LCL called for a strike on November 22nd to change their working condition and to raise their salaries.
Demonstration and strike for the magistrates on November 29th.

Thanks very much to yuri gets radical for the awesome photo.

France changes its time!

Like every year, France is changing its time, meaning that on Sunday at 3am it will be in fact 2am.

Yes we gain 1 hour; which means 1 hour more to spend in the bed. Looks good that way, hu?

Make sure to change your alarm for Monday morning!

New findings on paintings Mona Lisa

For centuries, the "Mona Lisa" has beguiled art buffs unable to resist speculating on its origins and meaning. Now a French inventor claims to have some answers.
Parisian engineer Pascal Cotte says his ultra-detailed digital scans of the painting allow him to effectively burrow through layers of paint to "see" into the past of Leonardo Da Vinci's painting.
The world's most famous painting originally included both brows and lashes, according to Cotte, who says his 240-megapixel scans of the painting reveal traces of Mona Lisa's left brow, obliterated by long-ago restoration efforts.
"With just one photo you go deeper into the construction of the painting and understand that Leonardo was a genius," Cotte said at the U.S. debut of an exhibit detailing his findings.

Using sensors to detect light from both the visible spectrum and the infrared and ultraviolet ranges invisible to the human eye, Cotte said, his camera allowed him to make these and other findings:
• Da Vinci changed his mind about the position of two fingers on the subject's left hand.
• Her face was originally wider and the smile more expressive than Da Vinci ultimately painted them.
• She holds a blanket that has all but faded from view today.
Cotte said his analyses also revealed what he believes are the painting's colors as they looked on Da Vinci's easel.
Working with his 22-gigabyte digital photo, made using 13 different color filters rather than the typical three or four found in consumer-grade digital cameras, Cotte created a reproduction of the "Mona Lisa" with the light blues and brilliant whites he thinks represent the painting in its original form.
"For the next generation, we guarantee that forever you will have the true color of this painting," Cotte said.
Though some art historians have expressed skepticism about Cotte's findings, he hopes his technique can be used as a guide for future restoration work on not just the "Mona Lisa," but also on aging art treasures around the world.

Via Daily Herald

How to become a real Parisian

Parisians have a little je-ne-sais-quoi that you would die to know about? Would you kill to know what's their secret? Well, there won't be any blood splashed on this blog but some tips and advices to help you reach "your dream".
- You can learn French, it's easy with Mr. Frog with a Blog. If you haven't watch this video yet, you have to do it now because it's hillarious and not quite far from the truth. Mr. Frog does teach you how to speak French in 5min and 36secs.
- Now it's time for you to meet French people so you will be able to reproduce their accents, gestures, style and so on...basically what ever you can get. Of course, it isn't quite easy to meet Frenchies because you need to know the French doesn't like meeting new people, the French isn't very social and especially not toward foreigners. But lucky you, you have money so you can "buy yourself some French friends". Meeting The French is a site where you can organize a diner with Frenchies or have a commented tour of Paris with a French accent guide. Cool, hu?!
- On Paris Gourmet, you are taken for a Parisian - classical - tour: you will go to a flea market, prepare the meal with a French cook, eat it and then go for a shopping tour of designer's boutiques and fashion stores. I bet you will feel at least 40% French after that, won't you?
- You can also learn from others. For example, this article How to be a perfect Parisian girl. It passes by the XXL bag, the XXL sunglasses so nobody can see your eyes and you can keep that je-ne-sais-quoi style that makes you so unreachable. Because that's your point right?
Well, boys and girls I think you ready to become French. Just need to practise and don't be shy, French aren't, French are always proud to be French!
Now you are pretty close to the 100% French!
Bonne chance.

How to survive a strike in Paris

Strikes suck! Yes we all agree on it so let’s try to make the best out of the situation. Nobody is glad not to have its usual public transport in good condition but that’s the way it is so survive it and try to find a plan B for this day, which will allow the grumpy Parisians to grumble more!

Let me say that post is mostly dedicated to Parisians; even if the methods could probably applied to the city you live in.

- To have your eyes stuck to the RATP webpage because it is the only way you wille be enable to be informed in – almost real – time.

- Batobus rather made for tourists, Batobus is a little expensive: 12€ for 1 day and 8€ for the student, orange, integral, Emerald and Amethyst card holders (thus you!). Which ways do they follow? As its name suggests it, Batobus goes only on water (here thus the Seine) which limits the places you could go to. Here are the 7 stops: Eiffel Tower, Saint Germain des Près, Jardin des Plantes, Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Notre Dame, Hôtel de Ville and Champs-Elysées.

- Roller and roller again: well done to practice sport and it does not pollute! It will cost you 15€ or 10€ according to the supplier for one day; they also rent bicycles and tandems. The tandem is a kind of carpooling except you are on a bike.

- Velib': everyone loves Velib' but I doubt this new mean of transportation will be able to regulate all the traffic on this strike day. For sure, it won’t solve every Parisian’s problem because there are only 10 000 of them. Vélib' expects a massive activity today. Measures were taken to reinforce the device: the processing capacities of the call center will be increased and the JC Decaux teams (those which move the bicycles to balance them in the city) reinforced of almost 30%. And if not the electric bicycle exists too.

- Carpooling is good and luck you, there are sites which are there to help you. And yes Internet is also used to help and not only to do download illegal movies and music (I can hear my grandmother talking).

- To take the line 14 because it is the only one that is automated, therefore doesn’t need a person to run it, so Line 14 is never on strike. Try to walk a little bit more than usually to catch this line. And I have to say, that line is much cleaner and faster than the other ones.

- Your feet: this mean of transportation is not expensive (can I say free?), it is true that it tears up your shoes and is also annoying (for some of us) but it has also the benefit to put you in contact with your environment (exhaust) and to discover your city from a different angle.

- Segway: well it costs 65€ for one day so make sure you tried all the other choices before picking this one.

- UrbanCab: a sort of taxi opened and respectful of the planet. One can hail it in the street or book it in advance. There are only 7 of them in Paris so on your mark, get set, go!

Thanks to Wes(gathering in light) for the photo

The French and The Food....a real love story

Have you ever noticed how food is important in French movies? It actually is. Probably because French gastronomy has a strong reputation worldwide.
Anyway I have to say, French food is damn good!
So here is a selection of few French food-oriented movies. Tell me if I forgot your favourite one.

- Crème brulée in Amélie
This movie has won every award possible French awards and it’s quite hard to find someone who doesn’t like Amélie. No wonder why! There is a classic scene where Amelie cracks with a back of a spoon, her crème brulee. Japanese girls still reproduce this action when they go to Les Deux Moulins, the café where the main character works.
The creme brulee is first attested in France, in Massialot's cookbook, in 1691. The French name was used in the English translation of this book, but in the early 18th century, it was called "burnt cream" in English. Whether it comes from France, England or Spain (called Crema Catalana) is unclear. (wikipedia.org)
Recipe of the Creme Brulee

- Ratatouille
The movie was a hit; it tells the story of Remy a rat living in Paris who wants to be a chef.
The word Ratatouille comes from "touiller," which means to toss food. Ratatouille originated in the area around present day Nice. It was, originally, a poor farmer's dish, prepared in the summer with fresh summer vegetables. The original Ratatouille Niçoise did not contain eggplant (which would not have been available during the same time period as the other vegetables used). Instead, it used only zucchini, tomatoes, green and red, onion, and garlic. The dish known today as Ratatouille adds eggplant to that mixture. (wikipedia.org)
Recipe for the ultimate ratatouille

- Chocolat
The movie tells the story of a young mother who arrives at a French village with her six-year-old daughter and opens La Chocolaterie Maya, a small chocolaterie. Her chocolate quickly begins to change the lives of the townspeople.
The word "chocolate" comes from the Aztecs of Mexico. The Aztecs associated chocolate with the goddess of fertility. Chocolate has been used solely as a drink for nearly all of its history. The chocolate residue found in an early classic ancient Maya pot suggests that Mayans were drinking chocolate around 400 A.D. roughly two-thirds of the entire world's cocoa is produced in Western Africa, with close to half of the total sourced from Côte d'Ivoire. (wikipedia.org)

- The Dinner Game
This movie is hilarious. Plot? A famous Parisian publisher, attends a weekly "idiots' dinner", where guests, who are prominent Parisian businessmen (and therefore, it is implied, intelligent), must each bring along an "idiot" whom the other invitees can tease. At the end of the dinner, the evening's champion idiot is selected. (wikipedia.org)
There isn’t anything specific to food in the movie but the whole story is axed around this dinner which will never happen anyway, at least not in the original terms.

Where to french-kiss in Paris?

“A French kiss, tongue kiss, pash, snog or deep kiss is a romantic or sexual kiss in which one participant's tongue touches the other's tongue (or lips) and usually enters his/her mouth.” Definition from Wikipedia.org.

So let's get to the point, I know you are all waiting for that!
-> On the top of the Eiffel Tower. For those who have been on the 3rd or even the 2nd floor, you know it’s very very windy! So while your hair is coming on your face and your guy will feel he’s kissing Chewbacca.
->In a traditional French café, you know where the “garcon” (waiter) is so nice and helpful. There, the air is so smoky; you would have to hold your breath for few minutes? Would you be able to?
->On December 31st - like everyone does at the end of the year - thousands of people go to the Champs-Elysees to kiss and celebrate this New Year. All the cars are horning and it’s much crowed but if you are shy, that would be a good start to learn how to kiss in public.
->Georges Brassens would probably recommend “to kiss on public bench”, just like in his famous song “Les Amoureux des Bancs Publics”.
->On the top of Notre Dame Cathedral. After walking up the stairs for 343 meters, you will probably feel like drinking water than kissing but who cares? Take a deep breath and do your job! You didn’t risk your life to blow this moment away?! Be careful, a gargoyle might be watching you.

Africa in Paris

Paris is very cosmopolitan, you could find noodles like if you were in China, eat a delicious tajine like if you were in Marrakesh, or have your hair done in African style and this is what we are interested in today.

For the price of a metro ticket (1,50€) you would feel like Dakar and Bamako were around the corner.
- Musée National des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie 75012 Paris -> Built for the Coloniale Exposition in 1931, this museum/palace was supposed to gather things from the different French colonies. Now-a-days it has become an important place for the African Art. The masks and statues are very impressive to the visitor. (source)
- Metro station Chateau-Rouge-> Every day, the most amazing market takes place there. Sunday is the busiest day. Here, bananas are huge and vegetables look like nothing you know. You'll also see fish you cannot find anywhere else like the sompate and the machoiron from Sénégal, or small sharks. Rue des Poissonniers, you'll find grocers from the West Indies and Africa, not fish mongers. Ask and you will be told how to prepare the macabo from Cameroon. (source)
- African hair dresser-> Go to Chateau d'Eau metro station which is sometimes called the "Black Champs-Elysees". African coiffure has been quite hype these past years in France and it's easy to find one of the many salons in Paris. You will see guys in front of the salons, trying to have you enter the shop and have your hair done. (source)

If you know more addresses, do not hesitate to tell me.

Paris makes Japanese people sick

Have you ever heard of the « Paris Syndrome »? Paris damages Japanese people!
Japanese have an ideal opinion about the capital of France, trough movies like “Amelie Poulain” or “Paris je t’aime”. Once they arrive in Paris, they disenchant.
A psychiatrist, Hiroaki Ota, is specialized at Hopital Saint-Anne for this type of “disease”. A hospitalization or repatriation is sometimes necessary.
It is less about the language (even if it counts) than the how the French people, and especially the Parisian, behave and their culture. It’s a complete difference from what they see in movies and the reality.
Individualism, humour, eagerness, rudeness are the main causes of this syndrome.
The cure? Well no meds have been found, so far, to cure French people from being what they are, so Japanese have to resign to being in a beautiful country with not so “beautiful people”.
The strange thing is, it doesn’t happen in any other country in Europe, only in Paris. That shouldn’t be a thing we should be proud about.
We should definitely make an effort of being nice and helpful to tourists because it's better to be known for something good than bad, right?

Thanks to Viriginie L. for the picture.

Everything you want to know about Parisian savoir-faire

Paris Convention and Visitors Office enables you to meet real Parisian.
If you are intrigued to learn more about this savoir-faire and chat with Parisians about their professional activities and discover their place of work, then this programme of visits is for you. You will learn from the Parisians themselves the know-how of bookbinding, picture framing, carving and the fine leather craft.
Go on this website to check the dates and times of the year and the activities available.

Source: HERE
Thanks to Harvest_Lights for the photo