Actually the most popular sports in order of number of people practicing it AND people going to the matches/watching on TV are in that order for the top 4 : -Soccer -Rugby -Judo -Tennis Actually tennis used to be number 3 by the way but Judo grew in popularity real quick with ladies so Tennis lost traction. And with the Tokyo Olympics wins on the ladies side ... I think Judo will stay number 3 for a while Sincerely a Judo boy a bit miffed about Judo being left out of the video :P Still great video though
As a European kid that lived in the USA during high school, I remember being extremely disappointed by USA birthday cakes because despite the looks they all would taste the same, pretty much like a mouthful of sugar and vanilla, while the cake tradition in Europe is huge and varied. Sorry but I buy cakes to eat, not to look at. If it looks nice the married but it gotta taste great before :D
Also illegal in Canada. OTC items are allowed, but not prescription drugs. It’s always weird to me, when I see advertisements for hospitals when I am the US.
@Bill LaBrie prescription medicine should always be determined by a doctor, not a layman. Commercials advertising the latest trend (and possible kickbacks) doesn’t have the consumers best interest. And just for the record, not only am I vaccinated but I’ve also had my booster (as per my doctor’s recommendation, not mine).
While sitting in a waiting room somewhere, before I left the US, I remember seeing an ad for some prescription drug, immediately followed by another commercial from a law office that was suing on behalf of patients injured by that very drug. I am not making this up.
Yes, that's the way the US system works. They pushed out vioxx which killed people, yet RU486 was held up for years but had already been proven in Europe. Just look at the nonsense going on now. It's scary.
Because Americans are so messed up they’re all on anti depressants and eat so un healthy they need meds. Here where I live, there’s a fast food chain on every intersection😬 very detrimental to one’s health
Screens in windows! We spent the first month in France living in an Apart'City, a hotel option for long-term stay that has a small kitchenette. We were accompanied by our two cats and Cairn terrier. No screens = having to knock on neighboring door to ask if our cat was within. Yes, he was. We moved into an apartment with a balcony. One day I couldn't find the same cat. After a frantic look throughout the small apartment, I looked over the small wall that separated our balcony from the neighbor's. There he was, curled up comfortably on their porch chair. He had no sense of boundaries, that cat.
I'm a Mexican-American who grew up in Mexico and currently lives in the USA. I also lived briefly in Italy. I've only stopped in a few French cities: Nice, Nimes, Montpellier and Cannes, in my way from Italy to Spain and back to Italy. I like your videos because I love to learn about different countries. We have window screens in Mexico too, so it drove me absolutely nuts they didn't have them in Italy. I totally feel your pain!!! Now, regarding the advertisement for medication, I think that should be illegal. Hugs from Northern California!!!
I am from Czech Republic and after watching this video, I feel even more to be European because all of you said that it is in France is in our country too. I would say that screens on windows are very common, but not as in US because of clima.
I hadn’t noticed the lack of deli cold cuts, but something we miss in France is boxed chicken broth. It’s common in the US of course, but also in Spain, where we lived before France. (Deli cold cuts can be found in both, too!)
The missing cold cuts is probably because that's a far bigger thing in germannic cultures, and that's where the US imported it from, walk into a butchers in Germany, or Denmark for example and you'll have a wide variety, on top of a far more massive amount of choices in the section with ready packaged ones.
*9:55** I've been to LA in sept 19 and there was a window screen for each windows. It was like another window we could open but with a net, instead of glass. First time I saw this but I really appreciated!!!! It's cool, you can sleep with open windows during the night, without A/C! We really should have this in France!!!*
They are called fly screens in Australia & in modern times security screens, these are tougher fly screens making break ins harder. They are not an extra window to open though they are set/fixed over the whole window. We also have fly screen doors. In Sydney for example you still have old houses with no screens.
Au Québec non plus, il n'y a pratiquement pas de pubs sur les médicaments ou de poursuites légales. La première fois que j'ai vu fois que j'ai vu cela aux USA, je trouvais que c'était le reflet d'une société dysfonctionnelle car trop axé sur l'argent.
I spent the summer in Cannes and Antibes last year and both my French partner and my friend in Antibes had screens. That wasn’t the case years ago but it is now.
About screens, many areas of the US have fought Yellow Fever which was curtailed in part by using screens to keep mosquitoes out. France does not seem to have had that problem.
Thanks for this good information, Diane! I’m a fairly frequent French traveler, and I’ve learned these things you listed today while visiting and staying in Airbnb apartments over the years. You’re so helpful!! The issue I had to deal with on my last visit was a kidney stone while staying for a week in Tours! I was assisted by a stranger passing through my courtyard while I was seeking help, calling out “alarme s'il vous plait!!” A complete stranger helped me call an ambulance to get me to a hospital for treatment! Can you please advise us on what to do if we need emergency medical attention?
SO glad a stranger was able to help, Andrea. So scary to have to get medical care while traveling. Hope it worked out OK. I have a few videos on doctors in France you might find helpful for the ins and outs of what to expect here, but for a straight up emergency, dial 112 (it's like 911). For a non-urgent issue, head to any pharmacy and they can advise you on what action to take and they can help find an on-call doctor. After hours, in most areas, the ER is going to be your best option unless in a major city where SOS Medecins operations (just google them, a network of doctors who make house calls at all hours). There are also on call pharmacies (usually one in each town, la pharmacie de garde) which are open 24 hours if you need medication during the night. Hope that helps!
Bonjour Andrea. I had to go to the hospital and stay overnight for severe abdominal pains when I lived in France. This happened at work, so my friends took care of me. They arranged for the ambulance to come get me. I don't remember much until the next morning. This was 20 years ago. 🤒🤕😮💨🚑🏥
for those saying "learn the emergency number", 911 work in Europe, it will re direct to 112 and usually if you call from a non english speaking country the operator will get that you are from america and speak english (most of the time at least, when they actually read the screen).
I find all your vids most informative on US customs compared to French ones. As a French person that wants to emigrate to the US, that's helpful indeed. Keep up the good work !
@@jr8260 Several reasons : 1) the EU is doomed economically. GDP is transformed energy and we cut ourselves from our main energy supplier, Russia, with stupid sanctions. We don't see it for the moment but it's gonna hit hard in a few months with all the companies that will fold, meaning more mass unemployment. Besides, France and the EU are ruled by a bunch of goons, both crazy and evil. 2) France and the EU are turning into a tyranny. The covid period showed it. Macron is a psychopath leading our country to the brink of war with a major power while grovelling in front of markets, the ECB and Big Banks. 3) The euro is a disaster and the governements in the Eurozone know it. That leads them to hyperinflation. They will try to save the day by robbing us of our properties. 4) The EU is the place where all the globalists are on their way to the evil policies of the WEF. Macron is one of Schwab's stooges, along with the guy that will replace him in France sooner or later. I'm fed up with them goons ! 5) I love my country but I love freedom even more. Enough said. Unfortunately, French people don't love freedom any more. So sad for a great people. 6) I need to work so I have to emigrate to a country where I can work. I'm not the kind to live off public charity. I'm not this kind of person, I want to be a useful member of society. 7) I've always been attracted to the US. Affinity I guess. A strong affinity ! These are the main motives for my emigration to the US. Sorry if it's a long reply but it's okay to reply to you. Why did you ask by the way ?😄 Are you from the US ?
Birthday cakes in France are not that popular because they taste nothing. I've had the experience of eating some in Canada. Under the thick layer of icing (that I take off) hides a bland cake. The icing in particular is full of sugar. These cakes are just to be eaten with the eyes.
@@OuiInFrance I posted a comment very similar to Pascal's :) Obviously if you pay for a better quality cake in the US from a bakery it should be very good; but you mentioned supermarket birthday cakes - the kind that companies buy to celebrate employees' birthdays - and those are definitely not the best quality... at least they weren't when I lived in Boston 20 years ago :)
@@OuiInFrance You're welcome! My kids love watching your videos, Diana. They especially love the walkabouts in the different stores. They like learning about differnt countries, cultures and food 🥰🥰
Hi, Diane! Love your videos! I'm surprised to hear that window screens are not used in France. I live in Milan, Italy, and almost everyone I know has screens. They are not the same as the ones I had in the US, though. Our screens can be rolled open or shut, which make them more versatile (I roll them up in winter, when there are no bugs, so I get more light into the apartment). These screens are not DIY: installing them is a pro job done my craftspeople who specialise in windows
In France mosquitoes are the only thing people want to protect against. So mosquitoes screens are only setup in location where you have them. Each time I went to Italy I never had screens on the window of our rented house. And I remember couple of times I spent part of the night fighting against mosquitoes. Did not had electrical zapper with me 😢
Interesting video as always. No long ago I saw a Mylan ad on TV in France, I was super surprised. But haven’t seen it in a long time. Which I am glad. Last time I went to the US I was very annoyed by the pharmaceutical ads.
Window screen are called Moustiquaire. It is quite common in humid areas (near lakes or at the see side). People have them usually as rollers so it perfectly fit and you can open and close at will. You can find this in bricolage stores like Leroy Merlin or Castorama. About bank safe, older people used to have a safe at the bank but with dematerialized assets people do not have much of them. They usually store them at their house (personal safe or a cache).
I seem to recall that you can buy garlic sausage, and salami from the supermarket deli for sandwiches in France and you can ask for the staff to slice it for you. I did like in the US that you could choose your meat off the deli and get it made up into a sub or sandwich. The quality of the meat wasn't that great in the US and they tended to add too much sauce and mustard.
Bonjour ! J’adore vos vidéos qui me font bcp de biens….vous communiquez très bien vos observations très pertinentes! J’ai vécu des expériences similaires dans l’autre sens, puisque je suis française émigrée en Amérique du Nord depuis plus de 25ans…😬. Merci et bonne continuation!
Hey ! Just wanted to mention that secret Santa gift exchanges are now quite common among young people, at least in Paris (we call it "Père Noël canadien", and I've noticed they've been popular since 2012-14, I'd say) : whether it be the whole class ("collège", highschool or university) or just among close friends. As for screens on windows, I tend to think they obstruct the view ... Thanks for the video and have a nice day
J'espère que non... Déjà que les USA ont réussi à nous exporter Halloween, avec grande difficulté heureusement, mais l'aval des commerçants a eu raison des résistances 🙄
I didn't realise that pharmaceutical ads were legal in NZ. It's definitely not something that gets advertised on tv, past things like over the counter pain relief. We have the same mindset as France where it's the doctor's job to prescribe you and I don't think they'd be that happy if you suggested which medicine you needed.
Years ago we visited my brother, who was living in Paris. Part of the vacation was driving down to Perigeaux where brother's wife's sister hosted a birthday party for my mom. The dessert was a magnificent croquembouche, which just stupefied my mother and me. Most fabulous birthday cake ever!
Bonjour Dianne, I'm in culinary school right now learning my 2nd career. I really want to make a croquembouche in Baking and Pastry next year. I watched a video and it took about 7 hours to make from scratch. I look forward to this endeavor. 👨🏻🍳💪🏻🥄🍽☕️
New Zealand has a large number of utes (pick up trucks) on the road, used by tradies for moving work gear, but also used for the weekend escape, with camping gear in the back, or the boat being hauled behind. Vans are also very common with Toyota Hiace being the most popular by a distance.
À propos des publicités pour les médicaments, vous dites que le médecin ne peut pas connaître tous les médicaments en vente sur le marché. C’est une erreur. Tous les médecins ont sur leur bureau le dictionnaire officiel VIDAL qui répertorie TOUS les médicaments officiellement en vente en France. Ils s’en servent aussi pour vérifier une posologie ou un mode d’administration (comprimés effervescents ou sirop ou gélules, etc.).
Oui, ce que je voulais dire dans la vidéo c'est que les médecins ne connaissent pas forcément tous les médicaments, leurs posologies et leurs effets secondaires par cœur. Donc en effet ils ont de la documentation pour les aider (normalement au moins le Vidal).
There are indeed less and less deposit boxes available in french banks .Same in Germany where I live. And honestly, it sucks. It would be great to have to keep documents (diplomas, administration stuff,etc) safe.
Bonjour. A propos des moustiquaires, vous vivez en Loire Atlantique, il est normal qu'il y en ait peu. Je suis Breton et n'en ai jamais vu en Bretagne. Ayant vécu plus de 20 ans en PACA, je vous certifie que vous en trouverez partout. Vous devez y vivre fenêtres ouvertes en été avec les moustiques, guêpes, chenilles processionnaires voir scorpions. Donc, et en absence de clim, vous posez des moustiquaires partout. Vous en trouverez dans tous les magasins de bricolage. Cordialement.
Il y en a de plus en plus au nord, en Ile de France nous sommes envahis de chenilles processionnaires et il commence à y avoir des moustiques tigres. J'étais en Bretagne dans ma famille cet été, il y avait aussi des nuées de moustiques par endroit. Et là je suis à Lyon depuis quelques mois, c'est infesté comme jamais de moustiques tigres, 40 piqures sur les jambes malgré une utilisation de répulsif. Les gens se ruent sur les moustiquaires.
Hi Diane. Love your vlogs. We live in SW France and have fitted DIY mosquito nets to our windows. They have Velcro and can be cut to any size. Amazon (not sponsored!) do a range of different priced one's. They do work and, are handy on inward opening windows, and you can wash them too. Bisou bisou x
Thank you Jane! Yes I've seen the kits and even tried one but they don't seem to work very well on the windows in my house the bugs come in through the gaps.
Hi. I really love your vidéos. I'm french and i would like to thank U for your vidéos. I improve my understanding of american. You're so right and fun. Thanks a lot. bye
En fait dans le nord de la France on mange aussi salé le matin : café et fromage, le plus souvent. Les gens tendent plus vers le sucré c'est vrai, mais ''traditionellement'' c'était plus du salé
I can't imagine not having window screens, especially in areas that do not generally have air conditioning. To have open windows for a breeze or general climate control, but then having to deal with flies and other bugs flying into the home, getting on food etc......ick.
it actually depends where you look for window screen tho, in more rural area it's a bit more common, like i have window screen at my father's house (in a village)... but in cities there is much less bugs coming at you so ppl don't bother i guess...
I had combination security/fly screens on my property when I purchased it. Then I replaced the original single glazing with double glazing the screens were removed as part of the original joinery. To have new screens installed was going to cost as much as the new glazing and joinery had. We now just use plug in insect repellents for the couple of months where insects are a problem.
In bordeaux we used to go to the irish and british pubs at the weekend for fried breakfast. Also brunch places have become really popular in france now...eggs benedict etc
Hi there, glad you enjoyed it. I don't have a video with that exact title but I've covered some of the things in these videos you might enjoy: Normal French things that would never work in the USA: ua-cam.com/video/LeqerWvQ5DY/v-deo.html Things I'd never seen until I moved to France: ua-cam.com/video/tP7jDIcFoY4/v-deo.html 23 Little differences about life in France: ua-cam.com/video/CfwFzwSr-h4/v-deo.html Things I can do in France but NOT the USA: ua-cam.com/video/gV_SQufj4q8/v-deo.html
What i liked about the pharmacy in france is that they would recommend the cheaper generic drug over the brand one...in ireland it was not a choice but it is now being forced to be an option to have a generic prescription drug
Same in Australia they will offer a cheaper version or I might ask for the cheapest. It is interesting people are sucked into a drug brand the chemical is exactly the same you can't make it different! Though some drugs may have added binders which is where the " whole" medication may differ. The price difference can be amazing in Coles for example one of the large supermarkets in Australia, their home brand paracetamol ( called Acetaminophen in US) say pkt of 20 tabs be under $1-2 to trade name Panadol pay $3-6 depending how fancy you want them ie tablet, capsule, liquid capsule. Drugs are not like food the chemical is the chemical so people are naive and sucked into marketing.
I was surprised hearing your "no deli meat" discussion. Maybe it was because most of our breakfasts were at our hotels, but every breakfast we had in Normandy and in Paris offered two or three meats and about 4 different cheeses (and baguettes) and about ½ of the boulangeries we shopped at offered "jambon, beurre and emmental" sandwiches. Of course we also were offered jam for various bread options and always butter. No mayo and seldom mustard, but always butter, butter, and butter.
When we were there we walked to the boulangerie every morning. We would pick up some pastries and a baguette. The baguette was used to make sandwiches for lunch. It was my favorite part of the day. My brother and I left the kids and the wife and took our morning walk together.
There are always cold meat, sausages and eggs and cheese in hotel or restaurant / café breakfast in France. You totally can eat that for breakfast. The majority of French people would go with the (not too) sugary options but, saying it's not something which exists in France is indeed wrong.
Ads for lawyers are illegal. As for drugs, doctors have Vidal that is updates every year and allows them to find the adequate treatment for you. We don't have all the deli stuff you do because we don't have a sandwich culture like the US. When we eat a sandwich, it comes from the bakery and most companies have a canteen or ticket restaurant and all schools have a canteen so kids don't carry their lunch to school.
I would add that if I remember correctly there are limits to the amount of money you can earn by suing. So nobody will make millions of euros suing for malpractice. My understanding is that often in the us this type of lawyers get the percentage of what their client earn if they win the lawsuit. I believe this practice doesn't exist in France.
Hello, well done. What I want to add, is when you pay in France with a 50 € bill, they check it's not a false, because it's suspiscious to have in Fr so much cash....crazy but real . 😵
Not because of this. Just because there are a lot of false bills... From, 20€ and 50€! They are not "crazy", they don't print fake bills of 200 or 500€ as you can't pay with in most of the stores. 😁 That's why they do such counterfeit 😋
I've had stores check even a 20 € bill... not often, but it's happened. I see fewer and fewer people pay cash for anything though, even for small amounts people tend to use credit cards these days
Even if it is not common, you can find Secret Santa at work or at school in France. I think the French denomination for it is " un Noël canadien" (litt: a Canadian Christmas)
I never got people owning pickup trucks just to pretend they're cool. My dad owns a pickup truck but that's for functional purposes. We live in a very isolated suburban area and he's always doing building projects for various things he's decided to add on. Building a sauna or wood shed, or subdividing our basement into rooms. And all of this stuff requires a significant amount of materials so the big truck is to avoid having to make a lot of trips to get what we need.
Oh yeah, the cakes. In general, French people don't really like very colorful food, I think we perceive it was too "artificial-looking" or "chemical". Of course, all cakes are artificial and all things are chemical (technically), but I think you will understand what I mean here. Bright food coloring may even cause disgust or recoil at first glance! (Though I don't think anyone would pass up the opportunity to eat cake... so don't worry too much about it haha) As for trucks, I think the main reason is just how small cities and streets are, if you compare them to the US. You /could/ have a truck... but where will you park it?? If you live in an urban area, you're toast. And if you live in the countryside, you can't visit the nearest big town with it, because you won't be able to park anywhere convenient. Christmas is indeed a family thing. Secret Santas are only common among young people (and we borrow the English wording). Celebrating xmas with friends rarely occurs but it may, in which case the friend group is most likely so tight-knit that they consider each other to be family if not closer. Otherwise, Secret Santas might happen in youthful grouped settings, like boarding school or clubs! It's the kids bringing it in for sure. I've rarely seen an adult group do it. At work, the boss might bring chocolates for the team (and teachers sometimes do so for students, too).
Weirdly the only place I have encountered 100€ note was from an Austrian cash machine where it seemed more common to see 100€ notes. In Germany like France it is exceedingly rare to see anything higher than 50€
I wouldn't be completely surprised if ATM in some posh parts of Paris and its suburbs delivered 100€ notes. I once withdrew 120€ at an ATM in Neuilly and was surprised to end up with 2 × 50€ + 1 × 20€ instead of the 6 × 20€, or even 5 × 20€ + 2 × 10€, I would have gotten in other parts of France.
@@j-yjyh8521 it's really depending the ATM machine. Most of them give you 20€. But very often you can choose. The ATM screen give you some option : "mostly 20 or mostly 50" for example 😉
@@jean-michelgaiffe3834 Exactly, they give you the option - personally I never opt for bigger denominations unless I have to make a cash payment, but otherwise I know I'll have a hard time obtaining change without annoying the business owner :)
It used to be the same in the US with regard to pharma ads on TV! I think that started in the 90s maybe. Before that it was illegal to advertise pharma drugs direct to consumer. (OTC drugs were fine of course, there were tons of ads for aspirin and acid stomach medicine on TV, just not prescription drugs.)
Nice videos, and nice to see all thoses differences we might have with USA, when all of theses always seems so normal to us when living all our lives with it ! About the lawyer advertising : as much as for prescription drugs, it's illegal. A lawyer is there do allow you to get you rights recognised, not to earn money. There's actually a huge difference on the system : sure you can sue anyone for injury or something, but that won't bring you money. If it does, it won't ever get you rich, it's just going to be a compensation : we are all already covered by personal insurances (mandatory). Sueing in France is here to make the justice recognized your rights, and to force the one you sue to follow/recognised it (or whatever, depends the context for sure). If it does bring you money, it's a compensation. But the most important is to condemn the other part, who will have an additional fine, and a sentence.
Getting injured by someone else in the US is like winning the lottery. Even the smallest injuries will get you a huge settlement, in many cases the dependent will settle without even going to trial. It's all about the money. 💵
On medical adverts: I work with people on PrEP, and yes, they had to educate their own doctors about available drugs. Now, that might reflect more on the medical profession than drug advertising, but the advising has educated a lot of young folk about PrEP.
I'm French (and yes, I can be french, live in France, and watch Oui In France, I really appreciate it, thank you Diane), and I 100% agree with all of them. My two cents for a few, if I may : - we actually know window screen, we call them "moustiquaire" (which could be translated something like "against mosquito") even though they are uncommon, and except if you live in the middle of a swamp they tend to be considered no more than a fancy bonus. They can be bought in many different sizes and have evolved very recently, so they should be available in many tool shops - Cash is much less used in France than in the US so if where you need to pay is a shop, consider paying with a mastercard or a visa. American Express is not always accepted. Cash will almost always be accepted but if you pay using big bills (like a fifty to pay a few euros) you will be asked more or less politely to use something much closer to the real price and in some situations your money may be refused (and yes, it's perfectly legal) - Secret Santa has been practiced in France for at least a few years now, even though it's not a common thing and can be mostly known in startups or international companies. And if you are in the countryside, just forget about it, nobody should have any idea of what you're talking about. And just for the cultural shot, Halloween has really arrived in France around the 90s, after a few decades of american movies and series (mostly them I guess) showing skeleton costumes and false vampire teeth. It's now commonly accepted but is still not something that absolutly every French kid does. Secret Santa being much less visible, I guess it will take a few decades more to be a common practice here. - you can find bakeries that will decorate your birthday cakes with many forms and colours. It's considered an additional service and many bakeries won't do it, but if you try a few ones you should be quickly lucky enough after a few tries, especialy close to big cities. Just keep in mind that it's considered a special product for you so you will very often be asked for what forms and colour you want and it might make the price reach the sky... Happy trip (or settling ?) in France, and remember to speak slowly if you try to use English in France, most people know a few words but outside of touristic places or international companies very few French are fluent in English.
Well, moustiquaires do exist here, but they aren't common, and the windows aren't equipped to easily have them set in, so they usually have to be installed separately , and I swear I've heard French people say they look ugly. But man, I'd rather have function over form any day when it comes to bug screens. I feel like the mosquitos here in France have a different venom or something, they hurt me more than itch, and I actually can't sleep at night if I get any, and I always have some hydrocortisone next to my bed just in case
More and more bank branches are closed so less deposit boxes available, and the branches still open are are only acessible on certain hours or on appointment. I guess this is going on in the whole of Europe. France is known for it’s good food but for a belgian on holiday like myself it can disappoint in the products available even in the biggest supermarkets. I have no problem finding birthday cakes, my baker makes delicious birthday cakes on order. A bit pricy though, like 25 euro ish
In france there is personal insurance so hence no personal injury law suit. To join any club in france you need to show you have your own personal insurance in case you have an accident...or even to go to work i had to show i was insured in the university
Screens-I love french doors & windows. I've always wondered if bugs & mosquitoes were as prevalent in France because no screens! 🤔 Thanks for addressing the lack of screens😊!
The first thing we did when we moved to France was have screens installed! Custom made out of necessity, due to the weird window sizes. The Villagers where dismayed of course, but we were not going to have bugs. We thought when we moved here that those beads hanging on doorways were decorative. Ha! They are for the damn flys. RE deli meats. Who in the US would ever go to a store and buy a package of 4 thin slices of ham, or buy crustless bread which is the norm?
I don't know about France, but here in the U.S. buying lunch meat for myself is done by asking for a specific number of slices & thickness, same with deli chz. I usually order about 4 slices of each as I am single, and lunch meat only lasts for about 4 days before (even with refrigeration) it is unsafe to eat. I also ask the meat counter for their waxed butcher paper & ask the deli to wrap my order in that paper because my deli only wants to put your selection in a single use plastic bag. I mostly stopped eating deli products because of all the plastic packaging before its even sliced. Plastic is bad for the environment.
French breakfast came from the national bread culture, with butter and/or jam, and café au lait. Now it has changed in something more international but also more sweet food, as can be seen in supermarkets bakery aisles.
Hi Anthony. 👋🏻 I live in Texas and I drive a pickup truck 🛻 and I don't deliver. This is COMPLETELY 💯 common, typical, and normal in all parts of my state. It is just our culture. We'd rather drive pickups. We are still a ranch and farm state, massively so.
Great videos, and informative to this ex-pat Brit as well as our fellow Americans. Not only do the French use pick-ups for what they were designed for, they absolutely LOVE trailers! Nearly everyone around us has one, including me! xx
I used to have the mosquito plug in france that i plugged in summer time and it means the mosquitos dont come in....or outside we use citronella candles.
I agree with the deli bit. Though I've never been to the USA, I've once had a sandwich in Lyon with big fresh chunks of ham and it was the most delicious sandwich ever.
Windows screen it’s depends where … in french Caribbean islands it’s common. If you need some you can find it easily in Leroy Merlin or ManoMano or Castorama … Charcuterie can be cut in boucherie just ask … for cheese it’s different. Ham is sliced on demand. Santa secret become more and more famous for Christmas in company.
But it's shoving that the owner doesn't have culture matching his wealth status. In short, he has some money but doesn't know how to spend it in a clever way. "Nouveau riche".
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Actually the most popular sports in order of number of people practicing it AND people going to the matches/watching on TV are in that order for the top 4 :
-Soccer
-Rugby
-Judo
-Tennis
Actually tennis used to be number 3 by the way but Judo grew in popularity real quick with ladies so Tennis lost traction.
And with the Tokyo Olympics wins on the ladies side ... I think Judo will stay number 3 for a while
Sincerely a Judo boy a bit miffed about Judo being left out of the video :P
Still great video though
As a European kid that lived in the USA during high school, I remember being extremely disappointed by USA birthday cakes because despite the looks they all would taste the same, pretty much like a mouthful of sugar and vanilla, while the cake tradition in Europe is huge and varied.
Sorry but I buy cakes to eat, not to look at. If it looks nice the married but it gotta taste great before :D
Yeah, those american cakes are a disgrace compared to french ones when it comes to taste.
French person who lived in the us for 2 years here : absolutely, you said it all.
Forêt noir is a good looking and tasting cake
No cakes in the US; just flavored sponges coated with colored sugar.
@@annaharcoz5401 I would not call plastic cakes photogenic either…
12:30 In France, Christmas is a "familly only" event. You'll party with your friends at new year eve one week after ;) .
@@annaharcoz5401 Yes but it's the exception, not the rule...
I wish pharmaceutical ads were illegal in the US!
isn't it so tiring?! and drug ads...
Also illegal in Canada. OTC items are allowed, but not prescription drugs.
It’s always weird to me, when I see advertisements for hospitals when I am the US.
Gotta check, but I think this makes you an “anti-vaxxer” by the latest definition….
@@edwhlam in Australia only non prescription medicine (NPM) are advertised basic health stuff. You can also buy them in supermarkets some of the NPM
@Bill LaBrie prescription medicine should always be determined by a doctor, not a layman. Commercials advertising the latest trend (and possible kickbacks) doesn’t have the consumers best interest. And just for the record, not only am I vaccinated but I’ve also had my booster (as per my doctor’s recommendation, not mine).
While sitting in a waiting room somewhere, before I left the US, I remember seeing an ad for some prescription drug, immediately followed by another commercial from a law office that was suing on behalf of patients injured by that very drug. I am not making this up.
funny and ironic.
@@emileduvernois6680 And practical
Yes, that's the way the US system works. They pushed out vioxx which killed people, yet RU486 was held up for years but had already been proven in Europe. Just look at the nonsense going on now. It's scary.
The idea of advertisements for prescription medication is absolutely mind blowing to me!
Really does seem nuts when you think about it! The side effects list gets me every time.
@@OuiInFrance They always give you diarrhea :)
Because Americans are so messed up they’re all on anti depressants and eat so un healthy they need meds. Here where I live, there’s a fast food chain on every intersection😬 very detrimental to one’s health
Americans are one enormous unsupervised long term study in the use of anti-depressants.
Mind blowing to me, too, and I'm American.
In Italy we have medication ads, only for over the counter medication, as for headaches or flu, or menstrual pains, that kind of things.
So do we in France actually. Only non-invasive things though
same in UK
Screens in windows! We spent the first month in France living in an Apart'City, a hotel option for long-term stay that has a small kitchenette. We were accompanied by our two cats and Cairn terrier. No screens = having to knock on neighboring door to ask if our cat was within. Yes, he was. We moved into an apartment with a balcony. One day I couldn't find the same cat. After a frantic look throughout the small apartment, I looked over the small wall that separated our balcony from the neighbor's. There he was, curled up comfortably on their porch chair. He had no sense of boundaries, that cat.
Cats have very strict boundaries. They just don't coincide with ours.
Yes please come take it back , its been 3 years and your cat is still here ;)
There was once a time when we had neither personal injury lawyer or pharmaceutical ads on tv here in the U.S. I wish we’d go back to that.
I'm a Mexican-American who grew up in Mexico and currently lives in the USA. I also lived briefly in Italy. I've only stopped in a few French cities: Nice, Nimes, Montpellier and Cannes, in my way from Italy to Spain and back to Italy. I like your videos because I love to learn about different countries. We have window screens in Mexico too, so it drove me absolutely nuts they didn't have them in Italy. I totally feel your pain!!! Now, regarding the advertisement for medication, I think that should be illegal. Hugs from Northern California!!!
I am from Czech Republic and after watching this video, I feel even more to be European because all of you said that it is in France is in our country too. I would say that screens on windows are very common, but not as in US because of clima.
First thing I did when I moved to Paris, I bought screens for all of my windows. haha.
Solid move!
I hadn’t noticed the lack of deli cold cuts, but something we miss in France is boxed chicken broth. It’s common in the US of course, but also in Spain, where we lived before France. (Deli cold cuts can be found in both, too!)
The French are missing out. Watching baseball on TV is the easiest way to fall asleep. You will never need another sleeping pill.
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 Agree! Not my favorite sport either!!!
I love a live baseball game, but never watch it on TV. The focus is too narrow on TV and you miss so much of the game play.
Watching golf is pretty soporific, too.
@@marinaab7276 Au contraire; that's why I like baseball!
I've never understood the rules
The missing cold cuts is probably because that's a far bigger thing in germannic cultures, and that's where the US imported it from, walk into a butchers in Germany, or Denmark for example and you'll have a wide variety, on top of a far more massive amount of choices in the section with ready packaged ones.
Can confirm it's a big thing in the UK too. Even in the fresh meat areas, you have a choice of sliced or whole meat.
in eastern europe window screens are common
*9:55** I've been to LA in sept 19 and there was a window screen for each windows. It was like another window we could open but with a net, instead of glass. First time I saw this but I really appreciated!!!! It's cool, you can sleep with open windows during the night, without A/C! We really should have this in France!!!*
They are called fly screens in Australia & in modern times security screens, these are tougher fly screens making break ins harder. They are not an extra window to open though they are set/fixed over the whole window.
We also have fly screen doors.
In Sydney for example you still have old houses with no screens.
Au Québec non plus, il n'y a pratiquement pas de pubs sur les médicaments ou de poursuites légales.
La première fois que j'ai vu fois que j'ai vu cela aux USA, je trouvais que c'était le reflet d'une société dysfonctionnelle car trop axé sur l'argent.
In southern France it is common to have screen on your windows. Ask for « une moustiquaire 😉 I’m pretty sure you can install one in your house.
For sure, as I mentioned in the video you can find them at home improvement stores. ;-) Thanks for watching!
I spent the summer in Cannes and Antibes last year and both my French partner and my friend in Antibes had screens. That wasn’t the case years ago but it is now.
Direct to consumer drug ads did not appear on US television until about 1999. Now they are a plague.
Fun fact: every drug ad is for an expensive specialty drug. They don't do ads for metformin.
Croissant is not sweet, just fat, there is no sugar there, but so many butter XD
you probably missed the chocolate chunks in the picture, it was a "pain de chocolat"
@@pwp8737 Also, I would have croissants with jam... Never seen anyone have them with savoury things such as meat. Hence them being sweet.
You are wrong : doctors are paid to know every medication. They have big bools to search which medication is good and what are the side effects.
Precisely: big books are there for the reason that doctors cannot know every medication under the sun.
Superb! I love a healthy smoothie in the morning!!! This video is superb!!!
About screens, many areas of the US have fought Yellow Fever which was curtailed in part by using screens to keep mosquitoes out. France does not seem to have had that problem.
Thanks for this good information, Diane! I’m a fairly frequent French traveler, and I’ve learned these things you listed today while visiting and staying in Airbnb apartments over the years. You’re so helpful!! The issue I had to deal with on my last visit was a kidney stone while staying for a week in Tours! I was assisted by a stranger passing through my courtyard while I was seeking help, calling out “alarme s'il vous plait!!” A complete stranger helped me call an ambulance to get me to a hospital for treatment! Can you please advise us on what to do if we need emergency medical attention?
SO glad a stranger was able to help, Andrea. So scary to have to get medical care while traveling. Hope it worked out OK. I have a few videos on doctors in France you might find helpful for the ins and outs of what to expect here, but for a straight up emergency, dial 112 (it's like 911). For a non-urgent issue, head to any pharmacy and they can advise you on what action to take and they can help find an on-call doctor.
After hours, in most areas, the ER is going to be your best option unless in a major city where SOS Medecins operations (just google them, a network of doctors who make house calls at all hours). There are also on call pharmacies (usually one in each town, la pharmacie de garde) which are open 24 hours if you need medication during the night.
Hope that helps!
Bonjour Andrea. I had to go to the hospital and stay overnight for severe abdominal pains when I lived in France. This happened at work, so my friends took care of me. They arranged for the ambulance to come get me. I don't remember much until the next morning. This was 20 years ago. 🤒🤕😮💨🚑🏥
In the EU, you call 112 like you would 911 in the US. Maybe when traveling, learn the emergency number before your stay? It’s in every guide book.
Call 112
European emergercy # in every european language.
for those saying "learn the emergency number", 911 work in Europe, it will re direct to 112 and usually if you call from a non english speaking country the operator will get that you are from america and speak english (most of the time at least, when they actually read the screen).
I find all your vids most informative on US customs compared to French ones. As a French person that wants to emigrate to the US, that's helpful indeed. Keep up the good work !
If you're okay with sharing id like to ask why you want to emigrate to the United States?
@@jr8260 Several reasons :
1) the EU is doomed economically. GDP is transformed energy and we cut ourselves from our main energy supplier, Russia, with stupid sanctions. We don't see it for the moment but it's gonna hit hard in a few months with all the companies that will fold, meaning more mass unemployment. Besides, France and the EU are ruled by a bunch of goons, both crazy and evil.
2) France and the EU are turning into a tyranny. The covid period showed it. Macron is a psychopath leading our country to the brink of war with a major power while grovelling in front of markets, the ECB and Big Banks.
3) The euro is a disaster and the governements in the Eurozone know it. That leads them to hyperinflation. They will try to save the day by robbing us of our properties.
4) The EU is the place where all the globalists are on their way to the evil policies of the WEF. Macron is one of Schwab's stooges, along with the guy that will replace him in France sooner or later. I'm fed up with them goons !
5) I love my country but I love freedom even more. Enough said. Unfortunately, French people don't love freedom any more. So sad for a great people.
6) I need to work so I have to emigrate to a country where I can work. I'm not the kind to live off public charity. I'm not this kind of person, I want to be a useful member of society.
7) I've always been attracted to the US. Affinity I guess. A strong affinity !
These are the main motives for my emigration to the US. Sorry if it's a long reply but it's okay to reply to you.
Why did you ask by the way ?😄
Are you from the US ?
Birthday cakes in France are not that popular because they taste nothing. I've had the experience of eating some in Canada. Under the thick layer of icing (that I take off) hides a bland cake. The icing in particular is full of sugar. These cakes are just to be eaten with the eyes.
Definitely depends on the bakery!
@@OuiInFrance I posted a comment very similar to Pascal's :)
Obviously if you pay for a better quality cake in the US from a bakery it should be very good; but you mentioned supermarket birthday cakes - the kind that companies buy to celebrate employees' birthdays - and those are definitely not the best quality... at least they weren't when I lived in Boston 20 years ago :)
Thanks!
Thank you so much, Michele! So happy you enjoy my videos!
@@OuiInFrance You're welcome! My kids love watching your videos, Diana. They especially love the walkabouts in the different stores. They like learning about differnt countries, cultures and food 🥰🥰
Thanks for the lesson today.
My pleasure!
Hi, Diane! Love your videos! I'm surprised to hear that window screens are not used in France. I live in Milan, Italy, and almost everyone I know has screens. They are not the same as the ones I had in the US, though. Our screens can be rolled open or shut, which make them more versatile (I roll them up in winter, when there are no bugs, so I get more light into the apartment). These screens are not DIY: installing them is a pro job done my craftspeople who specialise in windows
In France mosquitoes are the only thing people want to protect against. So mosquitoes screens are only setup in location where you have them. Each time I went to Italy I never had screens on the window of our rented house. And I remember couple of times I spent part of the night fighting against mosquitoes. Did not had electrical zapper with me 😢
Interesting video as always. No long ago I saw a Mylan ad on TV in France, I was super surprised. But haven’t seen it in a long time. Which I am glad. Last time I went to the US I was very annoyed by the pharmaceutical ads.
Window screen are called Moustiquaire. It is quite common in humid areas (near lakes or at the see side). People have them usually as rollers so it perfectly fit and you can open and close at will. You can find this in bricolage stores like Leroy Merlin or Castorama. About bank safe, older people used to have a safe at the bank but with dematerialized assets people do not have much of them. They usually store them at their house (personal safe or a cache).
I still have values at the local bank's safe in France. Never had difficulties finding a vault in a bank
In Sweden it's exactly the same except for a delicatessen in supermarkets where you get all sorts of things sliced if you like.
I seem to recall that you can buy garlic sausage, and salami from the supermarket deli for sandwiches in France and you can ask for the staff to slice it for you. I did like in the US that you could choose your meat off the deli and get it made up into a sub or sandwich. The quality of the meat wasn't that great in the US and they tended to add too much sauce and mustard.
When I was in the UK in 2009 I noticed how few pickup trucks there were compared to the US. The ones I saw were almost always commercial.
Yep in France we do our birthday cakes at home most of the time
Bonjour ! J’adore vos vidéos qui me font bcp de biens….vous communiquez très bien vos observations très pertinentes! J’ai vécu des expériences similaires dans l’autre sens, puisque je suis française émigrée en Amérique du Nord depuis plus de 25ans…😬. Merci et bonne continuation!
🤔🤔ou exactement
Hey ! Just wanted to mention that secret Santa gift exchanges are now quite common among young people, at least in Paris (we call it "Père Noël canadien", and I've noticed they've been popular since 2012-14, I'd say) : whether it be the whole class ("collège", highschool or university) or just among close friends. As for screens on windows, I tend to think they obstruct the view ... Thanks for the video and have a nice day
J'espère que non... Déjà que les USA ont réussi à nous exporter Halloween, avec grande difficulté heureusement, mais l'aval des commerçants a eu raison des résistances 🙄
I didn't realise that pharmaceutical ads were legal in NZ. It's definitely not something that gets advertised on tv, past things like over the counter pain relief. We have the same mindset as France where it's the doctor's job to prescribe you and I don't think they'd be that happy if you suggested which medicine you needed.
Years ago we visited my brother, who was living in Paris. Part of the vacation was driving down to Perigeaux where brother's wife's sister hosted a birthday party for my mom. The dessert was a magnificent croquembouche, which just stupefied my mother and me. Most fabulous birthday cake ever!
Bonjour Dianne, I'm in culinary school right now learning my 2nd career. I really want to make a croquembouche in Baking and Pastry next year. I watched a video and it took about 7 hours to make from scratch. I look forward to this endeavor. 👨🏻🍳💪🏻🥄🍽☕️
@@matthewjay660 Best of luck in school and with your pastries!
New Zealand has a large number of utes (pick up trucks) on the road, used by tradies for moving work gear, but also used for the weekend escape, with camping gear in the back, or the boat being hauled behind. Vans are also very common with Toyota Hiace being the most popular by a distance.
À propos des publicités pour les médicaments, vous dites que le médecin ne peut pas connaître tous les médicaments en vente sur le marché. C’est une erreur. Tous les médecins ont sur leur bureau le dictionnaire officiel VIDAL qui répertorie TOUS les médicaments officiellement en vente en France. Ils s’en servent aussi pour vérifier une posologie ou un mode d’administration (comprimés effervescents ou sirop ou gélules, etc.).
Oui, ce que je voulais dire dans la vidéo c'est que les médecins ne connaissent pas forcément tous les médicaments, leurs posologies et leurs effets secondaires par cœur. Donc en effet ils ont de la documentation pour les aider (normalement au moins le Vidal).
"Ask your doctor" If you are going to see someone to get a specific drug, that person is better described as a dealer.
There are indeed less and less deposit boxes available in french banks .Same in Germany where I live. And honestly, it sucks. It would be great to have to keep documents (diplomas, administration stuff,etc) safe.
I live in a small French town with 14,000 inhabitants. There are 9 banks and all of them have safe deposit boxes
Bonjour.
A propos des moustiquaires, vous vivez en Loire Atlantique, il est normal qu'il y en ait peu. Je suis Breton et n'en ai jamais vu en Bretagne. Ayant vécu plus de 20 ans en PACA, je vous certifie que vous en trouverez partout. Vous devez y vivre fenêtres ouvertes en été avec les moustiques, guêpes, chenilles processionnaires voir scorpions. Donc, et en absence de clim, vous posez des moustiquaires partout. Vous en trouverez dans tous les magasins de bricolage.
Cordialement.
Il y en a de plus en plus au nord, en Ile de France nous sommes envahis de chenilles processionnaires et il commence à y avoir des moustiques tigres. J'étais en Bretagne dans ma famille cet été, il y avait aussi des nuées de moustiques par endroit.
Et là je suis à Lyon depuis quelques mois, c'est infesté comme jamais de moustiques tigres, 40 piqures sur les jambes malgré une utilisation de répulsif. Les gens se ruent sur les moustiquaires.
Living in PACA region , i can only agree with you. Screen on windows are fairely common.
Fabulous video Diane! This was so spot on. Love your explanation for each difference ❤️
Thanks so much! Hope Paris is treating you well. xx
Hi Diane. Love your vlogs. We live in SW France and have fitted DIY mosquito nets to our windows. They have Velcro and can be cut to any size. Amazon (not sponsored!) do a range of different priced one's. They do work and, are handy on inward opening windows, and you can wash them too. Bisou bisou x
Thank you Jane! Yes I've seen the kits and even tried one but they don't seem to work very well on the windows in my house the bugs come in through the gaps.
Hi. I really love your vidéos. I'm french and i would like to thank U for your vidéos. I improve my understanding of american. You're so right and fun. Thanks a lot. bye
Re pharmaceuticals..totally agree with you! ( I live in NZ)
Yeah I think NZ could do with more controls, but from what I understand our ads in NZ aren't as crazy as what they have in the US.
Loved the incremental zoom-in when talking about lawyers...
;-)
You mean you don’t have “Morgan & Morgan, for the People “ lawyers. LOL 😂
En fait dans le nord de la France on mange aussi salé le matin : café et fromage, le plus souvent. Les gens tendent plus vers le sucré c'est vrai, mais ''traditionellement'' c'était plus du salé
I loved this information thank you 😊
You are so welcome!
I can't imagine not having window screens, especially in areas that do not generally have air conditioning. To have open windows for a breeze or general climate control, but then having to deal with flies and other bugs flying into the home, getting on food etc......ick.
probably because it won't look good in a house
that is called "nature".
it actually depends where you look for window screen tho, in more rural area it's a bit more common, like i have window screen at my father's house (in a village)... but in cities there is much less bugs coming at you so ppl don't bother i guess...
I am French. I only have little bug in spring , the night , if the light is on and window open. I close the window or I turn off the light :)
Im in the uk no screens here not many bugs might get a bee or wasp but thats about it
I had combination security/fly screens on my property when I purchased it. Then I replaced the original single glazing with double glazing the screens were removed as part of the original joinery. To have new screens installed was going to cost as much as the new glazing and joinery had. We now just use plug in insect repellents for the couple of months where insects are a problem.
Ads for prescription drugs are also illegal in Canada. But this advertising leaks over from American television stations.
Excellent video. I loved your video at the French bakery. It was so real, I swear I could smell the bread baking..
Glad you enjoyed it!
In bordeaux we used to go to the irish and british pubs at the weekend for fried breakfast. Also brunch places have become really popular in france now...eggs benedict etc
Yes, I love that brunch has taken off! YUM!
Loved the video. Can you do one on things the French do or have; but not in that US?
Hi there, glad you enjoyed it. I don't have a video with that exact title but I've covered some of the things in these videos you might enjoy:
Normal French things that would never work in the USA: ua-cam.com/video/LeqerWvQ5DY/v-deo.html
Things I'd never seen until I moved to France: ua-cam.com/video/tP7jDIcFoY4/v-deo.html
23 Little differences about life in France: ua-cam.com/video/CfwFzwSr-h4/v-deo.html
Things I can do in France but NOT the USA: ua-cam.com/video/gV_SQufj4q8/v-deo.html
What i liked about the pharmacy in france is that they would recommend the cheaper generic drug over the brand one...in ireland it was not a choice but it is now being forced to be an option to have a generic prescription drug
Oh interest, I didn't know that about Ireland!
Same in Australia they will offer a cheaper version or I might ask for the cheapest. It is interesting people are sucked into a drug brand the chemical is exactly the same you can't make it different! Though some drugs may have added binders which is where the " whole" medication may differ.
The price difference can be amazing in Coles for example one of the large supermarkets in Australia, their home brand paracetamol ( called Acetaminophen in US) say pkt of 20 tabs be under $1-2 to trade name Panadol pay $3-6 depending how fancy you want them ie tablet, capsule, liquid capsule.
Drugs are not like food the chemical is the chemical so people are naive and sucked into marketing.
So, what are some recommended French podcasts and radio stations to listen to?
I've been several times to the "breakfast in America" restaurant in Paris, I love it!
I was surprised hearing your "no deli meat" discussion. Maybe it was because most of our breakfasts were at our hotels, but every breakfast we had in Normandy and in Paris offered two or three meats and about 4 different cheeses (and baguettes) and about ½ of the boulangeries we shopped at offered "jambon, beurre and emmental" sandwiches. Of course we also were offered jam for various bread options and always butter. No mayo and seldom mustard, but always butter, butter, and butter.
When we were there we walked to the boulangerie every morning. We would pick up some pastries and a baguette. The baguette was used to make sandwiches for lunch.
It was my favorite part of the day. My brother and I left the kids and the wife and took our morning walk together.
There are always cold meat, sausages and eggs and cheese in hotel or restaurant / café breakfast in France. You totally can eat that for breakfast. The majority of French people would go with the (not too) sugary options but, saying it's not something which exists in France is indeed wrong.
Ads for lawyers are illegal. As for drugs, doctors have Vidal that is updates every year and allows them to find the adequate treatment for you.
We don't have all the deli stuff you do because we don't have a sandwich culture like the US. When we eat a sandwich, it comes from the bakery and most companies have a canteen or ticket restaurant and all schools have a canteen so kids don't carry their lunch to school.
I would add that if I remember correctly there are limits to the amount of money you can earn by suing. So nobody will make millions of euros suing for malpractice. My understanding is that often in the us this type of lawyers get the percentage of what their client earn if they win the lawsuit. I believe this practice doesn't exist in France.
Hello, well done. What I want to add, is when you pay in France with a 50 € bill, they check it's not a false, because it's suspiscious to have in Fr so much cash....crazy but real . 😵
Same in many stores in the US when you pay with a $100 bill.
Not because of this. Just because there are a lot of false bills... From, 20€ and 50€! They are not "crazy", they don't print fake bills of 200 or 500€ as you can't pay with in most of the stores. 😁 That's why they do such counterfeit 😋
I've had stores check even a 20 € bill... not often, but it's happened. I see fewer and fewer people pay cash for anything though, even for small amounts people tend to use credit cards these days
Even if it is not common, you can find Secret Santa at work or at school in France. I think the French denomination for it is " un Noël canadien" (litt: a Canadian Christmas)
In France I heard "Père noël secret" but never "Noël canadien" x)
Direct to consumer ads have only been legal
I’m the US since 1997. And attorneys ads were legalized in 1977.
In Argentina also there is advertising about "drugs" , not anybody can 't buy any kind of drug but a big quantity
No adverts for alcohol either. I asked about screens, my French friends say they don’t want anything ugly.
I never got people owning pickup trucks just to pretend they're cool. My dad owns a pickup truck but that's for functional purposes. We live in a very isolated suburban area and he's always doing building projects for various things he's decided to add on. Building a sauna or wood shed, or subdividing our basement into rooms. And all of this stuff requires a significant amount of materials so the big truck is to avoid having to make a lot of trips to get what we need.
Oh yeah, the cakes. In general, French people don't really like very colorful food, I think we perceive it was too "artificial-looking" or "chemical". Of course, all cakes are artificial and all things are chemical (technically), but I think you will understand what I mean here. Bright food coloring may even cause disgust or recoil at first glance! (Though I don't think anyone would pass up the opportunity to eat cake... so don't worry too much about it haha)
As for trucks, I think the main reason is just how small cities and streets are, if you compare them to the US. You /could/ have a truck... but where will you park it?? If you live in an urban area, you're toast. And if you live in the countryside, you can't visit the nearest big town with it, because you won't be able to park anywhere convenient.
Christmas is indeed a family thing. Secret Santas are only common among young people (and we borrow the English wording). Celebrating xmas with friends rarely occurs but it may, in which case the friend group is most likely so tight-knit that they consider each other to be family if not closer. Otherwise, Secret Santas might happen in youthful grouped settings, like boarding school or clubs! It's the kids bringing it in for sure. I've rarely seen an adult group do it. At work, the boss might bring chocolates for the team (and teachers sometimes do so for students, too).
Weirdly the only place
I have encountered 100€ note
was from an Austrian cash machine
where it seemed more common to see 100€ notes.
In Germany like France
it is exceedingly rare to see anything higher than 50€
I wouldn't be completely surprised if ATM in some posh parts of Paris and its suburbs delivered 100€ notes. I once withdrew 120€ at an ATM in Neuilly and was surprised to end up with 2 × 50€ + 1 × 20€ instead of the 6 × 20€, or even 5 × 20€ + 2 × 10€, I would have gotten in other parts of France.
@@j-yjyh8521 it's really depending the ATM machine. Most of them give you 20€. But very often you can choose. The ATM screen give you some option : "mostly 20 or mostly 50" for example 😉
@@jean-michelgaiffe3834 Exactly, they give you the option - personally I never opt for bigger denominations unless I have to make a cash payment, but otherwise I know I'll have a hard time obtaining change without annoying the business owner :)
It used to be the same in the US with regard to pharma ads on TV! I think that started in the 90s maybe. Before that it was illegal to advertise pharma drugs direct to consumer. (OTC drugs were fine of course, there were tons of ads for aspirin and acid stomach medicine on TV, just not prescription drugs.)
Nice videos, and nice to see all thoses differences we might have with USA, when all of theses always seems so normal to us when living all our lives with it !
About the lawyer advertising : as much as for prescription drugs, it's illegal. A lawyer is there do allow you to get you rights recognised, not to earn money.
There's actually a huge difference on the system : sure you can sue anyone for injury or something, but that won't bring you money. If it does, it won't ever get you rich, it's just going to be a compensation : we are all already covered by personal insurances (mandatory). Sueing in France is here to make the justice recognized your rights, and to force the one you sue to follow/recognised it (or whatever, depends the context for sure). If it does bring you money, it's a compensation. But the most important is to condemn the other part, who will have an additional fine, and a sentence.
Getting injured by someone else in the US is like winning the lottery.
Even the smallest injuries will get you a huge settlement, in many cases the dependent will settle without even going to trial.
It's all about the money. 💵
On medical adverts: I work with people on PrEP, and yes, they had to educate their own doctors about available drugs. Now, that might reflect more on the medical profession than drug advertising, but the advising has educated a lot of young folk about PrEP.
This is so interesting.
I'm French (and yes, I can be french, live in France, and watch Oui In France, I really appreciate it, thank you Diane), and I 100% agree with all of them. My two cents for a few, if I may :
- we actually know window screen, we call them "moustiquaire" (which could be translated something like "against mosquito") even though they are uncommon, and except if you live in the middle of a swamp they tend to be considered no more than a fancy bonus. They can be bought in many different sizes and have evolved very recently, so they should be available in many tool shops
- Cash is much less used in France than in the US so if where you need to pay is a shop, consider paying with a mastercard or a visa. American Express is not always accepted. Cash will almost always be accepted but if you pay using big bills (like a fifty to pay a few euros) you will be asked more or less politely to use something much closer to the real price and in some situations your money may be refused (and yes, it's perfectly legal)
- Secret Santa has been practiced in France for at least a few years now, even though it's not a common thing and can be mostly known in startups or international companies. And if you are in the countryside, just forget about it, nobody should have any idea of what you're talking about. And just for the cultural shot, Halloween has really arrived in France around the 90s, after a few decades of american movies and series (mostly them I guess) showing skeleton costumes and false vampire teeth. It's now commonly accepted but is still not something that absolutly every French kid does. Secret Santa being much less visible, I guess it will take a few decades more to be a common practice here.
- you can find bakeries that will decorate your birthday cakes with many forms and colours. It's considered an additional service and many bakeries won't do it, but if you try a few ones you should be quickly lucky enough after a few tries, especialy close to big cities. Just keep in mind that it's considered a special product for you so you will very often be asked for what forms and colour you want and it might make the price reach the sky...
Happy trip (or settling ?) in France, and remember to speak slowly if you try to use English in France, most people know a few words but outside of touristic places or international companies very few French are fluent in English.
I am in my 70s and so very well remember when drug ads were banned from adverts in the USA.
Well, moustiquaires do exist here, but they aren't common, and the windows aren't equipped to easily have them set in, so they usually have to be installed separately , and I swear I've heard French people say they look ugly. But man, I'd rather have function over form any day when it comes to bug screens. I feel like the mosquitos here in France have a different venom or something, they hurt me more than itch, and I actually can't sleep at night if I get any, and I always have some hydrocortisone next to my bed just in case
More and more bank branches are closed so less deposit boxes available, and the branches still open are are only acessible on certain hours or on appointment. I guess this is going on in the whole of Europe.
France is known for it’s good food but for a belgian on holiday like myself it can disappoint in the products available even in the biggest supermarkets.
I have no problem finding birthday cakes, my baker makes delicious birthday cakes on order. A bit pricy though, like 25 euro ish
In france there is personal insurance so hence no personal injury law suit. To join any club in france you need to show you have your own personal insurance in case you have an accident...or even to go to work i had to show i was insured in the university
When I see what we miss in France... I'm happy to live in France :)
Screens-I love french doors & windows. I've always wondered if bugs & mosquitoes were as prevalent in France because no screens! 🤔 Thanks for addressing the lack of screens😊!
Where did you get that Light Map of France? And, is it possible to get one for myself?
The first thing we did when we moved to France was have screens installed! Custom made out of necessity, due to the weird window sizes. The Villagers where dismayed of course, but we were not going to have bugs. We thought when we moved here that those beads hanging on doorways were decorative. Ha! They are for the damn flys. RE deli meats. Who in the US would ever go to a store and buy a package of 4 thin slices of ham, or buy crustless bread which is the norm?
I don't know about France, but here in the U.S. buying lunch meat for myself is done by asking for a specific number of slices & thickness, same with deli chz.
I usually order about 4 slices of each as I am single, and lunch meat only lasts for about 4 days before (even with refrigeration) it is unsafe to eat. I also ask the meat counter for their waxed butcher paper & ask the deli to wrap my order in that paper because my deli only wants to put your selection in a single use plastic bag. I mostly stopped eating deli products because of all the plastic packaging before its even sliced. Plastic is bad for the environment.
French breakfast came from the national bread culture, with butter and/or jam, and café au lait. Now it has changed in something more international but also more sweet food, as can be seen in supermarkets bakery aisles.
Ii is odd that people drive pick up trucks as daily drivers..
Hi Anthony. 👋🏻 I live in Texas and I drive a pickup truck 🛻 and I don't deliver. This is COMPLETELY 💯 common, typical, and normal in all parts of my state. It is just our culture. We'd rather drive pickups. We are still a ranch and farm state, massively so.
Great videos, and informative to this ex-pat Brit as well as our fellow Americans. Not only do the French use pick-ups for what they were designed for, they absolutely LOVE trailers! Nearly everyone around us has one, including me! xx
I used to have the mosquito plug in france that i plugged in summer time and it means the mosquitos dont come in....or outside we use citronella candles.
The shirt is the best. Now I must buy it.
I agree with the deli bit. Though I've never been to the USA, I've once had a sandwich in Lyon with big fresh chunks of ham and it was the most delicious sandwich ever.
Interesting. Thank u dear from Dubai.
Welcome 😊
I think we don’t have ads about lawyer in france because most of the time when you have an accident your own assurance take care of the lawsuit.
Windows screen it’s depends where … in french Caribbean islands it’s common. If you need some you can find it easily in Leroy Merlin or ManoMano or Castorama …
Charcuterie can be cut in boucherie just ask … for cheese it’s different. Ham is sliced on demand.
Santa secret become more and more famous for Christmas in company.
1:09 you can order them at your bakery
ATMs here don't give $100 bills either, and a lot of convenience stores refuse to take them - partly due counterfeit issues I think.
In France, pick up trucks are also used as a wealth statement since their so expensive.
But it's shoving that the owner doesn't have culture matching his wealth status. In short, he has some money but doesn't know how to spend it in a clever way. "Nouveau riche".
about the screens on windows we've got that in south of France.😀
lawyer ads were, simply put, prohibited up until 2014 in France. They are now allowed yet heavily regulated and not that common.