Random Facts/Observations about France and the French

Here are some random things I have noticed about France and the French, in no particular order:

- People eat tomatoes as if they were apples or oranges
- Both pedestrians and drivers are super aggressive, constantly battling it out for right-of-way
- People actually ride public transportation here
- You are expected to bring your own (re-usable) shopping bags to the store… Most chain stores charge 0.03€ per bag if you need disposable plastic bags, although most also sell re-usable shopping bags for 1-2€
- Milk is sterilised and sold at room temperature... You don't chill it until you are ready to use it... When at room temp, its shelf life is at least a couple of months...
- The university system is very different here (I will devote a full post on this at some point)
- The Post Office is also a bank
- Air conditioning is not nearly as common here as in the US, mainly because buildings tend to be much older… Air conditioned businesses will usually have a sign telling you they are “climatisé,” because it is pretty rare
- Cars here are tiny
- Wine and beer are super cheap here, as are cheeses
- Burgers here absolutely suck
- French people do not speak as loudly as Americans, not even on the phone… In fact, Americans have a (well-deserved) reputation of being extremely loud and unpolished
- Waiters and Shopkeepers are more than willing to argue with you or be catty/rude… The concept that the “customer is always right” does NOT exist here
- In many smaller restaurants or bakeries, you have to pay extra to eat at the restaurant rather than take food to go… However, once you have bought something, you may sit there as long as you want (until the place closes, of course), because you have essentially rented your seat
- Although many foods here are fatty and high in calories, food is less likely to be processed, and portions are much smaller, so people tend to be much healthier here (and obesity is much less common)
- Outlets/Plugs are quite a bit bigger here than in the USA, and you need an adaptor to use American stuff here
- The toilet is in a room separate from the shower and sink... This room is called a "WC" (short for "Water Closet")
- Most toilets have two buttons for flushing, depending on how much water is needed

OK, all for now…