14 Comments
User's avatar
Sacha Cohen's avatar

What a lovely and spot on post.

Expand full comment
Alternative Lives R Available's avatar

RELAX! Its just France. It isn't you, it is the system and the French dislike it too. It is the tarif we pay for living in a place that is as close to perfect as it can be, and perhaps the 'fonctionnaire' system is designed to weed out those that don't understand how great it actually is.

In my experience, many French people ignore as much as possible. They don't fill in their tax forms for years. They never reply to official demands for paperwork. They only interact with officialdom to claim some benefit, and assume that all the French departments never, ever cross check the information, and so will never, ever catch up with them.

And they seem to be mostly right!

Expand full comment
Keith Christiansen's avatar

It might be. Without question, I think we’re living a better life here. As I said, weeks and months get better even if individual days can be challenging. I’m getting better at reading the weather too, I think.

Expand full comment
Alternative Lives R Available's avatar

Yes, the weather is VERY local. Where I live, the forecast is often for rain but it seems to go either side of us.

When I lived on the Cote d'Azur it seemed perfect; it would rain every night in the winter, and be fine and sunny all day! Ideal!

Meteo France is pretty good. Or the Weather & Radar app.

Expand full comment
Ailsa Cargill's avatar

Great read, totally relate !

Expand full comment
Aurélie's avatar

Ohlala, I so relate to this - the awkward, frustrating dance that is to learn a new place. What helped me a lot was to focus on the freedom being a foreigner in a foreign country brought. I might not say the right word, I might not get the joke or understand the minutia of something locals take for granted, but I'm free to be me and be different, just because I have an accent and strange name. I hope this helps ease up some of the tensions you experience during French days ;)

Expand full comment
ROSIE MITCHELL's avatar

Love your post. Thanks for sharing. All the best.

Expand full comment
Gregory Garretson's avatar

This was very relatable, Keith! I think that it's possible to have "French days" in other countries as well! (My biggest laugh was about the couch, for what it's worth.)

Thank you for giving voice to the immigrant experience!

Expand full comment
Keith Christiansen's avatar

Thanks! It's worth a lot - that sofa was triggering. Also mustard yellow, if that helps the visual.

I think you have to laugh about it all or it will make you a bit nuts - or worse, feel isolated in what seems to be a really common experience with people immigrating to other countries.

Expand full comment
Tim Claridge's avatar

Never quite worked out “Météo” ou “Temps” myself.

Been through most of this!

Expand full comment
Keith Christiansen's avatar

My goodness. I wish I hadn’t, but it’s fresh. Thankfully most people are incredibly cool with all of my fumbling. I just feel like I am wandering around confusing the hell out of everyone here some days.

Expand full comment
Jeffrey Gibbs's avatar

This sounds much like Turkey!

Expand full comment
Keith Christiansen's avatar

I believe it.

Expand full comment
Nichole Donje's avatar

Love this.

Expand full comment