You gotta love the French

This is a ad in for a magazine in the La Défense train station in Paris.
The cover of the magazine says "Paris, the most beautiful city in the world."

That's about all I have to say about that. The picture says it all.

When in doubt, go on strike.

The French are big on strikes. You can always expect a big strike or two in September. The reason is, most people are back to work after summer break, the government is in full swing, and this is one of the major months out of the year when the majority of the French population depends on government infrastructures (school, post offices, trains, etc).

Last year, there was a huge public transport strike. That was really fun for me (my commute to work takes me through every form of public transport out there). Anyway, schools like the whole striking too.

As part of the plan to lower the deficit, the government has been cutting back on public employees; school staff is part of that plan, the idea being not to replace teachers who retire.

As a result, in the past couple of years the number of teachers has diminished, and schools in small towns have closed.

So French schools went on strike this week. In Paris alone, more than 25% of the staff in 420 schools out of a total of 660 went on strike on Tuesday (ouch for the kids and the moms out there). 136 of those schools were 100% on strike, and thus shut down for the day. This year, 16 000 teacher jobs were eliminated and next year the plan is to cut another 14 000. And for the first time (in a long time at any rate), private schools have joined the strike.

You know, I understand that this creates an issue, and may the force be with you. But, the striking thing is really annoying and effects parents and children more than the government. Can't they find another way to fight this?

And now I have a cranky child who doesn’t want to go to bed, but who has the chance to go to school tomorrow…

This is Lindsay, signing out before I get too carried away.

Tuesday Tips - How to eat out in France when you have no time?

image credits: Roy Nixen - cartoonnetwork.com

1. My first advice is, don't. If you are in a hurry, get a sandwich at the local bakery.

2. If you still want to, first things first, tell the waiter when you sit down that you are in a rush. The more you smile, the easier it will be.
3. When you get the menu, order your drinks right away. That way the waiter will be back in a couple of minutes (or should be at any rate).
4. As soon as you're done with the menu, put it down...don't look at it! If the waiter catches you doing that, he (let's go with 'he' in this article) will walk away.
5. As soon as the waiter comes with your drinks, be ready to order. This is a crucial step in the process. Do not miss this opportunity to order. If you do, you will not get your food on time.
6. When you get your meal thank him; tell him you're sorry but you're in a rush so you'd like a coffee (if you do) and the check right after your meal. This is phase 1 of the process.
7. Phase 2 - during the meal, when you're just about finished, ask for your coffee and the check.
8. Phase 3 - the coffee will come, the check will not. Trust me. So when you get your coffee, ask nicely (being nice throughout the whole process is crucial) for the check.
9. Phase 4 - get your credit card / cash out. In France they come around with a handheld device for credit cards. As soon as the waiter comes over, show him your credit card. He won't take it. He'll come back with the device. Three times out of four this phase takes at least 5 to 10 minutes.
10. Phase 5 - get up, go to a cash register; your waiter will appear. You will pay faster and get out faster if you do this.

This is Lindsay wishing you a happy and 'fast restaurant experience,' signing out.

What's better - A Sunday walk in Central Park or Versailles?

Hard to say...But let me tell you, the park at 'Chateau de Versailles' has a lot to offer


1. Versailles has a castle - 1 point for Versailles
2. Central Park was designed by Olmstead - 1 point for Central Park
3. You can get food in Central park, everywhere... - 1 point for Central Park
4. You can go row boating in Central park - 1 point for Central Park
5. Wait, you can go row boating in Versaille too! - 1 point for Versailles
6. It's cheaper to row boat in Versailles - 1 point for Versailles
7. There's a playground for kids (of course, who else?) in Central Park - 1 point for Central Park
8. There's an ice skating rink in Central Park and a ball field - 2 points for Central Park
9. Cars can't drive through Versailles, even during the week - 1 point for Versailles
10. A tree from Marie Antoinette's era is still in Versailles (see picture) - 1 point for Versailles (because that's pretty cool)

11. You can visit Marie Antoinette's house in Versailles - 1 point for Versailles
Who's winning here?? It's a tie - unless you have something to add to my list...

Healthcare in France - A couple of facts

There are a lot of things that seem 'normal' to me now, but as an American or an expat, shouldn't:
I'm feeling pretty sick tonight (laryngitis), which made me want to talk about health care in France:

1. When you go to the doctors to get a shot, you have to bring the shot with you (yup, you have to go to the pharmacy to pick it up first)
2. In order to get the shot in the first place, you have to see a Doctor who has to give you a prescription - that's kind of annoying.
2. You don't have a maximum number of sick days at work. You go to the Doctor, he/she gives you a form to fill out (if you really are sick), you bring it to your office when you feel better as proof that you really were sick. If you are out of the office for more than 3 consecutive days, the French government and the company you work for reimburse you; under three days, you don't get paid.
3. If you want to consult a specialist (like a cardiologist), you have to see a general practitioner first.
4. Most medicine in France is reimbursed - you can leave a pharmacy with a bag full of medicine, for free.
5. When you get an MRI or an x-ray, the Doctor (not yours) at the hospital gives you the results right after the exam. You don't have to wait for your Doctor to get the results.
6. Doctors in France make a good living, but far from what American Doctors make.
7. Every French citizen has complete access to healthcare.
8. To become a general practitioner in France, you have to go through 9 years of school after college.

Driving in France - lesson n°1

'Priorité à droite' / The RIGHT of way

When you are driving down a street, any car coming out of a side street to your right (without a stop sign), now matter how small it is, has the right of way. See the drawing above: Car A is driving down a main road. Car B is coming out of a smaller side street. Car A has to yield to Car B. Wierd right? And I'm talking any kind of side street (except if it's a street coming out of a parking lot or a small passage parallel to the main street).

F anybody who has left/right issues (I do) this becomes very confusing.
So basically, driving down any street with several intersections is an issue for me. It's like bumper cars without the bump (at least let's hope so).

And to make all of this even more confusing, French people don't always respect the rules (I'll get into that at more length another time), meaning that even if they should stop, they don't always. So, add that to the equation and all I can say is, either don't drive in France, or slow down at intersections JUST IN CASE.

Paris is NOT made for heels.

French women live for glamour and femininity, and heels are an essential part of achieving that.

So here's the dilemma...Paris is filled with cobblestone streets; the ones that make Paris so beautiful, that remind us of its historical past. So basically, if you want to overcome this obstacle, you've got two options:
1. Wear flats on your way from point A to B. This is not always easy, like if you're going out to a restaurant you can't really show up with another pair of shoes.
2. Learn, and suck it up.
Here's a little tip (I now pretty much consider myself a master at this form of art) to help you get a head start. Shift your weight to the balls of your feet. Don't overdo it; you don't want to look like a kangaroo. Your heels should be ever so slightly off the ground. You should also try to avoid the big gaps between cobblestones; those are killers for your heels.

The other advantage out of this is it's great exercise!

If you're interested, I'll make a step-by-step video...