September 8, 2008 12:23:25 AM CEST
How do you define integration? Speaking french, paying French taxes, having French friends, shopping at local French markets? Not really immersed with the whole wealthy expat community of those from one's same origin? Perhaps I'm forgetting a few, but let's see - I did 3 years of study at the French university, worked for 2 years in France, paid a damn hell of a lot of taxes over 6 years, live in an entirely French community - that seldom is heard of in the expat community - I suppose you might call it a "working class" neighborhood. And yes, I speak French very well.
All of you who simplify the "life is what you make of it" I'm sure are trying to help. But let's be realistic here.
For those of us who are motivated, have ambitions and want to do something other than sleep in late on the weekends and have as much vacation as humanly possible....for those who want to get going early in the morning - to work, shopping, to the gym - etc. it is impossible in France. My friends and I used to have breakfast dates. Ever heard of that in France? Even the company I work for won't allow anyone to begin work before 7:30 am. I want to produce, and I want to produce some more. I want to be the best that I can be as a person, professionally, spiritually, and physically. Let's see, I guess I could take up the famous French activity of Chain Smoking and Diet Pills. Then I'll be in great shape.
I used to wake up early - hit the gym - in my apartmentment building - which included 4 swimming pools onsite, plus a state of the art gym with machines that featured built-in flat screens - 5:00 a.m. Get showered, dressed, be at the office at 7:00 - a calm time to check emails, proofread, etc. And spent a productive day at work, with others who had a more diplomatic and equally ambitious motivation to be at work - knowing that we were working at that company because we wanted to. And we could change whenever we wanted.
Not the case in France. How many people can honestly say they can change jobs when they want to? Face it, there is the "stability factor," the fact that most companies are mainly hiring through attrition, and what the French refer to as a "crisp" employment market.
Not only is it about employment....what about leisure activities - oh so let's see Paris is the "City of Light" - only the intellectuals who want to discuss their self-defined description of "culture" - which by the way I guess the French are still carrying the Cultural Inferiority Complex, cause in case you didn't know America is the cultural leader of the world and has been at least for the past 30 or so years, perhaps longer if you want to debate it. Yes French culture was the leader 200 years ago. And they dominated the domain of culture for a couple hundred years. Now they lost. And they are walking around with a chip on their shoulder because they lost.
Leisure activites - I hope you like clouds and rain - cause that's all the leisure you're going to have time for in Paris. 11 months out of the year it's gloom and doom. Perhaps this is why the French don't smile...SAD???
How many times have I just simply asked a question, be that at an administrative office, cafe, bakery, IKEA, car garage, etc....only to have my head bit off as if I should already know the answer. This attitude has got to go. Yes, I can understand why they could be miserable earning, if lucky, 1,800-euros/month - 50% of which goes straight to Nicolas. And to top it off, there's not much hope that it's ever going to get better for them.
WHy don't you do a little research on Purchasing Power Parities. This will tell you a lot about France and really where the government's concerns are. Even England doesn't tax food. France taxes "junk food" at 19.6 percent and even parishable items at 5.5%. And this is civilization? I suppose it has little to do with increasing the comfort of their own citizens, while taking half of its citizens' salaries. Let us not forget the promised "retirement," which is another entirely debatable topic. Again - European dream - can't wait to stop working - retirement, vacation, RTT, conges, jour feriee....etc...
The difference is in America, old people get bored at home. A few weeks playing golf and hitting the beach and they're ready to get back into the workforce. Not only is the income helpful - though many documented cases of people finanically prepared to retire - but return just out of boredom, wanting to do something while they are still healthy. I see Old People reitred and rotting in France. They sit around their houses so worried about how much longer they're going to live and how they need to save, save, save - cause in life there is only scarcity - right? Or when their spouse will pass away and then they know they'll only get half.....
Please, read the book by Pascal Baudry. I have concluded that his analysis is right on. THe French were never weaned completely and are in a constant state of mental contradiction. A big part of the society is "asleep at the wheel." Though I have to say I do have some French friends who I do value, yet I feel their frustration. There is no way to get out of this hole of a life called France.
The only exception to living well in France is perhaps if you're loaded. I mean really loaded, where you can afford places like the Georges V and all that. That's what they call luxury. But a 3-star hotel in France is a 1-star hotel in the US.
Yet I ask you all - have you ever lived/worked in the US for more than, say 6, months. I mean a good 5 years to get integrated - then return to France. I have met French people who have a worse culture shock after returning to France from the US. THey had forgotten how "hard" life is in France. And that it is - Hard. Unless your goal in life is "slacker" - it's a great place.
Let me make it clear that I don't believe the French are lazy whatsoever. The system makes it so that none is too ambitious. If you are viewed as being "overly ambitious" the French mentality is to negatively view those who are too ambitious. "They're trying to do more than they can handle." "They just want to save the world, and we all know no one can save this world of scarcity, where those who gain profit from those who loose."
Please, read Pascal Baudry. He most articulately explains what I feel about France.
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