What are some facts about France that a resident would know?

Question

Can you tell me some facts about France that someone who has lived there would probably know? These facts should be harder to guess for someone who has not lived in France. Facts can be related to culture, daily life, geography, politics, etc. Thanks.

Answer 1

You don't hand your money to the person, you put it in a change tray and get back the change the same way.

Personal space is half the size of US one. When you queue you will feel the person behind you verrrry close to you

French people don't smile to people they don't know, they will have a bland mildly interested look which is the very polite way of talking to a stranger. They find the big goofy American grin shocking and even aggressive.

Food portions are way smaller than in the US. You will feed two or even three French on one US portion.

French Fries come from Belgium.

There is no French costume, France is made of regions with each a different identity.

French was not the official language of France until very late (19th century) and it was forced upon the other regions by forbidding the children at school to speak their own language or dialect.

You speak easily of politics in France, you don't speak about money and your personal religious beliefs.

In politics we tend to prefer a crook to an idiot. You can't cure idiocy (we do make mistakes of course).

French like ping pong conversation, where your say only brief witty things and the subject changes quickly. Ponderous discourses or too heated speeches are a big no and a conversation killer.

Answer 2

That's a bit vague. If you're looking for some random facts, Wikipedia is probably your best bet. Whatever you do, I strongly advise you not to pay any attention to ignorant caricatures and stereotypes that some imbeciles never seem to grow tired of. (Not mentioning any names, of course.) I guess I should make an attempt to answer your question on your terms, however. Let's see... According to Wikipedia, Toulouse and its suburbs form the fastest growing urban area in Europe.

Answer 3

July and August in most major cities, in particular, Paris, is to be avoided, if your main goal is to experience the true sense of Parisian life style.

It is OK to ask for a "Demi Baggett"

"Alizee" is a national treasure.

Do not guess the actual size by it's front appearance.  That is being you open a double door, smaller than a front door of a house in North America, walk inside, and you find yourself in a Home Depot size of shop.

That in many Cafe and bars there are often two, and at some places even three different prices for the an identical order depending on where you take them:  Take out, at the bar, at a table, and I even have seen the fourth one being a different price for the table inside, or outdoor.