5 Reasons why it's difficult for Americans to live in France

I've been thinking about it the last few (difficult French) days...here's my list of why I believe it's hard for Americans to adjust to living in the French Riviera...and with French people...

1. Personal Space - this is probably a problem with other countries, but I can only speak to France. Americans tend to be slightly put off when someone stands so close that you can feel (and smell) their nasty breath on your neck. While I'm thinking about it - man - is there NOTHING worse than walking through someone's nasty exhaled breath?? You know what I mean, when someone has just exhaled as you walk by, and as you inhale you get their nasty stuff. Coffee breath is the worst! And I don't need your help (looking over my shoulder) as I dig through my wallet for money to pay the cashier.

2. Common Courteosy -

• Like putting the change in my welcoming hand (see earlier blog) instead of setting it on the counter just under my hand.
• Not parking in the driving lane on a two lane street because it's convenient for you - or at least put on your signal, or give some general warning that you're parking.
• Not stopping in the middle of a residential road - getting out of your car to do the double kiss with the person standing in front of their house while there are two cars behind you. If you must, at least make the conversation short - under a minute would be nice.
• Stopping your personal conversation about lunch to help me (the customer) when I walk up to your counter.
• Not hitting me three times with your shopping cart while we're standing in line - it WON'T make the line go faster.
• Control your children - it's not cute when they run up and down grocery store iles yelling "ma ma, ma ma" in that high pitched tone they have. Nor do I care to have them join me at my table for lunch. And if they keep darting in the road like Texas squirrels they're probably going to get hurt - it never works out good for the squirrels...
• Staring - good lord, these people will stare at your for the longest time...way beyond the just glancing point. (On a side note, must find some way to remove that "American" stamp that is apparently permanently placed on my forehead)

3. Time/Productivity/Efficiency - because of how crowded the stores are, and the hours they are open (as minimum as possible) your productivity/efficiency level drops significantly. It now takes me a week to get the things done I could have done in one afternoon, after work, in the states. "Running in" to stores here is c'est impossible (as the LOVE to say).

4. Convenience - Americans are spoiled, you can pretty much get whatever you want whenever you want it. Not in France. I'm seriously not joking when I say that stores are open as little as possible. And stores randomly close if they decide to go on vacation. You have to re-train yourself to get to the stores at their convenience not yours. Because of tourist season and vacations July and August are as random as possible for store hours. We constantly get to a store and find it's randomly closed for two weeks.

5. The attitude - I'm sure it's a cultural difference (they don't easily let people in to their inner circle), combined with the fact that it's such a touristy area (if you're not from here they assume your a tourist - until about your 3rd month here). Well, you can see my earlier blog from this week - it's no excuse for how rude these people are.

I've been through my "Living and Working in France" training when I first moved here - they left these 5 points out. I've spoken with several Americans who live here and these 5 points keep coming up when we discuss the struggles in living here.