French Culture SHOCKS! | Cultural differences France vs. USA | Black American in Paris France

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Not going to lie…There were quite a few things that I had to adapt to when first moving to Paris. From grocery shopping, to eating out, to the infamous dating culture here.... the list goes on. Which is why I hadddd to make a video to school you on some of the cultural differences between France and the U.S., culture shocks and all. Enjoy! x
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[@tsukibailluvatar7454]

As a French, I'm alway astonished when american say "tipping culture". Like, workers aren't paid for their job by their boss and everyone thinks it's normal. We do tips too, something like one or two euros, but that's just a bonus, because a worker has a salary. Same thing about the restaurants closing midday... Like yeah, they need to rest and nobody is eating a full course meal at random hours of the day. Same thing for the vacations, we have them from year 1936, so now we won't let them go, and we know that everything is closed during august (and sundays). I understand the conveniency of having shops open on sunday, but then again, when will the workers rest ? It's like in america you don't even consider them as humans too. We're all human. We need breaks and social interaction as human beings ! I'll give you that the grading system in France is horrible though, it's very stressfull for the kids.

[@ZeldaZonk-zt8fr]

Bien envoyé ! 💃🇨🇵🥂

[@narudayo5053]

They changed the grading system. Now they are rated like in elementary school, A, B, green, red, orange. Well they do that in middle school now. (Source: my little sister)

[@ichmalealsobinich]

In the USA it is really the fact that waitresses and stewards get no salary for their service except of their tip income.

[@Kebbab.213]

@@ichmalealsobinich pourquoi ? C'est byper bizarre

[@caro2233]

have you actually never noticed that tips are already included in the checks? that's why in restaurants they don't get upset if you don't tip.

[@Viennafly1]

Not being rushed out of restaurants is one of my favorite things in France. :) I think the tipping culture in the US is what rushes people out so fast, since the more tables you can serve, the more money you can make. Whereas in France, they get paid no matter what, so turnover doesn't matter. I totally get it, but if I eat out I want to sit and eat. :( Vive la France !

[@Kim-427]

I cant agree with her on the rushing out of a restaurant in America.Maybe its a New York thing.Now,Im usually ready for the check when Im done.And I feel different.lol Because most Americans seem like they like to talk after dinner.They'll order coffee and dessert.Many times its as if they'll stay almost until the place is closed.lol

[@shauncummings2361]

Yes , American s are definitely focused on money not people

[@sarKsme]

And that's why a lot of waiters(esses) arent smiling that much. Lot of work, poor wage and no tip.

[@Kim-427]

@@sarKsme I knew a waiter here in America at a Red Lobster I use to have lunch regularly.He was excellent at what he did.And he didnt try too hard he was just good at what he did.I wanted to tip him and I will be honest I dont always tip the percentage but I will leave a few bucks.I would request this guy.And he wasnt chatty or a big smiler.He was thorough.

[@dome9911]

Merci !

[@OzKiltman]

As a French person, going to a restaurant at 4pm makes as much sense as going to a restaurant at 4am. ..

[@noemietarrade2423]

Americans do that too tho lolll

[@MrStarchild1673]

instead of restaurants, people can go in Paris to brasseries which are always opened.

[@marion6967]

Totalement d'accord ! So weird xD

[@itsydispy]

En plus 16h c’est l’heure du goûter

[@elodierry1392]

I would trust the break afternoon instead of restaurant open 24hrs... You need time and organisation to cook. Old bakery does that as well, they used to have a break to bake fresh bread and other stuff again... Cooking needs time ! That should be french style of life ;( I'm sad its changing

[@elizabethaceves-garcia5561]

Americans got a raw deal in almost every aspect as far as labor laws and social networks. The French labor laws are super strong that is why regular citizens get protections such as vacation time, breaks, healthcare ... this girl thinks it’s just a French thing... we Americans are getting screwed by our government!

[@Kim-427]

That may be true but compared to many other countries we are spoiled.We complain alot but we have more that we should be thankful for.Its not perfect and I will be the first to get up on my soap box.We Americans take too many things for granted. Lol

[@omer.g4386]

As a French person, I can tell you that their are too many social laws

[@mayganphynix8267]

yes. absolutely. 💔

[@omer.g4386]

There's a difference between protection and a abused system that ruins a society

[@tetra4289]

Yep this is exactly what is destroying our country, a massive welfare state which regulates every single aspect of your life and makes the economy rigid af. Americans should be aware of the slippery slope of state socialism and never allow their government to become like ours. Although the US is into corporate welfare already but you still have some leverage.

[@storiedsoundscapes]

Between the 5 weeks of vacation and multiple breaks throughout the day, it makes sense why the French have a certain "joie de vivre". 🙌🏾 It sounds like a work/life balance is actually encouraged, as opposed to working yourself to burnout.

[@TiffanieDavis]

Yeah they totally love their breaks and vacation! But I do have to say work life can still be super demanding at times - I was working in the luxury beauty industry though so there's that lol

[@MrChillerNo1]

true. this goes for most of Europe. Just moved to the US, and thats the biggest culture shock for me.

[@tonyhawk94]

Yup and even with that France ranks in the world top 10 in productivity rate, above the Netherlands and close to the US and Germany. :)

[@Elwene2fr]

There's a saying I think : "In the US you live to work. Here we work to leave". Even though we have to work to earn money life is not about going to work. It's about enjoying it (your money is for travels, for drinks and meals with friends/family, for your new house/car/or whatever else you like).

[@elizabethaceves-garcia5561]

@@Elwene2fr the difference between how the French government treats its people and how the American government (corporate overlords) treat their people is disgusting, truly shows our elected officials are not afraid of their citizens... if they were afraid... we would have more in common with the rest of the developed world. For example; healthcare!!!

[@angelsmile1010]

I think it’s only the US that does “month-day-year” for the date ...or at least all of Europe shows the date as “day-month-year”.

[@TiffanieDavis]

Yup totally all of Europe follows the same as France. Same with India, not sure about countries outside of this though!

[@melonellen4]

@@TiffanieDavis In Canada we do a little bit of both. I think the US system has rubbed off on us a little. Can be confusing sometimes!

[@kerrynjones1969]

We follow the European/British format in Australia also...so far the US is the only place I have been who reverse the day and the month 😊

[@ronnnnie]

Most of Asia use day/month/year too, except Taiwan because they follow the US system.

[@readingirl1984]

In Hungary (and in Japan) we use year/month/day for the date.

[@joymae]

It's always entertaining after you travel abroad to return to the US and youre in the airport and you realize how loud and obnoxious we all are.

[@TiffanieDavis]

LOL! we really are so loud

[@IntuitiveGoat]

@@TiffanieDavis Honey im bout the loudest... I laugh at myself when I hear myself.. LOL..

[@marinelab]

The rule of dating in France is very simple: if you kiss you date officially. Before kissing you are just friends. There is no notions of "date" properly speaking.

[@KBinturong]

Meaning, if you don’t want to be with someone after kissing him you have to tell it !

[@kennc5066]

@@KBinturong You don't go on a date with the person.

[@myriambalde6104]

That’s so not true! Kissing is not meaning that you’re dating, it’s just mena that you’re kissed lol!

[@raccoonmoustache]

Nah, depends on the persons. I’ve kissed without meaning a relationship... I think it depends on how you both feel.

[@fautpasrever0]

Perfect I recognize my country here

[@thierryf67]

The tip difference, is not a culture difference. Did you noticed that there's a service tip included in the price you pay in restaurant in France ? That's why you don't always need to add more tip. Except if you think the service was really of high quality, and deserved an extra tip.

[@clempaz]

You're right, but usually we let something like 1 or 2 €, that's more polite. (If we don't the waitor will definitely not appreciate)

[@StefWangPARIS]

Exactly ! In the US tips represent a great part of waiters’ wages, whereas in France tips are always a bonus, because employers cover 100% of their employees’ salaries.

[@thomateish]

There is absolutely no “service tip” included on the French restaurants bills, the real difference is that waiters have a real salary unlike in the US

[@thierryf67]

@@thomateish check on the official site : www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/Publications/Vie-pratique/Fiches-pratiques/Pourboire The phrase "service compris : xx %", indicates that the employee is payed with a variable part on the service. In absence of this, it means the salary is only fix, without any variable part. The tip is NOT mandatory for any profession, and only left at the customer appreciation. It depend on the appreciation of the service offered to the customer, and the waiters should often think to that, when they work. So i think that you play with the words to affirm there's no service tip.

[@veroniquefauvette5049]

And...we have been tipping during a long time in France too. I think you are right, now, «service is included» since 1985, something like this.

[@darlenepopelier497]

You don’t have to tip because the service is included in the price. But most of the time it’s good to leave a euro or a few coins (40 years in France) 🇺🇸🇫🇷

[@Savonsale]

no tip are not include at all in france tip is tip it is juste not an obligation but not giving tip is just show bad education ,,, i'm french cook

[@nanalove3819]

@@Savonsale they are included in the sense that in America for instance, the employees are basically paid with the tips (if I understood their system). That's not the case in France, they have a fixed paycheck, so the tips are more like a bonus.

[@darlenepopelier497]

@@Savonsale what do you think “service” means? In the U S the service is not included in the price that is why tips are so important there. I worked in restaurants in both The U S and France.

[@Savonsale]

i don't care about how it work in stupid usa , in france if you don't give tip then you have no education that it

[@Ahkaa67]

@@Savonsale Wrong

[@Lyly_to_start]

I don't want to be rude or anything, but as a french, that upsets me when someone say that they love France, and they talk about France, when they just saw Paris. I mean that France is a country, not just Paris! I'm from the north, there nothing much to see here, but in the south it's really beautiful, all "châteaux de loire" castles of Loire are amazing, the eat, more close to Germany it's really great too! I would LOVE to see more american people to go see other things than just Paris. I am from the countryside, and I assure you, the life that you describe as "french" is just "parisienne" from Paris. We have different mindsets all accross the country. So please just try to go like to Bordeaux, or Nice, Rouen, those are all beautiful cities. Just wanted to point out this.

[@Healingflowers1805]

Thank you someone finally said it.

[@Cloporte.indomptable]

Totally agree with you nordiste, I'm from "bourg en Bresse" and you can find differents traditional food every 50 km bressan chiken, froogs and fish from Dombes, snail of Bourgogne for exemple, differents wines and lots and lots historical place, nature and moutain to go walk out and smell a pur air. France is not just Paris/Versailles and Paris is not all France, in every region we had an another old language with différents story/traditional architecture/food.. All in all, le nord c'est quand même sympa, j'en garde un bon souvenir. Hey, americans, do you like, medieval village or castle ? Please, look about Carcassonne, aigues-mortes, rocamadour, pérouges or Ivoire. Hey, You ! You have an adventurous soul ? What do you think about discover the savoye Mountain during a hiking ? The calanques de Marseille or hors ride in camargue ? And what about the "gorges de l'Ardèche" during the summer ? Hey, You, yes You, the alcoholic friend Do you like wine ?! There is the choice for the "the wine route", Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Alsace.. And something more interresting than Paris : CORSICA !! please, find information about this island. And if you travel in my region, close to Lyon it' s a pleasure for me to help you to have a good trip (sorry for my bad writting) See you all friends

[@Cloporte.indomptable]

@Luke Perret ouai, j'approuve

[@francoisviard4031]

Well, to be fair, it kind of make sense to focus on Paris if you come to France for a short amount of time : there are plenty of things to do. I mean, I didn't really enjoy my time in Paris (I lived there for two years), and largely prefered living in Lyon and Nancy, but Paris really outmatch any other city in terms of possible activities. On another level, some of the other amazing places in France are... well, either poorly advertized or not even known out of the country. For instance, if we focus on natural places, who out of France know about 'les gorges de l'ardeche' ? 'Les gorges du Tarn' ? 'Les calanques de marseilles/cassis' ? Or even Corsica (this island is just an absolute marvel) ? I mean, if one likes natural landscapes, those are definitely places he/she would like to look at... But none of my friends from america knew any of those existed before I showed them.

[@mrphyz4674]

You know Americans all they see on tv and know of France is Paris which is probably the worst city the dirtiest and the unfriendliest. It will always be that way same with London too. Paris is just a city to make money and squeeze money out of the tourists.

[@rabiessex3911]

Ah the rotisserie chicken isn't only in Paris, thats like a universal thing here

[@Kebbab.213]

Yes indeed. Poulet rôti

[@gg454lune]

Et même si t'en achètes pas, ça sent tellement bon !

[@PukkaGaming]

In Philippines, it's also everywhere. 🤣

[@alisav.3114]

Its in nyc 🤗

[@paulortiz2035]

Rotisserie chicken is universal, yes! but where do you see those huge rotisseries, with potatoes at the bottom, sitting on the sidewalks, anywhere, but in Paris? Not even Boudeaux! When I lived in Paris I often stopped to get a chicken on the way home if I didn't have a menu planned. And, yes! they are much, much better than any grocery store, sitting in a plastic box chicken, anywhere in America!!!! MUCH, MUCH BETTER!!! And I never saw them, even, in Bordeaux when I lived there. Not even at Auchan. They were like 5 or 7 euros. Each! What a deal!!! And the roasted potatoes at the bottom, cooked with the hot, melting chicken fat, which may sound horrible---- believe me, it wasn't! They were WONDERFUL, TOO!!! So French, so wonderful, so delicious!!! There is nothing like it in the states! NOTHING!!!

[@CalebMoushon]

When I was living in Prague CZ (I'm originally from Texas)- grocery shopping was one of the biggest changes. No one does the "monthly grocery haul" where you spend hundreds of dollars to stock up your pantry like we do in the US. This is mostly because no one has the storage space but I really noticed how much less I was wasting and how much fresher all of the vegetables and fruits (mostly purchased from farmers markets) were. I live in the US again but still rarely have more than a weeks worth of groceries in my apartment because of this!

[@artnodulot1525]

and the food is better if you but every 4 OR 3 days

[@TiffanieDavis]

agreed same here in Paris!! Love having fresh veggies & fruits every work vs. trying to stock up

[@Lafemmefutile]

That’s the tragedy of it. We have bigger fridge, so we buy a lot and then waste a lot. Terrible cycle!

[@JoFriedrich]

Hey, I think it's also a consequence of the way cities are here in Europe. It's quite easy to find a grocery store within your neighborhood that you can go to by foot. My parents living in the countryside need to stock up a bit more than that (say once in a week). Maybe people living further away from cities in France do that even less often. Don't you think it's about using the car to do anything? my friends who have spent some time in the US told me they were quite shocked by the fact you always need a car there even in urban environments, while it's quite rare here to have one when you live in a city !! So that we're quite limited too by what we can actually bring back from the store with our little arms...

[@cloudsurfer73]

Going to start doing this, trying to waste less. I realize buying in bulk actually lead to me buying more than I needed sometimes

[@fritchim5765]

Her : day and month are reversed Me : chuckles in metric system

[@Aizubunny]

Mdr

[@Moniquelacrevette]

In France we have two types of restaurants, that's why some are open all day, some not. The classic restaurant only opens for lunch and diner, then you have the Brasseries which are open generally from 6am to 1am. Brasseries usually serve typical french "bistrot food" like steak tartares or steak frites. Nowadays brasseries tend to be very trendy especially in Paris, more sophisticated food and interiors. Some of are becoming clubs for diner time (Matignon or Le Germain for example).

[@maurizio034]

I've watch quite a few "americans in France" type of videos, just out of curiosity being german in France, but honestly your videos are the funnest to watch, you're so livly.

[@utkarshpuniani4849]

I like pancakes

[@Raphanne]

Agreed, it's the first time I see this hairstyle. It looks good. I'm not used to see big loops like this. It's classy.

[@manouna3075]

I was like "those curls are perfection."

[@veroniquefauvette5049]

Same for me...😁

[@redid5329]

🤣🤣yup.

[@karol515253]

I’m not really a fashion expert but it looks to me like her hair is still loading

[@neumiflymorales2088]

I really enjoy your videos. They are organized and to the point and with interesting and relevant info. Love it thank you!

[@TiffanieDavis]

So glad you enjoyed!

[@LydiaLydz]

Damn Americans really get a raw deal on holidays. Most of the things you found shocking are very normal cross cutting across Europe at least western Europe. You forgot to add maternity leave to your list hahaha that's the one that I find most Americans find shocking when they find out how much time off new mothers get and its paid ocross Europe Yes the date thing is mostly an American thing most of the world dd/mm/yy.

[@amandineivanov2724]

Great video! I'm French and I have more than 7 weeks of vacation. I only eat in 45 minutes at my desk at the office but it's okay. And I love my coffee break! Something that is really in our culture I think is that we always are talking about food... Even when eating 😂 and in the rest of France (I'm from Avignon) everything is closed on Sunday =) It's important that people know that the rest of France can be really different from Paris sometimes =)

[@matdakatsuki1718]

There are a lot of differences between Paris and the rest of France. I’m from the south (Narbonne) and I’ve only been to Paris a couple of times, you can clearly see that I’m not from there due to my southern accent. I also sometimes feel like the rest of France is kinda forgotten 😂😅

[@Hepsewind]

Might not want to advertise eating at your desk, untill stortly it was illegal. Thery lifted it for the pandemic but the ban will probably return

[@danemon8423]

well for us french going to the eating and going to the restaurant is part of our culture, you don't go there just to eat but also to talk with people, etc

[@YuChanCantStopIt]

I kinda want to summarise this video as "American discover most shocking thing in France : workers' right !" I mean even the food related ones as tickets restaurant, not needing to tip in restaurants, shops being closed on Sunday are linked to workers' right and come from decades of workers a fight for their rights... But I'm glad you get to experience it and enjoy it tho !

[@elsadargos]

je suis d'accord a 50% les fermeture dominicales découlent plus de l'ancienne appartenance à la religion de l'état français avant la loi de séparation en 1905. tout comme les jours fériés qui a part les jours commémoratifs et nationaux sous TOUS liés à la religion

[@CrystalDatingCoach]

Fantastic video!! I can relate...I'm a New Yorker living for the last 25 years in Milan, Italy. Everything is so...relaxed. I was and am still surprised how I can sit down it a Beautiful caffè, order a Capuccino and literally stay there ALL day. 🤣

[@Eidraify]

I love the realness of the examples you use, feels more honest than most of these kind of videos !

[@dantealdentee]

I think that picking up food for just a few days and not the whole week is something that only people living in big cities or people without kids would do. If you live in a area where you have to take the car to go grocery shopping, people will always buy groceries for 1-2 weeks usually :)

[@AlainNaigeon]

As I've written under a video by another expat, I can understand : day month year, or, why not : year month day but I fail to understand any logics in : month day year

[@julienstephan5427]

It is from the way date are written in english : December the 18th. It's month than day, and they keeped it for the numerical notation. But the best way to write date is YYYY-MM-DD, that way alphabetical sorting is also chronological sorting, and it make computers happy.

[@sabrille5211]

bc the day is more important than the year

[@AlainNaigeon]

@@sabrille5211 And then, according to your logics, the month is more important than the day ??

[@sabrille5211]

@@AlainNaigeon No lmao, i agree with you: the day is more logical than the month, I just say that the day is more important because there are more days than a month in one year lmao I think I read to quickly sorry

[@BangFarang1]

When you order documents in files, you arrange them by year, then month, then day.

[@EmilieSaunier]

Actually we don't tip because the service is included in the price we pay at the end of the meal ^^

[@nancypettitt1211]

When I came back from living in Central America years ago, I was fascinated by how much water was wasted by people rinsing their front walkways etc. It also took me a few days to get used to all the amenities we have here in the US versus how I lived in Central America. Thanks for sharing and happy holidays.

[@marinarov5619]

Actually for tipping it’s not expected for younger people or students but more mature people would tip generally if the service was good

[@arlenaholmes]

Great video Tiff......you look great...love that top. The vids are getting better and better!

[@TiffanieDavis]

Awww thank youuu

[@RyTravels]

Such great info on your channel! 😀

[@tieessentials537]

I am so happy I watched this video I plan to visit there in March hopefully but these things are nice to know!!

[@mrs.stewart6833]

Tiffanie keep doing doing what you do, I wish I could be in Paris now.

[@TiffanieDavis]

Aww thank you! Fingers crossed, soon come!

[@msdionne.a]

Love the food focus! A girl after my own heart❤️

[@TiffanieDavis]

Hahahaha ;)

[@SamFournier]

One of my biggest culture shocks was personal space. There is someone always standing right up on me and no matter how much I move up in the line they still follow right behind me. Especially with Covid going on you would think they would respect your personal space. Something I can’t get used to.

[@TiffanieDavis]

Ahhh personal spaceeee - totally feel you on this one

[@Tracymmo]

Unless you're a New Yorker and already used to it

[@kmart014]

Coming from Los Angeles to Paris in December / January. I’m gonna watch your videos. Love your enthusiasm.

[@phosphenevision]

im from brazil and we are quite similar to france a lot of ways, there's definitely a lot of differences but what americans seem to think of as different in france is the same in brazil. lunch is like the most important meal for us so it makes sense to take more time in the day for lunch, we tend to eat more food during lunch than any other meal and it's also an important social aspect to become closer to colleagues. i wonder if this sorta similarities are in all latin cultures?

[@channeltribord3079]

The différence with Brazil is that French don’t stop working for a soccer game😂

[@Raphanne]

I definitely feel a lot of similarities between Latin cultures. We have a lot of affinities even if we have some differences. We're like cousins of a same family. I get along instantly well with Brazilians. I'm French, live in Korea and my best girl friend here is Brazilian. We get each other in term of food, lifestyle, culture etc. To me, you guys are like warmer and more positive French people. ^^

[@Insaneronald]

@@channeltribord3079 in Paris maybe but people in Marseille would like to have a word

[@katentu]

France have latin roots, so yes, it's closer to Brasil than USA

[@feliz2892]

@@katentu Well I'm not sure cuz France has germanic roots as well.

[@LateefahABrown]

Most restaurant servers in the U.S. LIVE off their tips, so yes, they need that table again. If they have a 4 table section, that table that stays all night has potentially blocked 20%+ of that server’s tips for the night. When I waited tables, there were nights when that was the difference between making my rent on time. It would be really nice if restaurants in the U.S. would just pay servers a real wage so they’re not so desperate to turn & burn parties at their tables. Patrons should be able to stay as long as they want without affecting the server’s livelihood. The cashier at Target doesn’t get paid less just because some shoppers take two hours in the store vs. 20-30 minutes.

[@missraeray]

I agree completely. I feel like waiters need to get together and unionize. It’s unfair

[@astarlevy4208]

You go go girl! You well explained this problem in America, this needs to be fixed so both the clients and the waiters are going to be happy and satisfied

[@slidenapps]

You are still required to be paid minimum wage. If your tips don't equal the amount you are supposed to be paid, the restaurant has to pay the difference that is federal law.

[@AD-jq7ow]

That's weird it's the responsability of the employer to pay it's employees not the customer!

[@LateefahABrown]

@@slidenapps Where in the U.S. is minimum wage enough to actually live on? Especially once taxes are taken out of that? I have children to feed.

[@tanyaramey3244]

I’m two years late discovering your chat about Paris, but I’m glad I found you! I’m now a subscriber!

[@realslimshaco8550]

Happy to see that you went to Corsica! I am from there ! I would be happy if you did a video about it :)!

[@christopherdieudonne]

Tiffanie's hair is *everything* !

[@mouriert]

Regarding the groceries, buying food just for the day is more something of the city. Usually in the countryside we buy food for more days like you guys !

[@JennaM161]

I love watching a foodie go abroad!! That's very cool!

[@TiffanieDavis]

hahahaha food is the best part about traveling

[@Yokut]

I'm literally watching a video talking about the city I have been living in for 16 years haha but it's so funny and truthful as well !

[@zicketteaa1345]

Way back ALL stores were closed from 2/3 to 7.... still actually the case in some part of France for small boutiques...😅

[@lnv7260]

As a french person I find your video really interesting !!! for the food points it is true that we don’t have a lot of vegan products in most of convenience stores but if you go to Bio stores like BIOCOP you have a lot more choices for vegan, vegetarian and gluten free foods. For the grade system it is possible to have 20/20 and a lot of people get at least one 20/20 in all their school years it really just depends on the teacher, the school, the subject... And for vacation, from kindergarten to last year of high school you have two weeks around October ( Toussaint’s vacation), two weeks in December for Noël (Noël vacation) , then two weeks around february (Winter vacation), then two weeks around Easter day ( Pâques vacation ) and then summer break that depends according to your age, from mid June to September 1.

[@berniemelonson5791]

Thanks for sharing I alway enjoy your Videos very informative. You answer question I didn’t know I had😂 Please keep making these videos you are helping lots of people ❤️

[@TiffanieDavis]

Aw yay so glad that they're helpful!

[@gretchenking5952]

A lot of restaurants in NYC close between 3 and 5 (pre-COVID). They are getting ready for the evening crowd.

[@Fridaholic]

For date order, I'm American and have lived abroad for awhile - the date order (month/day or day/month) doesn't really bother me. However, I prefer either month/day or year/month/day (THIS ONE ESPECIALLY) because it guarantees that everything will be ordered chronologically on computer files. For work purposes, this has always been easiest for me to search and find things.

[@MiguelGarcia-ft9gj]

Here in Mexico 🇲🇽 it’s very common to have lunch 2-4pm and offices and shop owners close during this time, on Saturdays they work half a day and leave at 2pm for the day. On Sunday most small businesses are closed, with the exception of big malls or giant grocery chains.

[@katedouza8425]

I am so glad to have stumbled upon your channel today. I visited Paris a few times and I dream of living there one day. I will follow you to learn more info. Thank you Tiff!

[@charliemoorejr.]

Hi from America. I just found your channel, and subscribed. I enjoyed this vlog.

[@PatriciaJeanPierre]

I agree with you in regards to tipping, I was so happy to not have to worry about doing it when I visited Paris. It’s not a big deal compared to the States! I hope that culture norm stays like that! Whew!!

[@loustic59vda]

Yes nothing prevent you to give a "pourboire" to thank the staff for their skills and the quality of service.

[@bichononline2756]

As a French girl living in North America ( Toronto, Canada) I can definitely say that I miss the tickets restaurant and the 5 weeks vacations 😭😭 Great Video :)

[@TiffanieDavis]

Ahhhh!! It really is the best!!

[@bloodtypena]

I love your fashion style Tiffanie you look so fabulous the make up the hair the blouse so cute!

[@gerardogascon4048]

Just stumbled on ur videos. Its great!

[@51000juju51000]

I'm kind of sad to see those "bad" comments, especially from french people. Tiffanie, as a french person I love this video. You seem to be happy in Paris so it makes me happy to see an american person living in France. It's always interesting to know how other cultures work. And next time I'm going to the US i will be more careful about what to do and not to do, so thank you very much :)

[@paulortiz2035]

Being a waiter is a real, even honorable profession in France! In the US you are a waiter until something better comes along!!! Most 'real' waiters work in the uber expensive, formal restaurants, in the major cities! Most waiters in America are not very good, are not well trained, nor see it as a real career--- it is seen as menial work.

[@alxmtncstudio2066]

Bartending is a very well paid and respected job in the US for those who can put on a skillshow for trendy venues as far as I know. It's more about how much you're willing to put in the work to turn this "in wait of a better offer"-job into something special for the customer. Somehow, it's some of these things that I like in the US.

[@olivierruiz4843]

Great video! As a french food lover living near Paris I would give you a tip: have try shopping in the ''marchés''? You've got a lot of temporary outdoor markets all along Paris (sometimes they are also indoors). It's beautiful, lively, and the products and prices are nice (often). A lot of french people love these markets! (Especially older people and patents with kids)

[@vegannigeria9218]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@TiffanieDavis]

You're so welcome!

[@nyashafranklin2227]

Would you be open to doing a GRWM video? Or make up video? I love all the lipstick colors you have used in the videos, and I'm curious what shades or products you use! The colors pop so well with your skin!

[@TiffanieDavis]

Thank you so much!! Yesss I’m definitely open to it! I just have to find a space in my apartment where you guys can actually see me get ready haha my bathroom is too small to film in ☠️. This is absolutely to come though!

[@itseveryday8600]

I always have a culture shock when I visit NJ from NY lol

[@anaisvandenbosch6249]

I am a Belgian living in California and I relate so much to what you are explaining, the other way around! Especially about the dates and dating :-)

[@luciahtm1075]

What is "belgian" ?

[@Kassie446]

I'm from NY as well and studied in the UK for uni. Most of the things you said are also done in the UK. The amount of vacation time that jobs give is lush. It's usually 5 or 6 weeks throughout the year in the UK. Also the date being 'day month year' confused me at first too. It makes sense of course but it took a while to get used to lol

[@Tracymmo]

Other than Japan, I haven't seen a country that is so stingy with time off as the US.

[@aimemaggie]

I’ve been here for about a month now so I’m curious how many of these I can relate to lol

[@aimemaggie]

Finished the video! Definitely related to these. Some other things I’ve noticed is the door handles being different, saying bonjour to everyone you meet, and having to dry clothing naturally.

[@TiffanieDavis]

@@aimemaggie oooo these are good! I might have to make a culture shocks part #2 video haha

[@OurLifeInParis]

You're so right: the obsession with rotisserie chicken is 4000% a thing!! No complaints though... Wouldn't mind North America picking up on that trend! lol

[@aidanclarke6106]

For many French, rotisserie chicken is the entree you would have every Sunday with family, aka "le poulet du dimanche".

[@Lafemmefutile]

I lived for 5 years in France and we would have that damn rotisserie chicken every Sunday 😂. There was a market near my place so we would buy a big arab bread and our chicken to go home with my friends every Sunday. I miss these days, reason I’m trying to go back to france and leave that sinking ship that America is turning into sadly.

[@aidanclarke6106]

@@Lafemmefutile - Whatever your plan is, I wish you the best

[@strasbourgerelsass1467]

It is what the Döner is for the Germans (even if in Germany are those chicken burners too).

[@PHlophe]

@@strasbourgerelsass1467 every Dönnerstag, basically. its the ultimate food for the after party over here

[@BAn-mu4qe]

Thank you, Tiffanie for sharing your experiences. It's the same at the restaurants in Southern Spain. Here it is a café culture as people generally don't entertain in their homes. When they do, it's something special. People in France, Spain and Italy like to eat fresh food, hence they shop for one or several days (except for buying boxed items or other large items for families). Apparently, in China it's the same in terms of the 3-5 date rule. In Spain, August is also the general vacation time for most people. Many people say they are 'going to the beach'. Sundays in Spain is time for family or friends and it's a time to hang out for breakfast/brunch for hours. The stores such as Carrefour Express ( small stores) are open on Sundays as well as the Chinese-run stores.

[@clairebreuleux2928]

It would be dull living in a world where everything is the same 😉

[@NewYorkPrincess22]

In Guyana we also write the date that way. 5-10-20 instead of 10-5-20 because we say fifth of October instead of October 5th.

[@TiffanieDavis]

oh so interesting!!

[@randychampion184]

Barbados as well

[@allthehui]

Two hour lunch breaks?! MOVING TO PARIS NOW ✈️

[@hannahtaylor2242]

No, usually it's 45min to 1h, but very very few people have the chance to take 2h to lunch ^^

[@Insaneronald]

Depends my former place was 1h30. A lot of the "new companies" like tech startup and shit are 30-1h but I prefer the traditional ones (2h but finishing work at 7)

[@migrainewarrior1798]

It’s actually not that great. Too short to eat + do something else. I’d rather have 45 minutes and go home earlier. It’s killing me to be bored every day for no reason.

[@OzKiltman]

Yes but the expression "9 to 5 job" doesn't really exist in France. It's more 8 to 6 or 9 to 7 depending on your company.

[@Insaneronald]

@@OzKiltman 9 to 6 (7 hours worked a day and 2h lunch) in some places. Now upper management engineers etc have longer hours but I only worked as a rank and file employee paid around 1400 so only speaking for these

[@thaeros]

for the "closing restaurant" it's for thes people working in to have " free time" ( i forgot to say i'm french and an ex-cook) the " time" we have is diferent if we are waiter or working in the " cuisine" ( kitchen) as a cook most of the time we arrive at the shop ( who is closed to public) nearly 10 in the morning to prepare what we need for cooking ( cuting vegetable , etc...) then we eat most of the time nearly 11h30 so just before opening the restaurant then we leave after the "service" nearly 15h have time and then come back nearly 18h for the same thing and eat to open nearly at 19h until clients leave ( mostly nearly 23h) then clean and everything to go home after nearly 1 am! After there is diferent " time" a years for exemple in the sumer we mostly leave much latter nearly 3am but in short we have rules of " clean" and if an inspector fall on us not having things clean enought he can close the restaurant! After i'm only speaking of "the good way of doing" i have refused jobs in restaurant that don't followed the rules of clean!

[@rona5353]

The vacation is a plus here!

[@babymilksnatcher]

not gonna lie, I come from the deep countryside (the Creuse department, most Parisians can't even located it on a map lol), and until moving to the city, I never saw anyone tipping at restaurants... my boyfriend used to be surprised when I tip the UberEats delivery guy haha. I believe getting tips in Paris is nearly mandatory for a waitress to make the ends meet at the end of the month, since the costs of life are so crazy up there.

[@emiliebernhard4791]

Hey , I’m french and I love your vidéos. Some fact you said about tipping is not 100% exact though. It’s true that tipping is not mandotary but when you eat in a restaurant you always leave a little to the waiter , even its not a big amount (that depends if the restaurant is fancy or not)

[@claude_1c74]

You r right ! There is a tipping culture in France but not like in america. The more the restaurant is fancy the more you have to tip the waiter. 5 to 10% of the bill. Waiters working in a tourist spot expect to get tips.

[@michellea5415]

In Australia🇦🇺we don’t give offer or have to tip at all. It’s optional because here we get paid well for waitressing! $22 - $30 per hour.

[@cmolodiets]

I'm french and i don't tip

[@matthieurenvoise5578]

Restayrants are closed between 3pm and 7pm, because in france we have a culture of food very special, we make a lot of specificities and that's one of them. We eat at 12 or 13 and for the evening between 19 and 21. The time at the table when we are with our families can be 3 or 4 hours long

[@ritaromax7341]

you're hair looks sooooo amazing

[@nml7750]

It’s only in America, I’m from Jamaica, but live in New York. It’s day, month,year in the Caribbean also, just US has m/d/y....

[@clairedelune1981]

Hey Caribbean bro from Martinique

[@estellec5340]

I work in Luxembourg. I have 29 days of vacation a year. Only 10 days sounds like mistreatment. In Luxembourg 26 days is the min for full time employees. In Belgium I think it might be 25 days minimum. Now I think I would not be ok with working in the US.

[@theheartofawomanwhoprays4808]

26 days in Belgium

[@luciahtm1075]

What is "belgium" ?

[@saundratate6811]

Hi I will be going to Paris in October for vacation I have learned a lot thanks

[@MyAccountForCommenting]

One reason not to spend hours in a restaurant is because other people would like to come in. If ppl are waiting, I would feel I'm being rude to hold a table for hours.

[@petitespatule]

Wow 19€ for ticket restaurant! That's very generous :) I get 8 a day...

[@Columbator]

Te plains pas, j'en ai 6. XD

[@karllytskfk8471]

Je pense qu'elle parle du système par carte. J'ai le droit à 8€par jour qui sont crédités chaque mois. Mais ma carte permet de dépenser 19€ dans la journée (c'est l'équivalent d'utiliser 2tickets en 1seule fois)

[@guanyanwu4510]

In China, it's year-month-day so living in the US I always think month before date makes more sense lol

[@AlainNaigeon]

Indeed going from general to details, like you do, is also a good option, I think. But the US method seems weird to me.

[@paulortiz2035]

Rotisserie chicken being cooked on the sidewalk is very, very convenient! And be sure to get some of the potatoes cooked in the bottom of these rotisserie contraptions. Potatoes cooked in chicken fat! Super yummy! After lunch restaurants lock the doors until 7pm or 8pm when they reopen for dinner! So no 4pm senior, discounted, early bird specials!!!! The french date thing is standard in the US government. Or was went I was in the army!

[@rosiebowers1671]

Haha, I never gave a thought to the ubiquitous rotisserie chickens, but you're right, it's quite specifically french

[@TiffanieDavis]

Name a cultural shock that you've experienced in a new country!! I'll post the top three on my IG story (@itstiffaniedavis) next week 😜.

[@PatriciaJeanPierre]

When I went to Colombia, I was shocked at how almost everyone had a house helper. You don’t have to be rich or well off to hire someone either! House helpers are readily available and it’s normal!

[@jilll934]

When I went to Japan in 2017 I saw people wearing masks! I guess it’s normal if you have a cold etc. I’m Pretty sure this will be a normal thing now everywhere.

[@Chronicles_of_the_tavern]

Paying to use public toilets. Trying to go through your pockets looking for change trying not to soil yourself so you can go to the restroom. Genius idea. Keeps the public restrooms clean and keeps the creeps out.

[@AlainNaigeon]

I seem to remember that when a Greekish person moves up slightly his/her head, it means NO ;-) Of course it began by a few misunderstandings :-)

[@melonellen4]

When I worked in France, I noticed how everyone in the office made a really big effort to say good morning to everyone every day. That does not happen in Canada!

[@DiamondFlame45]

America is all about convenience! They want it quick and fast! This also translates into the dating culture because in America we are about casual relationships.

[@TiffanieDavis]

ooo good call

[@tomf3150]

I knew a guy who got a 21 out of 20, during an exam (@ university) in physic. Perfect answers, and because he was such a head in maths & sciences, he solved all four problems again using only dimensional analysis. That guy was a nighmare. A real good friend but it was like having a Nobel Prize winner in your class.

[@fashowallday4073]

Honestly working in the tech industry in USA provides a lot of the benefits you listed. But yeah, gotta hit that Duolingo harder.

[@SheaMF]

Yeah, the dates are reversed in the US. Sincerely, a French Canadian!

[@corniche3397]

Sheila T du Québec?

[@SheaMF]

@@corniche3397: Oui et non. Née au Québec et j’y suis demeurée jusqu’à l’âge de 24 ans. Et j’habite le grand Vancouver depuis 22 ans. Même si je me sens tjrs Québécoise dans l’âme, je n’y habite plus; hence referring to myself as French Canadian.

[@PHlophe]

@@SheaMF Les Laurentides c'est chez moi. Enfin je n'ai plus l'accent Québécois.

[@nickl.5130]

Be careful about tipping through apps! A lot of them have been under fire because they take the tips for themselves instead of giving them to the delivery person. If you can, always tip in cash directly when they deliver your food

[@knucklehoagies]

Grocery stores in France feel a lot smaller too. I was in Paris couple years back and I wanted some bottled water so I went to a Fran Prix and found water bottles by the case like you see in the US.... but I noticed people tearing open the case and taking individual bottles. In the US that would never happen LOL.

[@frogman3607]

Hi Tiffanie, restaurants are opened for lunch and dinner. Brasseries are opened all day (usually 8.00 am to 10 pm).

[@camealer37]

What French music/songs do you like out there?

[@michellemobakeng5938]

Very good question. Hope she will address it.

[@lewiscotten4798]

I heard that when an American is working in France for example that you have to pay taxes in both countries. Is that true and if you are not returning to the States do you still have to pay taxes to America. What if you move to France with enough money to not have to work do you still have to pay American taxes?

[@loustic59vda]

In France, you pay your taxes in pro-rata of your presence. You declare your incomes in june but on your situation at the december 31th on the last year. And your housing council taxes in october over your situation at the january 1st.

[@lewiscotten4798]

@@loustic59vda okay I got that, but if you are living in France and don't have to work and you paid taxes in the states before you moved do you still have to pay U.S. taxes every year ?

[@valerieleplouhinec2794]

Ha ha my apartment in Paris has the exact same fireplaces and paneling - and my canapé is also very similar to yours :0)

[@dayanayeritsyan8698]

Your hair is awesome 😍

[@Spillitsis]

Is no one gonna talk about the price tag between the US and France? Whereas in the US, the tax is not included in the price tag.

[@geoffreyrothwell2707]

France is “out” where? Paris is not “out” of anywhere!

[@sauce455]

??

[@miyukini3251]

Day by day grocery shopping are only done by Parisian and downtown habitant, especially singles/student due to lack of space in appartement and/or transportation. I live in Toulouse in south west of France and i do my grocery shop every 2 weeks. No family with kids can spare time to shop everyday.

[@loco12113]

I also moved to Paris from NYC about a year ago.