Moving to France - Changing the Habits of a Lifetime

There is no doubt that unless you have spent a lot of time in France or Europe before you move to a new home in Brittany, you will need to be prepared to adapt to the change in pace and culture. Most people have a preconceived idea of life in France developed by the stereotype portrayed on television and in the press and general media. Oh how wrong can you be!

 

I have heard many retired ex-pats refer to life in Brittany as being like England in the Fifties. Whilst I disagree, I can see similarities in the slow pace of life and the view of many Bretons that family, relaxation and enjoying the companionship of friends and neighbours is of great importance. The average Bretons life revolves around social events within a five mile radius of their home including, work, shopping and community activities.

 

It is normal for any outing to the local shops to take twice as long as you had planned due to the various meetings and subsequent long discussions you have with people you know and those that you meet for the first time. Bretons love to talk to people about any subject you like although I would avoid politics as it can get a bit heated. Due to my limited French vocabulary, I tend to stick to subjects I know I can debate with confidence, although I occasionally get drawn into some difficult subject matter by my own desire to impress. On one occasion I visited the local supermarket and noted the checkout girl had dyed her hair with alternate red and mauve stripes and before I could stop myself I had told her in my best French that her hair was ‘très joli’, very pretty, big mistake!  She was so impressed that I had noticed that she launched off into a conversation about how her boyfriend had suggested the style would make her look like a well known pop star. When this happens you have to use the most common French conversation filler of ‘ Oui, Oui, Oui, nicely spaced out followed occasionally with Non, Non, Non,. By watching the individuals face you can gauge which response suits best.

 

The reserved nature of the average English person can make integration very difficult and I know of many ex pats who spend most of their time avoiding contact with their neighbours. It is a great shame as by avoiding contact they are missing out on the great social life France has to offer. Polite behaviour is expected in Brittany and if you go into a shop you will be acknowledged by ‘Bonjour’ and you should respond in kind. This will also be repeated when you reach the till and if you can manage it, a conversation is welcomed. It is not unusual for the ‘beepeuse’, someone who beeps, to engage in a long conversation whilst the queue grows. In the UK this would be likely to cause a near riot but in Brittany those in the queue would simply have their own discussion or join in.   

 

I was in a queue in the bank the other day and a gentleman in front of me launched into a conversation. I managed to pick out some of the key words which appeared to indicate that if the bank teller did not hurry up he was going to get his gun? I suggested in broken French that this was perhaps a bit extreme, after which he gave me a strange look and a wide birth. After he had gone a woman behind me explained in perfect English that the man was trying to tell me about a bank robbery he had read about in the paper! You see how exciting life can be when you do not understand the language.

 

The aspect of French life which annoys the British tourist the most is the shop and business opening hours. The majority of shops open at 0830 and close rigidly at 1200 for the two hour meal break, reopening at 1400, eventually closing at 1900. These working hours are fiercely defended by the shop worker unions and only recently has there been some easing for occasional Sunday seasonal opening. If you are in a shop at 1158 expect to be directed to the exits. Eventually you take this in your stride and make for the nearest restaurant or café to join everyone else in a nice leisurely meal with a glass of French wine.

 

One of the biggest mistakes the ex pats make when they come to live in Brittany is to try and eat exactly the same foods as they did in the UK. Not only is this expensive, as you pay a premium for imported specialist food items, but you miss one of the greatest pleasures of living in France. Yes, this does involve experimentation and the occasional rejected meal, but eventually you will find that your palette will adjust to the change of diet. I have to admit that I still cannot bring myself to eat snails despite how well they can be dressed to look appealing, it’s a shame as I have enough in my garden to feed a small army.

 

Television is not very popular in France despite the launch of digital channels. The average Breton will watch less than 3 hours per week and that would be mainly news and weather items. This is partly due to the lack of home grown quality programmes, but mainly their involvement in activities outside of the home. Dubbed English crime programmes such as Midsummer Murders and Agatha Christie, are very popular and I get the feeling that the average French person’s view of the UK is that of Midsummer, without the murders of course. Perhaps this is not a bad thing.

 

The Bretons have a very relaxed attitude to life and cannot be rushed into making decisions. If you require the intervention of skilled persons to resolve a problem you must not expect an immediate response. If you arrange a time for a rendezvous with an individual they will arrive but you should not expect punctuality. This sort of behaviour can be infuriating for a Brit, but eventually you come to except it and better still feel relaxed about this approach. Life does not come to an end if the plumber comes an hour late. By the way, I should emphasise that the emergency services respond immediately and are extremely competent.

 

In short you have to be prepared to change the habits of a lifetime if you come to Brittany and leave behind some of the worst traits of the English, simply relax, enjoy life and talk to people.