Britain vs France – An intro to an (un)definitive list
After a year of living in Montpellier, we’re back in London. Now, I’ve lived in the UK and I’ve lived in France. Therefore, in my head, I am completely qualified to compare the two countries.
In England, I’ve lived in that behemoth of a city known as London, and for a little while, Brighton, which is basically little London with seagulls. I have no idea what life in a little village in Northern England where everyone says “y’aright luv” is like.
In France, I lived in Montpellier, which is neither Paris – a.k.a. French London – nor a tiny village with one bakery. It’s the eighth biggest city in France, it’s by the sea, has a heck of a lot of sunshine, questionable working hours and a problem with dog pooh and begging.
These things are not created equal. And they are by no means representations of their entire country. However, there are many times when I’ve found myself dealing with someone in France and thinking: that would never happen in the UK or vice versa. It’s quite amazing how a little stretch of water can be the dividing line between two very different cultures.
When people ask me, which they do regularly, what is France like? Is it better or worse than England? I start rattling off the problems with English work culture and the pain of French bureaucracy like a pro. So, I started a list; a list of things I’ve found, while travelling back and forth between the two countries, which I’ve been inspired by and frustrated by and which taught me a lot about the two different cultures and how I react to them.
Once I started writing the list, which includes banking, customer service, internet, eating, renting, relationships, I got quite carried away and decided it would be far too long for one blog post, so I decided to split it up, and make it into a bit of a series.
Prepare yourselves for some generalisations and observations from one person comparing a bacon and egg butty with a croissant and claiming it’s culinary research.
Is there anything you’ve ever wondered about the differences between the French and the British? Or, for that matter, those of you who have lived in France or the UK or both, have you been surprised by the differences you’ve found?
