FRANCE - Expat Contests Page 2

Here are the contest entries filed under FRANCE.

Tales from the Stirrups: (Mis)adventures with a French Gynecologist

After 7 years of being a Canadian expat in France, I figured it was no longer possible to be a victim of a culture shock sneak attack. By now, I’ve familiarized myself with strange French food, navigated through infamous French bureaucracy, learned when to give cheek kisses (les bises) and who to address as “tu” or “vous”. But...

Expat Blog Awards 2013

Ten Beret Good Things to Know About France and the French.

When I first arrived in France with my rose-tinted spectacles firmly jammed on the end of my nose, I secretly hoped for a Doisneau world in which accordeons were played on street corners, vendors sold flowers to kissing couples on wrought iron park benches and beret-toting Frenchies cycled by with a baguette tucked under their arms. Paris...

Writing Contest March 2013

Ten Top Châteaux in the Loire Valley

There are so many wonderful places to visit in the Loire Valley that newcomers to the region often need guidance. It’s pointless saying “Chenonceau is my favourite. You should go there” or “Forget about Chambord, there’s nothing to see”. Each of the châteaux is different and visitors will be attracted to one or the other...

Writing Contest October 2012

The Fearful Expat

“Wow. You’re so brave!” I heard this countless times from friends and family members after I declared I’d be quitting my job and moving to France for an undecided amount of time. Yet I never understood why. Dozens of people, from colleagues to friends of my parents and even a saleslady in an Arizona shopping mall, lauded my bravery,...

Writing Contest March 2013

The Seven Deadly Sins of new Expats in France

Un Not saying ‘Bonjour’. Politeness in interactions with just about anybody is probably the most vital part of moving here. Nowhere is this more obvious than in shops, where you can spend seemingly hours locked in an exchange of formal banter which can easily turn into a polite dispute as to who exactly needs thanking (eg. You: ‘Je...

Writing Contest March 2013

The Ten Commandments for Visiting the Languedoc, France

Every summer, tourists eagerly chase their way through the Languedoc on an enthusiastic pilgrimage from one cross on the guide book to the next. As I see them bowl past, noses glued to their sat navs en route for the next horrifically expensive car park, I can’t help wondering if they’ll return home having experienced the best of the...

Writing Contest March 2013

The top 5 cakes from Brittany

Having recently moved to France, we were expecting to love the weather, the way of life, the new culture and all of the other standard reasons for moving to a new country, what we didn’t plan on was our new found love of cakes, don’t get me wrong, we’ve always been partial to a nice slice of cake and we had been warned about the...

Expat Blog Awards 2013

The top 5 differences between French and English estate agents

You may think that this is a strange topic to be writing about, after all selling a house is selling a house, can it really be that different? And the simple answer is yes! You really don’t notice the difference until you start to search for your dream property, and I would like to share the biggest differences and spill the beans on...

Writing Contest March 2013

Top 10 Complaints or Clichés in the City of Lights

Cafe Louis PhilippeComplaint : Le service is nul. Yes, it can be. I have been a victem of it many a time. I have tried, asking nicely for better service, I have tried indicating my lack of time in advance...I have even rebelled against it in the most ungraceful of ways. No matter. The service may improve for the span of a lunch, or if you...

Writing Contest March 2013

Top 10 Life Lessons I’ve Learned from the French

Always be polite, even when you’re being insulted and especially when you’re being insulting. This works in any situation where tension may be in danger of escalating or if you are trying to get a civil servant to do something for you and you’ve been waiting in line for what seems like an eternity. What you do is take the blame for...