You really are the grand poobah of integration aren’t you? You apply for French citizenship yet?
What you said though sounds a lot to me like “I want to be French, let me just blindly do what they do so they’ll accept me and I won’t be lonely because I have all the personality of a limp noodle and maybe this will work!”
Because really, integration isn’t just “adapting to customs and way of life”.
I used to live in Croydon, it’s obviously gone up in the world - they used to use sledgehammers
[insert pun about Peter Gabriel here]
For all intents and purposes though I’d rather have a guy with a sledgehammer than a guy with a knife - easier to avoid (or minimise impact) from a hammer than it is to avoid getting stabbed/cut/grazed with a knife.
Integration for me is understanding and feeling comfortable with the customs so that you can be yourself and being accepted for the person you are. It’s not about pretending to be a different person in order to be accepted.
So to me, someone who still thinks of it as “their customs and way of life”, and has to “try to fit in somewhere”, is a person who hasn’t integrated.
I agree it’s not about time.
Adapt - not Adopt !
“I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any”
― Mahatma Gandhi
You see John, we are integrated.
We do not look to the GJ’s to be welcomed in our commune.
When I was a student I had a summer job on the 109 as a conductor. It used to run through from Westminster through Croyden to Purley. Luckily I missed the sledge hammer gangs.
Yes, but I’d say a good hammer thrower has a longer range than a good knife thrower.
An excellent point, but if it comes down to throwing things, I plan to be far, far away from any of that 
You’ve left me wondering why. Unless it’s about weeing al fresco. As long as it’s done out of sight of onlookers, and not so as to contaminate the environment, surely both women and men can pee outside if the situation demands without shame or embarrasment?
Anatomy makes it perhaps slightly more complicated and vulnerable for women, that’s clear. But not distasteful or improper. It’s a universally commonplace practice for both sexes.
On long walks a handy tree to hide behind has been very useful!
As you say a little bit more complicated for us womem to have a pee, having to crouch behind a tree or bush with pants and knickers at half mast whilst trying to be as rapid as possible…
Oui. Like most fellows I’ve often ‘done tree’ while keeping a sharp look out for squirrels. 
With us ladies it’s mainly nettles and brambles we watch out for 
And red ants…! x 
Maybe not a Pine Tree though…Processionary caterpillars might be a little irritating 
Eeeeeeeek!! Prévu c’est prévenu. Red ants processionary, caterpillars, nettles, serpents 
Exactly, things have to change without violence just like in Roumania. I feel France is becoming more like England and I don’t want that If England was so good, then why are we living in France and that is just 1 of the reasons I am a Gilet jaune. We only get one chance at life and a lot of people go through life with suffering & hardships whilst a few the 0.01%are so wealthy its obscene. Les gilet jaune don’t want the medicine here to be run down like the NHS they don’t want France to be privatized they are asking for an honest wage for an honest days work
There are quite a few French who have had enough of the violence that has occured over the last few weeks.
I have taken part in some protests for various things here over the years, and I was at the first protest GJ locally as I believed that there was a need for change.
However I now believe that enough is enough, there are many small business’ who are going under because the GJ’s have blocked access at wherever they like. IMO you do not make the people who are trying hard to earn a living suffer like this.
I live in a very rural part of France so haven’t personally had any problems but when I have seen the protests in the big cities I am horrified, and only thankful that I don’t have to live with this on a daily basis.
Re healthcare, I have nothing but praise for all the care that I and my family have received here over the years, of course there are problems, again especially in rural France, but my goodness if there is an emergency the help is there and it’s great.
I don’t see how France is becoming more like the UK, maybe because I haven’t set foot back in Britain for 20 years, perhaps you can explain why you think that ?
I have a very different view of France than yours, I have lived here many years and consider this my home. I don’t have to ‘try’ to fit in, I just do !
Maybe where you live things are different, or maybe you see things differently…
History has shown time and again that you can’t make the poorer richer by making the richer poorer.
Whilst doing millions worth of damage that gets paid for by - guess what - all of us tax payers. How’s that mental logic line up for you?
Also, a lot of people go through life with suffering and hardship, and don’t take any action - at all - to better their situation. Instead they whine and bitch that the government isn’t doing enough for them. I’ve been there, right on that edge where you get to make the choice of paying a bill, or eating for the next week.
It wasn’t a proud moment, I’ll give you that, but I changed that entire situation on my own, without help from anyone. It’s just that many people (and I’ll be an asshole and include you in that lot) really don’t want to put the work in.