This post from the Torygraph did make me chortle.
It would seem that most of my (French) friends are rather uncouth, repeatedly returning to the cheese platter as they often do. And arriving late for dinner! And as for my business associates, they are obviously highly unprofessional, especially the women who tend NOT to wear " either business suits or elegant dresses in soft colours"!!
What do you think?
I had a look at living in Australia too. Never been there, but what a great way of putting people who check up on things off! Reading between the lines one gets the feeling that the authors are very aware of the convict ancestry of a few Ozs but attach some of that to all.
As a matter of curiosity (and a sure-fire way of avoiding doing any work today) I went to the trouble of downloading the guide (free). I scanned through it, and not only are there sloppy typos, but some of the "information" is quite misleading. Badly constructed and to think they are trying to sell it for £6.95!!! What a load of rubbish.
Yes Jo, absolutely right BUT the Torygraph in the toilet? The thought of people who are already mentally constipated blocking their brains with that or did you mean for wiping... In which case their rear ends are as black as their thoughts. You inspired me with your words, and my own thoughts made me chuckle which normally nothing about that rag does!
Have just liked your comment Jo!
I clicked on the link and told them what I thought of their guide :)
If you can't afford to loose the cheese on the platter you shouldn't invite people to eat it. Who give a knats pee about what anyone wears anymore, this is 2012 not 1950, & we have global starvation and slavery to sort out before we bother with being on time for dinner. torygraph should be saved for the loo. Not for reading
Meant to say, I for one prefer the 'casual' dress code, have got use to the lateness, and being vegetarian, I don't need expandable clothes when I invited to dinner as I usually only get bread and salad :(
My daughter's best friend slouches at the table, eats noisy, with mouth open and barely mentions a 'merci' for any of the food that we've presented her with during the past 10yrs (always with bread readily available of course)! No matter, these habits haven't worn off on our daughter I'm glad to say, in fact chez best friends, they have taken to calling her 'the duchess'!!
Here: bon app', not only eating off knives but talking very open mouthed so that I think I share Jane's problem and spend a lot of time wiping my face. Glasses off for kisses, lateness is just part of life, the Perigordine diet is so full of fat things (foie gras, etc) that not many people retain the figure to be chic, teachers definitely wear jeans, to forget bread on the table is a crime against humanity, and no cheese and they won't come again, so if you do not want people back withold that course and desserts are optional but if served must be so calorific that new trousers/skirts will be bought next day... So dear Torygraph, your Francophobia strikes again by giving the wrong impression entirely and almost obviously ignorantly.
Louise, it always seems to be me who is seated opposite the person who eats with their mouth open!!
Kirsty, I agree about the table manners, I am always shocked by the number of French people who eat off their knives.
Carolyn, the French are really casual. When I arrived in France I still had all my suits etc from working in London and have never needed them here. I dress smartly for interviews but find everyone is really casual. I have also taught in schools in France, both primary and secondary and jeans are the norm for both teachers and pupils, yet my friend who is a secondary school teacher in the UK was really shocked that teachers wore jeans and said that teachers were not allowed jeans at her school.
As for French women being so well groomed!! Don't think they are any more well groomed than British women.
That part about not dressing nice for work is a shock to me! I've been told by several sources that though the clothes need not be expensive, the rule in France is to be dressed professionally or at least reasonably presentable when in a professional environment. This is to go along with showing respect to the job position and even moreso one of a variety of expressions of respect to supervisors and bosses. Unless this custom is beginning to change, or maybe if the weather conditions in France take its toll on fashion, the French (especially the women) are famous for having a high priority on taking the time to look nice in public (including nice hair too). One source recently reminded me that unlike in the U.S., there is no "casual Friday" in French office-type jobs. And don't French women think it's important to look pretty for social occasions anymore as long as the weather conditions outside allow for it?
I thought it was polite to be around 1/4 hour late, that seems to be normal around here. Also, I am always surprised by the number of French people I know who have terrible table manners - eat with their mouths open, talk with them full. People who you would think would know better too...
very wise words Louise, we had a rough old time the last time I took the family to the UK - no bread, no real lunch, not what we're used to etc.
@Jane, yes it's absolute rubbish and could lead people into believing all sorts of nonsense about France and the French!
No meal is complete without bread, that'll really upset people.
I wouldn't pay anything for this guide, it is total rubbish!!
Amongst our friends, English and Burgundian, it is nearly always the french who arrive late. It is the english who are a l'heure!
The cheese goes round and you take what you want, again and again, it is a coment upon the excellent choice of your host.
Perhaps this is why there are problems with people who come to France, they believe this rubbish.
where did the author get their info from?!!!! Five kisses in Corsica??? I would love to see that!
I do agree that with the kisses sometimes tongue in cheek is the most exiting.
@ Sarah - my thoughts too but I didn't dare use the phrase!
@ Louise - no meal is complete without cheese, and I don't like cheese :-( Sunglasses, yes I take them off normally but when cycling nobody seems to bother as we're all kitted up and ready to go ;-)