"PARISIANS ESCAPE PARIS EVERY WEEKEND." Paris by thinking

Paris Travel Guide: 22,165 reviews and 53,882 photos

Claude Monet, Rue Montorgueil, Paris 1878 - Paris
Claude Monet, Rue Montorgueil, Paris 1878
What makes Paris tick?

We have had time to compare the thinking, values & the culture of France with those of the USA, & the effect each system has on personal health, wealth, development & happiness.

Americans live in an economic world of "uncertainty" which they call "opportunity", while the French life is very ruled & therefore "certain". Americans, in general, are mostly anxious & the French are often depressed.

Here are some websites which help you to know PARIS and FRANCE:
PRO-NATALIST CULTURE
FRENCH MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE
MEDIEVAL ART & ARCHITECTURE
18TH CENTURY PRINTMAKING REVOLUTION
ART EXHIBITS

MONARCHIES OF EUROPE
NAPOLEON
THE NAPOLEONIC GUIDE
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
MORE ON THE REVOLUTION
LIBERTY, EQUALITY & FRATERNITY

NORMANDY INVASION
D-Day
D-DAY MUSEUM
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL

FRANCE PROFILED
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT FRANCE
RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONAL
FAMOUS FRENCH LINKS
MAY'68

TYPE ANY TEXT WITH FRENCH ACCENTS
TRANSLATE THAT FOR ME!
FRENCH NEWS TRANSLATED INTO YOUR OWN LANGUAGE

PARIS METRO NAVIGATOR
LITER TO GALLONS/PTS/OUNCES
MILES KILOMETERS CONVERSION
CURRENCY CONVERSION

TIME IN PARIS
WEATHER IN PARIS
AIR QUALITY IN PARIS
NUCLEAR FUSION REACTOR
LOST PROPERTY

HOLIDAYS IN FRANCE
CHRISTMAS
RESTAURANTS IN FRANCE


REGIONS IN FRANCE
DEPARTMENTS IN FRANCE
PHOTOS OF EVERY PARIS STREET
YELLOW & WHITE PAGES IN ENGLISH

THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN PARIS

PERFUME

THE FRENCH ARE DIFFERENT!
Eugene Delacroix's "Liberty leading the People" - Paris

Eugene Delacroix's "Liberty leading the People"

What isn't advertised about France is what determines their social character:

1. France operates the country under socialism. That means the French always complain and want more of other people's money. The unproductive make demands on the state which means only the productive members pay for them through more and more taxes. Their societal goal is to procreate without regard to any "old fashioned" ideas like marriage. They need more taxpayers so how babies arrive in a French world is of no concern to the French state. The French do not marry each other, instead they marry France "for life" due to the benefits they can only receive through the state. No human being can compete with that, therefore marriage is a very silly idea here.

French act like robots, never smile, and hope to "live hidden, live happy" due to the command nature of their hierarchy. They are encouraged to eat, smoke & to buy real estate in France. Eating out, smoking, and drinking in restaurants is de rigour. How else can the state collect 19.6% VAT of all those high, fixed prices? There is very little that is romantic about France.

2. Its energy is from nucleaur reactors.

3. The legal drinking age here is 18.

4. Sunday is reserved for the sacred "family lunch", although fewer French are doing this weekly.
Sunday mornings famillies go to the market.
The liquor & food stores are only open from 8h30 to 13h00.

5. The State provides free, obligatory and laïque education. Upon graduate from the free high school
the French are entitled to attend the university. One's grades do not matter. Fees are under $200 a year, and scholarships are available to low income families.
If you speak French, and can pass the entrance exam, you can go to school free in France too. However, there is a "class" system here too.

6. Most older workers have lifetime contracts of employment and the certainty that goes with it.
If you work at a bank, for example, you receive a rank just like in the military. You take that rank with you when changing companies. Everyone receives the same salary, only the bonus is different.
Workers clothing and transporation is deducted from their income for tax purposes. France asks you for a statement of income and sends you a tax bill. You do not need weeks to prepare a tax return.

7. Health care costs 8% of your income. Drug costs are minimal.

8. Property taxes are paid for mostly by the Corporations, but the financial crisis will change all of this. More of the burden will fall on the owners beginning in 2011 and continue for the next 3 years, as Sarkozy wants to lessen the burden on corporations. They need more taxpayer money because regulators and bankers did not regulate or manage the risks.

9. 40 average paid vacation days are provided everyone in France, not counting holidays or sick days.

10. The days run like "military clockwork" in France. Plan to eat between noon-14h00, as the entire country stops everything for "the lunch". Lunch is the main meal of the day. All large corporations have cafeteria's for their workers, as well as "cheque jeuner" food vouchers for them to eat elsewhere.

11. You are EXPECTED to have children and the pro-natalist state supports that idea with funds to back that up. In fact, one isn't considered an adult here unless one has children. Of course, jobs are outsourced as fast as possible to former colonies or Central or Eastern Europe.

LA DEFENSE and PARIS
La Defense at Night - Paris

La Defense at Night

If I can tell you anything else, it would be that Foreigners have to remind themselves that they are not only dealing with a country that really exists (ie: the multinational corporation one located in LaDefense & lined up to profit off of tourists on the Champs Elysee), but with a country that most Frenchmen dream still exists (the grandeur of life amongst Royal luxuries), their former importance in the diplomactic world, when France had a lot of power. The gap between the two realities is a large one, but the French indefatigably try to ignore it or forget it.

Check out
Sixty Million Frenchman Can't Be Wrong
Au Contraire: Figuring Out the French
"Culture Shock France" and "Culture Shock Paris" I found somewhat helpful.
I did find it very helpful to discuss the implications of "Culture Shock USA". After using this book as a way to discuss culture, anyone can see through the political & economic designs of both cultures.There is so much pleasure in understanding this most important fact.
Downtown Paris is reserved for 25 million annual visitors and annual parades such as Bastille Day's, for New Years Eve street parties, for the finish of the Tour de France and for lots of demonstrating strikers and other ordinary malcontents. If there's any space left over, it is used for towing away illegally-parked cars.

About three decades ago, some power types decided to place Paris' business downtown out of town so it wouldn't offend local sensitivities. This happened after the 56-story Tour Montparnasse was accidently built before anyone realized what an eyesore it would be - and still is..

The President of France is a pretty powerful person. I don't know if he actually had the idea, but he must have okayed the plan to go far out west - beyond the rich bourgeois neighborhood in Neuilly - and grab parts of Puteaux and Courbevoie in Paris' light-industrial & 'red' belt, & put the business downtown there.

These two places are not even in Paris; there are in the Hauts-de-Seine department. Just in case anybody was thinking of protesting against this land-grab, the new place was called 'La Défense' - as in 'Don't mess with it.' Then it was given a Paris postal code of 92400.

This allows businesses to be located, somewhat offshore, in La Défense and pretend to still be in Paris so they can put that on their letterheads. Visiting businessmen who have business to do in Paris must be surprised that the places they need to visit are not next to the Ritz or anywhere near the Champs-Elysé. The taxi fare from there to LaDefense would be high, but they don't pay their own taxi fares anyway. However, local residents do, so the métro's Line 1 was extended beyond Neuilly to La Défense, & a regional express rail line was run through it too so the hoards of working people could live far away & travel to work at La Défense.

It must have been a very high-up decision, because the main axis of La Défense lines up with the Pyramid in the Louvre, the Obelisk at Concorde, and the Arc de Triomphe at Etoile.

To 'anchor' it all, a huge arch - called the 'Grande Arche,' was built at La Défense's western end & you can see it in a clear day all the way from the Louvre, if the slight hill of the Etoile wasn't in the way.

You can visit La Défense for the price of a round-trip métro ride. I would suggest doing this if you are in any doubt about what makes Paris great - because of all urban places in the world, La Défense is the current economic reality. The Royals of the Multicorporation Empire work here. This is were you will find the French.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:HISTORICALLY INTERESTING IF YOU LIKE WAR
  • Cons:BORING, ROBOTIC PEOPLE! UNCOMPETITIVE! HIGH FIXED PRICES! NO CUSTOMER SERVICE! RAIN!
  • In a nutshell:SO MUCH HISTORY- 1167.9 YEARS OF WAR
  • Last visit to Paris: Apr 2011
  • Intro Updated Apr 4, 2011
  • Add to Trip Planner (?)
  • Report Abuse

Reviews (121)

Chef Pierre Gagnaire - Paris 2 star restaurant Restaurants (25)

French & British tradtional foods of great experiment. Pierre Gagnaire's energy never stops. His table offers more... more travel advice

Pre Catelan - Paris Chef Frederic Anton's seasonal menus Restaurants (25)

The food is near culinary perfection with a wine list to match. Lamb chops are my favorite. more travel advice

Joel and company at the market - Paris THE MARKET AT ALMA-MARCEAU Things to Do (14)

"The Legumes of Joel" or "Les Legumes de Joel! is a sumptuous book aobut the gifted market gardner Joel Thiebault. He... more travel advice

Rotunda at the entrance of PARC MONCEAU - Paris LE PARC MONCEAU Off The Beaten Path (8)

The park was established by Phillippe d'Orléans, Duke of Chartres, a cousin of the king. He started buying land on which... more travel advice

Comments (32)

  • Reply
    telsoar's Profile Photo
    May 22, 2010 at 11:40 PM

    Now THAT is a fantastic tip: I am renting a great apartment for two weeks and looking to save a little on food!

  • Reply
    dr.firas's Profile Photo
    Aug 19, 2009 at 1:07 AM

    I wish you a very belated Happy Birthday my dear :-)

  • Reply
    kenHuocj's Profile Photo
    Aug 7, 2009 at 12:23 AM

    as always, a joy to VT visit Paris with you . ARe you enjoying your Summer. ;-)))

  • Reply
    Mailo's Profile Photo
    Jun 23, 2009 at 9:42 PM

    Your France and Paris pages are very interesting and serius info for the traveler, very helpful, congratulation and thank's for all that, it is really apreciated. Soon I hope to visit France based in your tips. Ismael

  • Reply
    ForestqueenNYC's Profile Photo
    May 13, 2009 at 2:57 PM

    Elizabeth,regarding what you can't find in Paris, I have been unable to find a cast iron frying pan with a flat bottom. I may bring one from the U.S. the next trip.

  • Reply
    DMcD's Profile Photo
    Mar 15, 2009 at 4:05 PM

    Very informative -- thankyou

  • Reply
    Wild_Orchid's Profile Photo
    Jun 17, 2008 at 6:18 PM

    your comment on "Why French are Different"-is very useful! thanks for sharing. :-)

  • Reply
    Karolina01's Profile Photo
    Feb 25, 2008 at 8:01 PM

    A wonderful page and lots of useful tips. Thank you.

  • Reply
    Beausoleil's Profile Photo
    Apr 21, 2007 at 4:27 PM

    Lovely photo of my favorite cathedral. However, Notre Dame at Amiens is larger.

  • Reply
    ExGuyParis's Profile Photo
    Sep 26, 2006 at 9:20 AM

    Ah, Paris! I hope you soak up all its joys. I am so sad that I moved away just as you were arriving! Paul

thinking's Related Pages

Paris Travel Guide

 
Explore the World
Travel Destinations
thinking's Profile Photo

thinking Lives Here!

thinking

Online Now

Male

Top 1,000 Travel Writer
Member Rank:
0 0 9 6 9

Badges & Stats in Paris

  • 121 Reviews
  • 152 Photos
  • 5 Forum posts
  • 33 Comments
  • 10,079PageViews
  • See All Stats
  • See All Badges (6)

Have you been to Paris?

  Share Your Travels  

Latest Activity in Paris

Photos in Paris

See All Photos (152)

Top 10 Pages

See All Travel Pages (69)

Friends

See All Friends (95)

Travel Interests

See All Travel Interests (3)

Latest Paris hotel reviews

Ibis Paris Tour Eiffel Cambron
524 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 21, 2013
Mercure Square des Batignolles Hotel Paris
25 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 10, 2013
Hotel Paris Rivoli
150 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 12, 2013
Armstrong Paris Hotel
329 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 25, 2013
Hotel de Nesle
177 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 16, 2013
Grand Hotel de Champagne
278 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 21, 2013
Arc de Triomphe Paris Hilton
135 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 22, 2013
Grand Hotel Nouvel Opera
122 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 2, 2013
Hotel Princesse Caroline
21 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 22, 2013
Hotel du Rond-Point des Champs-Elysees
21 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 16, 2013
Valadon
97 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 18, 2013
Royal Hotel Paris Champs Elysees
76 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 20, 2013
Keppler
520 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 18, 2013
Hotel Losserand Montparnasse Paris
34 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 12, 2013