Which clan do you belong to? and other Paris, France Local Custom Tips

You may hear the following expressions used to describe people in France: baba cool, gauche caviar, bobo and bcbg. They are used to describe different groups of people within French society and here is what they stand for:

Baba cool is an older term used to describe what we in the US would call a hippie. Think Woodstock. The French also use the term "Peace & Love" to describe anything hippyish (is that a word?). For example, there is a "Peace & Love Hostel" right across the street from where I live.

Gauche caviar (translation left caviar) is a limosine liberal.

Bobo is short for Bourgeois Bohème, so I am not sure how it translated into English but image young professionals living in artsy areas. They are not pioneers but they like to come into areas that have just recently turned trendy. The Marais and the surrounding area in the 11th for example.

BCBG means bon chic bon genre. Just think preppy. They live in the 16th or Neuilly. We all know what they are like. Nothing too ostentatious and usually very conservative.

As I think of more of these I will add them.

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Ok, so I know you're on vacation and you don't care what these people think but please be aware that if you wear shorts in Paris you might as well carry a sign saying I AM A TOURIST!

They may wear short skirts but they never ever wear shorts. Actually they do, but is a subject of much hilarity. Last summer just before the August vacations started one of the lawyers in the firm came to work with Bermudas and shoes with no socks. I guess he was making a statement but he is French and can get away with it.

You will just look silly.

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We love our animals here. I don't think I know anyone who doesn't have either a cat or a dog. Dogs are especially great to have here, it is a way of initiating conversation and "bonding". Also, there aren't any kind of rules for apartments like no pets. This would never do in Paris!

You might even want to carry around photos of your pets if you do not want to put them through the ordeal of flying (I know I never would).

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Well I must say that I've had very great success in installing this as a screensaver at work.

The best was when one of the lawyers came in with a little pin an American client had given him with the US and France flags intertwined and I said non, mais non, the true meaning of Franco-American is here...

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France is not only in Europe it also includes the Carribean and the Pacific.

In French it is Oversea's Departments (Departements d'Outre Mer = DOM) and Oversea's Territories (Terretoires d'Outre Mer = TOM). So they too are French citizens and thus EU citizens.

Perhaps it is like the US in Guam and Puerto Rico. I plan on doing more research so look out for updates.

DDOM (1) : Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion et Guyane
DOM (2) : Mayotte, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
TOM : Nouvelle Calédonie, Polynésie Française, Wallis et Futuna, TAAF

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