Starting your life in France

If you are one of the lucky ones moving to France, then this post is for you. The four-year anniversary of our move here will be coming up in November. I can’t believe how quickly time has gone by and how much I have learned (and am still learning). Living in a smaller town has its positive and negative aspects. The French culture here in our town is very different from what I experienced in Montpellier; French culture differs from region to region – just as in South Africa, where the regions are so markedly different in terms of dialect and traditions that you can’t really compare them. The French make fun of each other’s accents and they have different food preferences in different regions, but when it comes to socialising, the general population does it the same way. I guess we have more in common with the French than we thought.

Here is a story of a friend of mine who just moved to Grenoble. Her insight made me realise that I have forgotten how hard it was in the beginning. For the first two weeks after our arrival we stayed in a hotel with French staff, French television and French breakfast (espressos, the worst plain yogurt and of course chocolatey baked goods and Nutella). I was too scared to explore the town, for fear of getting lost. For a newlywed, this was a horrifying thought – who was going to help me??

Her story is quite similar to mine, except that she had the additional challenge of taking care of her three boys as well.

Bonjour from Grenoble

“When we just arrived at the airport, the kids were tired and they didn’t want to drive with a strange man (one of the coaches) and mom in the car, so Francois was thrown in at the deep end and had to start driving straightaway. It sounds easy enough, but the car was an SUV left-hand drive, and the French drive on the right side of the road. We had quite a laugh, because every time he needed to change gears he would reach with his left hand into the door! Driving was something that I had to get used to, but it got better the more I drove. I soon realised that in France you can park over two parking bays if you like, you can park sideways, you can drive in the middle of the lane if you want … It seems like no one cares, and if they do, they just honk and drive past you, but they don’t scream at you or stare at you in a funny or angry way.

My first challenge was obviously the language. Most people don’t speak English, and I eventually found a few stores with store assistants who could speak some English.

My second challenge was trying to find all the essentials for our house. A local store called “BUT” came to our rescue. They have reasonably-priced furniture and appliances. Our first purchases were some essential appliances and furniture, a Nespresso machine (my husband won’t survive without coffee 😊) and an ironing machine. We were fortunate enough to receive two boxes full of cutlery and cleaning products from a couple who stayed in Grenoble previously and moved back to SA. I could use the products they left, and only had to buy new ones when those were finished.

I knew most things for the house could be found in BUT, IKEA, ALINÉA, and MAISON DU MONDE. But … Ikea is a huge store, and if you can’t speak the language, you can’t ask for help! So we walked up and down all the aisles, trying to figure out what was where on the shelf, and then bought the things as we found it.

It’s easier to buy fresh produce, because you can see exactly what you are buying, but my first trip to the shop took me one and a half hours just to Google-translate every label, in an effort to find out whether I was buying flour or bread mix; salt or sugar?

I have learned that in Grenoble you don’t go to a one-stop shop for everything you need. L’eclerc is amazing and they have a huge variety of just about everything, quite like Game in South Africa; whereas Carrefour is similar to our Checkers or Pick N Pay. The French have “The Bio Shop”, where you can find all the organic products you need, cleaning products, fruit and vegetables, meat, honey, flour, etc. Go Sport is somewhat like Sportsman’s Warehouse, and Maison du Monde is much like a Weatherlys and Corricraft, and they sell beautiful French furniture and decor.

1. The first advice I would give to someone moving to Grenoble, is to learn the language. It will take time, but at least start with it.
2. Always carry a shopping bag with you. Most stores don’t give you a bag, but you can buy them in store.
3. Always have a 2-euro coin or a plastic token with you when going to the supermarket. You cannot use a trolley without it. Tokens are free and are available at the information desk in supermarkets.
4. Wear comfortable shoes. I bought flip flops for myself and for the kids at Go Sport.
5. Online shopping is great if you cannot find what you are looking for in the stores. Amazon is very reliable and very quick to deliver.
6. There are no petrol attendants at the petrol stations. You have to fill up your tank yourself, and the instructions on the machine are in French. The first time we filled up our car, we paid with a South African bank card, but double the amount was deducted from our account. I was horrified, but after 3 days the error was corrected and the excess amount was paid back into our account.
7. Get a French cell phone number as soon as possible. The internet is much cheaper there than in South Africa, and you will need it for Google maps. We make most of our phone calls through WhatsApp, but calls to a French number in France is free.
8. Open a French bank account. We got a bank account from HSBC, who does business in English, which is convenient when we do internet banking, etc.
9. Always have some form of cash on you, because you will have to pay for certain parking areas. Some parking can also be paid with a bank card instead of coins.
10. The one thing that MOST helped me find my feet, was making friends with someone who had lived here before. It makes all the difference if you know where to go to find what you are looking for.

Au revoir.

Louise Uys

Here are a few tips of places to shop if you still have no place to live, no car to drive and no clue where to start furnishing your house:

• Houses: La bon coin
• Houseware: Ikea, Alinea, Casa, Zara Home, H&M Home, Maison du Monde, Cocktail Scandanive, Habitat. Unfortunately, most of these furniture stores don’t give you the furniture in one piece, but in several pieces. We slept on the floor in our house the first night, and it was a very cold night in winter!
• Food: Carrefour, Casino, Auchan, E’leclerc, Super U and South African favourites from Die Spens.
• Do not hesitate to try Drive: This is supermarket shopping online. You choose your goodies, pay and select what time you’ll be fetching it. Your bags will be ready and packed at the time you arrive to pick it up. Most supermarkets here have a DRIVE online store – it has never been easier!

Things I’ve learned after four years that have simplified my life:

• Save yourself some time and try online shopping
  Yes, I know that this concept is not new, but finding a reliable place to shop online can be a bit daunting. Start with stores that you know. Shops have a great returns policy and the process is very easy as well: simply use the app or go online, click on “returns” and then click on the items you want to return. You will receive an e-mail with details which you have to complete and affix to the box you’ve received with your products. Just drop this box off at the post office and within a couple days you’ll have your money back in your account.
• A few favourites of mine: Zara, H&M, Mango, Cos, American Vintage and Next, Sephora and Beautybay.
• Baby: Click on this post for more info on where to shop for the little ones.
• Pregnancy: Click on this post for more.

Things to do to occupy your time:

• Learn French: Accent Francais, Duolingo app, Speak and translate app, La conjugation app, Micheal Thomas recordings.
• Get involved: Make French friends, try to speak the language. Most French people can speak basic English that they learn in school, but are embarrassed about their accents. So try speaking in broken French even though you feel like a fool. Accept the invitation when you’re invited to an event, even though you’ll stand there all night just listening and saying, “oui”!
• Practice your hobbies: Try to go out and do something that you love – you might even meet someone who can help you and teach you the language.
• Plan your weekly meals: Try to look for new recipes via Pinterest, my blog and other resources like Instagram etc. It is a great way to occupy your time by learning new recipes and exploring culinary skills you did not know you had. For some recipe inspo, click here.
• Plan a trip: There is an abundance of places to see in and around Europe. You are privileged to be living here, so make the most of it. For some traveling inspo, click here.
• Try something new: Join a gym, do a zumba class. My first zumba class was an absolute disaster, simply because I did not understand the language and was completely out of step with the rest of the group’s dance moves. I looked like an unbalanced giraffe in the background!
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions: When you’re speaking to a French person and you do not understand a word, ask them what that word means. In this way you will slowly by surely increase your vocabulary.

Things I did not know before coming to France:

• Siesta: This is something for which we envy the French, but it can also be quite frustrating. Most enterprises are closed between 12:00 and 14:00. That means you have to get your business done before 12:00 or after 14:00; not when lunch is the main activity!
• Sundays: All food stores are closed, and all that you’ll be able to get is a hot baguette from the local boulangerie. If you’re shopping for last minute supplies for your “Barbie”, all you will be to barbeque then, would be a grilled sandwich! Fortunately, we have a local market that is open on Sundays. They sell rotisserie chicken by the kg. With no lunch on the table, that expensive rotisserie chicken will have to do!
• Mondays: Most enterprises and restaurants are closed on Mondays, because they are open on Saturdays. It’s almost like the French have replaced one day of their weekend with another day in their week. (It sounds like a super plan for decent relaxation and planning for the week, don’t you think?)
• Post office: The post office times has very limited business hours. Most post offices open around 09:00, are closed between 12:00 and 14:00, and close by 16:00 in the afternoon. However, the post office offers a fetch and delivery service which allows you to send a package from your home, to wherever you want it to go!
• Tobacco: Tobacco products are sold here, but also stamps to pay your speeding ticket, stamps for your carte sejour, and when you have family coming to visit, also timbre fiscal. Liquor is sold in supermarkets, but no cigarettes.
• Driver’s licence: You will receive a French driving licence upon submitting your South African driver’s licence. This can only be done for a certain period after you have entered the country, however. If you put it off for too long, you will have to apply for a French driver’s license, which means writing a test in French and then having driving lessons as well.

Special dates in France:

14 February: Saint-Valentin
28 February: Madi Gras
1 April: April fools
April: Paques (Easter)
1 May: Fête du Travaille
8 May: Jour Victoire
28 May: Fête du Mères
18 June: Fête du Pères
21 June: Fête de la musique
14 July: Bastille
15 August: Assumption Day
1 November: La Toussaint
11 November: Jour de l’armistice
24 December: Noël/Christmas

For more holidays and their meaning, click here.

You can learn more about the French culture, sayings, and food at the following websites and books:

• understandfrance.org
• Talk to the snail (book)
• Marita van der Vyver: Hart van ons huis
• South Africans in France Facebook page

The above is my summary of our life in France the past four years. I do hope that my ounce of knowledge will make the transition a bit smoother for you. Remember that you are not the first or the last to take this big step. Some days will be harder than others, but every day is a new opportunity to learn and to challenge and equip yourself to live the best life you can, and to do it now!

For more questions, do not hesitate to send me a mail.

Bon weekend à tous.

M*

You can read Mariza’s blog, Life in the South here and follow her on social media.