Mind your Manners

Written by J.L. O'Connell

Although originally born and bred in Ireland I have spent many years working and living in France and so I have become accustomed to some things which might seem odd to others.

Here are just a few of them.

• -One needs to have an Identity Card where ever one goes.
• -When reading a book it is better to look for the contents at the back rather than at the front.
• -Children start secondary school in 6^th class and work back to 1^st or Terminal as it is known here.
• -When adding up, the French add down.
• -When dividing, the French put the number which has to be divided outside the box.
• -When visiting it is best to leave your shoes at the hall door.
• -When driving one should always yield right of way unless otherwise stated.

A battery of regulations (the Code Napoléon) make up the ordered framework of existence imposed from above. However the real world does not follow regulations. The antidote is Système D (D stands for débouillard the art of overcoming obstacles or beating the system) French ingenuity in creating formal systems is matched by ingenuity in evading them.

The traditional two hour lunch break is slowly giving way to the sandwich on the desk or a quick hamburger round the corner (c'est dommage) what a pity.......

{jcomments on}