Read on to hear about going to the dentist in France!

What’s going to the dentist in France like? It’s similar to the US in a lot of ways except my dentist said a couple of things you never want to hear your dentist say. Ever.

Going to the dentist in France

NOTE: This is just my experience of going to the dentist in France based on a dental visit in my area (where there is a shortage of dentists). Not all dentists in France are the same and others’ experiences will vary.

Thing you never want to hear #1:

Sure, since you’re a new client, our next available appointment is…. May 15. Does that work (remember I called in December)

May 15?!?!? DOES THAT FRICKIN WORK?? SWEET JESUS, NO IT DOES NOT! Well, that’s what I wanted to say. I really, really did. But my regular New York-influenced personality doesn’t really fly in France. I had to tone in down because, you see, in France it’s all about the charm. What did I do? I did clarify that I heard correctly (I had) and was informed that as a new patient, you have to wait. Yippee. France is cool and all for a lot of reasons, but new dental patient waiting times is not one of them.

Thing you never want to hear #2:

In my introductory visit, the dentist explained that he has two options if I needed dental work: gas and a regular Novocaine shot. But, he can’t administer the gas because he hasn’t done the training session for it yet.

Oh man, are you sure you’re really a dentist? You are kinda young. And while I’m all for honesty and being direct, maybe scale back this honesty thing on a need to know basis — especially when you’re dealing with an already nervous patient who doesn’t even have a need for Novocaine or gas now! Makes me want to run for the exits. Way to instill confidence there. You know how to use the spit sucker, right? RIGHT? That’s important.

Thing you never want to hear #3:

OK so for your cleaning, we’ll schedule that soon. Not a long wait. How about the end of July?

Uh dude, not sure what calendar you follow or if you work 2 hours/day just once a week, but that is two months away! You know it’s May 15 now and an additional two month wait won’t work for me. That’s insane and you’d better fit me in next week or I’ll…… I’ll….  Ah dammit, I can’t do anything. I wish I’d said all that. I just smiled and nodded my head like the charming, submissive French wannabe that I am. Much to my utter disappointment, getting pushy and demanding SO doesn’t work here. I’ve become a shell of my former self!

Some other observations:

– Preventive work isn’t really the norm. And that makes sense. Dental care isn’t expensive here, so if you have good teeth that you take care of, you won’t be making the dentist any money. He wants you in agony so he can do root canals and crowns and make a living. No need to go digging around for tiny cavities. Just wait til you can see it on an x-ray or you’re writhing in pain!

– Two or more cleanings here aren’t the norm. (my old dental insurance in New York paid for 3 cleanings a year even!) Basically you go to the dentist when you have a problem.

– French people, like Americans, find dental care expensive. And if you don’t have a supplemental insurance that covers dental, anything more than a regular cleaning/exam will cost a bit (but nowhere near the cost of things in the US). A dental x-ray, exam and cleaning is about 50 euros total where I go, before insurance reimbursements. Oh happy day!

– There is no little goodie bag at the end. No free toothbrush, floss (the French don’t use it anyway) or toothpaste. What a bummer! That bag was proof that I survived!

Do you take care of your teeth? If you’re going to the dentist in France, you really don’t have anything to worry about!

Do you hate going to the dentist? Tell me about it!

Photo credit: rofi / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA & my own pics

The series is called Expat Chitchat, where each month I’ll interview an expat blogger who will share what life abroad has been like in their corner of the world. For the second edition of my new series, I’d like to introduce you to Jay of the blog From There To Here. She’s a Canadian living in Norway.

Read on to check out the May edition of Expat Chitchat!

So here’s what Jay had to say!

Question: Where are you from, where are you living now and tell me about your blog please.

Jay: I grew up in a tiny prairie town in Saskatchewan, Canada before heading off to our Western provincial neighbour of Alberta upon graduation. I completed my education degree, taught a few years and then moved to Gabon on the West Coast of Africa with my husband after he was offered an international position with his company. After 2 years on the equator, we started a second expatriation in Norway this past July, where we are now currently located. As with many expat blogs, mine started as a way to keep in touch with our friends and family while living overseas but has since evolved into dedicated hobby of mine. From There To Here now documents our expat life abroad, travels and insight into Norwegian life.

Q: What’s your favorite part of where you’re living and why?

J: I love my terrace. It looks right out over a fjord – I’ve got mountains and sea and it’s all glassed in so even if it’s windy or cold, I can enjoy the view. When the sun is shining, it warms right up and helps me to forget the lack of heat we have in this Nordic city and if it gets really nice, we fold all of the glass back leaving it open to the world. It is the perfect place to enjoy a latte or a glass of wine and while the entire apartment is quite nice, the selling point was certainly the terrace.

Q: What do you miss most about home?

J: I miss the ease of accomplishing simple tasks at home. I know where to find what I need and who to turn to if I need assistance. It all comes together rather quickly because I don’t have to spend so much time trying to figure it out and I don’t feel any anxiety about doing it.

Q: How do the people act toward you in Norway?

J: Generally, I find people respond quite well to Canadians abroad. Usually, it’s assumed we’re American which can get a bit annoying but once that is clarified, there are the usual comments about cold weather, hockey and saying ‘a boot’ instead of ‘about’ (which I, nor anyone I know, actually does) but it’s all in good fun.

As a white young woman, I stuck out quite easily in Gabon. It garnered some attention generally in the forms of stares or kissing noises from men driving by and I’m certain I paid inflated prices for everything, but there was nothing that was particularly uncomfortable. In Norway, aside from being shorter and more brunette than much of the population, no one would know that I’m not from here – that is until I have to explain that I cannot speak Norwegian. Even so, I’m treated quite well.

Q: What has the adjustment to your new culture been like?

J: The adjustment to Norway has been pretty smooth with minimal bumps but as I noted above, I don’t necessarily stick out as a foreigner here. Despite practically everyone speaking English, Norsk is the first language spoken. I conduct my grocery checkout in Norwegian but aside from hello, good-bye and thank you, my conversational knowledge is regrettably, non-existent. Usually when someone speaks to me in Norsk and I don’t understand, I apologize and we switch over; however, sometimes I simply smile and nod and go on my way, which is precisely what I did with a neighbour in the elevator months ago. Since then, we continually seem to share the elevator and he’s such a friendly man who will often chat away to me while we make our way to our respective floors. It’s been months now and I just can’t bring myself to tell him that I have no idea what he’s saying and I haven’t understood a word of our numerous encounters. He probably thinks I’m a bizarre character who only responds to his questions with smiles, nods and nervous giggles.

Q: How has living in Norway/Gabon changed you? Do you find yourself living a more fulfilling life than before?

J: I think moving abroad has taught my husband and me to seize the moment. Our time in any given country (or continent for that matter) is limited so we try to take advantage of it while we can. Scheduling trips on long weekends and jumping in the car on a Sunday just to explore are things we might have done sporadically while living in Canada but are consistent here.

Q: Have your perceptions changed about your own country and how?

J: Before moving abroad, I didn’t really identify with being ‘Canadian.’ Obviously, I knew it was my nationality but because everyone around me was also Canadian, I didn’t realize or note the characteristics that make us, us. Now I feel an immense pride in Canada and my heart swells anytime I see a Canadian flag or a product from home and I feel a bond with my fellow countrymen and women when we meet abroad.

Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from living abroad so far?

J: Gabon was really quite difficult on us for a variety of reasons and because of that, we learned a lot about life and about ourselves. The challenging conditions we faced over those 2 years taught me to appreciate the little things and be grateful for all of the little luxuries that I was fortunate enough to grow up with. Even after having departed Equatorial Africa 10 months ago, I still have little moments of joy when I open the tap and clean, clear water flows every single time.

Q: For others looking to move abroad (and possibly to your country), what would you say to them or caution them about?

J:

Prepare for everything to be different and then be pleasantly surprised when you encounter similarities.

Allow yourself time to vent your frustrations but don’t dwell in those negative thoughts because it will severely impact your ability to enjoy your time abroad. Conversely, revel in your little accomplishments and give yourself credit for stepping outside your comfort zone.

A big thanks to Jay! You can check out her blog From There to Here or follow her on Twitter!

Would you like to live in Norway? Have you ever visited?

Check out my first Expat Chitchat with Mathilde, a French blogger living in Boston!

Photo Credit: Jay of From There To Here

So what did we see? Well, on our walk through the Jardin des Plantes, we stopped in to the Paris Natural History Museum…

Go see!

And a food highlight? An awesome Korean restaurant called Sobane in the 9eme arrondissement. Here was my appetizer — grilled dumplings and veggies.

Have you been to the American or Paris Museum of Natural History?

Read on!

Email me at ouiinfrance at gmail dot com or use the contact me form here (Do NOT comment on this post please. I want to save ‘em for the post!).

You don’t have to be a blogger and all countries/languages welcome and please let me know if you want to be anonymous. I’d be happy to link to your blog/Twitter. Please submit by May 15th. I will be compiling my faves into a post to run late May.

Would you please do me a favor and SHARE? Thank you!

PS: I’m starting a new posting schedule (Monday/Thursday instead of Monday/Wednesday).

Photo credit: DonkeyHotey / Foter.com / CC BY]]> http://ouiinfrance.com/2013/05/09/expats-i-want-your-language-flub-stories-for-an-upcoming-blog-post/feed/ 2 http://ouiinfrance.com/2013/05/06/a-lesson-on-french-politeness/ http://ouiinfrance.com/2013/05/06/a-lesson-on-french-politeness/#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 08:02:27 +0000 Diane http://ouiinfrance.com/?p=3758 When visiting France, one of the first things you’ll notice after interacting with shopkeepers, cashiers and pretty much anyone is that you’ll be bombarded with hellos, thank yous, have a good days and goodbyes — so much so that I found this really comical in the beginning because of what a sharp contrast the politeness was to life in sometimes rude New York City. These days, la politesse Francaise is second nature and I rattle off “thanks, have a good day, bye bye, sir!” just like the rest of ‘em.

Just how polite are the French?

Read on for my lesson on French politeness!

In New York, a typical interaction at my local Duane Reade would go like this:

(yea I know not all American cashiers are impolite. Just an example):

Me (approaching cashier): Hi
Cashier: (Silence)…. $9.34
Me: (hands over money)
Cashier: (Silence and hands me change)
Me: Thanks, bye.
Cashier: NEXT!

Here’s a normal exchange at the grocery store in France:

(Note that not all exchanges are exactly like this, but this is common. Of course they’re in French, but I did the translation so you get the idea)

Cashier (as I approach): Bonjour!
Me: Bonjour!
Cashier: That’ll be 9.34, please.
Me: OK, here you go.
Cashier: Thank you very much. Here’s your change.
Me: Thank you
Cashier: You’re welcome. But it’s me who thanks you. Have a good day! Bye!
Me: Thanks, you too! Bye bye.
– takes 5 seconds to gather up bags –
Cashier: (As I finally leave and step away) Thanks, bye!

You see the difference? I have to say that even the cheeriest, most polite retail employee in the US would rival just an average one in France. Sometimes all the greetings are laughable. I mean “Thanks, bye, have a good day, have a good afternoon, thanks, bye” is too much. OK, I may have exaggerated a little there. But not much! Another thing I find funny about French is that people often say “Hello/good evening, sir” or “Thank you very much, ma’am.” Or “Thank you, sir.” I think if I said sir a few times to a cashier in New York, they’d think I was mocking them.

Even the panhandlers on the street are polite. Need an example? I was walking Dagny in our town center and two guys had a sign asking for coins for food. As I approached, one said “Excuse me, ma’am, could you spare some change so I can get something to eat?” I didn’t have my wallet on me and said sorry and he replied “Ok, thanks anyway. Have a good day, bye!” I almost fell over. And that’s not the first time this has happened!

French politeness — what to do:

• Be polite back and just go with whatever the person says to you first. A simple thanks and bye is fine. No need to go over the top.

• If you’re going to be interrupting someone (even with a phone call or a question in a store), it’s best to say “sorry to disturb you but…” even if you’re not really bothering them. I hear this all the time. Even in stores where it’s the employee’s job to help you, still say excusez-moi before just firing off your question.

French politeness — what NOT to do:

• Never leave a store without saying merci or au revoir, even if you didn’t buy anything. And especially if you’re the only one in there. This isn’t necessary at a big supermarket (no need to say thanks to the security guard on your way out), but when it’s a smaller shop or market, say thanks!

• Don’t ignore a bonjour or au revoir. Always follow up a greeting with one of your own. If someone says hi, say hi back. If someone says thanks or bye, say the same. If you don’t know French or are unsure, saying something in English is better than ignoring someone!

I’ll be traveling to the US in June for my brother’s wedding (first trip home in almost two years!) and I will have to remind myself to scale it back and bite my tongue. A hello, thanks and bye is all that I need in New York  — and even then it might be too much. But hey, never hurts to err on the polite side, right?

What do you think about the level of French politeness?

Photo Credit: INKYDIGIT / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Photo credit: Courtesy of Etsy shop SignFail (hilarious signs and cards with translations inspired by actual mistakes)

So what are the public holidays in France 2013 and how many are there?

Because it’s a holiday, all the stores are closed — including banks, post offices and just about everything else aside from the movies. A few boulangeries are open in the morning only, but everything else is closed today. In general for public holidays in France, some supermarkets might be open (the law allows them to be open only a few holidays) but things are closed today. Completely. Well, aside from places in tourist areas. So if you need groceries or anything else, you just have to wait until tomorrow. Unlike the US where certain stores or banks are still open on holidays (My TD Bank, for example always had lobby hours even if it was a holiday), that’s definitely not something you’d find in France. The French take their holidays seriously and know how to relax!

I’ve written before on the lenient vacation time Tom gets at his job and when you add in the 11 public holidays in France, you have a lot of opportunities for long weekends! Did I mention that I like living in France?

Here’s a list of the 11 public holidays in France 2013:

(I didn’t list the ones that always fall on a Sunday like Easter or Pentecost)

Tuesday, January 01 New Year’s Day (Nouvel An)

Monday, April 01 Easter Monday (Lundi de Paques)

Wednesday, May 01 Labour Day (Fete du Travail)

Wednesday, May 08 V-E Day (Fete de la Victoire 1945)

Thursday, May 09 Ascension Day 39 days after Easter Sunday (Ascension)

Monday, May 20 Whitmonday 7th Monday after Easter. Also Known as Pentecost Monday (Lundi de Pentacote)

Sunday, July 14 Bastille Day French National Day (Fete Nationale)

Thursday, August 15 Assumption Day Assumption of Mary (Assomption)

Friday, November 01 All Saints’ Day (Tousaints)

Monday, November 11 Armistice Day (Fete de l’Armistice)

Wednesday, December 25 Christmas Day (Noel)

Also, as I mentioned above, May 1 is also Lily of the Valley Day and we’ve already had someone come door to door (it’s raining) to sell us a little bouquet of the white muguet flowers. It is a French tradition to give the flowers to loved ones, and you can often find the muguets at florists and supermarkets several days before. On May 1, kids and teens sell them in the street. This French tradition seems to have come about on May 1st, 1561, when King Charles IX of France was given a bouquet of lily of the valleys as a gesture of prosperity and good luck for the year ahead. So let me extend a virtual bouquet to you right now.

Happy Labor & Lily of the Valley Day!

Photo credit: yamaken / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Photo credit: greenhem / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Go!

What’s your pet been up to now that it’s spring? How’s your April been?

So without further ado, I’m thrilled to introduce you to my brand new series, Expat Chitchat, where each month I’ll interview an expat blogger who will share what life abroad has been like in their corner of the world. First up is the lovely Mathilde of Le Blog de Mathilde: Lifestyle, Food & Travels in the USA, a French woman living in the U.S. (Boston to be exact).

Read on for the first interview in the Expat Chitchat series!

Question: Where are you from, where are you living now and tell me about your blog please.

Mathilde: I’m from France, I was living in Paris. I moved to Boston, Massachusetts in January 2011. It was my first time in the States! I’m here for 2 years… probably more. On my blog, I write about this new lifestyle, the differences between the countries, the food and the trips we make all around the country.

Q: What’s your favorite part of where you’re living and why?

M: I love my apartment here in Boston, close to the river, in a beautiful neighborhood. This is my new home! I’m also a big fan of coffee shops — they are very different from what we call “cafés” in France. I like staying there, drinking a tea or a latte, reading, writing for the blog or just chatting.

Q: What do you miss most about France?

M: Going out with my friends in Paris, definitely. I’ve met people here, but building relationships take time.

Q: How do the people act toward you in the U.S.? Toward French people in general?

M: People are most of the time really welcoming and open. They are also really encouraging and glad to see that I like it here. Even if Boston has a reputation of being a city where people are rude, I’ve never experienced that. Most of the people I’m talking to have a good opinion about France – or at least they are nice enough to avoid telling me the bad stereotypes! They always associate any French stuff with “fancy”, which I didn’t know before!

“They also most of the time think that I know everything about wines.”

Q: What was the most amusing/funny/stressful/culture clash/misunderstanding moment in your new culture?

M: They are so many and that is something I really like to write about! If I have to pick one, I would say that hugs surprised me at first. In France, I’m used to kiss on both cheeks to say “hi” or “good bye.” I’m getting better at hugging, but sometimes I don’t know if they are long enough, if I should tap the back, or if I can close my eyes.

“Hugs are not natural for me!”

Q: How has living in the US changed you? Do you find yourself living a more fulfilling life than before?

M: Yes, I think it’s changed me. I’m probably more up to see the positive side of things instead of complaining or being really sarcastic.

“People here are really enthusiastic… about anything, or should I say, everything!”

A cute dog in the streets, a baby in a stroller, or anything that can happen to somebody becomes “amazing” or “awesome.” I sometimes think it’s annoying and not really sincere, but most of the time, I consider it more like a relief — compared to complaining a lot. It makes things easier on a daily basis.

Q: Have your perceptions changed about your own country and how?

M: It’s hard for me to say because I haven’t gone back to France yet. Even if the countries seem similar, I was surprised to see how different they are. I feel lucky to have grown up in a country where money doesn’t make such a difference, going to good public schools, not being broke to get a surgery, and having good public transportation. I took these things for granted before, and now I see how lucky we are in France for that system.

Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from living abroad so far?

M: That I left my friends, my family and the comfort of my life for adventures in an unknown country, with the right person, my husband. It can be hard sometimes to start over from scratch, so you have to be sure that you are doing this with the right person. For the first weeks, it was only the two of us. Better to get along pretty well!

Q: For others looking to move abroad (and possibly to your country), what would you say to them or caution them about?

M: Just try it! It can seem overwhelming to leave and start over, but it’s great to live abroad, even for a short time.

Thank you, Mathilde! You can check out her blog here! And here’s why I think you should just quit your job…

Did you enjoy this post? What surprised you the most?

And why do dogs roll in gross stuff? Read on!

Why do dogs roll in gross stuff?

She didn’t. Of course she didn’t.

Here’s a pic of Dagny after her bath while she was drying, really not understanding what she did wrong. Oh, silly dog!

Why do dogs roll in gross stuff?

1. Dogs roll in disgusting stuff to mask their natural scent, allowing them to camouflage themselves and be sneakier hunters.
2. Dogs cover themselves in the nasty smell to tell other dogs about what they found. (When other dogs sniff your pup, they’ll get the exciting news that there’s a dead animal in the neighborhood.)
3. Dogs love to roll on gross things to claim them as their own. They don’t want competition!

Why do dogs roll in gross stuff? In our case, I think she just loved the smell and it was probably a combo of all the instinctual reasons above.

Tell me — what’s the most mischief your dog has ever gotten into?

Also, if you haven’t entered yet, you have a couple of days to win a $75 Petco gift card in my giveaway going on now (’til 4/24/13). Click here to enter!]]> http://ouiinfrance.com/2013/04/22/why-do-dogs-roll-in-gross-stuff-lets-ask-dagny/feed/ 4 http://ouiinfrance.com/2013/04/17/petco-giveaway-gift-card-for-1000-twitter-followers-milestone/ http://ouiinfrance.com/2013/04/17/petco-giveaway-gift-card-for-1000-twitter-followers-milestone/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:00:27 +0000 Diane http://ouiinfrance.com/?p=3606 Giveaway is now over. Congrats to my winner, Carol B.!

Hey readers, it’s giveaway time! And it’s for your pets!

Click here to enter the Petco giveaway and get the details!

Before she moved to France, she told me that this Petco place was her go-to pet retailer. With over 1,100 locations nationwide, they were convenient, had a fantastic selection of products and brands and some of the best prices around. The staff at Mom’s local NJ store was always helpful and courteous and even before she got me, she’d tell me about how she liked to walk through the store because she is “pet obsessed.” Is that a bad thing? Although she says Petco doesn’t exist in France, they’ll always be her #1 pet shop.

So readers, Mom wants to extend a sincere thank you. Thanks for sticking by, reading, tweeting, commenting and being part of Oui In France. Without you, the blog never could have hit the 1,000 Twitter follower milestone. The treat is all yours today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here are the details of the Petco giveaway:

What: This giveaway is free to enter and is for one Petco gift card with a value of $75 redeemable in stores and online.

Who: This is open to entrants with U.S. shipping addresses only. Gift card will be mailed by Petco.

When: The Petco giveaway runs for one week from Wednesday, April 17 until Wednesday, April 24.

How: To enter, choose one or more of the options above in the Rafflecopter widget.

The only way to enter the Petco giveaway is through Rafflecopter above. The winner will be selected at random with random.org within two days of the giveaway ending. If you don’t respond to my email within 24 hours, I’ll choose a new winner.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by! And a big thanks to Petco! Two paws up — this giveaway is Dagny approved!

Disclosure: Petco has graciously donated the gift card.