Culture Shock

Summary of topic: an interesting learning experience.

Most of the things I found different were nothing major and were very easy to get used to. Some of the things I found funny, because I sometimes embarrassed myself by not knowing them...

Names

Nom = last name. Prenom = first name. 

On most forms and applications you always put your last name first. Out of habit I didn't realise this so I'd just fill in forms how I usually would in the UK. It turned out on my university card it had printed my last name as my first name... It was embarrassing having to go sort that out with the exchange student co-ordinator. The only student who got their name wrong... funny looking back on it though! Even in shops if you need to give your details they'll ask for your last name first so just listen out for Nom and Prenom. You probably know this – it was just me being silly.

Blinds

For blinds, you may very likely have actual shutters outside of your window. Like those massive shutters shops use to lock up. They look really ugly but the good thing they keep the light out! If you see a rope in your room next to your window, that's how to work your shutters.. Ask your flatmates/landlord if you're not sure how to use them. I had this whole email saga saying I didn't have blinds in my room and they were like umm it's on the outside you have to pull the rope at an angle. How silly did I feel!!

Wine at school (!!)

On the last day of school before the term break, all the teachers gathered in the classroom at lunch for a little celebration. When I got there one of them offered me wine... I was shocked! It was a school setting and just 12pm haha! It obviously wasn't excessively they had a small glass with their lunch. It cool to see the difference between French and Scottish schools.

Fish cake

On this same last day I got offered a piece of cake. Honestly it looked like a sweet cake so I took it. Turns out it was actually a fish cake and I’m vegetarian… it was so awkward I just had to throw it away when no one looked haha. I couldn’t even give it to someone else because I’d touched it and covid… Make sure to ask just before you take something haha.

Bonne journée/bonne soirée

When you leave a shop at the till they always say these phrases. Make sure to know the time so you say it right. Once I said bonne journée at 8pm and the guy looked at me really funny… Also its very normal to say bonjour and au revoir when you enter and leave a shop out of politeness.

Milk

In France, it’s very common to buy long life milk. In any shop I'd see massive aisles of long life milk. I tried so many different brands and hated them all. For milk closest to the UK, I recommend buying fresh milk in the fridge aisle and get the red cap one. It's full fat but in my opinion it tastes exactly like semi skimmed milk in the UK. I hope this helps because I was so lost with the milk choices!

Buying drinks in supermarkets

You know when you buy a pack of 6 bottled waters or coke? Well in France you can actually rip the package and take how many you want. I had the best time doing this, I was taking one of each to try something new haha. It felt so wrong but its completely normal you just scan it individually.

These are just a few things that I experienced, you will find a lot more!