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Articles: Culture

Culture shock in France:
How charming things can turn into a nightmare
The definition of culture shock? When things that were quaint and charming when you arrived in a country suddenly seem stupid and backwards, that's culture shock. More...
Tipping in France:
How much should you give?
Tips ( pourboire, literally ‘in order to drink’) aren’t as freely offered as in the US or even the UK, and have become less common since the introduction of the euro. In some places you may even come across signs forbidding tipping ( pourboire interdit)! Whether or not you should tip depends largely on whether a service charge has already been included in the price. More...
Social customs in France:
Traditions and habits
All countries have peculiar social customs and France is no exception. As a foreigner you will probably be excused if you accidentally insult your hosts, but it’s better to be aware of accepted taboos and courtesies, especially as the French are much more formal than most foreigners (especially Americans and Britons) imagine. More...
Religion:
Religion organisations and lifestyles in France
France has officially been a secular state since the Revolution and therefore has a long tradition of religious tolerance; every resident has total freedom of religion without hindrance from the state or community, and the majority of the world’s religious and philosophical movements have religious centres or meeting places in Paris and other major cities. More...
The French police:
Structure and organization
There are three main police forces in France: the police nationale, the gendarmerie nationale and the Compagnie Républicaine de la Sécurité ( CRS). French policemen are addressed formally as monsieur/madame l’agent and colloquially called flics (cops), although there are many less polite names. The police nationale are under the control of the Interior Ministry and are called agents de police. More...
Legal System:
Laws and courts in France
The French legal system is based entirely on written civil law. The system of administrative law was laid down by Napoleon and is appropriately called the code Napoléon (Napoleonic code). The code governs all branches of French law and includes the code civil, the code fiscal and the code pénal. More...
Crime in France:
History and statistics
France has a similar crime rate to most other European countries and in common with them crime has increased considerably in recent years; the number of reported crimes has almost doubled in a decade: an estimated 18m offences are reported to the police each year, 5m of which result in an official crime report and 1.3m in legal procedings, 650,000 in court, although more than half of these cases are dropped. More...
Bordeaux Wines:
Verdict on the Grapevine
They come by the thousands, hoards of people flocking to the west coast of France. Connoisseurs, traders, pundits and amateur enthusiasts from across the globe have set upon a pilgrimage - a journey which finds its destination at the renowned vineyards of Bordeaux. More...
Make it a market day:
Learning to shop the fresh French foods
What better way to fully experience the joys of French life, engulfing all of your senses, than with a trip to the neighborhood market? More...
Biting back at culture shock:
My story
I think "culture shock" is a misnomer. When you think of a shock, it's something that strikes in an instant. More...
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