Why do children go to school aged 3?
“On the first day of preschool, I was the one crying when I left my daughter to Nicolas, her teacher” remembers Mrs. Tao. “Chingda was just 3 years old and she could only understand Laotian!…
Does it sound strange to you?
Foreigner in France?
Why not women?All
Why is the French State not financing my religion?
My name is Martha, I’m German and I have been working in France for now 5 years. Some differences are still surprising me in the French society: the place of religion for example. One day,…
The secret of Paris’ Great Mosque
A 33-meter minaret, multicolored mosaics and a carpet of wool covering the ground: the great Mosque is fascinating. But behind all this beauty lies a great story. The Mosque was built to pay tribute to…
Why is France’s emblem a rooster?
Germany has an eagle, the United Kingdom has a lion and Spain has a bull. But why does France have a rooster? The origin of this emblem dates back to Ancient history. At that time,…
Why do French people have babies out of wedlock?
France is the champion of Europe! Yes… The European champion of the number of births out of wedlock! In France, 6 babies out of 10 are born in families in which the parents are not…
Why is my bise not the same as yours?
When I first came to France, I was surprised by the way people greet each other. Where I come from, in Argentina, to say hi, we also do “la bise”, but only on one cheek….
Why can’t my daughter wear the veil at public school?
When Leila came to join her husband in Lyon with her two children, she knew nothing about what French people call laïcité. In Afghanistan, she had only been told that laïcité was “against Islam”….
Why not a Pacs?
In France, if you love someone, you can formally commit to this person without getting married. When Pierre and Cécile realized that they were made for each other, that their relationship would last for a…
Why not “salut”?
At school, I have learnt that “salut” means “hello” or “bye”. I have always found it strange to have one word to both greet and leave someone. During my first trip to France, I said…
Why are there no religious meals at the school canteen?
This year, Myriam will enter preparatory course (CP) and will eat for the first time at the school canteen. Her parents, Alexandre and Sarah, are worried: they are practising Jews and fear that their daughter will have…
Catherine Deneuve and women’s liberation
Catherine Deneuve was not the only famous woman who wrote down her name on the “manifeste des 343” – Françoise Sagan and Simone de Beauvoir signed it as well, but the actress knew that her signature…
Foreigners and “made in France” couture
“Dior? Chanel? Have you heard of them? Is it a good place to ask for an internship?” Sami Nouri had to be an audacious young man – aged 16 – and a naive foreigner –…
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