Quality of Life

The issue of quality of life is very close to my heart and something I believe Americans can learn from the French and other European countries. First off, I was shocked to discover that French people receive between 5 to 12 weeks of vacation per year!! Au mon Dieu! This alone I feel is a critical and one of the most important differences in our cultures. This difference allows French people the luxury of extensive time off every few months as well as the time to take long vacations with their families which I feel has a huge impact on the strength of the family unit and the reduced stress level of the people This also allows French people to travel abroad more often and for longer periods of time which enriches the culture and broadens the perspective of the individual. French people and Europeans also think nothing of traveling to other countries and continents as part of their life. It's common for most Europeans to travel each year to other countries and they seem much more open and curious to learn about other cultures.

Additionally, France has a work week of 35 hours although this can vary depending on the profession and the employer. French people also appear to have an easier time going on "disability" for a short period of time of a few weeks to a few months for "stress and emotional distress" from their jobs or other stressors. Companies are obligated to pay a sort of severence pay or pension when an employee is let go from a company for any reason. The employee is then able to negotiate this severence pay as well and it can sometimes be worth an entire year's salary, not to mention the additional unemployment you can receive while looking for another job! Wow! You can also receive about 70-100% of your salary while acquiring a new skill or vocation every 6 years in France and you can take up to a year off of work to do this. 

The health insurance and affordable medical care in France is also another huge difference. This is not to say that France has a perfect healthcare system though. I actually had the joy of sitting with my boyfriend an emergency hospital in Paris and it was an all-day affair to be seen, examined and treated. However, it doesn't cost anything if you're uninsured and there are many, many hospitals available for the uninsured unlike in America. The medications are also much more affordable as well as the exams if you should need them. Not having health insurance currently, I feel better being in France for an emergency or general health problem than I do in America which is sad in my opinion. Even when I was traveling on my world trip in Bangkok I was blown away by the beautiful and efficient hospital I went to for an ear infection and I only had to pay $30 for the visit plus a few dollars for the antiobiotics. Sad, but true. For after-hour medical issues, you can also call a doctor to come to your home in  France. This completely blew me away. I don't think America has had this since the 50's maybe so I was quite surprised to find this out. For $70 or so, you can call a doctor who will arrive at your home in about half hour, they will conduct a full examine on you, and give you basic medical care, medication or injections if needed all without having to leave your home!

As I mentioned in the blog about the food in France, French culture involves taking more time to not only eat, but to socialize and enjoy the company of others. French people socialize often by getting together for dinner or drinks after work and on the weekends and think nothing of calling a friend spur of the moment and suggesting getting together. Families typically eat together at a table and talk to each other about their day rather than sitting in front of a television ignoring each other. Going to restaurant to eat with friends or family can also take several hours without hurry or concern to rush off to then next engagement. You can visually appreciate this just from seeing all the cafes and outside dining areas in France and the rest of Europe where you will always find people sitting outside of a little bistro at a small table drinking coffee or a glass of wine and just watching people go by. I absolutely love this part of European culture and feel that this ability to just sit and be, is invaluable. It's these small but powerful difference that make European culture so different in my opinion and more relaxed.

French culture seems to have more of a balance of work and play than in America where the culture is entirely fixated on making money and working in order to achieve this. It's not to say French people don't care about money or living well, but it's not at the expense of their quality of life and their relationships. French people seem to truly value their relationships with their friends, family and neighbors and make it a point to be in contact and to get together more often. It's not uncommon either, for a friend, family member or friend of a friend to visit for the weekend or to call up a few hours ahead and ask to stay the night. Initially, this took a little getting used to since, as an American, we tend to receive less visitors in our homes and to have to plan far in advance when having someone stay in our home as well. This is another difference I greatly admire about French and European people, as it communicates a feeling of openness and sharing in their lives.

Lastly, a big difference many Americans may already know about Europeans is that they are more active in their day to day lives. Parisians particularly, can be seen bicycling and walking everywhere, in addition to using the metro and buses. Most people don't have cars in Paris, and generally much less in Europe overall than in America, so people must walk and bicycle to get places. Scooters are very popular in Paris of course, but even with a scooter, people will also walk and use the metro depending on the weather and where they need to go. One of my favorite pasttimes in Paris is to ride on the back of the scooter or to just go for a walk around Montmartre watching everyone and the beautiful architecture all around. People can be seen walking home with their groceries in hand and if you live in an apartment, you have the added workout bonus of walking up several flights of stairs! Yay!

For all of these reasons, I have a growing respect and admiration for French culture. America, of course, has its positive aspects as well, but we've completely lost sight of what's most important in our lives for the sole purpose of attaining more money, a bigger house and a bigger and better car. We seem to have forgotten how to interact with each other and with our fellow neighbors and how to enjoy each day. Overall, I think Americans tend to be more nervous, stressed, overly goal-oriented and are completely focused on working, something I hope we can learn to change for our sake.