As a new Parisienne, I was baffled by la bise. I was raised in Texas, where the traditional greeting was a full-contact hug. When I later moved to California, I learned that there were three options for hugs. Then I moved to Paris and much to my surprise: They were kissing each other. …read more
I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but I personally believe that Paris is starting to outgrow its image of snooty waiters whose demeanor changes the second you utter the word “hello” (or poorly pronounce “bonjour”). And yet, there is no doubt that learning a bit of French is going to be worth… …read more