(no subject)
Ahhhh the French way of working. I've been wanting to write about this for a while, but it never comes out right. I've had some wine tonight, so let's see if this time is the right one.
In the morning, when you arrive to work, you have to say 'Bonjour' to EVERYONE you see. And during the day, if you haven't seen a certain person, you also have to say bonjour to them.
Alright, from here, there are a few additional details. First though, and you'll understand why soon enough, I need to point out that on my first day of work, my boss introduced me to everyone on four of the floors of our 6-floor building, which was about 160 people (it took about 5 hours, and I had to try and remember as many names as possible).
NOW, if you have been introduced to someone and bump into them, you have to do a little more. If you are a man, if you see someone you were introduced to, you have to shake their hand and say bonjour if they are also a man, or do the 'bise' (kiss both cheeks) of the person is a woman. If you are a woman, bises for everyone.
So you can guess how much time I spend saying bonjour, shaking hands and kissing cheeks.
Now, let's say you see someone in the morning, say bonjour and shake their hand or do the bise. And then, about 2 hours later, you're walking around and you bump into them again, but that since you've already shaken 25 hands and kissed 50 cheeks, you forget whether or not you've said bonjour... if you say it again... HUGE insult. But, it's okay to ask 'We've seen each other, right?'.
ANYWAY, as if this wasn't complicated enough... well although there are no more handshakes or kisses after this...
From 12pm to 2pm, for every single person you cross, no matter if you know them or not, if you've already seen them or not, you have to say 'Bon apétit'.
From 5pm onwards, you have to say 'Bonne soirée'.
And, at any other time, you have to say either 'Bonne journée', 'Bonne après-midi' or 'Bonne continuation' (Have a good continuation of the day').
On one hand, it's awesome because it's less awkward in the elevator. But at the same time, when you are tired as shit, and an outsider in the French world... every once in a while, you just want to tell the frenchies they can shove their bonjours.
In the morning, when you arrive to work, you have to say 'Bonjour' to EVERYONE you see. And during the day, if you haven't seen a certain person, you also have to say bonjour to them.
Alright, from here, there are a few additional details. First though, and you'll understand why soon enough, I need to point out that on my first day of work, my boss introduced me to everyone on four of the floors of our 6-floor building, which was about 160 people (it took about 5 hours, and I had to try and remember as many names as possible).
NOW, if you have been introduced to someone and bump into them, you have to do a little more. If you are a man, if you see someone you were introduced to, you have to shake their hand and say bonjour if they are also a man, or do the 'bise' (kiss both cheeks) of the person is a woman. If you are a woman, bises for everyone.
So you can guess how much time I spend saying bonjour, shaking hands and kissing cheeks.
Now, let's say you see someone in the morning, say bonjour and shake their hand or do the bise. And then, about 2 hours later, you're walking around and you bump into them again, but that since you've already shaken 25 hands and kissed 50 cheeks, you forget whether or not you've said bonjour... if you say it again... HUGE insult. But, it's okay to ask 'We've seen each other, right?'.
ANYWAY, as if this wasn't complicated enough... well although there are no more handshakes or kisses after this...
From 12pm to 2pm, for every single person you cross, no matter if you know them or not, if you've already seen them or not, you have to say 'Bon apétit'.
From 5pm onwards, you have to say 'Bonne soirée'.
And, at any other time, you have to say either 'Bonne journée', 'Bonne après-midi' or 'Bonne continuation' (Have a good continuation of the day').
On one hand, it's awesome because it's less awkward in the elevator. But at the same time, when you are tired as shit, and an outsider in the French world... every once in a while, you just want to tell the frenchies they can shove their bonjours.