I've been here for two months now and I've observed a few things in my travels around the city with Mom. The French do some things differently. For example, a real biggie for me personally is that I can go into nearly all restaurants but almost no parks.
In a French restaurant, the service is never rushed. The main course never comes before you're finished with the appetizer, and the waiter NEVER brings the check until you ask for it. The entree is not the main course, it is the first course. The main course is the plat. The dessert is the same in both languages.
Cafe au lait is only ordered in the morning; after that, espresso is ordered, alone or after meals. As things change, a few people are beginning to order cafe creme more and more. (Probably the influence of Starbucks)
When you go into a bakery, grocery, clothing or shoe store, a litany of politesse is sung out: Bonjour Madame...Merci, Madame...Au revoir, bonne journee!
The ushers at events are tipped, but the waiters at restaurants are not. (It's included in the bill.)
The cashiers at the check-out stands in the grocery stores sit down.
French breakfast is all bread - cafe au lait, croissant and half a loaf of French bread with butter and jam. Eggs are eaten for lunch or dinner and often on pizza.
Restaurants do not start serving dinner until 7:30 pm.
Most waiters are men and this is their full-time profession.
When dining, your table may be inches away from your neighbor's table, so you never feel like you're dining alone.
In a city with so many dogs, there are very few groomers.
Dogs can ride the subway and the trains, but not always in a taxi.
Most French cars have slightly dented front and rear ends because it's common to "nudge" your way into a parking place that is shorter than your car.
Parking on curbs, corners, and against the traffic is allowable; so is backing up the length of a one-way street, if necessary, to get to a parking place.
The differences you listed are part of the cultural experience. Reading about them however is not the same as living them. You’re very lucky to be able to do so in the flesh - now if only you could actually get out of the apartment again, when is the new stroller supposed to arrive?
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