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Let me live vicariously through those in the loop. Tell me your likes and dislikes, what you had for lunch, breakfast dinner, what you do for fun, where you vacation and just anthing you find significant about day to day life and all its complexities.
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 07-17-2009 at 01:56 PM..
Reason: Use DM for moderation concerns
Likes: breakfest pain au chocolat gets me everytime. I like to eat dinner at lunch like the old europeans. I didn't have much fun after I saw all the sites. Once you see all there is to see there it just becomes anonther overpriced city except you can't make any money over there. Its like going to Canada.
Day to day life is hard for most. Beaurocracy is higher than the US but not nearly as bad as Italy, Greece, or Portugal. Living standards are especially low in Paris... most people live in 400 sq feet or less like a bunch of rats in a cage. Great place to visit but to live and work it is horrible.
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 07-17-2009 at 01:58 PM..
Reason: Use DM for moderation concerns
Likes: breakfest pain au chocolat gets me everytime. I like to eat dinner at lunch like the old europeans. I didn't have much fun after I saw all the sites. Once you see all there is to see there it just becomes anonther overpriced city except you can't make any money over there. Its like going to Canada.
Day to day life is hard for most. Beaurocracy is higher than the US but not nearly as bad as Italy, Greece, or Portugal. Living standards are especially low in Paris... most people live in 400 sq feet or less like a bunch of rats in a cage. Great place to visit but to live and work it is horrible.
Thanks for jumping in georgio...this is what I had in mind. Are you a native Parisian? I found it interesting when a poster in the other thread said that the government there keeps home prices overinflated to keep immigration down...which I found puzzling as Paris is very diverse no?
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 07-17-2009 at 01:59 PM..
most likely they are transients who work in france temporarily and then leave after a few years... the others are street people. no, im not parisian but lived there for a while. left cause there is no way to get ahead economically. the system is designed to provide people with the basic necessities but don't plan on being able to save for a house, you just wont have that much money to save at the end of the year to buy it in your lifetime.
Thanks for jumping in georgio...this is what I had in mind. Are you a native Parisian? I found it interesting when a poster in the other thread said that the government there keeps home prices overinflated to keep immigration down...which I found puzzling as Paris is very diverse no?
In response to your question, I agree. I too like the Pain au Chocolat pastry. I also like the Croque Monsieur in the morning. Dinner in Europe is supposed to be eaten at noon which I find to be more correct since you have your heaviest meal mid-day where you have time to work it off. The US is far behind France and Italy when it comes to gastronomy.
I also really like Paris' metro. It isn't dangerous and you don't need a car.
I would have to agree with Georgio that you don't go to France and the rest of Europe to make money. You go there to travel or retire. That is pretty much what it is good for. So the cons would be low pay, high taxation, and unreasonably expensive.
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 07-17-2009 at 02:04 PM..
I have lived in a comparable European capital to Paris and I concur with what others have said, including the rhythm of daily life, everybody light breakfast around 8am, a properly cooked lunch at 1pm, a light dinner at 8pm, everyday, day in day out.
Everybody does weekly shopping on Saturday morning. On Saturdays I purposely ate lunch early and went shopping at a supermarket at 1pm knowing that it would be virtually empty, worked every time.
Europe is not economically fertile for ambitious young adults with modest start-up capital, it is better for children, students, the moneyed deep-rooted and well-connected, the independently wealthy, tourists, retirees, and, for the rest, those looking to get by with the basics.
At one stage, I took advantage of a European country public university system, earned a masters degree over four years, and practically got paid to do it.
After that I went into business for myself in the US, a relative tax haven.
It is a painful shame actually, because otherwise I would have stayed in Europe.
Great place to visit but to live and work it is horrible.
That's what I've been saying all along , unfortunately many criticize me on USC, saying that I'm "overreacting", that "I have issues","I don't deserve to live there" (well, sorry, but I was born in Paris, so...), "why do I live here"- as if everyone had the choice of where to live and make a career-!
What I'd like to emphasize is the low standards of comfort of the Parisians, mostly too small flats with less amenities than in the US, dirty sidewalks buttered with dog (or bum) crap, they take up without flinching a high level of noise (especially from motorcycles, but also public works, helicopters, PA systems in underground stations...), the public transportation system is hopelessly overcrowded, no airconditioned in summer,but some people always have an answer : a Brrazilian friend told me "you know, it's worse in Rio", well of course if the standard of comparison is a barely 2nd world city like Rio, maybe it's not too bad
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I love Paris and Europe for the culture, food, site seeing but all it is is one big museum. Once you have seen everything it is not a very nice place to live unless you have 1-2 million dollars +.
The minimum gross annual wage in the U.S. is $13,624 USD
The federal minimum wage is $6.55 USD per hour; states may also set a minimum, in which case the higher of the two is controlling.
Maybe some of you think that Paris is expensive but Parisians do not need a car in order commute. Therefore, they save a big portion of their salary (car payments, gas, tolls, maintenance, car insurance, etc).
Paris is as expensive as any other amazing city in this world (London, Tokio, New York, for example)... Paris is the most visited city in the world. So you people shouldn`t complain that you can`t buy a house there...
I love Paris and Europe for the culture, food, site seeing but all it is is one big museum. Once you have seen everything it is not a very nice place to live unless you have 1-2 million dollars +.
Paris IS NOT AT ALL a big museum, you think it because you only visited few districts.
The life is expensive that why Paris (like any big city in the world) does have suburbs where you can find cheaper housing and where liv the majority of the population.
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