Far Wise in Knowledge Management

How to enjoy la vie pariesienne

A nice article in Economist.com about etiquette in Paris. What to do or avoid when meeting, working, eating and socialising with the French on a business trip. It starts with: "Our best bit of advice for negotiating Paris successfully is quite simple: start every conversation with a "bonjour" or a "bonsoir". It's an easy ice-breaker and, where appropriate, should ensure you a better level of service." I recognise the tips in the article very well, they are very useful. Read the readers' comments as well, they give corrections and additions to the tips.

There are a few readers' comments about punctuality (in time). My experience is that the French are more punctual than we think from their reputation. Especially for formal appointments, you are expected to be there exactly in time. When I have a dentist appointment or with someone from the insurance company, let say at 3 p.m., she or he is ready for me at 3. Trains have punctuality percentages the Dutch railway company can only dream of. Meetings with friends are more flexible in time, so we "plan" to arrive half an hour later than the time mentioned. Once we arrived 45 minutes later than the time that was said in the invitation and we found we were last to arrive!

I've learned that the social part is very important. I appreciate that very much, people really take the time to listen to each other. If someone asks you "Ça va?" (How are you), it is an honest question. It is very rude to ignore this first part of the conversation and "come to business". The two kisses on the cheek are part of this as well. At the running club, we all greet each other, either by shaking hands (man-man) or kisses (woman-woman, man-woman). Imagine, about 30 people waiting for greetings, nobody can be ignored. You better arrive first, so they'll have to come to you!

I don't experience much rudeness here in shops or restaurants (well, we don't live in Paris, maybe that explains). However, don't expect the same level of service as you're used to (in the States, for example). This remark doesn't apply for all shops, but here not every "customer is king". Sometimes I want to think: "I'm sorry I asked you something", but then I quickly push away this thought. My top rudeness experience was in Paris, when I was looking for running shoes. A man was helping me with some shoes and at some point he went down the stairs, I thought to look for more shoes for me. It took some time while I waited for him. Another customer came in and asked for this man. His colleague said: "Oh, he is out for lunch". I think you're not surprised that this was my last visit to this shop.

For the rest, I find people here very relaxed and patient. Nothing here of the wild gestures, loud horn sounding or high voices full of emotion that are often said to be typically French. Maybe you find that in the south, but not here (not far from Paris). I now know to be patient myself, no use to upset myself if someone is slow in a shop. Calm down, relax. That is something from which Dutch people can learn.

There we go again...

A bit more than two years ago we moved to France. Quite an experience, I've learned a lot (and not only the French language!). We met new people, made new friends and discovered parts of this beautiful country. I only wished it would be easier to find a job here...

However, this year we will move again to another country, even to another continent! Our new location will be Canada (Ontario). My boyfriend works a lot with his colleagues in Canada, so the manager asked him, "Why don't you come to work here?". No need to ask this to me, Canada was (and is) always high on my list of countries-to-live. So, there we go again!

Now that we (and the company) made the decision, it sounds to me like a bigger step than moving to France. Especially for family and friends it is much further away, much more expensive to visit. First we (especially I) need to take a look at this part of Canada that I've never visited before, and look for a house to rent. Exiting and scary at the same time!

Besides leaving France, our nice place of living and our new friends, we have to leave our new dog (Cirko) behind . He arrived end of January as a puppy and will become a help dog for a handicapped person when he has grown up. We didn't tell the association  - I'm afraid that they will take away little Cirko the moment they find a new host family. I don't want to think about it!

Coupé

Almost one week we were cut off from our fixed telephone line, Internet and television. No, not because we didn't pay the bill, but because we thought it a good idea to change the ADSL provider. This new provider told the old one to cut us off ("coupé" in French) and we had to wait 5 days before we received the new wifi-box. I don't care so much about tv, but for the rest it felt like being cut off from the rest of the world. Luckily I have many books waiting to be read and the weather was nice, so I sat outside in the autumn sun,  reading my book and waiting for the door bell with the post woman to bring this stupid box. The first days I was really annoyed, phoning as angry as I can in French, after having wrestled with the telephone menus that I hardly understand.

Made me think of how dependent we've got on the computer, Internet, telephone and so on. Or is it because I don't so many people around here?

Anyway, I wanted to blog about a French KM-conference I visited beginning October. I admit, I don't blog much these days, but still it feels frustrating the moment I wanted to blog it was not possible.

Paris a city for cyclists?

When I go to the running training, I always go on bike. Nothing special for me, I used to do it like this in Holland and here in France I didn't change my habit. The thing that changed is that people now say to me: "Hey, did you come on bike? You're so sporty", followed with: "But you're Dutch". Which explains it all.

I don't understand why so few people cycle here. Our city R. is relatively flat, apart from one climb in the centre (I admit, it's not an easy climb). Compared to Holland, the weather is better in general: it rains less and in the winter snow is rare, as well as black ice (I hate this!). Besides, there are cycle paths. Not too bad for cycling at all! Still, hardly any other cyclists. Well, yes, I see children cycling, but I thing that they, as soon as they get the age of 18, immediately change the bike for a car -like everybody. And, when the weather is nice, on Sunday a can of race bikers is opened. Sometimes I wonder how it is possible this country has a race like the Tour de France.

However, changes are on their way! After Lyon, Paris will become a real bikers city. At least, according the plans of "Vélib". About 20.000 bikes are placed at 750 locations everywhere in Paris; bikes you can rent to a small amount. So, when you need a bike, you take one from one of the stations and once you have reached your destination you park it in another station. In Lyon, where the same idea is carried out in 2005, it is called a succes.  Paris followed, starting this month and other cities follow the coming years. 

I think it's a great development! And I wonder: will Paris ever become a city for cyclists like Amsterdam?

Buzy days

My days are filled, this time not with all kinds of knowledge management problems. My worries now are how to prevent Carmen from climbing on the walls (the walls from our hour are covered with fabric) and scratching her nails on the sofa. And how to make sure that Boy does "ses besoins" not in the house but outside and he keeps on walking with me instead of rolling on his back.
This is clearly different stuff than KM, but I can tell you it keeps me busy. You probably guessed it right: Carmen is a cat and Boy a dog. We received them within one week and it is all new (especially having a dog). Luckily they sleep a lot (long live the bench!), so there is a bit time left to do other things.

Carmen is a Siberian cat (probably she understands Lilia better, should I say "no" in Russian). She will grow big, I like big cats. We imported her from Holland, here in France, there are only few breeders who all seem to live in the south. Following all the legal rules for importing an animal, Carmen is now a bit older than normal for a kitten to be taken to her new home. A very sweet cat and she loves playing and climbing. (On the picture you could see she just cleaned our house from all the dust).

Boy is a black Labrador male of 2 months old (just a baby). Actually he is not our dog, we have to give him back after 16 months. He is a future "chien d'assistance", a dog who helps handicaped people. We are a guest family, need to solicalise him and train him the first essential orders. Everything needs to be done in French, so that's a good practice for us! We have no experience with dogs, but that was no problem for the selection to become "famille d'accueil". Every two weeks we go to a course and luckily the "owner" of Boys sister Bora lives nearby. There are a lot of things he needs to learn, and we as well. But he is really cute with his flapping ears when he runs to me.

1-0

Last week I watched the European Championships for Athletics on tv. I was surprised to see that the French TV transmitted the whole championships, which is unthinkable in Holland (where only football seems to count). There were portrets of French atletes, guests, interviews, all very nice. One of the guests was the Swedish Susanna Kallur who won a golden medal on 100m hurdles.  She even spoke a few words in French, which made her even more popular with the presenters. Sunday, the last day of the event, she was asked again as guest in the studio. The presenter showed her a video of French atletes singing ABBA songs (even wearing wigs), and asked Susanna what she thought of it. She answered (in English): "The French better keep to French". There was a silence in the studio, for the translation had to be made. Then an "Oooh" sort of laugh. Bye bye Susanna.

One thing I learned here: the French do have humour, but they don't like jokes about themselves.

Cycling in Paris is for the brave

We saw this situation on the Pont de Bir Hakeim, on our way to one of the geocaches in Paris.

Now I understand why cycling will never be popular in Paris..

There is a difference between not understanding and not knowing

Learning a new language is not easy, many people will know what I mean. At the moment, for me, learning French is a sort of daily practice. I'm improving - slowly, but progressively. What sounded on the radio as a stream of murmering, I first began to hear some words and a few weeks ago I realised I understood the news items!

Speaking the language is even more difficult than hearing what people say or reading a magazine. One of the things I learned is that when I don't answer a question, it could be for two reasons: (1) I don't understand the question or (2) I don't know the answer, or maybe even (3) I can't find the words to give the correct answer. However, I found that my silence is always interpreted as the first option, they think I don't understand what they asked.

What then happens, often, is that the person repeats the question, sometimes in other words, sometimes they try it in English (we call it Franglais, which is even more difficult to understand). While, at the same time I'm thinking of how to respond. So then I have two things on my mind: making clear that I got the question, but not the answer. The problem is not on the question-side as they think, but on the side of the answer.

It's a confusing world.

Adapting to the new environment

I read in an interview that emigrants go through 3 stages: excitement, irritation and acceptance. Excitement is the thrill of the change: everything is new, different, needs to be explored. Then comes the irritation when things are not going as you want - the difference (in culture for example) is no longer a positive, challenging factor but annoying. In the third phase the differences are accepted, maybe even resignation of the new culture.

We now live in France for nearly 5 months. I think I started here with a mix of irritation and excitement. Irritation or maybe frustration with all the things we needed to arrange, without speaking the language very well. Where to go, what documents to bring, to find out what documents were missing (which was always the case) - is was not always clear and therefore difficult and tiring. Now we arranged most, and the weather is much better, there is more time for exploring and excitement.
It takes the place of irritation, which now I only feel when I can't express myself very well in French. Learning a language takes time, I know and I'm impatient.  It will take some while before moving to the third phase, I guess.