Hahah I actually met a woman (as flaky and ridiculous as ever) who started having panic attacks because of having moved to Paris, while living in the most comfortable executive expat conditions (hubby in nice multinational post, get it?)

So then she met equally stupid and flaky expat wives who spend most of their entire lives touring the 16th arrond. (if you get my drift) - God forbid if they should step out of the 16th, there's poor people! - and so she found several other women with whom she go shopping - in the 16th - and her anxiety diminished.

True story.

(And no exaggeration with the 16th arrond. quip, I am quoting from something said to me personnally: "that's why I never like to go outside the 16th arrondissement" said one of these obnoxious as can be expat wives)

Paris is big enough to allow even these expat wives to live there. Let the wife's shop in the 16th, so what?

Why make fun of them? France needs their VAT, the stores need their money, and besides, shopping in France just went on sale.
Euro is crashing. Soon euro will be worth 50% of its present value.

EURO AT HALF IT'S WORTH !?!?! Tell me when, It's time for a much larger Paris apartment for moi. I am pulling the cash out of my mattress as we speak !!!

BTW, speaking about learning the language, if this Dude on the video clips could learn it pretty fluently (and he's a busy MOFO to say the least) than anybody can. Crack open the books I say, I say.....



BTW, THUMBS WAY UP ON THE BLUECHIP POST !!! ROCK ON, GREAT ONE !!!

Rather than discourage the OP who was looking for help with her fears about moving to France, I moved this part of the discussion over here to the bistro.

There are certain types of expats who tend to stay within their own familiar circles and never venture out. Fortunately, most of these types are only in France for a few years and will be going back home eventually, probably complaining about the "difficulties" of foreign assignments all the way.

Then, there are also the "lifers" who quickly "go native" and even become more French than the French. Very unsympathetic to those newly arrived expats who may actually be having some difficulty adjusting to life here in France. (It happens - and for very good reason.)
Cheers,
Bev

Good move Bev. I love this Bistro idea (just wish more would "stop by"). Immigration, obviously it's either leaving something you don't like or going to something you like more. As you know, it's BOTH with me (USA/FRANCE). It's not easy and I don't understand why some people who post think it should be. They want to be comforted, they want their fortune told, they want this board to take their anxiety away (I suggest some Valium). It's a b*tch like most serious and complicated things in life are. There's no getting around it so people should get into their string bikini's/speedo's and jump into the deep end. It IS deep, dark, and endless so enjoy, it's called "GETTING THROUGH LIFE". Doing a great job as usual Bev. Zoom

Actually, Zoom, I do wonder a bit at your apparently glee at a prospect of a seriously devalued euro... Once you're "really" over here, you get your daily living money from local sources, so the prospect of a deflated euro isn't a pretty sight. (Though it would do my retirement funds a world of good when I start bringing over US dollars to support me in my old age!)

And frankly, the shopping in the 16th isn't very good at all - at least not the kind of shopping I like to do. If the short-term expat wives want to stick to the 16th, let them. Keeps them out of my way, anyhow.
Cheers,
Bev

Well, my main source of income is what my family business produces in the USA (all around - coast to coast) which should continue long after I kick it (which should be anytime now with the effing stress around here). That's what keeps me tied here but we ALMOST have a solution - 95%. I'm just too much of a neurotic perfectionist. What an idiot I am....... I need to get away, really do.... maybe go to ZANZIBAR or MOZAMBIQUE - find some African girls with opium eyes and all covered in white sand (whispers) Voodoo sh*t..... BTW, is the 16th where they shot LAST TANGO IN PARIS with Brando? LOVE THAT MOVIE - It's gettin' late and honestly, I'm for a one to one Euro/Dollar but......

Careful where you go Zoom. Sometimes paradise can turn out to be just the opposite:BBC News - UK police in Kenya to aid Briton's murder investigation

Cheers

You can say that again. You don't know the meaning of "ultra-strength obnoxious" until you've met one of these 16th arrond. expat wives...

I had forgotten there was this part of the forum over here... I always just checked the threads... It's good that you moved this one here, now I have "discovered" the Bistro...

I worked briefly at the OECD in the 16th arrondissement. Kind of a black hole for shopping at lunchtime - or for finding anyplace interesting for lunch, even.

But my longest lasting impression of the 16th is the size of the dogs that live there - never saw the actual dogs, only their "leavings" on the sidewalk. But they had to be BIG dogs!
Cheers,
Bev