Cultural differences I have observed

I have been in France for a week now, how time flies. I have just moved into what will be my home for the next few months. Its in an apartment building, with an intercom and everything and the apartment is on the top floor which made it quite difficult to drag my things up. Here I thought I would list some cultural differences between France and NZ that I have seen

1) The vous business. When you first meet someone that is seniour to you say vous, we don't have that in NZ. I have eered on the side of caution so have vouved nearly everyone I have met that I don't know...most of the time they saw "why are you vouing me...."

2) Ordering food- You know how in NZ you would enter a starbucks/ coffee culture ect and order at the counter and then sit down...not in France, in France the times I have gone out for coffee and lunch the server will come to you and take your order and you pay at the same time.

3)The supermaket. There are so many things I could say about this. I went shopping today and the supermarket I went to was massive and it sold clothes, so aswell as buying some groceries I brought two t shirts FROM A SUPERMARKET!!!! They are really pretty but its quite strange to see isles of clothing next to packaged cereal and the like. There is also the fruit and veges thing. What you do is that you put them on a scale, select from the picture what you have and then a ticket comes out- its quite clever actually.

4) Banking. Banking in France seems a lot more complicated than in NZ. At my appointment to open an account I got shoved all this paperwork, and they don't really have bank tellers. If you want to deposit money into your account there are machines for that, and you have to ask for an eftpost card you are not automatically given one.

5) Driving. France seems to be the land for road rage. Its dam scary crossing the road in Barcelonnette. First I have to contend with the different way the traffic flows and then there is the fact that drivers don't seem to care about zebra crossing, they will not stop!!!