Episode 001: France with Mark Repasky
Welcome to our very first episode! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in Paris? American expat Mark Repasky explains “the American Yes and the French No” and shares what it’s like to live in the most visited city in the world as well as navigating visas, “french rudeness” and other cultural collisions.
Listen on iTunes OR Google Play
SHOW NOTES
[00:06] The “American yes” and the “French no”
[02:39] Taking the leap
03:35 Navigating visas, PACS for domestic partnership
[04:26] Difficulty of obtaining a work visa
[04:52] Proving financial sustainability
[05:34] Securing a place to live via the French bank account waltz
[06:56] Proof of residence courtesy EDF bill
[07:37] The importance of having YOUR name on the EDF bill
[09:30] Securing a job
[10:00] Getting out of Paris
[10:30] No place feels like home
[11:07] Feeling out of place
[12:27] Thoughts on learning language
15:25 NBC Nightly News Special Report with Lester Holt
[15:50] Terrorist attacks and French resilience
16:03 music: Si tu n′étais pas là performed by Fréhel, published 1935
18:04 US Healthcare ranking
[18:23] Health care and social programs
19:45 Rude Parisians? Do You Speak Touriste?
[22:45] What’s the deal with not accepting 20 Euro bills in the south of France?
[23:33] Normalization of little oddities
[24:00] The art of the queue
27:15 Book: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
[27:55] Things missed about the US
[29:05] Things missed about France
[30:21] The effect of having moved to France
[31:00] Preparation for getting a haircut
[31:30] Parting advice for those wanting to move to another country
NOTE: This episode features the story of one individual’s experience. Experiences of a country and its culture will obviously vary from person to person and it is important to do your own research from a multitude of sources. In addition, immigration rules and regulations are subject to change at a moment’s notice–always check with a country’s official embassy for the latest updates.
ADDITIONAL LINKS
Complete guide to French Visa types
French Consulate offices in US
How to get US-France dual citizenship
LANGUAGE
Want to learn French? I highly recommend Alliance Francaise USA. It’s a live classroom and it’s a little intimidating at first because it is mostly immersive except for questions, but you get used to it after the first class. I have found this to be THE best way to really train your EAR, which is a HUGE part of learning a language.
In addition, I’ve used a few different online courses to supplement my live classes. Check out FrenchPod101. I listen to their podcast on my iphone so I can practice speaking when I’m walking the dog, or doing mundane chores. Here’s why I think it’s great: on their website you get online videos, worksheets, tests, and vocabulary with pronunciation and spelling. The podcast is entertaining as it’s not same old dull “Hello, call a taxi please.” It features conversations in english and french between a french woman, a french man, and an american man that is fluent in french. They are in their 20s or 30s so the conversation is lively and fun. It’s WAAAY more conversational, entertaining and practical. You get the social aspect of the conversation noting different cultural customs.
Here’s another online language course I am currently trying out. Rocket French. It has audio lessons, vocabulary with audio and text. I’m a visual learner so it helps me to SEE the text to understand the pronunciation and vice versa. It also has a voice recorder which can check your pronunciation. So far, I’m liking it– it’s pretty comprehensive. I think it’s helpful to have supplemental learning to see what works best for you. It also has a free trial to test drive.
And for simply overall word memorization and vocabulary building I use the free program at DuoLingo.com
MUSIC
Check out the Expat Sandwich Spotify playlist for a curated selection of 60s and 70s French pop.
and….LOVE LOVE this recent musical discovery: Les Vilains Chicots
UN PEU D’EXTRA
If you haven’t tried or heard of La Beurre Bordier, check out this video of France’s most famous hand crafted butter.
This episode is sponsored by Flower Road. Flower Road is a wellness company specializing in organic skin care and botanical formulas. They are direct importers of fresh premium grade essential oils, ensuring the highest quality aromatherapy products. I personally use their Renne Crème Ancien for my face — it keeps my fine lines finer and my skin feeling super soft. Expat listeners can get 15% off their first purchase by using the promo code EXPAT at flowerroad.net/expat.
