If you are planning on giving birth while in France, you will need to prepare a bag in advance of things you will need at the hospital. In the US it is commonly referred to as an overnight bag, however, most women in France tend to stay between 4 to 7 days - so here it is more of a “long-stay bag.” If you have complications, you may stay longer. I received this list of … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2011
Celebrating Bastille Day Today in France – La Fête Nationale
Bastille Day is a national holiday in France, celebrating the day the public rose against the monarchy in 1789. Often compared to Independence Day in the USA, I find that it is actually much different – except for the fireworks in the evening. France did not gain independence from the monarchy on this day, but it was a turning point in the French Revolution that lead to … [Read more...]
Real French Women Drive Stick – Learning to Drive Manual in France
French roads are ruled primarily by manual transmission cars. If you only know how to drive automatic; then the availability of cars to rent or purchase are significantly slimmed down. Several years ago when I vacationed in France, the car rental agency only had a Mercedes – forcing me to pay top dollar for the privilege of driving. Have to admit, it was nice cruising along … [Read more...]
Choosing a Baby Name in France According to French Customs
Trying to find the perfect baby name for our little French American girl has been quite a challenge. What is current in one country does not seem to be current in the other. Since she will be growing up in France, we placed a higher priority on giving her a name that will help her fit in here. Luckily, many French baby names are trendy in the USA - just agreeing on one is … [Read more...]
Self Employed Women Receive Paid Maternity Leave in France (Auto-Entrepreneurs)
I nearly fainted when I received a letter in the mail from the Règime Social des Indépendants (RSI) stating that I qualify for paid maternity benefits. I am about to set up an auto-entrepreneur (sole proprietorship) business for my writing since I am now a permanent resident of France. My husband immediately called the RSI to confirm, and then called again 5 minutes later to … [Read more...]