What the Irish cailin could teach the French woman....
The craic.
Les filles - get yourself some girlfriends and so out and have a giggle. Be silly. Be stupid. Have an extra glass of wine now and then. Dance on the bar. Play practical jokes on one another. Go out at least once a month without your husband. Life is short, les filles, don't take it all so flippin seriously! And don't forget to Smile! You do remember how to smile, don't you? :-)
Clothes and style
Oh yes, I know, the French have the reputation as being so stylish and effortlessly chic, but frankly, their style is BORING! Black is always the new black as they march sheeplike straight down the conservative line and let's not even mention the comfortable and sensible shoes. An abomination! The Irish girl is not afraid to show her personality, wear colour and flaunt her look. Clothes can be fun too! Go wild and splash out with a bit of colour.
Spend quality time with your children
STOP giving out to your children. I'm just back from a weekend in France and every single interaction I had with parents and children involved a whole lot of shouting and chastising their extremely well behaved enfants.
Let the children be children. Encourage them to use their imagination. Allow them to run wild now and then. Teach them that it is OK to be different. Slapping children and constantly putting them down and slamming them in their place will result in a nation of lily livered meek adults who are afraid of their own shadows. At every possible opportunity, a French parent will offload her kids, to the garderie, the centre aéré, the colony in the summer etc. In France, children should be unseen and unheard..
Think outside the box
I know you have always been told that flowers and red and green leaves are green and there is no need to see flowers any other way but ..... sometimes there are two ways of looking at a problem. Feel free to think outside the box and to come up with solutions to obstacles that may come your way in life... NON, is not always the right answer to something that have never been done or tried before ... (this point is especially for a particular red haired woman in the prefecture in Perpignan!)
Be friendly and helpful
It makes the day go quicker and it actually makes you feel better and in a good mood. Like green eggs and ham, it's one to try....
And did I mention the craic??
What else do you think us Irish women could teach the French?
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| Don't forget to smile |
Les filles - get yourself some girlfriends and so out and have a giggle. Be silly. Be stupid. Have an extra glass of wine now and then. Dance on the bar. Play practical jokes on one another. Go out at least once a month without your husband. Life is short, les filles, don't take it all so flippin seriously! And don't forget to Smile! You do remember how to smile, don't you? :-)
Clothes and style
Oh yes, I know, the French have the reputation as being so stylish and effortlessly chic, but frankly, their style is BORING! Black is always the new black as they march sheeplike straight down the conservative line and let's not even mention the comfortable and sensible shoes. An abomination! The Irish girl is not afraid to show her personality, wear colour and flaunt her look. Clothes can be fun too! Go wild and splash out with a bit of colour.
Spend quality time with your children
STOP giving out to your children. I'm just back from a weekend in France and every single interaction I had with parents and children involved a whole lot of shouting and chastising their extremely well behaved enfants.
Let the children be children. Encourage them to use their imagination. Allow them to run wild now and then. Teach them that it is OK to be different. Slapping children and constantly putting them down and slamming them in their place will result in a nation of lily livered meek adults who are afraid of their own shadows. At every possible opportunity, a French parent will offload her kids, to the garderie, the centre aéré, the colony in the summer etc. In France, children should be unseen and unheard..
Think outside the box
I know you have always been told that flowers and red and green leaves are green and there is no need to see flowers any other way but ..... sometimes there are two ways of looking at a problem. Feel free to think outside the box and to come up with solutions to obstacles that may come your way in life... NON, is not always the right answer to something that have never been done or tried before ... (this point is especially for a particular red haired woman in the prefecture in Perpignan!)
Be friendly and helpful
It makes the day go quicker and it actually makes you feel better and in a good mood. Like green eggs and ham, it's one to try....
And did I mention the craic??
What else do you think us Irish women could teach the French?
Hi Karen! Totally agree! Specially with the smile. It can open so many doors! I'm happy to have met you last Saturday with Anna and Rachel, a little frustrated though because I did not understand all! Congrats on this excellent blog! What about your book? When will it be ready for us to read it? xxxxxx Cristina
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