inspiring, classy, timeless - Pouf! Magazine

this matter. I find the Swedes to be
really sporty in general. This is a
part of our culture with the Swedish
”gympa”, jogging or skating and skiing
in the winter. French people do
less exercise in general and consider
bicycling or roller skating as a sport.
Whereas for Swedes, these activities
are considered as transport.
One thing you have to take into
consideration is that in a big city
like Paris you don’t really use a car.
You walk a lot on a day-to-day basis.
Also, the gym-memberships are very
expensive here with a normal fee at
about ¤70-100 per month.
But apart from this, the French
women don’t seem to believe that
exercise actually works. They prefer
le régime and different slimming
products such as anti-cellulite
creams or décolletage creams.
Salon treatments such as fat reducing
massages are also highly popular.
There is a popular book called
French Women Don’t Get Fat which
describes how French women eat
bread and pastry, drink wine, and
regularly enjoy three-course meals
all in small portions and with great
care. Do you believe this to be true?
Yes! That’s right! When in a restaurant
(or resto as we say in French)
the portions are fairly petite and the
French eat smaller portions than us
Swedes.
Also, the French women don’t
”snack”.
I’ve been told off by some French
men for eating too much popcorn or
sweets when going to the cinema on
a date.
The French women simply turn it
down by saying: ” No thank you. I’m
not hungry”. In Sweden one eats
snacks or sweets even if one’s not
hungry.
You really get criticised if you are not
on a diet (le régime). French women
are always on le régime and there is
always a new trendy diet they all try
and won’t stop talking about.
Let’s talk a bit about dating. What’s
that like in the city of love?
In France you don’t date for very
long. It’s not like in the U.S where you
date until you are married. The term
dating doesn’t really exist here, not
even in the way it does in Sweden
either. You only call it a date if it’s the
first or second one, after that you
are pretty much a couple. As soon as
you kiss, you are a couple.
”You wouldn’t see a Parisienne go
shopping in sneakers (that’s how you
spot a tourist).”
Really? Does that mean that you are
boyfriend/girlfriend and exclusive
after that?
Ha-ha. No! You don’t really start
labelling the relationship until after
you’ve met each other’s friends, etc.
But normally the French don’t wait
as long as the Swedes to make the
relationship official.
What happens on a typical date?
A typical first date is just to meet up
for drinks. Sometimes you might go
to a resto on the first date.
Sometimes, all though it’s not very
common, your date might pick you
up. But usually you just meet up at
the venue.
Normally, the man pays on the first
date.
Going dutch is simply not for Parisians.
OUT & ABOUT
Jessica’s
favourite
pastimes
Take a stroll along
Avenue de New York
in october to watch
the leaves fall from
the chestnut trees.
The Marais district on
Sundays. Eat a falafel
on Rue de Rosiers, a
Swedish cinnamon
bun at the Centre
Culturel Suèdois and
watch Parisians and
tourists.
Go for a long walk
along the artificial
lakes in the Boulogne
forest.
Rent a bike (Vélib)
and ”Veliba” around
the city to discover
new neighbourhoods.
Picnics! Any time, any
how. Pont des Arts,
Jardin de Rangelagh,
Avenue de Breuteil,
Les Tuileries, Les
Buttes Chaumont...
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