Redacting for 30 consecutive days has been an adventure. You will find 30 articles of the challenge at one glance below and if you want to know more about what I’ve learnt during this challenge, I’m detailing my achievements and difficulties in my previous article.
Now I’m back to a normal weekly rhythm. I hope you’ll stay tuned!
Table of Contents
Coronavirus: work and payroll impacts
Article 1 – Day 1: 10 April
This is the first article of my 30 articles – 30-day challenge! I hope this will help you understand the current difficult situation and the last paycheck you have received during this Coronavirus outbreak!
What to expect at a French dinner party
Article 2 – Day 2: 11 April
The second article of my 30 articles – 30-day challenge! I will give you the insider tips to feel at ease during a French dinner!
How to benefit from French healthcare?
Article 3 – Day 3: 12 April
The third article of my 30 articles – a 30-day challenge! You are coming to France for work, and you are wondering if you can benefit from French healthcare. A step-by-step process just for you!
Faire la bise in France
Article 4: Day 5: 14 April
Faire la bise in France or how to kiss on one’s cheek! Cultural insight and tips to understand this French habit!
My mum’s recipe: Veal stew with vanilla
Article 5: Day 5: 14 April
As a food lover, I had to share traditional French recipes with you! And you are lucky this one is my mum’s recipe, one of my favourites!
Do I need to exchange my driving licence?
Article 6: Day 6: 15 April
You are coming to France, and you are wondering if you can drive with your foreign driving licence. I will detail for you the condition and process to exchange your driving licence if applicable.
Hierarchy at work in France
Article 7: Day 8: 17 April
Have you ever felt that the way French employees were behaving with their boss was a bit different than you have experienced in your country? Some personal insight and reverse cultural shock for you.
Can I get a European Health Insurance Card?
Article 8: Day 8: 17 April
Can you get a European Health Insurance Card? Get all the detailed information from a professional.
Renting furnished vs unfurnished in France
Article 9: Day 9: 18 April
Renting furnished or unfurnished in France? Some important information to understand before signing a lease.
My 7 must-see French movies: 2000-2010
Article 10: Day 11: 20 April
Watching French movies is a great way to learn the language and also understand the language better. From the decade 2000-2010, these are my 7 Must-see French movies that give a great panorama of French culture and also were box-office successes in France and sometimes worldwide.
How to get French healthcare without working as a European?
Article 11: Day 12: 21 April
You are coming to France without a job, and you are wondering if you are entitled to French healthcare as a European citizen. All the detailed step-by-step processes are in this post.
3 major cultural shocks I experienced as an expat
Article 12: Day 14: 23 April
Let me tell you 3 recurring cultural shocks I’ve experienced as an expat in most of the countries where I’ve lived.
My grandma’s Savoie cake recipe
Article 13: Day 14: 23 April
This is THE family recipe of a very traditional cake from the region of Savoie, in the French Alps. It goes back to the 14th century! This is a very light recipe as there is no butter or milk.
How to get the best reimbursement from the French healthcare system?
Article 14: Day 14: 25 April
You are now affiliated to the French Social Security! Well done! However, you’re not sure, how the French health insurance system works and what level of reimbursement to expect.
10 tips to prepare a stress-free expatriation
Article 15: Day 15: 25 April
Preparing for an expatriation can be stressful and overwhelming. After being expatriated five times myself and assisting expats during my 10 years working in the global mobility industry, here is my 10-tip list to be a stress-free and prepared expat!
5 tips to look for rental accommodation in France
Article 16: Day 17: 27 April
If you’ve searched for housing before, you know that finding the accommodation of your dreams doesn’t happen overnight. Between reviewing multiple websites, lowering your standards or visiting different types of housing, it’s difficult to find the perfect place! To help in your research, here are some insider tips for you!
My 7 must-see French movies: 1990-2000
Article 17: Day 18: 28 April
Being a child and a young teenager in the ’90s, these movies bring back memories and references of a specific time. Some of these movies became cult and their quotes remain in the common language.
French public school for young children
Article 18: Day 19: 29 April
You are relocating to France with your family? Then, finding a school for your children will be one of your first worries. You may want to consider enrolling them in a public French school, especially if they are still young.
Rental accommodation: tenant’s responsibilities
Article 19: Day 20: 30 April
You have found rental accommodation to settle in France! Congratulations! You have now moved in, undone your suitcase and boxes and even started to feel at home. Then you realise that you don’t know what are your rights and responsibility as a tenant. And which expenses are for you and the ones for the landlord?
Rental accommodation: the landlord’s responsibilities
Article 20: Day 21: 1 May
You are finally settled in your new home in France, and even starting to have this homely feeling. And one day your landlord calls you with a situation. You are not sure the request is justified or even allowed because you are not sure how to handle this type of situation in France. Find out more about landlord responsibilities for your rental accommodation.
My Grandma’s Gougère recipe
Article 21: Day 22: 2 May
If you have travelled to Burgundy, you may have tried the Gougère, small cheese puffs, that French people usually have with an aperitif. I will share with you my grandma‘s Gougère recipe!
The 2020 French tax return season started!
Article 22: Day 23: 3 May
This is this time of the year again, this one that no one likes but that every adult has to go through…the annual tax return… Being an expat in France, it makes the 2020 French tax return even more challenging for you!
My 6 tips for a smooth repatriation
Article 23: Day 25: 5 May
Your French experience is coming to an end? Whether you are moving back to your home country or expatriating to another country, you have administrative procedures to go through… the same way you did when you first arrived. Here are 6 tips to help smooth repatriation.
5 differences between French and Canadian high school
Article 24: Day 27: 7 May
When I was 14 I asked my parents to do a foreign exchange programme in an English-speaking country! They thought I was a bit young, still, to leave the family nest for several months, but after insisting a bit, they realised it wasn’t a teenager’s whim, so they agreed! I wanted to go to school abroad and experience something different. Well, I can tell you, it was very different!
The French tax glossary
Article 25: Day 27: 7 May
I’ve put together a list of the main tax-related French words you may need to understand when filing your tax return as an expat in France. Hopefully, this will help you with this complex task!
Everything you need to know about French high school
Article 26: Day 28: 8 May
You are relocating to France with your family? Then, finding a school for your children will be one of your first worries. Whether you are registering your child in a public or private French school, the curriculum is national as well as the baccalaureate exam.
My must-see French movies about WWII
Article 27: Day 28: 8 May
Today, 8th May is the day of the French WWII Armistice. Remembering not to let it happen again… This was Lucie Aubrac leitmotiv, a French resistant! Let’s remember by watching the great French movies featuring WWII! From comedy to drama, let’s remember a nice way!
My grandma’s tart Tatin recipe
Article 28: Day 29: 9 May
Much ink has been spilt over the origin of the tart Tatin. It even seems the story was made up to make it famous at the beginning of the 20th century! In any case, the Tarte Tatin became a famous dessert in France. I’m sharing with you my Grandma’s version of the Tarte Tatin. I hope you will like it.
International schools in France
Article 29: Day 29: 9 May
When relocating to France with a family, school research is often one of the priorities. Many options exist in France for your children, both in the public or private sector, in the French classic curriculum or the French international options or in the full international curriculum. Every option has its pros and cons. This article will help you understand better which are the international options for your child.
My 30-day challenge completed!
Article 30: Day 30: 10 May
As it is the last article of my 30-day challenge, I wanted to share with you what I’ve learnt while writing those 30 articles as a beginner blogger! My God, I’ve said it! I’m a blogger! Scary!!!!
If there are any specific topics about France or expatriation you would me to write about, let me know on my Facebook Page @ExpatInFrance or via this website contact form.
