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Yet Another Take

In the seven months Nicolas Sarkozy has been the French President, he's ruffled a lot of feathers. According to opinion polls, his popularity is on the decline. But the French should look hard at other countries before taking to the streets.  
Sarkozy, never one to mince words, is telling the French population what it doesn't want to hear. If they want increased spending power, they are going to be forced to work longer hours. He's foisting responsibility back onto the shoulders of employers and workers.
 
As an American, the extended (39-hour) workweek sounds like no big deal. I've never understood why the French government hasn't allowed split shifts or people to work on weekends. But I'm not French and the longer I live here, the less I understand. I would join the inevitable protests if employers tried to inaugurate the two-week annual vacation policy.   There's more to life than simply keeping noses to the grindstone and sacrificing family life and leisure time. Plus, many studies have shown that people are more productive when they have enough down time to really relax.
 
Currently, I'm writing from Asia where the seven-day workweek is the norm rather than the exception. Perhaps this is when an economy is booming, as it is in Hong Kong, where people would rather make and spend money.
 
Contrasted to France, which is considered a Catholic country even though substantially less than 20% of its population attends church except for weddings and funerals, the idea of working an entire Sunday is out of the question. If you need to go food shopping, you'll need to go to a Sunday morning roving market (plus some that are scattered throughout Paris such as the Rue Cler) or some of the smaller neighborhood ones that are invariably owned by Arabs who are always smiling and ready to help.
 
These stores aren't heavily frequented unless other markets are closed. Their owners usually make deliveries and prices are higher because of low sales volume. The produce isn't necessarily the freshest in Paris but these stores are so welcome when you need to make a last minute and/or late night purchase.
 
I doubt France will ever have a 24-hour-a-day grocery store – but who knows. There have been so many changes in the 20 years I've lived here that stranger things could happen.
 
In Asia, the varied populations that practice a multitude of religions including the one of survival, doesn't have all store owners closing down tight at the precise moment that's posted on the door.
 
If there are clients, they're not going to be shoed out unless the store is very upscale or the potential purchasers are simply loitering.  For example, in Hanoi, Vietnam, where the US dollar rules (what a change) and Americans aren't subjected to what might be expected animosity because of the war, an entire family, probably four or five generations, probably live above the store in one of its five levels and there's always someone on duty when opportunity knocks.
 
Hanoi is a city that touches my heart. Since the last time I visited, it is noisier, wealthier and poorer.  Those who have cars lean on the horns as if there's no tomorrow and the no-honking signs that are posted everywhere, have made zero impression. The metropolis smells of exhaust fumes and it's impossible to escape the ongoing clamor wherever you are in the city.
 
The majority of cars are taxis that shuttle tourists; be sure you climb into a white one (city regulated) and the driver turns on the meter when your journey starts. As everywhere, a few taxi drivers might try to take advantage of the naive visitor by taking him or her the scenic route or "forgetting" to restart the meter.
 
Many people ride bicycles while the majority has graduated to motor scooters. These scooters are family transportation. It's not at all unusual to see parents and two of their children crisscrossing in and out as people play "chicken" on the roads.
 
These drivers have no fear and amazingly enough; there are practically no accidents. The city has yet to adopt a helmet rule, which is incredibly dangerous. But that hasn't stopped me from hopping on the backs of various scooters after negotiating the price. They are definitely the fastest way from here to there.
 
The more travel you do, the increasingly aware you are of world globalization and differing work ethics. China was an entirely different experience.
 
- Karen Fawcett
 
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Karen@BonjourParis.com