As 2015 comes to a close, I thought I’d share the top Oui In France posts from the past year in case you missed them the first time around. So maybe you’re curious what posts were the most popular or you’d like to read some of the posts you missed.
Go!
Best of Oui In France in 2015
Based on page views, here are the top 10 most-read posts I wrote in 2015 (via Google Analytics):
Honorable mention in 11th place: On expat life: 8 Things I wish I knew before I moved to France
10. 6 Things that are totally true when your husband is French
9. Expat life: 5 Things I’m (not really) embarrassed to tell you
7. You know you’re a tourist in France when…
6. American habits I lost when I moved to France
5. Souvenirs from France (that your friends will actually appreciate)
4. French words that are hard for Americans to say (VIDEO)
3. Don’t make these mistakes: French dining tips
2. Culture shock in France: 13 Things that may surprise you (especially #10)
Most popular —-> 1. Hugging in France: Never hug a French person (and what to do instead)
Looking back to 2014: Top Oui In France posts last year >>
And a few that maybe weren’t as popular but are still worth a mention in my biased opinion. 😉
Culture shock at the grocery store in France
5 Embarrassing French mistakes
Part 2: What the French find weird about Americans
Why I’m not “lucky” to live abroad
11 Things that surprised me about Corsica
7 Things I never did until I moved to France
French pronunciation: Word pairs you don’t want to mess up (AUDIO)
How to say the French “r” sound (VIDEO)
A few stats about 2015’s Oui In France readers and traffic:
- 71% of readers in 2015 were women.
- 33% of you are in the 24-35 age range.
- Highest # of readers come from these countries (in this order): USA, France, UK, Canada, Australia.
- 49% of you read Oui In France from your desktop computer.
- Top mobile device? 44% of you read Oui In France from your iPhone.
- Site that sent Oui In France the most traffic (aside from Facebook): The Simply Luxurious Life (check out Shannon’s site!)
Thanks so much for all your support this year (and always)!
What was your favorite post on my blog or elsewhere this year?
I just read again your post on hugging. I am English and don’t hug much and had heard the French don’t do it at all. This year in France I met up with a man I hadn’t seen for 36 years. When we met he fait la bise but when I had to leave after several hours, I was unsure what to do. Shaking hands seemed too formal as he’d covered my hand with his earlier and la bise seemed a bit too casual. So in (deplorable) French I shrugged and said, ‘the French don’t like..?’ (I mimed hugging as I didn’t know the word) He said ‘Oui !’ and grabbed me in a bear hug. I was confused…but I liked it! Maybe he was just being polite to the crazy Anglaise? Happy New Year. xx
I didn’t know that the English don’t hug! I watch a few vloggers on YouTube and they all seem to greet friends with hugs so maybe it’s a regional or generational thing depending on where you’re from exactly? I think in your case, seeing someone you knew after all that time and then catching up, a hug would be normal. It’s someone you know rather well and not someone you were just introduced to. I’ve been at family parties with other Americans and my aunt has introduced me to people and they’ll greet me with a hug (not normal in France) but in your case, I think a big hug is OK — as long as it wasn’t too touch or anything I think it was a polite gesture. 😉 Happy (early) New Year to you!
Thanks Diane, yes I think you are right about it being a generational thing in the UK…I am ancient! I would find it very uncomfortable if a stranger hugged me in greeting but I’ve noticed the young ones are big on it…even the men, which I just think is weird! Anyway I’m glad to hear I didn’t commit a major faux pas.
Bonne Année!
Definitely no faux pas. When in doubt, let the French person take the lead. 😉