The people from Quebec province speak French, most other Canadians do not,,,Most other Candians, like the Americans on the south side of the border, do end EVERY sentence with: "AY", pronounced "A".

This means that you must get into the habit of speaking like you're from the Great White North, AY. Which is not too difficult to do, AY.

I still recommend that you claim to be from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, you work at the Soo Steel Plant, right on the St. Mary's River just downstream from the Soo Locks. Yes there is a park in Sault Ste. Marie, that has a black bear and a mountain lion right next to the old RR switch engine and there's the only Mall within 70 miles (at Cheboygan, Mi). You go to the American side every Friday evening after getting paid to do your grocery shopping because it is so much cheaper. The land is flat with only a few small hills here and there.

The only time I used these facts were in the event that someone ASKED if I were an American, otherwise I keep my voice @ low volume and mind my own business.

Good advice:
First order of biz, learn "Please", "Thank-you" and, if by the
sheer grace you are able to do something that deserves a
reply of "You are welcome", know it in the local tongue.


Please= S'il vous plait= seal voo play
Thank you= Mercee= mare-see
Thank you very much= mercee beau coup= mare see bo coo
You are welcome= avec plasir= avec pla sear

My main concern is I'd be travelling back and forth on the subway (Metro?) out Nanterre (I think). When you are on a subway you have limited options.

A lot of this is just a combination of paranoia combined with the oppertunity to pick other people's brains in "what if" scenerios. I feel the threat level is only moderate, but worth thinking/talking about. I mentioned earlier that in Russia, the UAE, Africa, South America and the Philipines I'll have bodyguards. I speak enough German to get by in Germany. France is the only place with much civil unrest that I'll be on my own.

Thanks for everyone's replies!

-Blast

Is being asked, "Are you an American?" a threat? I don't think it is. Now if some local toughs say " The first American we see here we're gonna beat, spit upon and rob!", then you should think about keeping a low profile & leaving the area asap.If some armed jihadist go into where you're having dinner and ask all Americans to stand up...hell no i'm not gonna get up, but if someone asks if i'm American i'll just say yes.

if in doubt :
- ask your boss to make reservations for a suite at Hotel de Crillon, place de la Concorde (*) ; it's right beside the Palais de l'Elys?ee, where the french president resides. There are enough police forces in the area, for it to be secure !!!
- use a limousine service to go to your work site ;


(*) place de la Concorde : that's the place where the fans of the new president held their fiesta, on sunday's evening
Do not confuse with place de la Bastille, where most demonstration against the new president seem to start. For the time being, avoid that place in the evenings.

see PM

Oh goodie! More fuel for my paranioa!

Angola is on the list with Nigeria as a second African location. And yes, that would be one of the places with armed escorts. However, my company will also give me a "blood chit", a document stating exactly how much ransom they'll pay for me and directions on how to collect it. I guess it's their method of being prepared...

-Blast

That's good to hear...your company will pay to get you back, my company actually has a life insurance policy on me so the company gets paid if I die.

And to think, some people call me paranoid

Yes, definitely, in Negeria, get a security escort. IIRC, some Israeli private agency offers bodyguards.. or is it in Lagos.. ??
OTOH, in Paris, a girl could be a good enough escort...
;o))

Ooopss... hope your DW doesn't see that .....
;o))