The Connexion May 2017 connexionfrance.com Practical 19

Make sense of Talking Point Bob Elliott from telephone and broadband provider, UK Telecom, answers your queries

Q: Even though 4G networks things previously requiring the La bise and other for mobile phones have power of a PC. been around for several Web pages are also less prone years I am still unsure about to timing out and they have what advantages they can enhanced security. offer me. Why should I However, before you splash upgrade? out on an expensive new phone check that the coverage in your A: 4G stands for ‘fourth area supports 4G. generation’, which is the most Go to this web site to check recent form of mobile telecoms your local coverage: https://goo. technology. gl/Brnk1M These new networks The first thing to understand, cover a far greater area than 3G however, is that calls over a 4G and are more reliable, so for network will not be improved as these reasons alone it might be voice has to be converted to a worth upgrading. However, if you digital format. live in a rural area do not be sur- Secondly, this new service is prised if 4G is not available. designed to handle data faster – It may come as no surprise that usually five times faster – than the industry is already working 3G, but it needs the local mobile on 5G, which could become network to support it. available as soon as 2020. So if you do not use your The future of the industry will mobile for web browsing, be much more about transforma- downloading, video etc there tional technology that will mainly may be little reason to upgrade. impact on industries rather than 4G can in ideal situations be as domestic users. much as ten times faster than 3G One of the main beneficiaries and the people who really appre- of this will be companies devel- ciate upgrading are those that oping automated cars that need want improved video and music a large amount of real time data Image: perrytaylor.fr Image: streaming or need to do many to perform safely. THE ART la bise and other the south. In the latter case, a bit like moving the initiative over the kind of , from vous to tu, once you are on bise terms and between men and women politeness See uktelecom.net for more information greetings can be a subtle, with someone, reverting to a can dictates that it is the woman who decides. on services in . nuanced affair depending on be seen as a slight. “She offers her cheek or holds out her hand, T: UK +44 1483 477 100  T: from France 0805 631 632 situation and social milieu as and if she simply wants to say ‘hello’, that’s How to do la bise what she does”. well as geography. Here are Etiquette gurus recommend avoiding a real Mr Talon states there are exceptions if the some pointers to bear in mind, smack on the cheek in favour of a light man is in an official role, or where he goes from essentials to very refined. brushing of the cheeks and possibly very for a hand (see below) though even light contact of the lips on the cheek. there, there may be a subtle invitation from Euro Sense Saying bonjour! According to the magazine L’Express, the woman. Between people of the same Pippa Maile from Currencies Direct, A key part of French etiquette is to always however, this varies according to social gender it is generally the older one who takes answers a reader question on say bonjour! to someone on meeting them milieu, with posher people preferring an the initiative or if people are the same age, currency exchange for the first time in the day – or bonsoir! ‘’, while more working class people the person of higher social rank. from the late afternoon (possibly replaced may go for something less restrained. If just saying Bonjour, look at the person Q: We are selling our French holiday home and are waiting for by a casual Salut! for people you are very Then there is the question of which side while smiling and briefly inclining the head. the money to be paid into our French bank account. We want to relaxed and friendly with). This also applies to start on… A study at combiendebises.com A bise tends to send the message of treating transfer the money back to England. Do you have advice? H.L. on going into a shop (say Au revoir! on (which offers a map by department) found the other person as an equal, says Mr Talon, A: When transferring money internationally, choosing the right ser- leaving) on approaching an official or asking sides and number vary geographically. so is not common, for example, between an vice provider is essential to make the most of your money. Using directions. If in doubt, especially with some- Observe what others do or watch to see how employee and their boss. your bank may seem a simple solution; the reality is that it could one you do not know (well) or who is signif- If unsure whether the person wants it, lead to you receiving less money in your destination account. icantly older, add Monsieur or Madame, for do not try – they might not be comfortable, Our main image Traditional banks often offer poor exchange rates and tend to extra courtesy. or might have a cold for example, he says. was drawn for charge commission on any transfer, either a fixed amount or Ms d’Angenstein told Connexion that one Connexion by percentage of the transfer sum. By comparison, currency transfer and bises (cheek kissing) should avoid the expression enchanté/e specialists offer rates, which generally ‘beat the banks’, and quite A handshake or bise is common when greet- artist Perry Taylor. which is inelegant, and rather say je suis often will not charge you fees, which can mean significant savings ing someone for the first time in the day, or For more of ravi/e de vous connaître. Give your full name, on transfers of large sums. when leaving them at the end of an evening. his work see unless you are among very young people, Aside from the competitive exchange rates, these providers are Handshakes are most common among www.perrytaylor.fr and do not be in a hurry to offer a business specialised in overseas money transfers and have multilingual men and also in business settings among card, especially in a social situation. If you teams with experience working with expats so you do not have colleagues when arriving or at a meeting are with a person of higher social standing, to worry about potential language misunderstandings. (etiquette teacher Sébastien Talon of blog your bise-ee positions themselves. Starting she said it should be for them to take the ini- With the presidential elections around the corner and the trigger- Usages et Convenances warns that a hand- on the right was found to be most common, tiative to offer a card. Socially, also avoid talk ing of Article 50, currency markets are expected to be very vola- shake between a man and woman at a pri- but the left was most common in the south. of jobs, at least initially. tile. Choosing the right time to transfer will be crucial to avoid los- vate event can be seen as colder than a ). Two bises is usual. One is more typical of a One very refined greeting is for a man to ing out. By speaking to currency specialists, you will obtain guid- Among colleagues some people do la bise, child towards an older family member or a kiss a woman’s hand – le baise main – which ance on the markets so you can make an informed decision. To especially with those they know well or work goodbye peck between partners. Finistère is traditionally must, with rare exceptions, only help you further, they also offer tools such as daily and weekly closely with, while a few trendy workplaces an exception; most people there do one. be done in private and indoors, and towards market updates and rate alerts; the latter will enable you to set up go for le check – a matey slap of the hands. Three or four are used in some areas. women who are, or have been, married or your desired rate and be notified when the market has reached it In some places, meanwhile, especially if Gene­viève d’Angenstein of businesseti who are of high social status, says Mr Talon. so you can then decide whether you want to transfer or not. there are a lot of people, Bonjour! suffices quette.paris told Connexion in Paris more “Feet parallel to the woman, the man looks Even if you have not received the money yet, you could speak to but manners experts recommend looking than two gives the impression you are from her in the eyes while taking her arm, which a specialist now so they can assess your needs. When the time at people and smiling while you do it. the country, “but of course if someone gives must not move, then lowers his gaze at the comes, you will be sure to make the most of your money when According to Stéphanie Matteudi of the you three, you should look happy about it.” same time as his torso”. He moves his lips repatriating your funds. Institut Supérieur du Travail, at work you In a group of just a few friends it could be towards her hand, but does not really kiss it. should treat everyone the same – for exam- seen as churlish to not offer faire la bise with François Jean Daehn of Monsieur Maga­  Email your currency queries to [email protected] ple do not assume you must faire la bise with everyone, but in larger groups you may get zine, notes it is used “at a very elegant private women and shake men’s hands. away with a cheery Bonjour! function” but sometimes at some exclusive For more information about making international La bise is most common in social situa- ‘public’ events. “That’s the difference with the money transfers with Currencies Direct tions, and especially between women or men Advanced level old days – today it’s allowed, for example, at visit the website www.currenciesdirect.com/france and women, however it is increasingly com- Ms d’Angenstein said that if in doubt, it is the a grand soirée at Versailles where everyone is or call +33 (0)4 22 32 62 40 mon between male friends, particularly in more socially important person who takes in evening dress”.