Tôt

adj. – early, soon
Dormir, se coucher, se reposer
v. – to sleep, rest
Se lever
v. – to get up
I have never been nor do I ever see myself being a naturally early riser. I remember when I was a teenager putting the alarm clock clear across the room forcing me to get out of bed to turn it off. Could it be this was before the snooze button was invented – I’m not sure. In any event, one of the things that’s great about Paris is the fact that the pace is a bit slower here with things beginning (and ending) later than in the US.

“Tôt” which is the word for early is also the word for soon. It is used when saying goodbye in the expression “à bientôt.” In other words, I’ll see you soon. "A toute a l’heure" is literally until the next hour which is our equivalent of saying see you later. “Au revoir” means until the next time I see you, “voir” being the verb for “to see.” This is why "déjà vu" means already seen – “déjà” meaning already and “vu” the past tense of “voir.” "Adieu" is more permanent as it translates to see you again with God. And "à jamais" which means see you never, is reserved for a passionate break-up line once used in a letter to a friend of mine.

Before we arrived here, 7:30 was a suitable dinner time. Now I look up sometimes to realize it’s almost 9:00 and we still haven’t eaten. People generally arrive at their offices sometime between 9:00 and 9:30 in the morning, but often stay past 8 at night, dining around 8:30 or 9:00. Lunches tend to be a bit protracted as well. The lunch hour begins anywhere between 12:30 and 1:00 and ends respectively between 2:00 and 2:30. Lunch is eaten out or at a canteen if your company has one, not at one’s desk. Lunch also consists of what I call real food. You see more salads in the summer, but generally people eat courses and hot dishes. Most restaurants will have a prix fixe selection of a starter plus a main course or a main course plus a dessert. Fast food and sandwiches do exist here of course, but whenever possible, people prefer to sit down and eat a meal rather than rush with their food.

The French have a reputation for being late or “en retard,” which is sometimes true in social settings, but professionally, I find them to be quite punctual. The Italians and the Spanish are much more lax as are the Indians. One of my Indian friends always asks “French time or Indian time?” because you literally have to factor in a good 45 minute wait for her. It’s always worth it I might add because she is lovely, but I did think for a moment about printing one of our wedding invitations with an earlier time just for her.

The expression “sleep tight” may come from the time when beds were made from ropes pulled across a frame in a zig zag pattern. Over time, they would slip and sag, hence the expression keeping them tight for a better night’s sleep. Here you sleep well “dormir bien” or “se reposer bien.” And you don’t have good dreams, but rather make them, “faire des beaux rèves.” Also, you make a nap vs. taking one, “faire une sieste.” “Faire la grasse matinee” is to sleep in or literally translated, make the fat morning.

“L’avenir appartient a ceux qui se levent tot” or the future comes to those who wake up early is the French equivalent of the early bird gets the worm. I’m not a bird so getting the worm never appealed to me. However, we don’t really benefit from a later start in the morning since we don’t work for a French company. So until I become a nightclub impresario, I will have to find a way to marry my now increasingly later night life with the same early morning punctuality respected by the Anglo Saxon culture. Maybe a nap or maybe re-working the expression to the early bird gets the croissant might help better revive me from my slumber.