The daily grind - a typical weekday

February 11th 2007

I thought it’d be a good idea to describe a typical weekday, so here goes:

I wake up around 7:45 and give the baby her bottle while I get dressed. I typically eat either a piece of whole-grain toast with lowfat creme cheese, cinnamon, & powdered sugar (my version of a healthy Cinnabon), or I go with a banana and a plain unsweetened yogurt. I point out that my breakfasts in the US were usually cereal, microwave pancakes, toaster waffles, or McDonald’s. I’ve really improved my diet here in France.

By 8:45 I’m carrying my daughter to the daycare. It’s about 7 minute walk, and I feel very lucky that I can walk it and participate in her day (my wife has a car, I rely on public transport). After a quick chitchat with the ladies and children at the daycare, I walk to bus stop and hop on a bus to the tram stop. I can walk to the tram in about 10 minutes but it’s quicker if I hop on the bus. After a few minutes waiting for the tram, I get on and if I’m lucky I get a seat. Which is nice because I usually read documents from work during the 15 minute tram ride. I arrive at la gare (”train station”) and it’s a 6 minute walk to the office.

Thousands of people are going from la gare to their office, and I often laugh because the sounds of our shoes hitting the pavement reminds me of an army marching into battle. At work I badge through the gates and punch in my floor and the display tells me which elevator to take. This is a cool system which prevents the elevator from stopping at every floor! I’m almost always the first or second stop (about 15 seconds if it’s the first). We’re near the top so the view is great.

I arrive at my desk about 9:40 and read my personal emails, check my stocks from the day before, and if I have time a quick read of a favorite blog or CNN. I usually get invited at least once for café (”coffee”). Café doesn’t have to mean coffee, I usually drink water, it can mean tea or any other beverage. One of my coworkers explained the significance of a warm beverage: It forces you to slow down and talk a bit, making it very social. Then it’s to work.

Lunch depends on when the cafeteria is crowded. In my old office it was always at 11:50 (to avoid the crowds), at my new office (I recently changed jobs) people eat outside, usually a sandwich. I don’t like sandwiches so I try to eat in the cafeteria. At my old job I ate with the same people for 2 years. Since I just started my new job I haven’t yet established these long term lunch relationships.

The cafeteria is nice and the company pays a big percentage (about 1/3) so it’s affordable. And well balanced. I usually get raw shredded carrots, a meat, with vegetables or rice, and if there is a good dessert I get it, if not fruit yogurt. In the US, I’d usually bring a Michelina’s or Budget Gourmet microwave meal and eat that at my desk. What a difference!

After lunch is another café, I often skip this one. Many of my coworkers spend 1 hour a day or more just socializing while drinking coffee! It’s a French national pastime! The normal French café schedule is around 10h, 13h (after lunch), and 16h. They love are addicted to the caffeine. I prefer to skip the after lunch café and reserve my 16h café for seeing a friend that I don’t see regularly (someone from another project, another floor, etc.). I find it a bit strange to stand around for 20+ minutes with the people sitting next to me all day.

The afternoon continues until around 6:30pm when I usually go home. That makes a 8-8.5 hour work day. If I have a lot of work I don’t mind staying until 7pm, and sometimes I work on the train home and then at home. Many of my coworkers put in a lot of hours, but for many I think know that all of those hours are not productive. I don’t have time to waste so I try to make my hours productive and not just hang out at work all evening.

Another 8 minute walk to the train station and then a 10 minute train ride to my small town outside of Paris. A 10 minute walk back to the house (30 minutes door to door if I don’t have to wait for my train) and I’m at home (around 7pm). I quickly do 20-30 minutes of exercise on the bike and then shower and we have dinner around 8pm. Dinner is always home made and freshly cooked, mostly from scratch. I’m lucky that my wife is a wonderful cook and that she cooks very healthy! In the US I had a weekly schedule to make sure my meals were well balanced between Burger King, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s, and KFC!

We get our daughter in bed by 9pm and then we’re in bed by 10pm to watch Seinfeld or part of a movie before going to sleep around 11pm.

Well there you have it. The daily grind. It’s not that different than the typical day in the US. I ate worse and I drove instead of walking & taking public transportation. I really love walking and taking trains instead of driving. I enjoy reading a book, magazine, or using my computer on the train. Even though getting through la gare can be stressful with thousands of people pushing and shoving, I find once I’m seated it’s much less stressful than traffic jams.

The actual time at work is pretty similar in France to the US, except that it’s café in France instead of water. The healthy eating and walking has helped me to stay in shape and keep my weight constant. And I’m sure it’s better for my long term health.

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