“Hilariously perceptive”

“Extremely funny and intelligent” - France 24

“Hysterically funny” – Girls’ Guide to Paris

“Extremely well written and witty” – Paris Missives

“One of the funniest books I’ve ever read and one of the cleverest concerning the French. I give it my highest endoresement” - John Talbott

Do you have your own copy already?

Order it on Amazon and/or get it signed at O Chateau by Olivier Magny.

If you are in Paris on Saturday, December 10th, this night will the unique opportunity to have a great French dinner. For the first time at O Chateau, we are organizing a very special night dedicated only to Champagne. We created this experience for people willing to treat themselves with a different experience, and of course, willing to learn about Champagne!

>> More details and Reservations on that page >>

(and you may even try some Beaujolais Nouveau if you really want to!!)

Read the article…

For Parisians, it is the City of Relationships. Every Parisian is in a relationship. That relationship is more or less official, more or less successful, but it always is. Consequently, there is simply no singles scene in Paris. If sexual tension is what makes a city fun, Paris has officially become the most boring city in the world.

All young Parisians are in relationships. For them, the main reason to be in a relationship is simply not to be single. Most young Parisians are averse to life: they see most things as threats, most risks as primarily dangerous, most singular paths as awfully unsafe. Danger for them is around every corner. They view relationships are round little things with no threatening corners; the threats of a relationship they feel they master and choose—this feeling is a reassuring one. Therefore their relationships are long-lasting ones. Not quite good enough to get married, not quite bad enough to break up.

Being single after the age of twenty-six is the clear indication of a troubled mind. If not a troublemaker, that person has got to be a trouble seeker. While the English language has the good taste of distinguishing “alone” from “lonely,” French only offers seul. Not being in a relationship means being seul. The threatening shadows of loneliness, only darkened by the local inexistence of celibacy.

Most surrounding elements create the perfect scenario for a life of romantic dissatisfaction: absence of a singles scene leads to sticking with the wrong person, which itself leads to many a frustration, which inevitably—in a nonreligious city—leads to divorces and breakups a few years down the road. Older Parisian men who still have a form of moral and religious grounding do nonetheless stick with their spouses (unless it is the other way around). They like to flirt and compliment beautiful women—which usually amuses the French and shocks foreigners. That charming France—sadly—is vanishing.

Courting is no longer a Parisian habit. The only way Parisian men like to play it is safe. Parisian women on the other hand, caught in the double obligation to be neither sluts nor single, become undesirable. Absence of flirtation becomes the norm after the age of twenty-six.

Curtains closed.

The dry local environment inhibits natures and ambitions. Ironically enough, as Parisians are more and more in relationships, they become less and less likable. Which, needless to say, makes them stick to their relationships even more.

Useful tip: If you have a vague fantasy about Parisians, rest assured, the few that do not follow the pattern explained above usually end up with foreigners. Those are the wise ones.

Sound like a Parisian: “Ils sont ensemble depuis cinq ans. . . . Ouais, ça se passe bien je crois. . . . Non, ils sont pas mariés, non non.”

If you like this blog, you can support it by getting Olivier’s book: Stuff Parisians Like. It is available online….Olivier can also sign your own copy at at O Chateau…

So, this Sunday morning, we’ll open O Chateau exceptionally to watch the final on our big screen.

Kick off is at 10am but we’ll open at 9.30.

We have coffee, tea, fruit juice and we’ll have croissants and pains au chocolat. Beer, wine and charcuterie can wait until the second half!

O Chateau – 68, rue JJ Rousseau – 75001 Paris.

Needless to say, such positions are hard to obtain.

“Real job” for Parisians implies either a corporate job or working for a prestigious institution. All other jobs are not serious. “Real life” implies the possibility of waking up to the ocean on the weekend and exposure to other cultures, while of course enjoying an eminently comfortable lifestyle.

Given these parameters, it will come as no surprise that Parisians love expats. Being an expat brings the best of both worlds: a good, well-paid position in a foreign yet cozy environment. Bingo!

Parisians would all like at some point in their career to be sent overseas on an expat contract. Since these days—as Parisians like to complain—”ils ne font plus de contrats d’expat”, many Parisians are given opportunities overseas on a “contrat local“. This option is acceptable for Parisians under thirty-five and for destinations where salaries are significant. If these two conditions are not met, chances are the Parisian is more into real job than real real life. Expat contracts having become scarce, those who obtain them tend to be on the efficient side and are therefore probably more into real jobs.

While Parisians look up to their fellow Parisians who go exploring on a mission, they do enjoy the possibility to socialize with foreign expats. Having an expat friends displays fantastic “ouverture internationale” and implies that the Parisian is both a gracious host and possibly a polyglot. Talking about his expat friend, the Parisian will always mention his nationality: “Tu sais, Mark, mon copain expat canadien.” He will also make mention of the quality of his position: “Il a un très gros poste chez Microsoft … un type assez brillant vraiment.” The Parisian will always compliment his expat friend publicly on his French: “Non, vraiment, il parle très bien. Non, c’est vrai Mark, tu as fait de gros progrès.” The Parisian doesn’t think Mark’s French is any good but he likes to come across as the benevolent paternalist mentor.

Having an expat friend is about adding glow to the Parisian’s life. Not all countries come with the same glamorous touch. Having an American expat friend is the ultimate luxury, then comes South American, then other Anglo countries, then Italy. Having expat friends from any other country will only be acceptable in left-wing circles for whom the betrayal of having friends in the corporate world (losers) will be compensated by the unlikeliness of their country of origin.

Expats arriving in Paris are usually very keen to make Parisian friends and to work on their French. Soon enough, they give up on French and, not long after, on Parisians. Those who love the city enough end up re-creating a Parisian life with compatriots, other international folks and Parisians who have lived abroad long enough. Those who don’t just leave—disenchanted.

For Parisians with social ambitions, the proportion of expats and foreigners at the events they organize is the safest way not only to attract what they deem to be Parisians of quality but also to place themselves on a nice international pedestal—with both their expat and Parisian friends.

Interestingly enough, in Paris, the quality of a social circle will be judged predominantly on the proportion of its internationals. The higher the proportion, the more desirable the circle.

Having many international friends helps Parisians overcome their catch-22. They keep their serious job, while getting a taste of adventure through their international friends. Between real job and real life, Parisians choose not to choose: they opt for real Parisian life.

Useful tip: Saturday nights are “International’s Nights” at O Chateau: 20% off on your check if you come with an accent or a foreign passport.

Sound like a Parisian: “Je peux venir avec mon copain expat? Tu sais, l’Américain, de Boston . . . tu vas voir, il est très sympa.”

You like the blog? You’ll love the book (hopefully): Stuff Parisians Like is available here…

All the little seeds I’ve been planting over the past seven years all seem to be flourishing at the same time. I feel truly lucky. Opening the new O Chateau wine bar has been a lot of work and has not allowed me to blog as much I wanted to. It’s been great fun and response from both clients and the press has been tremendous – so that’s fantastic.

Amongst other great recent time-consuming developments, I’ve also recently started to shoot a TV series about wine that will soon air in France and in a number of other countries (more details coming soon…). In short, the show will be about a silly French sommelier traveling through the wine regions, exploring and sharing his passion… I’m still in the midst of filming this, which is loads of fun but also keeps me away from my computer a fair bit…

Good news all around these days as “Stuff Parisians Like” (the book) is coming out next week on Tuesday, July 5th. I just received today the first copies and cannot tell you how excited I am. Book looks beautiful. Many improved articles from the blog, plus a lot of fresh content, including new articles about Barack Obama, Expacts,  Clint Eastwood, La Place des Vosges, Money, Les Bons Vivants, Saying Trop, Interns, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, La Fleur de Sel, Le Métro… and others. The book is illustrated with photos of Paris and Parisians that I took, so please be lenient).

On this special day for me, I’d like to thank each and every one of you. This book would never have been published if it wasn’t for your fantastic encouragements and response to my articles. I’ve put a lot of work into this book, and hope you won’t be disappointed with it.

Should you want to buy it, please note that for another 4 days, you can order it on Amazon with a 40% discount. Great pre-launch deal!!

Anyway – so many good news, it’s nuts!!

So all work and no play making Jack a dull boy, it’s time to get together and celebrate.

I’ll be out and abouts in July on a little book tour stateside and hope to get a chance to meet and thank many of you in person.

So – the plan is:

Tuesday, July 5th – PARIS: The book’s coming out!!

Book signing & celebration in Paris at O Chateau from 6 to 8pm. You’re all invited. Then party at O Chateau all evening to celebrate the book release, my birthday and the 7th anniversary of O Chateau (all happening on the same exact day randomly enough: July 5th that is). So RDV at O Chateau – 68 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 1st arrondissement as of 6pm.

Thursday, July 7th – NYC:

5.30 to 7pm – Book signing at: Rizzoli Book Store. 31 West 57th St. (between 5th and 6th avenue). New York, NY 10019. Ph: 212.787.5704. Complimentary white wine and Prosecco will be served. View Evite.

Friday, July 8th – PHILADELPHIA:

5 to 7pm – Book signing at: The Spiral Bookcase. 112, Cotton St (that’s in Manayunk) Philadelphia, PA 19127. Ph: 212.482.0704

Thursday, July 28th – SAN DIEGO:

7 to 8.30pm – Book Signing at: Upstart Crow (along with chefs Bernard Guillas and Ron Oliver Beats). 835C West Harbor Drive (that’s in Seaport Village) San Diego, CA 92101. Ph: 619.232.4855

Saturday, July 30th: LOS ANGELES

From 1-3pm – Book Signing at: Chevalier’s Book (bookshop owned by one of O Chateau’s former clients – love that). 126 N. Larchmont Blvd. (that’s in Hollywood) Los Angeles, CA 90004. Ph: 323.465.1334

I’m still working on arranging wine tasting classes in the San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara areas late July/early August. So I’ll keep you posted on that (should you be interested in attending, just write a little comment and I’ll make sure to shoot you an email when all details are pinned down). I wish I could visit other cities but since the publisher isn’t paying for anything for this trip, I had to keep budget within reason. La prochaine fois…

Alright, sorry for the lengthy post. I’m all over the place today!! I truly hope you like the book. Please don’t hesitate to spread the word about it. Makes for a great gift for anyone with an interest in France. Also, should you have journalist or blogger friends that might be interested in mentioning the book, just let me know and we’ll make something happen (team work, team work!!).

My life has gotten to be completely random over the past few months.

Lots of good things.

Feels nice to share – especially with those who made it all possible.

Hope you like the book – and hopefully I’ll see you soon in Paris or elsewhere.

O.