Jaime O'Donnell
Why does every conversation start with bonjour? Why will a French colleague happily dismantle your argument over lunch, then invite you to dinner? And why does the whole country seem to vanish in August? The everyday habits that puzzle newcomers aren't random. They were shaped by centuries of history.
Drawing on her own experience moving to France and on cross-cultural research, Jaime explores three pillars of French culture. First, communication and the private self: high-context conversation, formal politeness, and why friendships take time to build. Second, sovereignty and the art of debate: how the Revolution and Napoleon's education reforms produced a nation trained to argue, and why disagreement here is often a sign of respect. Third, l'art de vivre: from the 1936 paid-holiday law to Sunday closures and the right to disconnect, how France chose to protect time for pleasure.
An insightful evening for anyone who wants to stop simply living in France and start understanding it.
About Jaime O'Donnell
Jaime O'Donnell is the founder of The Arrival Society, a Paris-based consultancy helping internationals settle into French life with confidence. An American who first studied in Paris in 2014, she built a career in finance and investor relations at Goldman Sachs before relocating to France in 2022 and earning her MBA at INSEAD. She now lives in the Marais and spends her days helping newcomers decode the culture she's spent over a decade learning firsthand.
