Where does a beer lover like Daniel Jacobs like to hang out on the weekends? Cool spots like Paname Brewing Company, of course. Along with great street food (Dan opted for a delicious burger), this bar serves a wide selection of beers which they brew in-house. It’s located on the banks of the Bassin de la Villette, which was once a commercial port where people of various nationalities came to trade in the 1850’s. Today’s staff at the restaurant even let us behind the counters to take some neat photos.
What’s your Paris story?
Hello world. I’m Daniel. I’m originally from England, but I’ve lived for many years in Ireland. I went to school there, and college there, and for nearly five years I worked for Microsoft there. But now I’m in France with my girlfriend Manu.
I’d wanted to move to *some* other country for quite a long time — it would certainly be a good adventure! Adventures are also much easier when you’ve got an entire continent to explore, and not just the island of Ireland. France was always near the top of the list of destinations; I’ve always loved the country, and I’ve always wanted to get better at French. There’s no better place to practice the language!
In October 2015, I was browsing the internal careers site within Microsoft and I spotted a job opening in Paris. Coincidentally, I was going to be visiting Paris for a few days a couple of weeks later. Of course, I applied for the job immediately, and I mentioned my impending visit — maybe we could meet up and have a chat. That chat turned into two days of scheduled interviews, and not a whole lot of time for sightseeing! But not to worry — it worked! I managed to get the job, and I can now do all the sightseeing I like!
Dan chillin’ with his American buddy Tyler (ourparisstories.com/tyler-cote)
Tell us about this spot you chose.
While this photo shoot took place at Paname Brewing Company in Paris, Manu and I actually live in Montigny-le-Bretonneux. Yes, that’s technically not Paris. You could say I’m cheating by even being here on this Paris-focused site. But it’s really not far away, especially with the ample public transport, despite the many protestations of the ‘true’ Parisians.
Unlike Paris, you can breathe the air in Montigny-le-Bretonneux; you can go jogging or cycling outside and not care about pollution. Accommodation is infinitely more affordable, and owning a car is much more practical. (Gotta have a car for road trips!) The town in particular is full of green spaces, while also being large enough to have convenient things like supermarkets, a cinema, and a nearby Ikea. It’s also on the RER C line, for direct access to the office!
In Montigny, we’re surrounded by awesome places for hiking and exploring. Yvelines, the ‘département’ we’re in, is covered in forests, and is also home to many stately gardens like Versailles and Marly le Roi.
What is a typical day like for you here in France?
A typical day is a work day, really. That involves a quick trip on the train to Issy-les-Moulineaux, where Microsoft’s Paris offices are located. The train is quick when it works. But in the year since we’ve been here, there have been few weeks’ worth of strikes which make commuting rather more difficult. Showing up at the station each morning, I look up at the screens hoping not to see the word ‘supprimé’ next to my train!
I do a lot of work with folks in Redmond, on the west coast of the US. Paris is one hour further away from Redmond than my old workplace of Dublin. So it’s often necessary to stay fairly late to meet with my American colleagues. On the plus side, we don’t have to get up too early!
At the weekends, there’s a lot to do! Paris is never far, so it’s easy to visit our favourite places. Aside form Paris’ many excellent museums, we do have a few favourite locations. Like the retro games shops of Boulevard Voltaire. Or ‘Chat Mallows’ cat café. (Coffee and cats go well together! ^_^)
There’s a lot to see out here in Yvelines too. It’s fascinating to visit towns around here and learn about their history; for example, just the other day we went to Bougival, the site of the historical ‘Machine de Marly’. This giant hydraulic system pumped water from the Seine to the palace of Versailles in the 17th century.
What do you like most about living abroad?
It’s *interesting*. There’s a new culture to become immersed in; new places to see; a whole new language to learn. Staying at home would just have been ‘more of the same’. That’s not fun for very long.
New challenges at work are also really great. Being part of a new team and working on completely different projects than anything done at the Dublin office is another great thing about being here.
What challenges do you face as an expat?
The biggest initial challenge was the language barrier. When I first got here, my French wasn’t very good. Though having a girlfriend who speaks French certainly made things a lot easier. Over time, my French has gotten much better. While I’m by no means fluent, I no longer have to rely on learned-off phrases for specific situations; I can have actual conversations. (Though I do need to ask people to slow down a little.)
France certainly lives up to its reputation for bureaucracy. Navigating the French bureaucracy is exceedingly complex and time-consuming. Setting up a bank account here takes a *lot* of very specific paperwork, which you’re not going to have when you’ve only recently arrived. Many banks refused my custom entirely; it took a few months to find one who would have me as a customer. It also took a long time to sort out getting a social security number, and to re-register the car.
Generally though, I think I’ve had a relatively easy time. As a British citizen, I didn’t need any kind of visa or documentation to live and work here… at least not yet. But with Brexit looming, I’m expecting this to get a whole lot more complicated. I’m probably going to need a visa after all. I’m not looking forward to losing my right to freely live and work across Europe. I think I’m going to need to become a French citizen; I’m not expecting that to be straightforward!
Dan with his Australian friend Jock, another beer lover
How do you meet people in Paris?
Colleagues at work have initially been a great set of people to meet.
Another source of company is the many clubs and societies near us. Our town has an annual day where all the local groups set up a stall to showcase what they do. You can talk to them all and join up as members. We’ve met many people this way — it’s always worth checking out the local groups wherever you happen to live in France. (As a quick tip though, and in typically rigid French fashion: many groups only allow new members to join once a year, in September. It’s an important time of year if you think you might be interested.)
Bars are also great way to find people, especially the ‘Irish pubs’, where you can sit up at the bar and chat to anyone. And don’t forget to say hi to your neighbours — they’re probably pretty cool too.
What advice would you give to others wanting to move abroad?
For me, the process of moving abroad was dramatically simplified by the fact that I had a job lined up here before I moved. I don’t think I’d have fared too well in France if I just showed up without a job; my French would have been far too poor back then to try to find one when I got here. So definitely sort that out first.
Make the most of being in another country. Sure, there’s lots of complexity and bureaucracy to deal with, but you’re still in a whole new place, with so many new things to see and do. That’s a *massive* silver lining to bear in mind if ever things get tough.
