The True Meaning of Laid Back

The French are known for their laissez faire way of life, a term we've appropriated but that I never fully understood until I got here. Referring to a hands-off or "let it be" attitude, it has become synonymous with a relaxed way of living. The French are the epitome of relaxed living. As a failry organized, right-brained, Type A personality, this has been difficult to get used to. Everything (except the traffic!!) moves at a much slower pace here, including bureaucracy. In an attempt to obtain my titre de sejour (the card that permits me to leave and re-enter the country while I'm working here) I have been passed from one office to the next only to wind up back where I started. This process has been going on for 2 months now and I'm no closer than I was before. The last thing they told me is that I have to wait for someone to contact me in order to get a medical exam. When that will happen is anyone's guess.
The French also take their lunch break very seriously. Everything closes from noon til 2. Schools...businesses...Everything except the restaurants. Despite not being very religious (most French are C and E Catholics) they also take the 7th day of rest to heart. On Sundays nothing is open except the church and a handful of restaurants. Grocery stores and many restaurants are closed so you'd better have stocked up! Stores, movie theaters and other places of entertainment are also closed. It can get quite boring on Sundays with nothing to do.
The average work week is 35 hours but can range anywhere from as little as 10 to as much as 60, depending on your job. Most businesses close around 5pm and the streets are practically deserted in the evening. I was wandering around the centre ville one Saturday about 8pm and encountered maybe 5 people. Even the bar closest to me was closed by 11:30 last Thursday, unheard of in most US cities, especially college towns. In contrast, the "boxes of night" (nightclubs - one of my students attempted a literal translation of boites de nuit) are open until 4 am.