France...not the sugarcoated image you have

Well, last night I was watching TV with Bernard, there was a show on called 'Le droit de savoir" (the right to know). Yesterdays show talked about the living conditions of some people here in France. It is really unbelievealbe how some people live here and it is not because they do not have a job. This is because of the French system. To think that they cannot get an apartment even when they are earning 1000€/month(about 1400$CAD) because in some places they require you to be making atleast double the rent. To think that these families are stuck living in moblie homes and trailers or paying extraordinary rent for an apartment that I would not even want to step foot in(two words: disgusting and mold). In some cities there are vacant apartments but these people can't move into them. They have to go through this tedious process to get an apartment that sometimes can take years. I made the comment to Bernard that 'France is not really the same as the image all of us foreigners have in our mind' and he was happy that it was me that said it and not him. He didnt want to be the one to say it thinking that I would say he's wrong. I always had the impression that France was such a great country, ok dont get me wrong I still think that it is a great country, but I guess I was naive in thinking that there were not situations to this extent here. Or not realising how bad it can be. It is not just romantic Paris and the Eiffel Tour, YES I knew that it wasnt just that but what I didnt realise was all the ins and outs of life here. We got talking about salaries also. It was surprising to hear how little the fonctionnaires (civil/public servants) makes in this country. I mean, I will be making almost as much as some of them next year and working half as much. Sure, they have job security and great benefits but to think about the amount these people are making, I would have thought it would be more as a fonctionnaire. Well, my rant on the french for the day...