I had no real issue when it came to following laws in France. I try to be a law-abiding citizen anywhere I go so I don’t generally run into issues. However, there was one particular time while I was living in France where my visa hadn’t been renewed on time. As a result, I was living illegally in the country for one week. Although I never have any problems with the law, I was extra careful in making sure I wouldn't get into any trouble or I could have been deported. Living in a country illegally was a first for me and it’s not a situation I would ever want to be in again. Another time I witnessed the French law in action was when I first arrived.
France was in the midst of tension between the government and the Muslim community because of recent laws banning face coverings in public places. I found this strange because in Canada, the practice of freedom of religion and the right to wear religious garments is standard. I had to become accustomed to the fact that not all governments are as accommodating as Canada and it made me extremely proud to be from a country like that. Finally, being in France opened my eyes to how common protesting is in other parts of the world. Although protests can occur in Canada, it’s almost a national pastime in France. The French government is much more compliant with their citizens right to protest and allow them to take over main streets with smoke bombs and sirens. I definitely had to adjust to laws that allowed people to protest almost weekly which interfered with basic services such as buses, trains, postal systems, etc.
