The quarter of an hour of courtesy
It’s not easy to adapt in a country where everyone is late all the time. It’s called culture shock! However, what foreigners take for rudeness is in fact a sign of respect. It’s not that the French have a problem with punctuality, it’s just that they practice the famous “quarter of an hour of courtesy”: an unspoken rule that guests always arrive a little late in order to give their host a little time to prepare !