In the U.S.A., people in their fifties are Baby Boomers. They love email and are often on Facebook, and they probably work with computers. They mostly have decent jobs. They wear helmets when they ride bikes; they always fasten their seatbelts; they don’t litter and they don’t smoke. In France, people in their fifties are planning their retirement or have already retired. They went to single-sex public schools until university. They never thought they would have to learn English, except for studying notre cher Shakespeare in the lycée, and belatedly realized they might need it about 15 years ago. They often have deep, husky voices, the kind you rarely hear in the U.S. any more, from years of unabashed smoking; if they don’t smoke, they’ve probably recently quit. They make their own mayonnaise, know their way around the vineyards of France, drive like maniacs and take all their vacations in France or Italy. They are computer illiterate and think less of you if you understand l’informatique– to them it means you are not important. They have email, but surprisingly often refuse to check it. On the other hand, they live on their portables. This is the generation that is running France.