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Pangur

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Everything posted by Pangur

  1. [quote user="Gluestick"] How interesting, Pangur. However, there is much information which does apparently conflict with your stated perspective. I did reference my post to the earlier post and was quite tongue on cheek with my comment to the hallowed BBC, if you look back![;-)] http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1712803.html?menu=news.quirkies http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F03%2F16%2Fnbuns16.xml http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006060065,00.html http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/2003/3/21/160784.html http://www.evangelical-times.org/ETNews/May03/may03n14.htm [/quote] Sorry Gluestick - it's hard to see your tongue in your cheek over the interweb[:D] The majority of those links,refer precisely to the story the Telegraph made up in 2003 and later had to apologise for - so no conflict found!  The Anaova one is the exact same as the Sun one, and we all know Sun journos have very active imaginations.  Perhaps it's true, but a more reliable source than the Sun would have to convince me.
  2. [quote user="Gluestick"] schools have banned Hot cross Buns [/quote]   Rubbish.  As with most of these "PC gone maaad" stories, they are either twisted to suit the newspaper's agenda or simply made up.  When this story came out in 2003, it was made up.http://www.york.gov.uk/cgi-bin/wn_document.pl?type=3397 I had another link where one of the headmasters concerned wrote how he had explained to the journalist that his theory was not true, but the journalist printed it anyway.  If you delve into the majoritiy of these stories, you'll find that they are either false or so twisted as to hide the original logic.  It's like the "banning Christmas" stories - councils with a high proportion of ethnic minorities (who after all contribute to the decoration costs through their council tax) sometimes celebrate winter and the multiplicity of similar festivals around the same time rather than just Christmas.  Of course this sends the likes of the Daily Mail crazy and they let their imagination run riot.  In any case, apparently more people go to Ikea on a Sunday in Britain than attend CoE services - I'd say you'd be hard pushed to find an English child who knew the symbolism behind a hot cross bun.  The EU also has an interesting website dedicated to combatting the lies often written about it by UK newspapers.  http://www.cec.org.uk/press/pw/latest.htm
  3. [quote user="Russethouse"] How many books are worth a second read ?[/quote] If it's worth reading, it's worth reading twice at a minimum!  I wasted a few hours of my life on the Da Vinci Code.  I'm amazed it managed to get published and even more amazed that it sold by the truckload. I'll avoid Labyrinth if only because on Amazon it's been recommended by people who enjoyed the DVC and apologies to those of you who enjoyed it, but I couldn't trust your judgement on a good book!  I'll quite happily read crap, but it has to be well-written crap. Harry Potter is a book for children, and I'll leave it for them.  I love children's literature, but the stuff I read as a kid.  I don't like stealing theirs from them.... If you want a good light read set in the French past, Tracy Chevalier's The Virgin Blue is pretty enjoyable.  I also finished  Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner recently and it was really moving and beautifully written.  
  4. [quote user="WJT"]I know some might find it offensive but I think it may be meant as just a silly joke. It is probably related to the Crazy Frog craze a few months back. Perhaps a turn on words and someone's idea of being clever, instead of Crazy Frog they are using Lazy Frog, the frog cartoon in the link even looks similar.[/quote] It's not just  a silly joke - it's typical of the pathetic zenophobia that permeates the British tabloid world and reflects the UKip mentality.   I am always shocked at the way UK newspapers seem to think it okay to talk about French and German people.  It just shows a lack of maturity, ignorance and respect for their European neighbours.  The German ambassador has had to publicly complain in the past about the way Germans and Germany are represented in Britain.  British tabloids are still fighting the second world war and don't seem to realise the rest of Europe has moved on.  The press release even taps into the Brits being the saviours of France - if it weren't for us pumping money into your economy, you'd be worse off you ungrateful lazy foreigners.. I've never heard other nationalities talk about the British in the same infantile terms as British tabloids do about the French and Germans and this sad man's grab for publicity just reflects the thinking you see daily in the UK press.
  5. [quote user="Russethouse"]. So provided the location was good, it could be very worth while.[/quote] And of course provided the beauty therapist speaks fluent French....I can't imagine people having much faith in a therapist they can't communicate with.    
  6. [quote user="maureen"] A passport is a far too important document to carry round with you all the time - the french certainly don't carry theirs. maureen. [/quote] We live on the Swiss border, so it's very like living in a police state sometimes!  We have regular checks by the traffic police and also by customs hiding behind roundabouts peering in to see if you have any shopping bags from Geneva[;)].  I have never shown my passport to anyone and any time I have been stopped, I have shown my photo driving licence from the UK and nothing has ever been said. 
  7. Regarding the passport issue, my husband recently needed to apply for a passport from the Irish embassy in Paris, but also needed the passport for foreign travel so the six week application time was a problem.  After speaking to the Irish embassy, they allowed him to apply for a new passport by sending off a photocopy rather than surrendering the current passport with the application.  Once the new passport arrived in Paris, they contacted him, he courriered the old passport to Paris and they courriered the new one back, which took a matter of days rather than weeks.  It may be worth contacting the British embassy to see if they are willing to make a similar arrangement.
  8. Details here: http://particuliers.edf.fr/article138.html  They give you a long standard report with any problems marked.  We had some safety catch missing from our fuse box and a dodgy earth so was well worth the money for that, and also for peace of mind. 
  9. For anyone interested, the background to the Banania man - he's based on  Senagalese troops that came to France during WWI.  http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/02/16/features/blume.php
  10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negritude is an interesting intro to any discussion of race and words in France.   There's some really good writing from the French Carribbean in particular that deals with the issue of race and how France treats its non-white citizens and the impact of language on perceptions.  Some French writers like Franz Fanon and Aime Caesar from Martinique were really influental in discussions about race and colonialism.  Like others said, it's often the intent behind the words that's important.  I might refer to myself as a Paddy, and might take no offence at some friends saying it, but it can also be a term of abuse in England, depending on the intent.  I'm sure it's the exact same for other descriptions of race and ethnicity, in any language and it's often a subjective opinion on whether or not it was meant as an insult. As an aside, in Irish, the term for black people is "daoine gorm," or the blue people, which perhaps emphasises the ridiculousness of attributing colours to humans.  Black people in Gaelic refers to a type of malevolent fairy apparently....
  11. [quote user="Owens88"]  Frankly there are better indicators of what you care about and what you will spend money on than your job or your father's job. So I thought talking about 'class' was a bit old hat (or an excuse for snobbery/inverted snobbery whatever). BUT. I do strongly suspect that one's family background affects one's educational attainment, if only because some families make 'learning' an easier and more natural thing to do. [/quote] In fairness, I don't think any researcher would dare to classify someone according to their father's profession any more!  And Head of Household is now the person earning the most - not the man of the house.  In marketing and social research, class is never really just about money: it's a combination of profession and educational level, which generally translates into higher salaries.  It is only by employing people for instance, that a plumber can move out of being working class, even if he's earning five times as much as the teacher next door and taking holidays in Chiantishire.  Obviously there are people who really don't fit into the box the marketeers assign them, but they're pretty useful rules of thumbs.  I'm sure there are plenty of members of the British royal family would would be classified as C2DE or working class based on their lack of employment or third level education! Newspapers do still take note of class and use it to attract advertisers.  Everyone wants the ABC1s and those that can't realistically get them want the "aspirationals" - those who aren't technically ABC1, but want to spend or behave like them (or how they perceive them to behave).  For the majority of people, terms like "working class" or "middle class" have fluid meanings, depending on the speaker.  I know people who take pride in the terms while others despise being labelled.  The French version of ABC1 is relatively similar,  - although apparently they base classification on your last job rather than your current one.   
  12. Who your employer is, and which canton in Switzerland you're working in is definitely key.  I know that for UN and other salaried employees in Geneva, a French tax form is filled in, but you get an attestation from your employer stating where you work and they will treat it accordingly - i.e. you don't have to pay any tax in France. There are also special medical insurance policies for frontaliers working in Geneva - as you're not paying into the French health system, you cannot use a Carte Vitale.  Instead, there are special policies for French residents working in Switzerland - most of the large French mutuelles have special Frontalier health insurance, which allow you to use French health care in essentially the exact same way as other French residents.  If you're working for an NGO or UN type bodies, they often have their own private insurance schemes.   People working for the UN (and I think CERN) are not taxed in the same way as other French or Swiss workers - as staff comes from all over the work, there's a communal system to get over the differences in international tax law.   People complain about red tape in France - try working in a non EU country while living in the EU and you'll truly know the meaning of the word!  Also Irlandais, there will probably be loads of people in your work in exactly the same boat and you'll have plenty of time to sort it out.    
  13. People working in the canton of Geneva are generally taxed at source by Geneva.  The Swiss then give back money to the French communes based on how many living there are frontaliers.  However, I believe other cantons have different arrangements and if you're in the UN system, its a totally different arrangement again.  It can be really confusing, and I have to warn you, HR departments are  not always clued up, depending on how many frontaliers they have. A  really useful source of information is also this website http://www.frontalier.com/  They produce a magazine, which has articles on the many different issues frontaliers have to deal with - there's about  40,000 crossing the border each day, so you're not alone....
  14. People might be in denial about class existing, but it is still a valid grouping, and is definitely still a key demographic in market and social research.  Educational attainment for example is strongly linked to the class of the parent.  The breakdowns are a bit more sophistated than they used to be, but you can certainly classify people by their occupation and education.  http://www.statistics.gov.uk/methods_quality/soc/structure.asp According to some recent research, it's just that everyone thinks they're middle class now.... For anyone interested in class in France, Pierre Bourdieu's "Distinction" looks at how  it affects consumption choices in France and how how "taste" is linked to class - bascially how what you do and what you like is linked to your social class and not your individual tastes.
  15. If you're not a legal charity and the donors are not family members, then surely the donations are just income and would be taxed as worldwide income the way a salary would be?  In effect, that is what it is, is it not? try www.notaires.fr for information on gifts - but the only reference I have seen is to family gifts.  
  16. Have you tried contacting the Charity Commission in the UK?  I assume you're already registered in the UK and I'm sure they will be able to point you in the right direction. If the funds are raised in the UK for the purpose of supporting missionaries, then it should be treated in the same way as UK charities would send money to overseas programmes. From the UK, these links might be useful  http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/  www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/charities http://www.association-infoservice.com/  gives details on how to set up a charity in France.  
  17. The braindrain is worsening, with desperate young people - including many with good degrees - leaving for other EU countries such as Ireland. [:D] How things change, and oh so quickly.  I'm part of the Irish brain drain and now look at our economy.   We were taught German in school because it made economic sense.  Now its Spanish that's being pushed in Irish schools. Economies change and who knows, maybe in 10 years the UK will be in a recession with spiralling unemployment figures.  And as european languages are neglected in UK schools and universities, they won't even have the option of emigration. In my opinion, all you can do is give your child a decent education, a fufilling childhood and equip them with all the tools for success that you can.  You cannot predict the future or future unemployment figures.   I went though school in a country in a much worse economic state than France - however I had a fantastic childhood and an excellent education and that is what I'd like to give my children.  I know quite a bit about the UK educational system from work and it's not a system I'd like my children to go through.  France is obviously going through a pretty painful period at the moment and is trying to figure out which way to go.  They're certainly discussing it enough!  Perhaps the upcoming presidential election will force some changes.  It is certain that things have to change and perhaps people can take comfort from the fact that young people in France are protesting and standing up for themselves.   
  18. The Rhone Alps is a fantastic place for outdoor activities, but like the others have said, you'll be hard pushed finding a family home within easy access of schools for €300,000.  Even finding a dilapidated barn is difficult in Haute Savoie (74) - the Swiss seem just as keen as the Brits on home improvement and Genveva wages and new bilateral agreements with Switzerland help push up the prices around here. Having said that, the unemployment figures are lower in this region than elsewhere in France and Haute Savoie is pretty prosperous so I would imagine the opportunties for your kids are increased.  To start you off, Annecy is a beautiful town, with plenty of schools- while suburban property is not cheap, there's lots of building and houses there.  We found www.paravendu.fr or www.seloger.com advertise a lot of houses in 74 and can give you an idea of what's available.  
  19. We upped ours to 12 as it was tripping out and as far as I can make out, it is just the standing charges that increase, and not the price per khwz so I'm hoping it doesn't make a huge difference in the long run.... We also got EDF to come out and check the wiring  (think it was about 100E via Promoelec).  Prompt and helpful and organised for their colleage to come out and fix a problem with the fuse box at the same time as the puissance increase without charge.  
  20. Actually the UK is ranked 50th in the world - with France at a disgraceful 85, narrowly beaten by Azerbaijan[:)] and the US at 69.   The UK is mid league in terms of Europe, not high up... http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm   makes for some interesting reading!
  21. Jond, the figures are from Eurostat, which is run by the European Commission so they are as reliable as any statistics can be.http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/portal/page?_pageid=1090,30070682,1090_33076576&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL (haven't figured out the links yet).    Obviously figures don't tell the whole picture but they are generally a lot more reliable than depending on your own personal experience.  Saligo, your post is extremely dismissive without offering any real insight.  The quote you've posted is totally out of context - I haven't suggested anywhere that I think this is true and I go on to quote figures suggesting that French women are at least as amibitous as their British counterparts.  In fact, if you re-read my first paragraph, you'll see I agree with you!  On the issue of the press, I do read some of the French broadsheets, along with women's magazines such as Elle and Marie Claire.  I have to say the women's magazines are a pleasant surprise - compare the French edition with the UK editions of these magazines and the articles so much more liberating and diverse that the sex and shopping  and please your man diet of the UK mags.   I'm not pretending to be an expert on French society - if you can give some links about inequality in France, I'd genuinely be interested in knowing more.  The question originally posed was: should the British government follow the French lead?   I am not for a minute suggesting that France is a bastion of equality.  But in terms of encouraging women to have children, while participating in the workforce, they seem to be on the right track.     
  22. France does have a higher birth rate than the UK - in fact it has the highest birth rate in Europe after Ireland.  It also has the highest percentage of women at work in Europe, which is probably connected to the fact that affordable childcare is available, working hours are more regulated than in the UK and families appear to be more valued in French society. According to Eurostat, French women have their first child at 28.4 years, British at 29.7.  French women have 1.9 children on average, compared with the British 1.74.  The replacement rate is 2 - so for today's workers to get their penions, immigration - or more babies - is needed.  The Germans are seriously worried about future tax income as their birth rate is plumeting. German women are putting off having any children as it is extremely difficult to work and have children due in part to the conservative attitudes of many German men towards childcare, compounded by the fact that they don't leave university until their mid twenties, which means by the time you have enough experience under your belt to take the risk of going on maternity leave, your fertility is in serious decline.  This is my experience in the UK as well - although graduates are younger, you are putting your career at serious risk if you conceive before you're 30.  You're seen as not taking your job seriously - and this is friends' experiences across a range of sectors.  I have thirty years of work ahead of me - it's not being materialistic to want to keep my career, it is a necessity. Not making it easier for working women to get pregnant in their twenties also costs the state a lot of money in fertility treatments. IVF then leads to an increased number of premature babies costing more money. Despite our best efforts to ignore the fact, the older you are the harder it is to get pregnant. But I have just one friend who had a baby before 30 and that was an accident. I know if I want kids I need to do it now - but I also need to secure my future first. Is this increased birth rate connected to French women being less ambitious in their careers than British women? Well, the French gender pay gap among full time workers is 12% compared with 22% in the UK and 37% of French managers are women compared with 35% of managers in the UK, so according to the stats, they're doing better at work.   They're also better educated - 84% of French women have completed upper secondary education, compared with just 77% of British women.  There was a very interesting article about "anti-natalism" in the UK, which I think is spot on, having spent my twenties and early thirties in the UK.http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1725350,00.html  There probably is a big rural/urban divide in the birth rate statistics in both countries - and given that many on this forum have moved from urban England to rural France, this might account for a lot of the differences in experience.  The south east of England can be an unforgiving place for families.  Decent childcare is ridiculously expensive and the education system is a total shambles.  Non-British friends flee the south east before their children reach school age while our British friends talk wistfully of the welcome they got as a family on holidays anywhere else in Europe.  The birth rate is one reason for introducing family tax credits and affordable childcare, but another reason for supporting families is that without it, women will never have the same opportunities as men in the workplace.  For women of my age, who want a satisfying career, childcare is the the key issue today.  Happy International Women's Day!       
  23. You could get married quietly in the Marie to fufil the civil parts and ask your CoE vicar to conduct a blessing ceremony wherever you decide to have the reception. I had a civil then a church marriage - none of the guests at the church bit knew we'd been legally married a few days....  
  24. One of my closest friends over here is a midwife and she says that birthing proceedures differ enormously from hosptital to hospital even within department.  She works in a hospital all the time, they do no home visits before or after the birth and unless the birth is very complicated, they deliver the baby, not the doctors.  In her hospital they avoid epidurals and they have a very low caearean rate connected, she claims, to the fact that they avoid induction and epidurals where at all possible.  There are no birthing pools etc but she and her colleagues have started training in yoga and other breathing techniques to help their patients.  However, if you check in the the other large maternity unit in the area, you will get a very very different kind of care....as Tracey says, just like in the UK  
  25. This is cheaper than their phoneline, but no good news... http://www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1109171564665        
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