Swissie

It was extremely shocking to watch - and made me think of nazi Germany and other genocides. I do hope I'd be one of the ones who insisted on walking away as soon as realy pain was expressed and the 'Contestant' clearly wanted the electric shocks to stop. How people could continue is beyond me.

Chancer, do you have any children?

It is appalling actually that prostitution in Switzerland is legal from the age of 16 (although not in official brothels).

Céder = to give up                  a bit  like in English 'to cede'.

Just seen 2 posts about selling skin products, and wanted to reply on forum- and yet these posts did not have a 'reply' facility. Why, please?

My heart goes to you Rowan, and to the dogs. And yet- we need to face reality. There are thousands of dogs in those rescue centres, and I personally do not agree that a life behind bars is acceptable for those dogs. It seems so hard, but perhaps if people realised that they can't just dump dogs in rescue centres, and still say 'I don't believe in neutering- it's unnatural' - and had to face the reality of outcome - maybe some would begin to take responsibility. Our dogs and cats are all rescue- and I would never ever buy a dog from breeder- but I would rather dogs were euthanased then live behind bars for years and years. A friend of mine used to have a senior post in the Dog's Trust - and he finally left, as he agreed.

Mais tu as une piscine Gemonimo- c'est mieux qu'une baignoire. En fait il y a un 'spa' à Yverdon- et j'ai l'intention d'y aller régulièrement. J'espère que la visite de ta fille vous fera du bien à toutes deux. Salue-la bien de ma part. Je me demande quels résultats il y aura au deuxième Tour des Elections. Ma grande peur, c'est que le taux d'abstention laisse la porte grande ouverte au FN! Ici il fait gris et moche aujourd'hui - il y a encore des tas de neige par-ci, par-là, je me réjouis que le printemps arrive vraiment maintenant. Mais le jardin est plein de crocus et de perce-neiges, et des tas d'autres fleurs se préparent - la météo annonce beau et chaud pour la semaine prochaine. Ouf.

I read it as meaning  ' given ' for destruction, rather than  'sold'. I did that with my dad's old car last year - nobody wanted to buy it, so I got local garage to take it away for breaking up.

Hi Erica - I am Swiss but lived in the UK in East leics for 40 years. Now back in my native Jura, but we have a flat in Market Harborough where we comne every couple of months. Bienvenue.  Swissie / Odile

Bonsoir tous et toutes - nous sommes bien rentrés de Loèche- 3 jours de ski magnifiques dans la poudreuse avec des pistes presque que pour nous - 2 jours de balades avec des amis qui sont venus nous rendre visite- un jour aux bains (spa) et aujourd'hui 'raclette' chez des amis sur le chemin du retour. Il n'y a presque plus de neige ici, et plein de perce-neiges et autres petites fleurs de printemps. Toujours pas reçu ton pm Barbe-grise = peux-tu ressayer? Sweet quel joie de savoir que vous avez passé une bonne semaine - avez-vous pris une décision pour la maison? J'espère que ton asthme ira bientot mieux! Zut. Gemonimo- allez, allez - il faut commencer l'entrainement maintenant que le printemps est officiellement là! Courage. Frenchie - je suis bien contente que ton voyage en Corrèze t'ai fait du bien et changé un peuy les idées. xxxxxxSwissie

Bizarre - je n'ai pas reçu tes pm messages Barbegrise. En fait, je suis pratiquement tout le temps en 'séjour' en Suisse, puisque j'y habite! Mais je suis dans le Jura, et demain nous allons dans les Alpes, à Loèche-les-Bains. C'est une station 'spa et ski' - des amis viendront passer quelques jours avec nous et la météo est au beau pour toute la semaine. YYYYYYYeeeeeeeeHHHHHHHHaaaaaaaaa.  A bientot  Swissie

All together now - aaaaaarrgggghhhhh. When you've finished, ours badly need doing and they do open inwards!  Swissie

Most countries including France, will not condemn self-defence, proportionate to risk/danger- but will condemn shooting a retreating thief in the back.

www.exit-geneve.ch    it has an English section but sadly their services are only for Swiss citizens/residents. It is a hugely complex topic- and you are right, please excuse-me, but you are naive. It is just not as simple as that. Dignitas will only accept people who are of sound mind and clearly able to make their own decision and actually activate the process. The Swiss Government has put limits on the Law, and Dignitas is currently totally unable to help any person suffering from a mental illness, including Alzheimers and dementia. They are trying to reverse that decision, but so far have not been successful. Did you see the Dimbleby lecture, with the author Terry Pratchett. It was so inspiring. There is a Terry Pratchett forum with a lot of discussion on Alzheimers and issues around this terrible disease.

Florist are hugely expensive even here in the country - so I daren't think about Geneva! Hope your friend gets better soon.

In the UK, men are much more prepared to have the 'snip' - usually after having a couple of kids- but like you Richard on 'principle too'. So British Men 1, French men zero points. Attitudes to sterilization, both male and female, in France, are still stuck in the middle-ages- for the medics too. Nice to know 'affairs of the heart' are progressing well Richard!

Believe me I am on your side- and think exactly the same way as you do. It was indeed very much part of our decision to move to Switzerland- where I am now a member of Exit. Senile dementia and Alzheimers are notoriously difficult for Dignitas or Exit to deal with, compared to other degenerative diseases or say, cancers, as these Associations have to interview patients to ensure they are of free and sound mind and not under duress. If you really are serious (as I definitely am) - please do more research as the situation is far from easy, I am sorry to say.

Lovely sunny day today - kites are back and hovering over house, and snow melting fast.

ch = rrr (you'd know if you were a scouser!).

Forsythia grow well here at 950m with lots of snow and temperatures getting to minus 26.5 a few weeks ago. But a pot/greenhouse grown plant will need to be hardened off- so I'd follow Pierre's advice! BTW it would be so helpful if people could indicate where they are with gardening questions. Here in the Jura, at 950m, the situation regarding planting out will be vastly different to even a few kms down the road by the lake, or to the Dordogne or Nice.

Et Frenchie patience- laisse-le souffler un peu ton mome! LOL. C'est vrai que j'adore mon role de Granny! Aujourd'hui il fait grand beau - la neige fond et on commence à sentir que le printemps arrive. Les Milans (red kites) sont de retour et tournoyent autour de la maison.  Nous partons dans les Alpes une semaine - et à notre retour le printmeps devrait etre là pour nous attendre.

None! I love a happy story too, and this is wonderful. But on all the ex-pat Forums, there are adverts such as yours every other day- and 10000s of unwanted dogs in refuges all over France (and all over the world sadly) - and still a lot of people who 'don't believe in neutering'.  So I do hope your friend will consider this very seriously. Please.

Thank you so much all - Had no idea Thompson and M have a french catalogue/operation. Great. Lovely and sunny today - snow melting fast- so should be able to start on garden on our return from hols. Hurray.

Any chance of a picture of your pink toe nails dog?

Here in Switzerland there is no inheritance tax for direct descendants - but if our kids have to pay 10% in UK- I'd say 'fair enough'. As Coops says, with more and more older people, and better healthcare provisions, money is needed in the coffers. BTW Dignitas will not accept death tourism just because somebody has got to go into a OAP home- you'll have to find another solution, sorry Richard.