letrangere
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Posts posted by letrangere
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Apparently it makes little or no reference to his marriage or Cecilia (an interesting omission) but friends telling me last night I must read, "L'Aube, le Soir ou la Nuit" by Yasmina Reza (the playwright), a fascinating account of Sarko's first few months in office. It's even being tipped to win the Goncourt.
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[quote user="Cerise"]
(and in answer to l'etrangere why leave - just for a bit of an adventure)
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Which is interesting as that's why I left too! And the adventure continues...
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I suppose what I find most interesting is the coverage this woman’s getting, not just in France but worldwide. I guess it’s because she’s has more to offer the modern media than Bernadette Chirac but it’s also an indication of how the media in France has changed in recent years. Not sure I buy the argument that what her husband does for a living shouldn’t affect her. They met when he was mayor of Neiully so it’s not as if his political ambitions are a recent thing. She’s intelligent and must have realized that if you marry a politician a lot of possibly unwelcome baggage comes with it. Can’t say I blame her for not wanting to go a barbeque with the Bush’s but there are many people (at home, elsewhere in Europe as well in the US) who believe she should have done, or at least not been seen out shopping the next day after crying off sick.. Some even go so far as to say they feel her absence reflected badly on France. Sarko’s really turned the country’s image around since his election, I think it’s a shame that his efforts could possibly be undermined.
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Am I looking in the wrong place or is no one on here interested in Mme Sarkozy? Most of my friends in France (French or otherwise) are fascinated by her, men and women alike. No one here concerned that the First Lady isn't quite pulling her weight, shouldn't really be acting as hubby's personal envoy, declining invites to eat hot dogs with ruler of the world, had a bad face lift???
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Clarkson's right as always, and I've been saying on here for years that if you can't hack it at home, you're not going to make it abroad. Moving to France or anywhere else because you're unhappy with the government, public services, schools, weather, food, commute, people next door or whatever is just a cop out. You're just miserable. And you're going to be just as miserable (possibly more so) wherever you move to once the novelty of the new place wears off.
If you've got a steady job earning enough money, nice house, good social life, friends and family near by, don't mind the English weather then why leave?
Those of us living abroad may like to think that everyone back home is totally fed up with life, longing to move anywhere and envying our life style like mad. But that isn't always the case. And talking of fed up people, I hope I never again meet anyone as desperately unhappy as the couple I came across in France last month. Sold up in UK, completely disillusioned in France, can't face another winter, can't sell French house and even if they could afford to move back, move back to what? Trapped between a rock and a hard place they so wished they had stayed. And I bet they're not alone.
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Everyone has jumped on the aspect of Brits possibly working on the black, not paying taxes, etc. But look at the bigger picture. Don't you think articles such as this come about due to the massive influx of Brits to virtually every corner of France? Perhaps in the past the French saw this migration as manageable as it was limited to possibly a handful or slightly more areas. But now we're everywhere and in increasing numbers. And is this really a good thing? The Creuse is an excellent case in point. Until relatively recently, a quiet little rural backwater that few foreigners visited yet now are moving to in droves. I think local people are bound to look at this and quite naturally point out the problems more readily than they would any possible benefits. The bottom line is we're good copy.
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Sarah, you have my sympathy, you're not being nimbyish, just naturally concerned about the affects of such a large scale development. But here's something really weird. I know exactly where you are, have friends with a house quite close by. We've stayed with them several times and when we were house hunting a few years back they were very keen for us to buy a house in the area. But driving around I couldn't help noticing the growing number of newbuilds popping up in the most unlikely places and it struck me then that perhaps planning regulations weren't quite as strict in the area as some people would think (or like?). Do hope this one doesn't come off though.
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Deby, I think you were referring to Hotel des Grandes Ecoles? rue du Cardinal Lemoine, Paris 5, www: hotel-grandes-ecoles.com one of the few Paris hotels I can think of with a garden, and it's lovely too. Enjoy.
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You know, like that Jacques Derrida (?) philosopher bloke who deconstructed last year? Find me a normal French person who knows what HE was on about! But it got a lot of news space
It's Derrida but is it Jacques? I thought we all understood what he was on about for we had some wonderful discussions about him here! (Or was that in blissful ignorance???) But where did you find this Tariq Ramadan, SB? I live surrounded by French speaking Arabs yet have never come across him. I was talking to one today (a Lebanese national) and he reckoned France only had herself to blame for the current problems. And he reckons anyone who criticises the action of the French authorities should consider what would happen if the individuals concerned acted in a similar fashion back in the land of their fathers. Note this is not me, but an Arab wannabe French passport holder speaking. But perhaps I should be posting this elsewhere, sorry. M
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I can't help thinking much of this boils down to not really doing sufficient homework in advance. The attitude of the French towards foreigners, especially in the grandes villes, and Grasse is sadly pretty much that these days, is legendary. The crimewave too in the South of France has been around for 15+ years. And athough the extent of the current riots is shocking, the fact that they've happened can't come as any surprise to anyone with the merest knowledge of French immigration and associated social problems over the last thirty years. Anyone who has ever had a terrace laid or a kitchen extended in Britain will know that dealing with builders even at home in your own language is a nightmare of epic proportions, so why expect a smooth, easy and coming in on budget renovation job in deepest France? Sorry folks but I think it's a case of leaving brains behind at Dover.....or should that be Stanstead nowadays? M
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especially now everyone is getting out while they can!
House hunting recently I got this impression too. Anyone know why? M
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SB, this is a popular weekly women's mag, isn't it? I'm sure I've come across it in doctors' waiting rooms/hairdressers, etc. Wouldn't want to buy it but it was an entertaining enough read. Concentrates on items of topical interest and doesn't it also have a number of question and answer pages including one on legal issues, another on employment, etc? I've often thought that if only new arrival Brits spoke enough French, they'd find these articles of immense value. M
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I gave up alcohol for Ramadan
With a bit of luck, this could be your last "dry" night, SB, for the serious money is on the new moon being spotted tomorrow. Should know either way around 18.00 hrs CET Tuesday evening. M
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We wanted the challenge and the wonderment of not understanding a thing anyone says.
But how did you get your utilities connected? And the house insured? (English speaking estate agent?) What do you say if the phone rings and someone starts gabbling away in French? What would you do if - heaven forbid - one of you is suddenly taken seriously ill and you needed a doctor or an ambulance or there's a fire? Can you explain where you live, give your address in French or even your phone number? I don't wish to cause offence, I'm merely curious, extremely curious. M
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The recommended limits Gay mentions are correct per the health guidelines but I always think the key is being able to stop if you want too as that's what generally differentiates those with a problem and others. We give up totally for a few weeks most summers, I look at it as giving me a bit more "credit" for the weeks I'm on holiday or Christmas. But we find the most painful aspect of being on the wagon is the glaring realisation that most of our friends are so goddam boring when they're drunk. And that in itself is extremely sobering... M
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Coco, if it weren't for the fact that I'm already promised(!), we'd invite ourselves round to your place too. We ALWAYS have partridge on Christmas Day and envy you like mad your little farm down the road. It's not practical if you're feeding a crowd of 8+ but for smaller numbers they are perfect. Also like the idea of cold pheasant on the 26th, or anyday come to that!
I'm sure you're all fed up with hearing about my neuroses but when I think of sanglier I remember a night I spent rigid with fear listening to something scratching around outside the house. Absolutely convinced, of course, that it was someone preparing to break in and murder me in my bed, or worse, it was with a huge relief that I finally heard it snort. Footprints on the grass next morning suggested it was a large one. Yet another good reason for keeping a gun?
M
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Odd that you mention them, JC, for the lady I refer to earlier being oh so modest about her spoken French is Dutch. Despite the merest hint of an accent (if you listen hard), her spoken English is as good as mine and her written ability far superior to that of most native speakers. In addition, she has impressive German and passable Italian, so I suppose that's five. To say I'm envious is putting it mildly! M
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"Lavender Hill, SW London"
Have loved the film for as long as I can remember and it has a strong French connection so I don't feel as if I'm completely hijacking the thread. Until a year or so ago I assumed it was a fictional place but then I got lost whilst trying to find my way from Barnes to Clapham and couldn't believe my eyes when I eventually spotted a sign saying, "Lavender Hill". (I was still lost but that's neither here nor there!) The shops struck me as being worth a visit and still just the sort of place to pick up the type of print you mention. M
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Pangur, I don't understand either and have said so so many times here that I promised myself I would stop for I was beginning to sound like a broken record. So, for the last time, IMHO anyone who moves to the depths of the French countryside without at least some French must be stark staring bonkers. And you are NOT going to "pick it up" just by grace of living there!
BUT, as we constantly see on the Forum, people do move without a word of the language and, amazingly, they do survive, though goodness knows how.
Still, as I said to the man with not a word of French who later sent me incredibly rude hate mail, I would far rather be in my shoes than his when having to take on EDF and FT and, yes, I'm sure I also mentioned the insurance company. And that's before you consider the pleasure of being able to chat in shops, to your neighbours, make friends, etc. feel part of the community.
The best way to learn is in well advance, ideally full time, or at least several evenings a week, in a formal classroom setting with native French speakers. It's hard, it can be expensive, but it's necessary.
M
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No but it's the loveliest subject for a thread, in fact I was half expecting it to be the title of a book. Why not send it (if you dare) to LF magazine? Perhaps Lucy will print it and ask readers for ideas? M
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Sprogster, I agree with you. I'm currently trying to learn basic Italian. Having fluent French and in particular an excellent grasp of French grammar, everyone says, "oh, it'll be so easy". But it isn't, it's bloody hard work. I have a lesson tomorrow and I can't remember a word from last week's class. Sorry folks but I'm convinced age has something to do with it. Being of a certain age I am already finding myself thinking, "what did I come in here for?" and, "did I send that e mail yesterday?" so it's natural that it's going to take me eons longer to learn how to conjugate essere than it would have done if I'd started 20 years ago. Sad but true alas... M
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I guess it's because we were living there at the time and it did (almost) touch us but I do associate France, Paris in particular, as being a terrorist target. The bombings by the Algerian separatists in the early 90s caused widespread fear amongst Paris residents, more so I would suggest than the IRA bombing campaign in London in the 70s and 80s. We didn't take the Metro for months afterwards. A few years earlier everyone had been shocked by the blowing up of the UTA plane over Chad (or was it Upper Volta?), a terrorist attack causing huge loss of life (300?) that tends to be forgotten nowadays. M
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Thank you for the chauds lapins, Domy, must remember that. (So good to have native French speakers on the Forum.) Priests are only human, even Catholic ones, but I guess he felt that at 93 he could safely get away with this particular confession. M
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You've no doubt got competition from established B&Bs but you have one advantage, the art gallery connection. So why not concentrate on that? Have you considered advertising in periodicals aimed at arty types, painters, etc. Don't know how many rooms you have but have you thought of painting holiday breaks? Royal Academy magazine used to have a French B&B regularly advertising similar. No idea though what the mag's circulation is or rates. Just a thought. M
Art or Entertainment? French Film
in French Culture
Posted
Quote from this month's Sight & Sound magazine that includes a very interesting feature on 40 years of French cinema looking back on the influences of May '68, "oversexed and over here might be the way French cinema was traditionally viewed in the UK, but nowadays it's neither softcore nor the arthouse that makes it across the Channel, but the safely exotic likes of Amelie. How has UK taste changed?" French taste too, I personally believe, for there are far more main stream, more attune with Hollywood popularity movies being made nowadays than even 5 years back. Look at La Vie en Rose, for example.