PossumGirl

[quote user="PossumGirl"]There is a tax treaty between the U.S. and France.  It avoids double imposition. If she is paying taxes to the U.S. government on her U.S. income, you do not have to pay taxes on it to the French government. R [/quote] I should add that, you should both, in theory, declare all your income in both countries, but you won't pay double taxes if you show that you've already paid in the appropriate country. She might want to consult with a U.S. accountant about this.  There are forms, which she needs to fill out and submit to the appropriate authorities. R

There is a tax treaty between the U.S. and France.  It avoids double imposition. If she is paying taxes to the U.S. government on her U.S. income, you do not have to pay taxes on it to the French government. R

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]Well done, PG!!!!!  I'll have a pint of Creme de Methe to celebrate. Never mind about the licence.  If you wash the car everywhere except the "A" sticker, it'll soon fade......... [/quote] Thanks, SD.  I'm planning on getting one of the magnetic ones.  No way I'm sticking ANYTHING even semi-permanent on my car.  I'm one of those who never puts bumper stickers or the like on it. PG

I did it.  I passed my driver's exam with flying colors.  He didn't even have me go through the whole thirty minutes, only did about twenty, which was fine. However, at the end, I did get stuck with the permis probatoire.  The law seems to be very weirdly written, and, just for the heck of it, we're going to write to the ministry in charge of this whole thing, but it looks like I'm just going to have to live with it. I would recommend for anyone from the States who is planning on relocating here, that they do whatever it takes to get a license from a state that DOES exchange with France.  It will be so much easier.  I am very, very annoyed with California right now. R

When we had our renovations done, our plumber said he would not put in a water softener because of the effects on health.  However, he DID put in something called a "pre-filter" which keeps all the minerals in the water from clumping up and causing scale.  It has made a huge difference in everything from the kettle to the way our skin feels when we get out of the shower.  Also, I no longer feel that I need to use a softening product when I do the laundry. I don't believe it was very expensive at all, and lives in the garage where it causes no trouble. R

I, too, find I'll try things here I would never have tried before.  When we used to come over once a year for visits with family and friends, we were both always struck by the fact that we never gained weight.  I think it's a combination of the portion sizes and the fact that food has less hormones and things in it. I, too, have gotten to like the sterilized milk, which I thought was odd at first. I love getting fresh eggs from my neighbors and KNOWING they are fresh.  I don't know how it is in the UK, but in the US, most people would never feel comfortable buying unrefrigerated eggs; too much worry about salmonella. And, who could imagine that various brands and types of butter could all taste so different?  I still have trouble getting out of trips to LeClerc, etc., in less that 45 minutes, because I have to look at everything! Unfortunately, since we've been living here full-time, my husband has no longer found that he doesn't gain weight here.  It doesn't help that we live right next door to a great boulangerie... R

[quote user="Deimos"] Remember to discuss in such a way that the person you are dealing with is proved “right” – even though he may need to “change his mind” to be “right”.   Ian[/quote] No problem there. We always get along great with the administration here and have had good success with everything we've tackled.  We even got along well with the guy from the DRIRE that so many folks here seem to have had issues with.  Being "political refugees" from Bush Co. hasn't hurt us, nor has the fact that we're considered re-patriated French citizens.  Those things tend to get everything off on a good footing. R

Actually, in doing further research, I have found several sections of the code which indicate that if  you have a license from another country and have had that for longer than three years,  you are NOT considered an apprentice driver.  Therefore, I should not be subject to any probationary period. I've downloaded and printed out all the applicable text, directly from the website of Securite Routiere and Legisfrance.  Tomorrow, after I take the exam, I'll present the pages to the examiner.  If I have a problem with him, we'll probably wind up tracking down the various higher-ups, probably calling someone in Paris.  I'm convinced I'll prevail.  I must admit that the instructor at the Auto-Ecole was impressed and also thinks that everything I've found proves my point of view. It seems to me that the intent of the law is in my favor, it's just not written in a clear fashion, as is often the case with legislation anywhere in the world. We shall see. R

[quote user="Rdkr"]When a friend of mine moved here from NYC he went to London and done a 2 week intensive course and go a U.K. licence. He said it was far cheaper and easier than having a test in France. SOrry I do not know the answer to your question.[/quote] I didn't realize that such things existed. Still, other than the probabtionary period, getting the license itself hasn't been that onerous.  My only cost has been paying for 5 driving lessons so I can get the use of a dual-pedal car for the exam and learn what they want in the exam itself. R

I moved to France from California, which does not have a drivers license treaty with France (only a few states do, unfortunately).  This means I've had to pass the Code de la Route and will be taking the practical driving test next week. I didn't really mind any of it, other than the fact that I hate spending money to "learn to drive" when I've been driving for 36 years!  Still, I can't get a straight answer on one important question: will I have to drive with the scarlet A and a permis probatoire for the next three years? The auto ecole thinks that yes, I will.  However, an online service I used to study for the Code, cited a paragraph which seems to indicate that because I had a foreign license for over three years, I won't have the probatoire period. I have searched and searched online to find the exact citation in the code, so that I can use it at the Prefecture if necessary.  So far, haven't been able to find the "official" wording.  Has anyone here had any experience with this, or have all of you just exchanged licenses from other EU countries? By the way, although my California license is valid to drive with here for a year (and I could probably get away with using it longer), I really do need to  get a French license. Thanks, R

[quote user="SaligoBay"]A lot is said about French cooking, but a look into any French kitchen will show that to do it properly you have to have all the following: [/quote] I had a lot more of those gadgets when I lived in Los Angeles than I do now. I had to leave all the electric appliances behind, obviously.  Then, we we got our renovation done I made a decision to NOT buy any of the things that I had almost never used in L.A.  I had a lot more counterspace there than I do here.  Although, I found that the more counterspace there was, the more I was tempted to clutter it up with "stuff." So, I do have the pressure cooker, robot mixeur and espresso machine (MUST have my coffee in the morning!), but I am surviving fine without a microwave, raclette, cooking stone, etc.  In fact, I borrowed a microwave while we were kitchenless last summer and I was glad to see the back of it.  I don't miss one at all. I've discovered that almost anything that you can make in a microwave, you can make in either a bain marie or the oven. R

[quote user="Russethouse"]In the dark ages I used to sell pressure cookers, and the spares. If I had a pound for everyone of those valves that ended up embedded in someones ceiling............... I believe they have come on a bit now though - does yours release the pressure automatically ? [/quote] There is no separate valve, so nothing to fly off and inbed itself anywhere!  There's a dial in the center, which you turn to the correct setting: pressure release, veggie, meat, frozen food.  You can turn the dial gradually to slowly release the pressure or you can put it under cold water to drop the pressure fast.  All of the functions: pressure guage, timer, release valves, are in that one-piece, central mechanism, so it really is much safer than the old kind.  I used to be afraid to go into the kitchen when that valve was jiggling around at high speed! R

All I wanted for Christmas was a pressure cooker. The new ones by SEB are fabulous and easy to use.  I've been using mine almost daily and can't recommend them highly enough. I've even made a roast chicken and a roasted turkey breast in mine and they came out great.  The turkey, which I made last night for dinner, was so moist and flavorful, that I can't wait for lunch to sample the leftovers.  The best part is that you can roast a whole chicken or a large turkey breast in twenty-five to thirty-five minutes. So, pull those pressure cookers out of the dark, dusty cabinet where you've been hiding it for  years.  I know you have one!  You'll be glad you did. R

[quote user="Jonzjob"]. The other thing I love is 'lait ribot'. When we first found it we thought that it was raw milk and found out that it tastes broddy awful in tea [+o(]! For those wot ain't seen it it is fermented milk, tasts sour and is slightly thick. It is wonderful on cake!!! [/quote] In the U.S., at least, this is what we call buttermilk.  I can't drink the stuff, but it's great for using in recipes. R

[quote user="chessfou"]Is anybody using a Wanadoo LiveBox without USB dongles in their PCs? [/quote] We just use the wifi cards that came in our computers and haven't had the least bit of trouble. R

[quote user="Rob G"] We arrived at about 11:10, to find a handful of people waiting. After a few minutes, one elderly lady informed the rest of the attendant throng that the lady before her had been in for over an hour now, and that her own appointment was meant to be at 9:30 (it was now nearly 11:30). Apparently, they book appointments at 15 minute intervals irrespective of the nature of the appointment, and then impose no real time limit on each consultation. ...(edit) The French boast about having a very good healthcare system, but I'm convonced they're a nation of "malades imaginaires" - aka hypochondriacs - every slight ailment has to be classified, discussed at great length and treated. The one that amuses me most is the good old "crise de foie" - a term which seems to cover a multitude of ills and has no reliable translation. [/quote] Personally, I like the fact that our doctor takes the time necessary with each patient and actually listens to what I have to say.  He takes my specific needs and attitudes about various treatments/medications into account and has no problem with me being a partner in my own healthcare.  I'd rather sit and wait a bit longer in the salle d'attente, rather than feel rushed when it's my own turn to see him. Every country has their own attitudes towards health and healthcare.  Perhaps some people in France go to the doctor more frequently than necessary, but I know just as many people back in the States who do it as here.  As to hypochondria, that's pretty universal as well. Randy

Thanks, Claire.  I also just found this site: http://www.asiamarche.com/ Which seems interesting.  I'll check them all out, as it does seem rather ridiculous to drive round trip three hours just for stuff like that! Randy

I was wondering if anyone had found an online source for Chinese ingredients?  The nearest Asian grocery to us is in Toulouse (90 minute drive), as far as I can tell.  And, although I could do that in a pinch, I'd much rather just order online if possible. TIA Randy

[quote]Back page in last saturday's local Le Telegramme was about some wally in Guingamp who put a can of this stuff in his microwave to heat it up. Guess what! All I can say is that they didn't keep him inh...[/quote] When we were living in Los Angeles, we brought food items back with us all the time. Generally, the rules apply to "fresh" meat products, fruits, vegetables and live plants. We would bring back fois gras and paté in bocals, confiture, honey, chocolates, tea, etc. and never had a problem. Customs is worried about stuff that could bring infestations into the U.S. Therefore, anything that is conserved should be fine. Of course, if you get someone who wants to be a pain, I suppose they could take it, but no one ever bothered us in 27 years of travel back and forth.

[quote]what shipping company did you use for you car and household goods? my husband has been quoted $2500 to ship our things! my husband is french so would he also qualify for the duty exemption? what does...[/quote] If your husband is French, this should apply to him as well. We were registered at the local consulate in L.A. Before leaving, we went in to be officially taken off the books and they gave us a letter saying that we were no longer living in L.A. and were, in fact, repatriating. That letter has proved astonishingly useful for all sorts of administrative things. Everything we've done administration-wise since moving has gone smoothly and without the least incident. As to the shipping company, we used Rinkins International. We paid a lot more than $2500, however, they packed EVERYTHING in the most amazing way. Rinkins was the only company we found that would give us a definite price, based on container size instead of giving us an "approximation" then charging on the basis of weight. We had 300 boxes of books to ship, so weight would have killed us. Seriously! Don't hesitate to write to me privately if there are any specific questions I can answer.

[quote]has anyone taken a vehicle from the u.s. to france? how much is the customs duty? how much will it cost to have our odometer converted? is it mandatory to have this conversion done? we are moving to f...[/quote] We brought our 2003 Toyota Echo over from Los Angeles earlier this year. It fit into the container with our household goods, so the total cost for bringing it was $600, the cost of a 40 foot versus a 20 foot container. We paid no customs duty on it or our belongings, however as we are both dual nationals, we were considered to be repatriating, therefore our situation is probably a bit different than yours. The only problem we had, was that when the car was unloaded from the container, the license plates were gone. We assumed, after searching everywhere in the car for them, that they had been removed by U.S. customs. After a badly mistaken attempt to drive it with no plates (don't try this at home), we did wind up getting temporary plates from the Prefecture de Police. These have a WW on them and made the car legal to drive while going through the Drire process. We were able to get insured through Groupama, even before the car got here, with no problem whatsoever, based on the valuation of the car from our purchase records. Drire has been slow, but not their fault. We needed changes that have amounted to about 230€ in cost. The only thing we're still waiting for is a document from Toyota regarding the seatbelts. Unfortunately, only one of them has a label on it stating that it's EC compliant. Stupid really. The changes it needed were all minor and our local mechanic was able to carry them out in less than a day. Good luck.

[quote]Given the costs of cars in France, what hoops would I need to jump through to import a vehicle directly from the US, assuming ofcourse that I have moved to France recently?[/quote] We brought our Toyota Echo with us when we moved (negligible cost, it fit into the container with our household goods). Since we're re-patriated French citizens, we did not have to pay any tax on it. We are not allowed to sell it for a year, which is not a problem. We're currently in the process of getting our Carte Grise and the main things that have been an issue are the fact that the seatbelts don't have an EU approved sticker on them, our parking lights are orange instead of white/yellow and have to be changed, which is a little complicated. We don't have rear fog lamps, which need to be installed. The brake fluid indicator on American cars indicates when the fluid is empty, rather than when it is low, which needs to be addressed. And American cars don't have an engraved plaque de constructor, which we've had to order, as well as having the VIN engraved onto the chassis. The other thing that wasn't a problem for us, since it was okay, was whether the glass in the windscreen is EU compliant. There are probably a few other things, but those are the big ones.

[quote]Just don't feed your GSD (or any other breed for that matter) any cooked onions - we lost our beloved Rough Collie to Auto-Immune Haemolytic Anaemia a while back and its supposed to be linked to some ...[/quote] I would like to add raisins and grapes to the list of things NOT to feed dogs. A friend just lost her 3 year old BC to severe renal failure caused by the dog getting in the garbage and eating a bag of grapes...

Most of the TVs that I see here seem to be multi-standard PAL/Secam. We bought a Phillips plasma screen and that works fine with all formats. Actually, we're watching US DVDs on it as well, so I'm guessing that it also is NTSC compatible. However, it wasn't cheap. I think it was around 2600€ at Conforama.

[quote]Our welsh terrier got a tick found in his mouth by the lady who was grooming him unfortunately she had washed him first so we could not frontline him again for two days (this is because the frontline ...[/quote] I've switched to Advantix from Frontline, because of the added protection against mosquito bites. However, our vet also recommended that we use a Solibor collar as extra insurance against ticks. It lasts for six months. I had used the Preventic collar with good results before, but apparently the Scolibor is considered even more effective. Possum