Ormx

Swissbarry, I'm new-ish to this site and haven't had the pleasure until now. Gotta re-read your post - so entertaining, great stuff. You should write! When I get the chance I'll be "viewing all posts by this member"... and will look forward to the picture of the jumper too.

Hi, It's the one thing I found was better in Ireland than here (I had 2 kids in Irl, and receive roughly the same amount here following birth of 3rd child). However I'm told that it's in tax free allowance that you benefit mostly here. Up until now we weren't working but, since this week my husband is working and will receive his tax allowance, mine, plus 1/2 per child i.e. 3.5 in total. Hope that makes sense. I think it will mean we will pay no tax I'm also told you can receive other benefits as "une famille nombreuse" but I think that's for 3 children, and am not sure what the benefits are yet (cheaper rail travel is one I believe, but I can't see myself hauling the kids onto the train for another while yet!).

Sorry if I overreacted but it sounds like you're trying to change a French bar into something which sells English beer and employs a Dubliner (sounds like a kinda "Irish" pub to me, otherwise why "Dubliner") but the fact that you'd look for a bilingual and experienced barperson from Dublin and then pay them less than you'd pay a local, just sounds like exploitation.

Very disrespectful to the Irish. I certainly wouldn't work for you.

Well if you wanted to do something cultural you could bring the kids to the Centre Pompidou, and then you can pop across the road to Dame Tartine's - used to be one of my favourite haunts (1998, hope it's still there) where they served great cakes and coffee, overlooking the fountain with all interesting bits of modern sculpture, and also just beside Les Halles for great shopping...

Hi all, Pls see ryanair website for new routes opening from April - there are 6 new routes from Dublin which excites me no end.  There are many from Liverpool, Glasgow, East midlands, Londons etc.Hope there's one for you! From Dublin to: Doncaster -Starts 28th Apr '05 Eindhoven -Starts 19th Apr '05 Frankfurt Hahn -Starts 03rd May '05 Rome Ciampino -Starts 03rd May '05 Carcassone -Starts 19th Apr '05 Biarritz -Starts 19th Apr '05

Yes, thankfully she does or otherwise I'd be making 4 trips a day... We decided to send her to cantine to avoid having to abandon her twice a day when she first started in Sept last (chez les moyens). She doesn't mind going, and it's good that afterwards she gets to play with her classmates a bit outside class. She also gets to mix with les grands, which is good cause sometimes she meets kids in town and she knows them even if they're not in her class. (I do feel a bit guilty though at lunchtime as we go to collect dd2 anyway and often see dd1 walking hand in hand with her classmate across the road to the cantine.:blush

Maddogwoman, I have only one thing on my "typical" list: 1. I have to walk the kids to school for the first time (hubby got a job) and it's a 20 min walk with baby in buggy, 2 year old on buggy board and 4 year old being gently persuaded not to run out on the road.... then collect 2 year old at lunchtime (with baby in buggy), then collect 4 year old at 4.30 (with baby, and 2 y.o. on b.b).... sigh.... must start looking for a second car.....

I notice an English stall in our local market, but am not even tempted to go and buy (love French food too much and have a stock of Irish tea-bags which is the only thing I need) but I did notice when passing that there were an awful lot of Hob-nobs biscuits! It either means that the English community love their Hobnobs, or that they don't (!) and that the vendors can' t get rid!

Joanna, all I can offer is to say that they will get there in the end. Mine are 4 and 2 so it's completely different. One thing which has helped the 4 year old is that she was invited to a birthday party and it gave her more confidence (not enough to speak yet but she does enjoy school) and is going to another soon. If you could find out which kids are good friend-material for your two, you could try inviting two or three of them around for gouter/video games/whatever 12 year olds do. If they feel they have other kids on their side, they may gain confidence. Courage!!

Teaching English in a language school.

Whoops, obviously I know nothing about that, apologies. But you do get my drift surely, my point was that there are some jobs that require minimal language ability, that's all I wanted to say.

I don't really know about France, but judging how sacred their language is to them, I would assume a good level is needed but that would surely depend on the job (i.e if you're going to spend the day driving a lorry from A to B perhaps they won't be worried if it takes a while to communicate at each end). I would comment on the job I did in Ireland where we employed many nationalities. I was involved in interviewing for a certain position and we recruited about 50 people over the course of 2 years. Each time we interviewed someone we asked "can he/she communicate properly in order to do the job" and for foreign language speakers we asked if their English was strong enough (also under the communication heading). Several times we questioned their language abilities later, i.e. they were able to do the job but there were often misunderstandings and sometimes the customer service was poor as they seemed too abrupt on the phone and caused customers to get upset etc. This happened a few times and we did have to talk to them about telephone manner. However in the end we always employed the person if the language was sufficient to do the job, because often they had other things to offer that the average Irish/English candidate didn't. Of course the company I worked for was very PC and wouldn't have discriminated unless there was good reason.

Oh dear, looks like we're the only ones who did this, I'm surprised as I too had read it in a magazine (some kind of House and home type with a special on France) but more importantly a French friend who had moved down from Paris (and would never have done such a thing there) said he found it was correct procedure in his small village. So we took his advice. Is there anyone else who did?

Didn't really know, so we brought the bottle of whiskey and he accepted it as if it was the done thing. He does seem friendly whenever we meet him now and sure it'll be no harm if ever we do need "help" with something.

It was mentioned on the 1 o'clock news yesterday on TF1. Soon they'll have to rename the Christmas and Easter holidays as well as Toussaint - all religious references...

I agree that food is more important than decor - I would say however that heating is vital (or fans in summer) cause I can't enjoy my meal if I have to wear my coat! (Exception of course is when you decide to sit on a terrasse in winter for a coffee...) When you talk about going somewhere for a coffee though I love to find a cosy spot with nice decor to sit back and enjoy my coffee (and some of the dessert specials). Most cafe/bars with their smokey atmosphere don't entice me (I'm now used to the smoke-free pubs in Ireland!) and I'll stick to the 1/2 English restaurant that I found in Marciac where you can settle into the comfy chair beside the fire and think you're at home (except better, because our home doesn't have a comfy chair yet!)

Don't know if it's the same as Tomme des Pyrenees but I recently tasted Tomme Noir (which is from Pyrenees area I think) and proclaimed I had found my favourite cheese in France. But it's not much like cheddar. Creamy, yummy, gotta get some more...

Bliss, Have you started writing yet? Would love to see a sample of your work here and that might prompt more advice e.g. if you write something obviously incorrect about Paris, there will no doubt be lots of suggestions about how to correct... But also, why Paris? If you haven't been it will be hard to capture the atmosphere of the place, why not write about somewhere you know?

Sometimes I wonder if I worry for nothing - today 4 year old comes home from school in floods of tears and I imagine the worst - bullied, left out, unable to communicate, etc. etc. Turns out she wanted to stay for the gouter after school... so we've promised to let her stay later at least once a week... Maybe she's better settled than I thought!

Brought over RHD car in order to transport remaining belongings. Wrote-off RHD car within 2 weeks of arriving! :cryingnobody hurt but emotionally scarred and haven't driven since:unsure Bought second hand French car and enjoy being chauffeured everywhere.

A phone socket, I do believe!

Le Val Charente, it's awful to watch them isn't it? Good to hear that you're little one is getting on better this term. Funny thing too about being so quiet in school, is that mine comes home each evening and can't stop talking (in English mostly, but a few phrases in French she's heard thrown in) - just letting it all out of her system I suppose

A very good question I think, although I suppose all depends on the age and the child's personality etc. We've been here for 4 months and our 4 year old has been in maternelle for 2 months. Her dad is French and has spoken to her all her life in French but she always replied in English as we lived in Dublin and everyone around her spoke English. Now she's struggling in school and, although she understands 90% of what goes on, she's afraid to speak and only replies yes or no when asked a direct question. In the last few weeks I think she has spoken a little more and I expect after a few more months she may have the courage to speak. (A few weeks ago I first heard her hold a full conversation in French with her teddy so I know she can!) I believe fluency will come esp. with a French parent and hope with my influence her English remains fluent. What I do worry about is that her personality has changed due to the move and that she has assumed the role of the quiet foreigner who observes and doesn't participate - she may become that quiet girl, even moreso than before. Ah well, I don't think I can do anything about that except encourage her. Our 2 year old has no qualms about saying things in French and tells me she didn't do painting in school but "peinture". She'll be fluent even quicker. And as for the 6 week old baby... he'll be scratching his head trying to understand the English-speaking relatives no doubt!

Thanks Babnik and Hegs for your replies. Yes I'm hoping to make them believe I'm irreplaceable, I like the idea of acting as cover for Irish bank holidays etc. They have been extremely flexible in the past when I worked 3 day and 4 day weeks and I do have flexitime, plus I get on well with my boss so, as you said, I've nothing to lose. I've drafted the letter and rehearsed the phone conversation, so I suppose I should just bite the bullet!