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Teejay

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Everything posted by Teejay

  1. [quote]I need to see a gynaecologist and am having difficulty finding one who is English-speaking. I live near Argentan in the Orne Department and have today returned very frustrated and upset from an app...[/quote] It is extremely difficult being examined by a doctor when you cannot speak each others language but not impossible. To take someone with you who can speak French seems the most positive suggestion. However it would help to go over some questions you might be asked before going for your appointment and learning what your response should be in French. Also although a doctor/specialist might not speak English a lot of medical terms are universally understood. Most are latin/greek based so should present no problem. The minimum of French is at least a start and you can always ask them to speak slowly. I sympathize, but for all of us without fluency this will remain a grey area until the ability to understand kicks in.
  2. [quote]They were able to get an instantaneous result Personally I find this so very reassuring but is it always the case in France? And what happens in Britain? M[/quote] Cannot say catergorically that it is always the case. However a friend of mine received similar treatment at another unit. Both in dept 16. What is a huge plus is that one receives the x-ray to keep, making it much easier on another visit to present it there and then. An instant visual record.
  3. Teejay

    Keeping pigs

    [quote]No, but anyone specialising in top quality home made bangers gets my support, they're one of my favourite things. In France, I quite often serve Toulouse sausages in place of a joint on a Sunday. We...[/quote] I frequently buy Toulouse sausages as I read somewhere that they contain more pure porc than other sausages. And yes, they are substantial enough to make a complete meal.
  4. Teejay

    Keeping pigs

    [quote]Welcome back MWJ. As usual with an interesting topic.“like a tableaux from the middle ages.”Oh dear ! Almost everything you describe here could be seen in deepest, darkest Derbyshire until the sixties...[/quote] Error.......should be tableau and not tableaux. Actually the scene reminded of the painting by Van Gogh named 'the potato eaters'. Please don't imagine however, that we are discussing people caught up in some time warp. They are viticulteurs. Growing their own food and preserving it is just a way of saving the pennies or in this case, centimes. Yes, it is a tradition learnt no doubt from parents and grandparents etc. And it's a fact that these traditions are being lost as we all embrace globalisation and no longer find the time to prepare and grow our own food. In my opinion it would be very sad to see these old habits die, for they represent real pride in what is essentially the very essence of France, the food with all its regional differences. All the pigs I have seen appeared to be kept in clean conditions and did not smell. They are intelligent creatures and my only sorrow is that they do not glimpse daylight until the end. If they do scream I have only heard this once and our neighbour informed us that they never kill a pig in front of the live ones. It would cause panic.
  5. [quote]As far as I know, all women over 50 in France receive letters telling them to go for a mammogram. They brought this in about three years ago I think.[/quote] A letter dropped into my mailbox last year informing me that if I wanted a mammograph I should make an appointment at my nearest unit. When I finally tried to arrange a day all the times available had been taken. Nearly three months later, today in fact, I attended the radiologie unit for the mammographie. There is a charge of 41.58 euros but I should be re-imbursed for 70% of this amount. They were extremely thorough and without going into details examined me for over an hour. They were able to get an instantaneous result and ended finally with 'c'est pas grave.' My understanding is that I will be sent the x-rays which should be presented next time. My husband and I have also undergone free colon tests which were offered to anyone in departement 16. I haven't been informed of regular smear tests but will inquire from the doctor what their policy is regarding this procedure.
  6. Teejay

    Keeping pigs

    [quote]Do any of you keep pigs? If so, I'd love to hear more. How long do you keep them before slaughter? And who does this horrible job? What do you feed them on? What scraps are they allowed to eat an...[/quote] MWJ, funny you should mention pigs as most in our village seem to be meeting their maker this month. I don't know the exact number kept, but as I was leaving the house this morning in order to walk the dogs, a shot was heard and on passing my neighbour's house I spied a rather comatose pig on the ground surrounded by three people. Twenty mins later on my return the pig was blackened by smoke from a small fire. I can only assume this was to remove the hair from the skin. They stun the pigs before bleeding them. I thought perhaps they killed them outright since the shot between the eyes leaves a neat hole. But then would they bleed? Around here it is normal to keep about 9 to 15 pigs and most houses have porcheries although it is only a handful of people who keep and rear them for the table. Another neighbour, ex butcher, is called upon to cut up the carcass for distribution to family etc. We were shown on another occasion the process of using every bit of the pig down to the last morsel. Nothing is wasted. After the kill the women set to work taking at least three to four days to complete their task. Seeing them boiling, bottling and stoking up the fire was like a tableaux from the middle ages. They appear to feed the pigs on some sort of grain. As to whether scraps are given I have no idea. In addition to pigs they also keep geese and ducks which provide them with a nice little sideline in foie gras. Another insight into the demise of pigs is glimpsing them washing the body in the road and the run off going into the local stream. It suddenly dawned on me today why one of our dogs seems to spend a lot of time paddling about in that area. I've never found pigs to be a contentious subject only snakes. Most gift shops and newsagents display many images of pigs, from the ludicrous to the rather cute.
  7. Forgive me if I'm incorrect about the facts, but doesn't Kimberly Quinn work for a right wing publication, the Spectator, no less, and Blunkett is/was a member of a supposedly left of centre government. Surely their most obvious misdemeanour, putting aside marital infidelities and irresponsible pregnancies and all that is sleeping with the enemy. 
  8. [quote]"Damn, will have to drive to La Rochelle after all. Terrible place! " No need to drive to La Rochelle. Farrow & Ball have a fairly organised system for ordering their products in France. Go ...[/quote] Thank you Bobc. Have just checked to see if the 'shop' page was up and running today and it is. Our French builder commented on the quality of their paint and promptly took down the web address. Again thanks to all who replied.
  9. [quote]Teejay, I think that's a sound argument up to a point. On the other hand, it is illegal to publish racist material, which I assume is why action was suddenly taken. Another argument is that if you d...[/quote]  On the other hand, it is illegal to publish racist material, Are the laws clear regarding racist material via the internet?  Or is it up to the forum administrators to lay down their own rules and hope that they are observed? Another argument is that if you deny racists a platform or a voice, their views are not taken up by others. Clearly Le Pen and his celebrity followers and the many Frenchmen/women who voted for him have ignored this argument.  Presumably your reference to a 'platform' is in the context of this forum otherwise you would have to ban football in Europe and we all know that will never happen.
  10. [quote]be warned ..farrow and ball mail order used to ship from the UK, making it very expensive. Not sure if they have changed recently to enable shipping from the local branches. regs Richard[/quote] Thanks for the warning.  Good advice. Damn, will have to drive to La Rochelle after all.  Terrible place! 
  11. [quote]Chill out everyone!!! Life is far too short to allow blood pressures to get raised so much! Relax, have a glass of your local tipple, reflect on the fact you are: a. Fantasically lucky to be here ...[/quote] We are nicely chilled already thank you.     I, for one, am certainly not hot under my collar or anywhere else for that matter as internal walls have come down today in our house and doors and windows remain open to the elements.  Hopefully this forum too, remains open to different opinions. 
  12. [quote]Incompatible statements: if the poster doesn't like this [forum] why log on to it? I don't think that people are saying 'if you don't like it here go elsewhere' Members of a group should be lis...[/quote] Personally I dislike racism in any form but, and here comes the big BUT, I'd rather see the unsavoury nature of racism aired, even on this site, than deleted. For in reality it's not going to go away, just somewhere elsewhere that's all. OK, perhaps it would make for a nice and friendly site if we were to cleanse them from this forum but would the complete sanitisation of Living France be a true reflection of living in the country itself? Racists exist here aswell. They are lurking in most villages and towns. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. One isn't duty bound to agree with them and several times my husband has spoken out in support of somebody at the bitter end of racist comments. And when it comes around to vote just make damn sure that they don't get a look in. That's the time to get heavy. I believe the verb in french for 'to sanitize' is désinfecter. It would be impossible to 'disinfect' this site completely, laudable though it may be, and as most of us are adults on this forum surely we have the right to decide whether to read something offensive and make comment, rather than allow someone else to decide for us. This posting has been written in good faith and in no way is intended to antagonise or criticize. It expresses an opinion, no more no less.
  13. [quote]http://www.farrow-ball.com Before anybody whinges about the carriage charges please remember that paint is not something you can just stick in the letter box; still, if you don't have a nearby stock...[/quote] Thank you W the C. Unfortunately perhaps my query was a little misleading. What I really need is a web address that somebody posted sometime back regarding delivery of F and B paint to one's home address. I had a feeling that the company involved was based in Lyon. So far we have ordered and fetched our F and B paint from our nearest branch which is on a trading estate outside La Rochelle. If the paint could be ordered on-line and delivered to us direct we would be happy to pay carriage charges as the price of petrol to drive there plus my husband's need for lunch at twelve prompt (acquired French stomach since living here) would probably work out to be the same costwise. I did a search for any info regarding my question on this site but it took so long to download that I gave up.
  14. Did anyone make a note of the Farrow and Ball mail order info that somebody posted before Living France changed to the new format.  I should have written it down but forgot. Would be grateful for the web address as then I could have the paint delivered instead of having to drive to La Rochelle. Many thanks.
  15. [quote]Why on earth are you saying that there is no snobbery in France. There is. I have a friend who amuses me no end and certainly is a snob of sorts. She has beautiful diamond rings and wears clothes th...[/quote] Teamedup this is the second day running that I endorse your observations. Of course there is snobbery in France, and virtually indistinguishable from that in the UK. Mr Big in his large maison looks down from his balcony on to Mr Middle-size's maison and thinks I'm better than him, and Mr Middle-size in his turn leans over his wall and looks over to Mr Little-maison, and promptly grows some Leylandi in order to blot out such a vulgar sight. Then there are the 'spéciales' who are treated with total contempt by most. It is alive and well in our village. On the surface they are very polite to each other, but beneath all the manners lurks 'good old snobbery' in all its manifestations.
  16. [quote]Just had a look at both pairs and notice that mine are wearing at the toes but I am not sure how that happened? Belinda, its nice to know that you have noticed my individuality. I must say that my 12...[/quote]  I must say that my 12 year old shorts to complete the outfit have not stood up to the stresses and strains and I am considering taking them back to complain of the shoddy workmanship. Yes, but doesn't that 'hair' shirt you insist on wearing tickle just a little.  
  17. [quote]When I first arrived here the shoe styles were noticeably different to those of England. When our first winter came, I found that the shops were full of and women and girls were wearing funny little...[/quote] Teamedup, I'm very glad that you have mentioned the name "arche'. Recently I purchased a pair of 'arche' shoes in nubuck and they are wonderfully comfortable and what's more the design ain't 'arf bad too. This company has a shop in Bordeaux, which is where I purchased mine. If you look at the website, www.arche-shoes.com, you will see that they are currently constructing the European site but if you do a search you can view some recent styles selling in America. The shop in Bordeaux does have some little boots. One design has fur in them and the other has a cuff. I lust after their shoes and boots and consequently will buy no other make from now on. Funds allowing that is. No, you haven't come to the end of an era. They sell traditional designs and fairly radical ones too. So the choice is there. They are also guaranted for one year. Never knew this company existed until living in France. Like you I also wanted to find a shoe that was soft but without the frumpy look that frequently goes with this type of shoe.
  18. [quote]I haven't moved to France yet so I don't know which 10 items I would miss - but I am surprised to see some of the choices: Asda, Safeway, Matalan...surely there is better than this in France? Newspape...[/quote] The selection of clothes in France I find to be exceptional.  It's the one area I can't fault.  The choice is very good.  The Supermarkets are very good too.  The Auchan where we live stocks cheddar cheese which is available at the cheese counter (as opposed to the supermarket shelves).  I do buy this regularly now, so I can only assume I must enjoy it enough to still want it.   But if it wasn't available I'm sure I'd survive without the weekly fix.  Everytime I go back to the UK I return with very little that is associated with my previous existence there.  Most things that I thought I missed, like good wholemeal bread , I have found an alternative for, here in France.  In fact, better, to be honest.  I generally bulk purchase four or five loaves at a time and put them in the freezer. Frankly I shouldn't really be answering this question as I love finding alternatives for the things I thought I might miss.  That's part of the fun and the satisfaction for one discovers such joys and pleasures along the way.  There is nothing to beat the wonderful regional food that France has to offer in bucket loads. As for my husband he misses Chepstow racecourse and Euthymol toothpaste.  The former I can't bring back with me but I humour him on the second and return with a good supply.  Newspapers can be subscribed to online, if so desired.  Radio stations are available online as well. So no problem really with keeping up.
  19. [quote]You know different farmers to me Dog, I think we'll agree to differ.[/quote] The previous poster was not far from the truth in stating that weak lambs are left frequently for the buzzards and foxes to see them off. More lambs are lost to careless farming than to hungry foxes. Since I have witnessed plenty of the above incidents I know it to be true. Foxes are blamed far too frequently to cover up the frailties of man. Nature is pretty gruesome seen close up.
  20. [quote]LOL, what a strange little myth!! Of course there are level crossings in France, they even have red-and-white barriers and red traffic lights to tell the cars to stop. In some ways France is reall...[/quote] Love the irony. And what's more they even have a name for them, passage à niveau. (took the liberty of starting a sentence with And)
  21. [quote]Margaret, I think this idea of learning a language without reference to one's native tongue, could only work if one is totally immersed in the target language. In that case, you would learn as a...[/quote] Immersion in the language will only really be successful if you continue to use the French you have learned on a fairly regular basis soon after the course has ended. If not then presumbably a lot of that knowledge will be lost. Learning tenses is not a problem. After a while one begins to see the pattern and learning by the dual use of english and french is not really an issue. In fact so many french words are related to english ones and rather than hindering the learning process actually help to increase one's vocabulary and understanding. This is my experience anyway, and as someone else remarked, each individual has their preferred route towards learning the language. I too, reached for my trusty grammar book on arriving in France and know that if my first French teacher had used their methods, one which I was familiar with, my understanding would have been incremental rather than scatter gun style. Ultimately it is all down to who is actually teaching you and although a native French teacher might seem the best there are, as in anything, good and bad ones. So choose a teacher who understands you and how you learn best. J.
  22. [quote]Why does everybody presume that the best person to teach French is a "native"? For a start that rules out Monsieur Thomas who from Poland.Indeed one of Michel Thomas' strengths is that he has had to l...[/quote] Completely agree with that statement.  I have been going to a native French teacher for several months now and whilst I understand the subjunctive and its use in French grammar, and my vocabulary has increased considerably there were gaps occurring in my understanding which gave me cause for concern.  I had a lot of unconnected knowledge which required tidying up.  (This was in part as a result of her explaining complicated grammar rules to me in French and not in English) So into the picture came my husband.  Someone I had previously avoided as my teacher due to the usual heated debates etc.  He took me back to basics and is teaching me that first of all I must thoroughly understand the grammar rules.  I no longer do much written work but reply to him in French after learning a chapter of whatever book we have chosen to study that day. Currently we are working our way through three books.  All these books he has had for years and two of them are still available today as teaching aids. Having had weekly lessons with my French teacher I've got into the habit of learning so the lessons now with my husband are really quite formal and during the hour or so that he is teaching me we rarely disagree. I prefer to have a teacher who speaks both French and English.  And although my previous teacher could, she was racing me along and throwing work at me that was too advanced for my level so the fear factor set in.  Hopefully the present arrangement will give me more confidence and it's cheaper too!  
  23. [quote]We've stayed with GdF twice this year, we simply log on to their website (can't recall address but it's an obvious one) and then follow up with a phone call to local regional office. I would imagine ...[/quote] We have stayed in G de F chambre d'hotes at least twice this year.  Both excellent value and the plus side was that the people we met there were very hospitable and informative.  Agree with you MWJ, that frequently these places are in the most picturesque situations and often because of the typically french interiors one can get a feel for what looks right in some of these old houses. Recently we booked a night in a ferme auberge (not G de F) and even now I get quite nostalgic about the place as it was exceptionally beautiful with a view to take your breath away.  Not cheap, but well worth it.  
  24. Same for us.  Always, well almost always, book with Gites de France.
  25. [quote]For those of us that have settled in France on a permanent basis or plan to do so in the not too distant future, I'd be interested to know your reasons for leaving the UK. We often hear of what attrac...[/quote] Thank you Cjb, I just adore this type of question.  They generally appear at weekends and provide one with more entertainment then Canal Plus can ever do on a Sunday night.  I look forward to reading the replies. Couldn't possibly answer myself as I haven't a clue why I'm here, except I seem to remember disembarking from a ferry with two dogs and two cats, one of which miaowed non-stop from Caen to our present home. (The cat miaowed, not the dogs)  Lack of memory could be the unfortunate consequence of too many aperitifs with neighbours. J.  
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