Landix

Well!!!! I have looked at two pages so far and can't be bothered to wait anymore. THIS IS TERRIBLE NOW. Sounds like to be a 'senior member',  you just have to be a loudmouth,you have to wait ages for anything to happen, lots of stupid pictures and symbols all over the place taking up room for what should be sensible discussion, and just as I predicted the type is too small to read.   The forum has gone off , so I'm off!!!! Wendy PS somehow the number of my posts has gone down considerably- always said I didn't belong to the club.  

And just in case you hadn't noticed it , that well known other trilogy " Guerre des Etoiles" is out on DVD. Along with those favourite characters: Dark Vador Yann Solo Err-de Dead-de Six cee pee oh!!! I saw that the new film is to be called " Return ( or Revenge) of the Sith." I wonder how the French will cope with this title and pronunciation thereof

Not sure what this post is supposed to mean, it makes very confused reading( in English)

well, you have made an exremely difficult decision and I wish you well.No amount of research can prepare you for such a big change in life.I'm a Brummie and found rural life here too isolated so after three years went back to the UK. After another two years was back here, hopefully to stay this time.Reading your post it sounds like you are doing the right thing so as the French so beautifully put it " Bon Courage" P.S. Does any one know the origins of the word Blighty?

We bought 15 years ago, no such things as Forums then!! Moved 12 years ago. Found this place a while ago. When i am working I have no time to post. When I can ,I help with practical matters. I have put up 'happy with life' posts and been shot down in flames for that. Some miserable ones maybe, we have been through all sorts since we have been here, but I don't want to offload my problems on the rest of the world, friends are for that I don't fit in here because I am not part of the 'back slapping clique', but I never fitted in back home either- too different I suppose. I happen to find people interesting and read lots of things on the net to find out more- this place is a real eye-opener sometimes.There are a some people on here who use this as some sort of 'therapy' or escape ,you will find the same sort of people on other forums as well. As for the 12-2 thing, you will get used to it, frustrating as it sometimes can be.As I say to every body, France is neither better nor worse than other places ; just DIFFERENT!!! So " Vive la difference" Wendy- who is filling in that dead time while waiting for clients to arrive.

I know this is a bit of an unusual combination but could I get both of these though one satellite in Normandy- I am sick to the teeth of Cricket on long wave.We do not have fast computer access and not even mobile phone reception in the village where my workroom is.I am planning to go into Gitem and ask but they usually look a bit blank when you mention the BBC!!!

Hope I will be able to recognise 'the new look' , this is just like an old friend and too many changes can be very alienating. I especially hope that the print won't be too small or I won't be able to read it

Miki, you really like putting the cat among the pigeons , don't you!!! As soon as I saw this post I thought- here we go, another pointless slanging match on the same subject. Don't you rent gites,? Nothing better to do on changeover day? People paint all sorts of silly things on the roads for Le Tour, don't take it so seriously

The question" How long have you been here" has always been fairly popular, but now it is the first thing that everyone asks as soon as they arrive. The look of relief on their faces when we say 11 years is very obvious. Never having seen 'those TV programmes' it makes me wonder what sort of picture they are painting. It also worries me that British owned property might start getting a bad reputation. Has anyone else come across this lately?

Isn't it nice when the French say " Je t'embrasse" or " bisous" over the phone- I know it only'politesse' but its so much warmer than ' Bye' or 'See- ya' and makes one feel loved a little. Any one else got any other interesting goodbyes?

Ecureuil( squirrel) And for the French- Southampton!!!!

A friend of mine, over here in France is getting her qualifications to teach French to foreigners and was asking me for advice on pricing. She would like to offer courses that include taking people shopping, cooking, introducing them to the area etc etc. What do people pay for normal one to one tuition, she would like to teach in a group of no more than 6. Thanks Wendy

Did any one go and see the huge monster today then? Does it look better in the flesh than on TV? Methinks it looks like a floating tower block and much prefer the elegance of the older liners.Most of the passengers they interviewed were English and they all seemed to love it, the French are very, very proud of this ship.

Following on from my 'remakes' post: Can people come up with an alternative Anglo Saxon cast for ' Huit Femmes'- I mean who could replace the incomparable Fanny Ardent!!!!!!!

Really, why do they bother!!! I saw the remake of ' Les Visiteurs' on Sunday and they really made a mess of it .Took out nearly all the good jokes and aneasthetised it as well.Apparently the Director used a pseudonym, not a good sign.

I think we must finally be accepted- we have had so far nearly as many Meilleurs Voeux cards as Merry Christmas ones this year, I think they are much nicer as they have personal messages inside and not just printed stuff.

Just been to our annual gallette evening in the village where the maire read out the annual report etc. After the gallette and wine we had clementines and coffee. I was wondering if there are any regional variations on this very French tradition.

I was watching a Michel Blanc film the other night where every one was having it off with every one else, and I wondered, would a teenage boy really lust after Charlotte Rampling- everything else in the film was great, a dream cast and lines that made you laugh out loud, but I found this bit rather far fetched. Anyone agree?

I am sure Frederic Francois is, I have seen him on daytime TV talking about his career, very popular with the ladies still!

We are planning to go to Paris to see the final part of Lord of the Rings.I saw a franglais trailer on C+ yesterday and I can hardly wait, 3 hours 20 with no loo break!!!! I doubt if you will get Nemo in VO- even when they show animation on Canal Plus they rarely have the original voices. Family films are usually dubbed as I suppose reading subtitles is considered an adult thing. You can check out where films are on via Cinefil.com, That is where we found out about LOTR last year and then used Time Out website to find hotels and made it a little Christmas treat for us .This year we are adding the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay for even more culture.

Our local M Bricolage has craft supplies and the book/card/stationary shops Majuscule also have these sort of things. Live in France the French way- they only send on average 6 cards each for christmas - they phone up instead in the new year . It's definitely cheaper to make your own- I once made christmas crackers as well.

The yellow jersey goes to the person who is winning overall on time.( he also gets a fluffy lion every day) In the 100 year history of the Tour only two riders have kept it from start to finish . Each stage ( or day)winner gets a money prize but not a special shirt, sometimes it is their weight in Camebert or some such thing) There are two individual time trials( one on the first day) and also a team time trial.Spotty top for mountains and green for points won on the sprints at set places during the day This year English speakers are doing well, lance Armstrong- American and looking for his 5th win- David Millar -British and Bradley magee- Australian, who won on the first day and is still ahead on day three. the French like Richard Virenque who is usually king of the mountains and is a bit of a heart throb, but unfortunately got mixed up in a rather nasty drugs scandal a couple of years ago. Luckily my man is not on holiday yet or he would be watching it all day every day on TV if he got the chance!!!!!!!!!

Doesn't the holiday company you have booked with offer insurance, I have travelled with an English company to latin America on land only basis and got insurance from them as I am in the EEC; Depending on what sort of travel Le Guide de Routard offer their own insurance scheme- look at their website: Happy travelling Wendy

Well I am a duffer at finance and I have a bit of an odd situation here, maybe someone out there knows something; I am 52, been self- employed for nearly 30 years, don't have a pension scheme, been in the French tax system 3 years. Will anyone give me anything once I stop working or do I have to work till I drop.By anyone I mean basic UK or French pension.