5-element

http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/1HAMDF3ENQV20 [:D]

Has anyone mentioned yet, this time-favoured activity for some: READING while sitting in the toilet for ages and ages. I have always wondered how this works in relation to those ubiquitous germs - I mean, you have to be able to put your book away, finish your business (wiping, that is), AND wash your hands before you can get hold of the book again, etc... So far, I have yet to see a system that takes reading into account...what does the panel think? And in spite of being someone who DOES wash her hands systematically and regularly, I can't resist looking at the literature lying about on a side-shelf in the WC - whereas, I never touch magazines left in doctors' waiting rooms. I also have to confess that sometimes, I do go to the loo WITH the book I am currently reading.[:'(]

But surely you need to take off only ONE leg of the trousers and pants, and then bunch up the rest up the other leg? And using one's teeth, yes I can see that. Or tucking any dangling trouser leg into one's bra? Whichever way it goes, it is pretty complicated. As for walking past men in action in the urinals, I take personal pride in being able to do that in the most nonchalant way possible, whistling casually as I squeeze past. But (this may sound a tad radical) I also believe in going into men's toilets when there is too long a queue for the women's ones. Who are these people who design both toilets,  they never take into account that all the children ALSO go into women's toilets, and therefore there should be far more women's toilets than male ones.

[quote user="sweet 17"] Wonder what implications this has for the evolution of memory in the human species?[:D] [/quote] The implications are  that memory lapses can be kept private for much longer than in the pre-Google days![:-))]

This has to be one of the best threads we have had in a long time!!!!

[quote user="cooperlola"] At least Madame le Maire (I think we should maybe call her Marie, Christine[Www]) has the gumption to understand that money is money, no matter what its source. [/quote] It's funny, I distinctly remember as a child, hearing Madame le Maire being called "la mairesse" - just like the instituteur was called "le maitre" and the institutrice "la maitresse" - but it's true I haven't heard the term "la mairesse" for some time. Hence the use of "mayoress" here, although now I am unsure (and too lazy to go back to it) of what she is called in the M6 clip.   As for brass bands, we have a fabulous one here, called "l'Harmonie ***cienne", and many of the musicians there are also part of the Big Jazz Band - both are rather classy, as bands of that kind go.  

Very interesting link Christine - I had missed it on M6. The mayoress worked so hard at re-vitalising the village, what a great success! Fantastic how well the restaurant is doing, partly thanks to the British customers. Well worth watching, and it's under 7 minutes long!

Bonne chance Norman, may the medics heal you good and proper. Can you see me waving at you from just up the road? No doubt you will find a way to get an internet connection eventually, one way or another, as you did before. See you soon.

[quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="5-element"]Pity it clashes with "L'amour est dans le pré"...[:(][/quote]Don't forget there's now an ITV+1 channel, 5E.[/quote] That's probably dead useful info Coops. Does ITV+1 do repeats of ITV?

The origins of fishing go back to Adam and Eve.

Pity it clashes with "L'amour est dans le pré"...[:(]

I would slice then lengthwise, drizzle some olive oil on, herbs and salt and pepper, and grill them. Then put them in old margarine tubs, and freeze them. Freezing always feels safer for me than preserving, especially with the current botulism scare.

It is quite rare, and it is very bad. In this particular case,  the sterilising procedures were at fault (no real autoclave, as required for commercially sold preserves). Botulism can occur with faulty home-preserving too! The three young women who were contaminated in Northern France are in intensive care, sedated for at least three weeks. And now, the alert is being extended to a whole range of products, which have been sold everywhere in Europe. Now it is not just tapenade which is implicated. "La Ruche", "Les Delices de Marie-Claire" , "Terre de Mistral" and "Les Secrets d'Anais" products. These include "la tapenade d'olives vertes aux amandes, la tartinade de tomates séchées et tous les produits de la marque Terre de Mistral, l’alerte concerne aussi désormais des anchoïades, des thoïonades, du caviar d'aubergine, du pesto sauce pistou, de la poivronnade, de la poichichade et de l'artichonade" http://www.francesoir.fr/actualite/sante/botulisme-liste-des-produits-suspectes-s-etend-135060.html

Further to Norman's very helpful efforts, I have just looked at the "Dictionary of French Medical Terms" in paperback - with an introduction to the French medical system French-English, and English-French. It was published in 2007 by Summersdale (9.99 pounds), edited by Richard Whiting. It looks really, really useful - if you can bear in mind that some things have changed since 2007 - for instance, an E121 is now an S1. But all the medical terms are the same

"creatively prepared from scratch on the premises" - yes, I do see the problem, Norman and Chancer. [:'(]

When I read about the first people intoxicated (the Avignon family), they weren't sure whether it was from the tapenade, or the dried tomatoes. Better make one's own.[:'(]

I was going to post a photo of the "Venus kallipygos" (beautiful buttocks) except that when I looked at her just now, she didn't seem all that ample anymore. How things change... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Kallipygos   which reminds me of the movie "Venus noire" http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=137366.html

[quote user="cooperlola"]  I think short hair on women  is probably OK (although personally I think it's most unflattering, but that's a matter of taste)  [/quote] I have also thought for years that long hair is much more flattering for women, even older women, because you can do chignons and all sorts of things with it. That goes against general the notion that older women SHOULD have short hair. So I have had my hair long for about 10 years now. BUT -  partly in your honour Deb (although you didn't know about it), and partly because of my pesky and incredibly painful frozen shoulder, (only able to reach my hair with one arm, I have been looking like an old witch  for several weeks) here is what I did. I took the plunge yesterday and went "chez Simone", and had all my hair almost shaved off). Simone the patronne, having done hair for 40 years,  was jubilant at the thought of shearing off my golden locks (well, "venetian" blonde), as she said she would make me look 20 years younger - she went as far as saying afterwards "Oh you do look like Jane Fonda!" (which I most emphatetically DO NOT!). Anyway, it is such a relief to be able to eat without a mouthful of hair, and to be able to put in my earplugs without hair getting caught. And when you wake up, no need to do your hair! You will look OK, honestly you will. You might start experimenting, as others have said, with make up (just for fun), with jewellery, and with plunging necklines! Big hug (one-armed one)XX  

I have just looked at Norman's links. [:'(] It makes me want to move to Britanny.[:(] Give me the Festival Interceltique de Lorient any day! Do you think that this is what Northern Europeans see, when they say they want to come to France for the laid back lifestyle, to live like the French? There may be sunshine, there may be wine, but as for the culture.... But it's not ALL like this. Here, not a million miles away from Norman, we have once a year, "Cuisines dans la Rue" - where for 15 euros, you can sample dishes cooked by various local chefs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQD0YafVkgI and some tourists even video the event! We also have the rugby club which cooks a "boeuf à la broche", followed by a bal. And the omelette géante too. And various concerts. Organ concerts in the local church, reggae night, salsa night, accordion concert, argentinian tango, karaoke, various times when you can get the usual moules-frites, and once a year, a repas de quartier after hearing the mayor's speech (usually, a self-eulogy, showing how much he is doing for the town, which can then justify the astronomical taxes foncières we pay here) And a few weeks ago, we had in the next village, a "festival country!" with live band, and line dancers who came from miles and miles, doing their thing in the dusty field. But this weekend, what we have is "Festival Irlandais"!!!!!!!  this afternoon, an atelier de danse irlandaise, then an apéro with a live performance by a local expat blues musician, then a repas irlandais (no idea what this will be). I think they may sell Guiness.[:)]

While it's OK to be shapely (think Matisse, Rubens, etc.) one can still aim for muscular, rather than flabby and wobbly!

Idun and Chancer, you are splendid examples of franglais-speak, at least on the forum, [8-|]I don't know about real life. What I do like, (as someone who is also part of the Franglais fraternity) is to have involved and animated conversations with other bilingual friends, as we weave in and out from one language to the other. I had a Lebanese friend once, and of course together we spoke a mixture of English and French, except that she also injected bits of Arabic inopportunément. At home, we speak English all the time. This always seems to surprise people, but we it find normal since we  met in England, where I never spoke French. When I say we speak English all the time, of course it tends to be franglais too - English is just the baseline.[:D]

Breasts belonging to anyone else than the person attached to them, that always strikes me as terribly odd. Do men's testicles belong to the wives? Don't think so. I might be contentious but to me, it is in the same category as a man saying "we are pregnant" when his partner is expecting their baby. Being pregnant is not quite the same as "going to be a father". Unless the womb is shared equally? However, what I HAVE noticed in Frenchwomen my own generation (that is,  a bit older than 40-something), is that many, even in retirement, will adjust their timetable to fit in with their husband's. In a class I go to, which is great, great fun, if it is in the evening (for an hour, from 7.30 to 8.30), the only women who go regularly are the ones who live on their own. On two occasions now, (and even a third which is even worse, because the woman concerned won't even admit to it), two different women have said that they can't go because the husband doesn't like it, he wants her to not only provide his dinner, but also be there to share it with him when he comes home exhausted after some tournoi de pétanque. And god forbid that there should be anything clashing with his sacro-sanct annual repas des anciens combattants. His wife just has to be there with him, full stop, even when there is something she REALLY wants to do taking place that day. My 85-year old neighbour said to me once "You are lucky that your husband lets you go out on your own!". Presumably,  her (now deceased) husband, would not allow it.   About HFP, the less said the better[6].

double post, must be sticky fingers.... or hiccups!

[quote user="Christine Animal"] I would far prefer to be a gonzesse than a salope which is far worse and doesn't have the same meaning at all.    [:P]   [/quote] Me too! Definitely not in the same league!

Heroin! I was quite astonished when I saw someone shooting up in my local launderette whilst I was living in Montpellier. Hardly hiding, but perhaps he was past caring. The little town where I live was called a "plaque tournante de la drogue" recently, in a TV programme. And "la drogue" here is not cannabis, but harder stuff. Apparently, this whole area is (sounds a bit like Morlaix)  - because we are on the way from Spain to some of the rest of Europe. As for burglaries, it seems that cars disappear regularly - get driven to Marseille, and then on a boat to North Africa. Lots of petty thieving, and people do seem a little paranoid about security here, I don't know how frequently real burglaries occur. My next door neighbour seems to think that he is well equipped to deal with any burglars, as he has a gun ready. Maybe it's just a shotgun, I don't know.