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Fi

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Posts posted by Fi

  1. Have just taken a booking for two weeks in August.  Only a couple (yippee) but, the husband plays the accordion and the violin and wants somewhere to practice during the day.  Can I decently send him up the meadow, as far away from the house as possible or is that being grumpy and unwelcoming? I will strim a path and patch to stand on for him. I could even supply a parasol to shelter him from the sun.  If he's any good I don't mind listening, but if its strangled cat time I could rapidly loose my equilibrium...

    On a slightly more serious note, I will have other guests at that time.  I just hope he doesn't annoy them too much.  They do have the right to a peaceful and restful holiday (our main USP!)  I need to think of some way of asking him to have consideration for the other guests and he has to stop between 6pm and 10am.  Anyone know how to say all this in French?  My French is OK, but never had to tackle this level of diplomacy before .....

    I was so thrilled when I got the booking (it has been a very, very slow first year), now I'm thinking aaargh!

    Fi

  2. We had our fete du village yesterday.  There was a Lapinodrome - for those that don't know, a bunny is placed in the middle of a circle of 10 numbered boxes.  You buy a number from 0-9 for 2 euros.  If the bunny hops in your numbered box (completely) you win the bunny.  My 9 year old spent a large lump of our fete budget (12 euros out of 30!) trying to win a bunny and didn't.  Because I am a big soft touch I agreed that we would get a hutch and a pen then get a rabbit or two (both female of course!). 

    I am now regretting this because having checked the price of rabbit hutches, this could be a ridiculously expensive business.  Anyone know a cheap source of rabbit hutches/pens?  What could I search under on leboncoin.fr (my usual source of cheap goodies!)?  Where would be a good place to acquire a bunny?

    I had rabbits when I was young (about 5 eons ago) so I know what is entailed with bunny-keeping - I even got my Rabbitkeeper badge when I was a Girl Guide!   And I know that from November to March it is more than likely I will be chief bunny wrangler.  And they will be 100% outdoor rabbits.  I think it would kill Bryn (elderly springer) to have to refrain from eating a house rabbit.  That would be spaniel torture of the highest order.

    And finally, how do I explain to my very down to earth farming neighbours that we have no intention of eating said bunnies.  We'll carry on buying eating rabbit from the market, and just spoil the pet ones rotten? (they think we are slightly eccentric anyway).

    Said daughter also also wants some hens (price of housing issue), a couple of ferrets (know nothing about them) and a cat (then my fantastic bird watching from the kitchen window will be a thing of the past), however I do miss having a mog lurking so there is a possibility there.

    Or perhaps I should just get the Littlest Petshop game for the DS instead?

    Btw, have just acquired a couple of horsey lodgers as lawnmowers - aren't they great?

    [IMG]http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr340/FNSH/lawnmowers.jpg[/IMG]

    Fi

  3. [quote user="Anton Redman"]

    Assuming none of your other equipment such as modems PC or Washing machines with chip type controllers has died then it sounds like your dish is acting as a lightening rod. Two suggestions :

     

    Install a thick copper wire between your dish and a new picket de terre (earth rod) in your garden. The dish should have a bolt suitable for attaching  the copper wire.

     

    Also buy a surge and parafoudre extension strip for your equipment and a short extra cable with two F type connectors to route the antenna cable though the block. Example below not an endorsement

     

    http://recherche.fnac.com/search/quick.do?text=Belkin%20Parafoudre&category=electronic&subcategory=8&Origin=EF_GOOGLE_FNAC_TV&OriginClick=yes

     

    You may be incredibly lucky and find a small internal fuse has simply been blown with no other damage. [/quote]

    The internet via the livebox did pack up for a while, but the telephone line wasn't affected, and the lights, bar the network light, stayed alight.  A combination of replacing the data cable and vacuuming the innards of the pc and the fans (such a lot of dust and fluff!) seems to have sorted it out - I think this problem was more to do with the pc than the livebox.  She is coming up for her 4th birthday so probably due for honourable retirement soon.

    I will follow your advice and check out parafoudre option.  Doing anything to the dish will have to wait for the return of my staff (aka husband) next week - I'm terrified of ladders!

    Fi

  4. Back in April I posted about the death of my Freesat box - see here:

    http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1644409/ShowPost.aspx

    I did as advised (thanks Martin!) and bought a French box which does everything the Freesat box did, just without the red button on the BBC and the programme info.

    Anyway, we had a nasty storm on Friday afternoon and guess what, the French box has now packed up - no power is reaching it.  It was switched on (I was hurling abuse at some pompous t*****r on radio 4 at the time - great fun!) then pop, all dead!

    I am going to take it back to Conforama and hopefully they'll be kind to me (they always have been in the past) and give me a replacement.  Can anyone advise me as to the best way to avoid this happening again.  It seems these boxes are delicate little flowers who expire at the least provocation (or storm).  They are not earthed - could this be a factor?  And how can you get round this?

    Many thanks.

    Fi

  5. I am now feeling very very guilty.  I have (I think) been slandering the junior son and heir in a public forum.   [:$]

    I went outside this morning to inspect the estate (ok, veg patch) and discovered 6 new leek plants neatly uprooted and lying on the ground.  Went to replant them (with the aid of a big wooden spoon handle) and discovered an airspace about 20 cm down.  I think, and please do correct me if I'm wrong, that maybe Mr Mole has taken exception to leek roots in his roof and has been removing them. 

    Assuming it is Mr Mole, is their a kind way to get him to move house?  I am a trifle fed up with replanting those poor beleaguered leeks, but I don't want to resort to murder either.  Someone has to eat the leatherjackets!

    If in fact it is son and heir after all, Ron's idea appeals .......

    Fi

     

  6. [quote user="Stefan"]"looks like he has pulled out of UK for winter"

    Maybe he's looking elsewhere where his low "fares" are not going to be compromised by the forthcoming increase in Passenger Duty.[/quote]

    but the fares aren't that low.  Basle/Mulhouse-Standsted - headline price 9 euros (yipee)  add all the extras - 65 euros (unyipee) - cheaper and more convenient to use Easyjet (to Gatwick)!

  7. lait fermentee.  Near the fresh milk in the fridges. (Bought it by mistake once when late and in a hurry - didn't go down well with the troups!).. Looks like runny youghurt.  Great basis for marinading chicken (add lots of crushed garlic, some dijon mustard and a soupcon of honey).  The Dutch drink it as is ...... with a nice cheese and ham sandwich (the national dish!).

    Fi

  8. One other practical point - pay for proper, native speaker translations of any diagnoses, medical reports, school reports, etc etc.  I think having something immediately comprehensible really helped us - they knew where we were coming from.  We weren't being those (hopefully) apocryphal British expats who expect the UK with a baguette on top in their dealings with their newly adopted country.  "What do you mean you don't speak English - this is France isn't it???" [:D]

    Do not even think of using any online translation tool - worse than useless!

    Fi

  9. He is finishing with the maternelle at the village primary in about 2 weeks' time.  In September he has a place in a CLIS (classe d''integeration scolaire) in a primary school in the nearest town, which he will attend as well as continuing with his sessions at the Hopital de Jour.  He would not get this level of specialised care in the UK.  It simply does not exist  for the majority of autistic children (unless you are in a position to pay or you have a very forward thinking LEA - not many of those about!).  The UK may be progressive in theory, but the reality is that there is no money in the state system for special needs children and they get pushed around from pillar to post because no-one wants to take them on.  Lots of talk, but little action on the ground. I am sure that the same situation exists in France (check any of the French education/parenting/special needs forums - full of worries and complaints!) Putting an autistic child in a mainstream class simply would not work - for the child, it is a distressing experience, and for his classmates a disruptive one (I speak from experience.) 

    Going back to my experience here, the village primary directrice admitted she had no experience of autism.  However, she involved the enseignant referant and the school doctor, from the very beginning so we had someone who knew what was available, and, most importantly, how to access it from the start.  She even filled in all the application forms for me! The MdPH has paid for an assistant for him at the maternelle so the teaching staff can teach and there is someone dedicated to Alex.  I think I may have struck lucky, but I can't believe that I am the only person in the whole country to do so  [:)]  I really do hope not.

    I think he will do better from September than he has in the maternelle because he will be getting more targeted, specialised help.  I do not expect it to be perfect, and I know I will have to keep pushing for things like speech therapy/OT etc etc.  However, at least he will be in an environment with other children the same as him, with people who, hopefully, know what they are doing.  He will need help and support for the rest of his life - it is my job to make sure that he gets that, and reaches his full potential in whatever way he can.

    BTW, it wasn't me who waited 3 years for a diagnosis (we were diagnosed in the Netherlands within about 6 months of realising we had a problem).  The three year wait was headline news in the UK a few weeks/months ago.  Followed by more headline news of the "we've got our diagnosis, now what's available not a lot" variety.

    As I said before the ill-informed and badly-educated exist everywhere, not just in France.  I had some of my worst experiences of comments from such people in the "oh so liberal let it all hang out we never judge" Netherlands!  And much kindness and understanding from my French, rural neighbours. 

    Fi

  10. [quote user="Deby"]

    My advice is simply dont!

    Fi's experience is a complete one-off.  Its' not hit and miss in France, Limoges is one of the poorest regions in France.  Rural life in France is quite extreme, I believe it is fair to say that children with even the mildest form of difficulties in France are shunned by the local communities. Some still believe that the parents must have done something wrong in order for them to have a child with a 'problem.'

    This is probably not what you want to hear, but dont do it.  The UK has some of the best help and facilities in Europe.  Life is hard enough for non-native French children as it is.

    Do your research by all means, but do it with a very open-mind and not to justify your move to France.

    Deby

    [/quote]

    How very negative.  Deby have you had personal experience of this?  If so, you have my sympathy.  IMHO to say that children with difficulties are shunned by the local community is a sweeping generalisation, along the lines of all Brits wear bowler hats and are hopeless in bed!  There are small minded, ill-informed bigots in all areas of society and in all countries. Ignore them - don't give them the attention they crave!   In what way is rural life "extreme"?  Having experienced rural life in the UK, it really isn't that different (apart from being in French of course!). 

    Re services in the UK - have you been keeping up to date with what is happening there?  People waiting 3 years for a diagnosis, a general lack of joined up thinking - education say it is a health issue, health authorities saying it is an educational issue, all the time the poor child is floundering. Without charities such as the Autism Society there would be one large black hole - unless you are rich of course!

    My non-native French children are doing OK here - their language is still far from perfect, but they have been accepted, they go on playdates, birthday celebrations, holiday clubs and apart from the usual kid rivalries/"you're not my friend anymore" stuff that is global, it's fine.  Not perfect, but where is?

    Not for one moment am I saying that everything in France is wonderful and fab - of course it isn't - but it isn't in some kind of 19th century timewarp in terms recognition, understanding and help for those less fortunate either.

    Fi

  11. About a 1000 years ago I stayed with a French family in the Vendee.  They served up a dish of dried beans (mouget??) which I seem to recall involved about a tonne of butter and lots of garlic.  It was very, very delicious.  I have been wracking my brains trying to think of what the real name was and how it was cooked.  Can anyone shed any light?  It was served with sausages (no, not the appalling andouillette) I think.

    Thanks

    Fi

  12. Many thanks for the info.  I'll just have to go and get some more plants (such hardship) - at least Mr "what do you need all these plants for anyway" Grumpypants is away this weekend so I won't have to go into stealth plant acquisition mode.

    Enjoy the sunshine

    Fi

  13. [quote user="Cerise"]

    My nephew in UK - a bright, intelligent, attractive and dynamic lad of 9 - has Aspergers.  In England the help he gets enables him to be happy, friendly and top of his class.  When I have mentioned his Aspergers to French friends, including some who are teachers, they have assumed he is mentally retarded and feel nothing but pity for him and his parents.  My GP has never even heard of Aspergers (and he is young and pretty go ahead).  In our local schools there is NO PROVISION at all for anyone with any sort of learning difficulties.  Any provision there is in any rural area will be in French, as will medical services including psychiatrists.  Are you language skills up to this?

    If you decide you really want to go ahead with this you need to to do research, research and more research and above all make sure you can find schools, colleges etc who can deal with it and with whom you are able to communicate.  You need to be aware that in many parts of rural France any form of handicap is still seen as shameful and something which cannot be discussed.

    One of the key features of Aspergers is that those with the syndrome find change extremely difficult.  Is it really fair to a child who will have to make extra effort all his life just to keep in par with his peers to force such huge changes upon him, possibly with no or little support.

    [/quote]

    This has not been my experience at all!  My 5 year old is autistic (no speech, not toilet trained, highly intelligent and very lovable though!)

    Through the village school (57 pupils in total) we have made contact with the area special needs coordinator and the school doctor, both of whom are very clued up on the subject of autism and other special needs issues.  Within a month or arriving, we had a meeting where I was advised to make an appointment with the local Hopital de Jours des Enfants for Alex to be assessed.  After the assessment it was agreed that he would continue to attend the local school for a couple of hours a day for socialisation purposes (with the help of an assistant), and he would attend the HdJ twice a week for more specialised help and therapy.  They continue to function during school holidays so the routine is maintained which is helpful.

    Additionally the assistant social at the HdJ has helped with all the applications for benefits for Alex - if I get anything I don't understand I can arrange a rdv within days and get any issues resolved.

    Through the education service we have applied for, and been allocated, a place in a local CLIS TED class (that is a special needs class within a mainstream school) from September onwards. 

    Transport is arranged for him.

    If  I have any problems, or worries, or just need a little bit of support, I can always get it from the school, the HdJ or one of the numerous autism support groups (try googling autisme/aspergers plus your intended department to find them - they will be francophone, so you will need some French language skills though).

    Oh yes, and I don't pay for any of this!

    This is a very rural part of France and I have never had a bad moment with anyone because of Alex's problems.  In fact I have had more sympathy and support here than I have ever had either in the Netherlands or the UK - not once have I had to resort to "he's autistic - what's your excuse for your appalling manners?".  I am very open about Alex's autism (I have to be!), and the "worst" thing that happens is that I have to explain some of the issues - this is not because the person concerned is being nasty, they are genuinely interested and want to understand. 

    Yes, it was an upheaval, and no it isn't easy all the time, but I have to disagree with Cerise - the help is there - it is probably something of a postcode lottery so a lot of research will be required though.  It has not been a negative experience for any of us, and now we are settled down, Alex is a much happier child than he was in the Netherlands or the UK.  It's the other two who are having problems settling - it is happening for them but so slowly.  They get lots of extra help with their language skills and maths (for my daughter) at school too.

    To the OP, please feel free to pm me - then perhaps a phone conversation would be in order?

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

    Fi

    PS  You could always move to the Vosges instead - it's beautiful here, houses are cheap and I know the help you need exists![:D]

  14. My 5 year old botanist decided to investigate the root system of a growing leek.  Sadly, in order to do this, each plant had to be uprooted, dissected, torn into tiny pieces and then discarded.  Mummy (aka chief botanist) was not impressed, but did remain remarkably calm in the circumstances [6].  She has also been left with 6 rather sad-looking mini leeks with large gaps between them.  There were 2 rows of around 20 each originally.  I am not bitter (but I do have a restorative glass of rose in my hand at the moment).

    I love leeks.  They are one of my favourite veggies.  I am a very unhappy bunny.  Can anyone think of something I could plant at this late stage to fill the gaps?  I have seen leek plants (or it could be grass[;-)] ) in the local garden centre - but is it too late?  Or should I uproot the survivors of the attack and plant something else (but  not lettuce - we're not big on lettuce and I already have a cut and come again patch for the occasional salad leaf)? 

    We got our first serious snowfall at the end of October last year which could limit the possibilities.  The veg patch is sunny so most things would be quite happy.

    Any ideas gratefully received. 

    Fi

  15. [quote user="Mikep"]Can you not simply post the application form and photo to a suitable signatory in the UK? That's what we did last time, to our former solicitors.

    [/quote]

    I could but it would be a last resort for me.  There is an issue of time, an issue of things going astray in the post,  and most importantly who? - we haven't lived in the UK for nearly 4 years (we were in the Netherlands before coming to France)  so I don't have any current professional-type relationships with doctors/lawyers/teachers etc

    Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

  16. I know this has been covered in the past, but my search only brought a post from 2005 and I fear it could be out of date.  And none of the links on it work any more.

    I need to renew my 5 year old's passport.  We've been here since last October, so it is impossible to find a counter-signatory who has known me for 2 years.  Our "oldest" acquaintance is the immobilier who has know us for slightly more than a year.  I can't find any means of contacting the Consulate to ask what I should do.  (Incidentally the Amsterdam consulate has an email enquiry service which is terrible efficient - and very easy to find on their website!).

    Any ideas/advice?  Thanks.

  17. [quote user="oldgit72"][quote user="Fi"]

    "I'm certain the scheme wasn't set up to allow inactif Brits to get into the system, more to get French people working illegaly to pay into the system by registering. If they have got a few hundred thousand people paying into a system that needs any additional funds it can get it's hands on then I doubt they will be too interested in a few hundred Brits who benefit as a bi-product. As with most things in life, it's about getting what you need whilst staying within the rules."

    Absolutely.  Couldn't agree with you more.  I think the authorities were slightly surprised by the rate of take-up, any maybe didn't consider every single possible scenario, hence the confusion.  However, in my ever so humble opinion, there does seem to be a feeling from some contributors on this subject on this forum and the other one,  that, by wanting to register our (in my case ever so tiny) businesses and work within a proper legal and fiscal framework in the simplest way possible, we are in some way trying to rip off the system.  Not so! 

    It's raining now.  Dutch weather - not what I came here for! My little limace chums will like it though.

    Fi

    [/quote]

     

    Raining in Charente too but here it's British rain - grey and cold. As a matter of interest Fi does a Dutch E106 expire after 2 years or do the Dutch provide permanent payment for healthcare in France in the same way they would if you were still in Holland?

    [/quote]

    The healthcare system in Holland is insurance based.  For as long as my husband is working there and paying the insurance premium, we will have an E106.  However, we will need to renew it, if he's still working there (which I really hope he won't be!).  The E106 is issued by the insurance company, not the state.

  18. "I'm certain the scheme wasn't set up to allow inactif Brits to get into the system, more to get French people working illegaly to pay into the system by registering. If they have got a few hundred thousand people paying into a system that needs any additional funds it can get it's hands on then I doubt they will be too interested in a few hundred Brits who benefit as a bi-product. As with most things in life, it's about getting what you need whilst staying within the rules."

    Absolutely.  Couldn't agree with you more.  I think the authorities were slightly surprised by the rate of take-up, any maybe didn't consider every single possible scenario, hence the confusion.  However, in my ever so humble opinion, there does seem to be a feeling from some contributors on this subject on this forum and the other one,  that, by wanting to register our (in my case ever so tiny) businesses and work within a proper legal and fiscal framework in the simplest way possible, we are in some way trying to rip off the system.  Not so! 

    It's raining now.  Dutch weather - not what I came here for! My little limace chums will like it though.

    Fi

  19. [quote user="Polly"].

    However.... in making these comments I assume that your business is registered in some way, and that you declare the income generated to the French tax authorities. Your advert could generate some fiscal or other administrative enquiries.

    [/quote]

    I am legit.  Have registered under the AE scheme.  Good idea about laminating something as a first attempt while I get something more permanent organised.  Don't want to get those dreadful self-adhesive letters that no-one can get straight! 

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