Panda
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[quote user="crossy67"][quote user="ericd"]
[quote user="crossy67"]Aubeterre-Sur-Dronne. [/quote]
.......There are two Aubeterre-sur-Dronne ....Creuse and Charente, both cannot be a majority of Brits ???
[/quote]
Sud Charente, sorry.
[/quote]Yes that's where I thought you meant and all joking aside it is a lovely village! The numbers of Brits does swell in the summer due to holiday home ownership in the area I believe.
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[quote user="crossy67"]Get your point but that is the UK where we don't even say hello to our neighbours. France is totally different, we are greeted by almost every one walking towards us on the street, even adolescent teenagers, it seems to me (maybe totally naively) that France is much more sociable and the introduction or presentation of your self to the head of the local community would be a courteous thing to do and it cost's nothing. I am not going to pucker up and ask him to bend over but I want to get off on the right foot.
[/quote]It's quite ironic Crossy that you have chosen to live near to Aubeterre since the area is overrun with Brits!
Hopefully they will not all be like the miserable ones you are leaving behind in the UK, theey're not all like that honest! Try shopping in the nearest big store and NOT be surrounded by Brits, the area is a true Brit enclave, one nearby village has 16 Brit owned houses in a commune of around 25 houses.
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This is at odds to my experience in the UK, if an item it marked as a certain price then I've always got it at that price regardless, I always understood that was my right, perhaps it was just to get rid of me, I do complain loudly!
I know for internet goods they dont have to sell you the item at the price quoted but again just this week, an online store made a huge error on an item marking it as 14£ instead of 114£, they called me to explain it was a typo, I played on this stating I I still wanted the item what could they do etc, they sold me the item (heavy weight horse rug) at 40£, a massive reduction, no postage and could not have been more helpful, recognising it as their mistake.
In France Ive done the same, some picture frames marked at a low price, at the till they came up as 20 euro each instead of the 4euro clearly marked on the shelf, they shrugged and I just said no, I want the price you have advertised them at, they tried to say leave them then I said no, you've marked them at that price I want them at that price, they did it in the end, 20 mintes and two section managers later!
I would be interested to know the exact law on it althoug up until now I've always done OK out of it.
The one store that ALWAYS gets pricing wrong is Decathlon, I have never visted them without having to get the goods repriced when an offer does not come through at the till, I just expect it now!
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Well done Millie, keep at it!
As others have said there are people all over that feel threatened by 'strangers' taking jobs etc. I worked in France for a lovely french employer who welcomed Brits because of their work ethic, now as Brits complain over here about Polish etc taking low wages, the French used to have a go at me for being very flexible with my employer.
I used to work when she needed me and not when she didn't, I took holidays when it was quiet all for the good of this very tiny business, the people that made these comments were supposed friends of my boss and they could not understand why I would work this way, didnt get the fact that if she failed then we had no job and so supporting/workiung for a business can mean putting them first but ultimatley we all gain! The french idea about relationships with employers is at odds with my own and many others who've worked in fledging businesses.
So you've encountered some people who have fears that you could do a better job, nothing more, go out and show them!!
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[quote user="chessie"]
It is the nasty, under-hand way this is being done in the UK; where most people - on the grounds of humane treatment for animals - would prefer 'normally' slaughtered meat and think that what they are buying/eating has been slaughtered in accord with normal UK humane animal welfare practice (if the two can be said to go together). This is what is causing the 'fuss'....
I was very concerned that the same situation would/could develop here. It would seem that France is more honest with its customers, thank goodness. But what are McD's like here in France? In the UK they did attempt to go over to Halal in some areas but had to abandon it once people became aware of what was happening and boycotted those McDs.
[/quote]Meat is labelled with the origin in the same way as it is in France, not sure why you think France is any more honest on that front. Example, the chicken Im about to cook is clearly labelled as free range (I would trust that label more in the UK than in France simply due to the way the french view animal welfare) and the name of the farm and stated as British.
You can buy halal meat in some supermarkets but is is clearly labelled as such and was available in France, again in a separate section.
This does just seem to be the daily mail trying to stir up some racial issues, same old sh*t served up everytime some gullable idiot reads and quotes them. I just wish expats would find a better source of UK news or better still read some french news!!
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I switched to using Avantix when Frontline no longer worked, never had any bad effects. Interestingly UK fleas are not immune to Frontline it would seem, the french vet said that they used components of frontline in the fields as pesticides and that is why the fleas were no longer killed by it, perhaps he was right...
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I have pm'd you.
(Go to the top left of the screen and click on private messages to access your messages)
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Having lived in both countries very recently I can compare the pace of life and how it's been for me.
One of the many reasons I ended up living in France was due to the stress of everyday life in the UK, I had a young son and was working long hours as I had risen sufficiently in my career to warrant a relatively high salary and the pressures that come with it. When I came to France I enjoyed being able to relax, I took my job with me but with much fewer hours and none of the requirements to be involved in the day to day polictics and enless rounds of meetings so I had lots of time on my hands. In my first month I read all 4 of the Lord of the Rings books (includng the Hobbit) so you can imagine the shift in pace was huge for me. I enjoyed it this way and as I had no family that required me to show my face every couple of days and no work place to to go to, I could do as I pleased.
After about 3 years the lack of structure started to get to me though and I craved a reason to be in a particular place and to end the drifting. We moved house at this time so had a new purpose, this lasted another year, house renovated, what now? We then moved ot the Alps, new place to explore, new issues, even a part time job, this all became run of the mill after 6 months and it was at this point that the decision to move back was made, this was influenced by my sons growing hatred of schooling in France.
So now I'm back in UK, what has changed?
I still work for the same company but as an employee again not a contractor, I resisted the offer of my old level of job back and continued to work from home part-time, I do vist my mum and family every couple of days but because I couldn't for so long, I really enjoy it. I do something everyday here with friends, swim, run, walk, ride or play hockey, I am getting fit again which I really enjoy. I never found any 'girl friends' in France but have rekindled all of those i lost touch with before and thats the reason I 'do' so much in the evenings.
I am a better person for living in France, I am less wealthy without doubt and hold a lower position than I could have done but being in France has made me treasure friends, family and bizarrly my job and my employers. there is a certain amount of freedom offered when you have a steady income and of course a certain lack of it when you don't, I really appreciate that now.
Still love both countries though....
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I just made the same realisation (Idun is T U).
I was one of the ones who called T U very negative and went on about how everything was rosy in France and education was brill , I wish I had listened to you TU/Idun, would have saved me some heartache, thankfully the penny dropped for me on the education front and my son is none the worse for it all back in the UK. Funnily enough it was lving in the Alps that made me realise how poor it was for him!
Wooly do you want us non living ex-immigrants with houses still in France not to post? Do we change the flow of things do you think? I still have too much cash tied up in France to just switch off, I also visit regularly so would like to keep in touch with people, no other reason.
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[quote user="Russethouse"]
Panda, It must depend on your mother, mine has always been as tight as a tic(k) and when my father sometimes wanted to give us money for something or other (and I'm talking in tens here) I have literally seen her grab his hand as he put it his pocket to stop him.
This year she has become immobile, for nearly two months she was in hospital 25 miles from me and over 50 from my sister, despite that not only did one of us go to visit everyday but as she complained so much about the meals we also took her food too(and she is a fussy eater, smoled salmon sandwiches, fresh rasberries and cream, Fruit yogurts and pannacotta deserts, no chance of getting away with a few grapes)
We arranged her discharge and her ongoing care - we liaise with care agencies, sort out her laundry, get her shopping and organise her meals (God Bless Wiltshire Farm Foods )do we get a thankyou, leave alone a contribution to expenses? Not likely ......[/quote]
I'm talking about you with your kids though Russethouse, the next generation, what are they like around money with you, do you pay for everything for them? My parents didnt have much money so I never had much help either but it never occured to me to expect any, it wasnt the done thing then, what Im saying is one generation on and my sister is bank rolling her well educated off spring into their thirites, what happneed in one generation?
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Eric started it.....
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When searching out a hairdresser their linguistic ability should come secondary to their ability not to turn you into one of megenta masses. Take a picture, any one will do you will still howl when you come out and you will not resemble the picture!
Sorry cant help, where is 22 anyway?
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[quote user="sweet 17"]
As Pat says, doctors here do not earn anything like their British counterparts. The last I heard, GPs in the UK earn in excess of a six-figure sum annually (a bit like MPs, some of money being made up of "expenses" and bonuses).
I was told that typically French medicins earn about €45000 p a. But, whilst I know quite a bit about NHS pay, I know nothing about the pay of French medical personnel so I cannot guarantee that the last figure is accurate.
[/quote]
Really?? Study for that long and have to look at all manner of nasties for that! No wonder there's a shortage of doctors. Mine always seemed quite well off though. Perhaps it's 45k basic plus the 23 euro per patient?
Forgot to say I was bumped up the queue when I went in with my son once, not when he walked in but when I walked in carrying him one time, must be based on how poorly they look I guess.
EDIT found this
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That was a good deal Jaqui for 2 ! I paid 45 for one dog and the vet did not give him a check up, just the flea treatment and the wormer, not sure about the 10 miute/30 minute aspect, perhaps that posters vet was justifying his money, mine has no such qualms. It is a rip off and stand by the money for old rope post. I certainly dont pay more in the UK for Vets quite the opposite, the rabies jabs alone are a fraction of the cost as they last for so much longer. Perhaps I should research a new vet in France.
It's a rediculous requirement IMO anyway, any owner who pays to travel with thier pet will be the sort to ensure they have been deflead and wormed anyway, we should have the option of sticking our own lables to the book as proof, no ver required!
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I too am really shocked by how much kids rely on parents well into their thirties. I see it first hand as I have a large family and lots of nephews and nieces. I have a real issue with it and when I point out that I think niece X should arrange her own bank account/mortgage/job interview/uni digs you name it, I am always told wait until your son is in the position and you will want to help them. I really dont beleive I will, I think it's wrong to keep bailing them out, they just keep getting into debt or dont know which mortgage product to go for next time around as they dont understand it etc. They also get handouts constantly and most of the older kids earn a really good wage so there is no excuse at all.
I bought my first house at 19 and my parents had nothing to do with it, not a single thing, I struggle to see how kids are expected to learn to stand on their own two feet if they are constantly aided in this way. I agree with the other posters, teach them how to cook, budget etc and then back away . I would never see any of my family in genuine need but this is just apron strings gone mad.
I have an older sister whose kids are not that much younger than me and they too will step back if bank of mum and dad are around say at a family meal out, it annoys me intensely since my sister is not far off retirement age, what age will they start to care for her? I wouldn't dream of having my mum pay for anything in my company, so what changed in one generation?
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How beautiful is he?? What a lovely last photo, safe, fat, full and asleep!!
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My own experiences with the french education system are generally known on here, what struck me with this the most were the statements about ailments induced by stress, my son had almost daily headaches such that he had to see a doctor and have his eyes tested on numerous occasions, he also had a recurring stomach issues for which a cause was never really found. I also had a requirement to see a specialist and was even told to take him to see a child psychiatrist , since leaving France he has not had a single day off school for illness and has never come home with a head or stomach ache i had never really thought about this before but now it seems obvious that he was feeling the stress very heavily, he is now a happy chirpy boy who has much more confidence, I really am glad that I took him out when I did, I'm certain it works for some kids but my son is a sensitive chap and although he did well in school he obviously felt the strain.
I do feel kids are oppressed in french school, my son is very polite and well mannered something that is often said to me but there is a price to pay for this and I think there has to be some middle ground between the UK and french systems,perhaps Sweden is the answer, I hear only good things about schooling there..
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[quote user="misplacedperson"]On the other hand, Mr M landed a job as assistant chef this summer (no catering qualifications, previous kitchen experience limited to plonge jobs as a student) and has been taken on for the winter season as well.
[/quote]As someone who's had to eat the cr*p served up in many alpine establishments I cant say I'm surprised!! The rules of employment seem to get bent out of shape in the Alps, it was the only place I ever managed to secure 'proper' french employment, OH too, we had no experience but as the work is so seasonal the french are not that keen, most jobs are filled by imported talent dont you find?
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My story is similar to Wills but bizzarley I do still hanker for the rural idyl. I would ideally like my french house right here on the edge of a small housing estate in the UK, so I would still have 20 acres of my own to be 'alone' in but could pop across the road for a chat with friends and my son would have all his friends to play in the forest with, that would be ideal but finding that could prove tricky!!
I dont regret being in France or coming back to the UK, I will move again but more likely to Devon once son is off to Uni or wherever he choses.
I feel sorry for the people returning with money issues as finding somewhere to live (ie get a mortgage) is very hard these days if you've been out of the country. I really struggled and only got one due to the fact that I had continuos employment whilst in France and returned to work for the same company, so had a number of years service. You also need a 20% plus deposit, hard when houses are not selling in France.
If you come back with no job (or just start a job) you will struggle coupled with the fact that you will get no beneifts for sometime due to not having paid NI for a considerable period of time. Those returning in these circumstances have more hardship to face I fear.
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Hello
I found the CIC were good at making a quick decision on applications BUT unless your 'campsite' for 80k has an income already which can be proved or you have a 'provable' and ongoing income of which 30% can be used for mortgage repayments you may struggle to get a loan at all these days. A business plan might do it if done well but these days all loans are difficult with a sniff of risk they are impossible.
P
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[quote user="Francelover"]
Interesting point about women. Don't want to walk into a minefield here but one of the biggest differences I've noticed between rural France and rural UK is the attitude (or apparent attitude) of women - I'm a man I need to admit.
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Yes, tt used to make my blood boil, I would walk into a builders merchants and start talking about requirements, I would invaribly have a random man with me, either OH or other of our Brit friends who needed me to put across what exactly they wanted as their french was not good enough, the pillock behind the counter would address them with the answers depsite it being me doing the talking!! I found chavinism to be alive and doing well in France and was expected to be the little woman. It's not something I have ever experienced in the UK and found it shocking.
Lack of aspiration is not a girl only thing, in rural france they are tuaght not to expect too much of life as jobs are scarce etc. it was one of my other issues, I want my son to achieve everything he can not to listen to his prof talking about the army or a manual job to his peers.
Hmm, good for society, not sure about that, its an interesting point of view, I guess it could be and in a country where work is very scarce i guess halving those looking for work maybe the right thing epspecially since then you have someone to care for the kids etc..
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I think the point is you come to realise that you will never be fully accepted/integrated in rural france and as Wooly says it's not a great deal different if you're french and move into an area, you are still considered an outsider, not as much as Brit would be but still an outsider.
So for many it's not a case of redifining integration it's deciding if you want to live with only shallow acquaintancies and whether this style and level of 'integration' is for you or not. I guess it depends on your personality and how you lived before.
The closest I came to a like minded french woman was one who had travelled extensively and went to Uni in the US, the other french woman I met were stay at home mums with very little interest outside of the home, I lived in a very rural area though so this would account for itt. Had I lived in Paris I'm sure I would have found some women with whom I could click with but then I would never have moved to France to live in a city so not much I could do on that front.
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[quote user="Tieman"]I hope I can benefit from the Forums combined wisdom? We are looking at renting out our home in Vendee via a well established local property sales/rental agency and see the following clause in their contract: Honoraires de gestion. Les honoraires se rapportant à votre gestion s'élèveront à 7.48% T.T.C. et seront prélevés sur chaque relevé de compte. To us, charging 7.48% (over and above their 30% cut/fee on rental receipts) to pay rental money into our French bank account sounds a lot for not a lot of work. Are we simply misunderstanding this deduction or is it just a standard charge/fee in the rental sector that we have to accept? Thanks in advance for all the words of wisdom. David[/quote]
The renters pays a fee up front to the agent when they take the property, you pay in this case, 7.48% for the management of the rental which for me includes things like insurance for non payment, the rest is for the collection of and likely chasing down the rent on a monthly basis, it's about standard if it includes insurance, high if not. You need to say what it includes to make a comparison.
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There is no clique at all but there is an honesty that some find difficult to take.
The only reason this tit for tat has broken out is due to totally daft comparisons being posted when the OP just wanted advice about a swap, not being told in daily mailesque tones that the UK has gone to the dogs and France is some kind of utopia.
We all know both countries and most of us on here are fairly fluent in french, watch the french news, read the papers and so appreciate the issues of both countries, many Brits in france would not have a clue what the days headlines are in France but would still here about issues in the UK as they watch the UK news, this leads to a disortion of how things are. Im not suggesting this is you but when people seem to present these kind of comparisons they are rarely balanced in view.
Do continue to post and do start the thread about going back if you are interested in the subject but please accept we all have our views and dont mind telling people about them!
Pregnant dog
in Animal Welfare, Rescue & Protection
Posted