Tourangelle

Bluebee, They only have the right to buy if you are selling!  If it is fully equipped, does that mean it is furnished?  If you let a place that is furnished, different rules may apply.  You could consult the ADIL or the ANIL who advise on these matters, their website doesn't seem to work but you could try ringing them, I have found them good in the past, they tell you what your rights are and it is free.

and être, I can't believe I forgot être. People use the passé composé of the subjunctive quite a lot, I don't think it would raise any eyebrows at all, but I agree that the imperfect isn't used very much.  The French sometimes get the subjunctive wrong, though, listen out for après que, they are always putting in the subjunctive after, but it must be the indicative. [:P]

The subjunctive isn't that hard, it is often the same  as the present, or if it looks different is pronounced the same, like il faut que j'aie.. is like j'ai.  The only ones you really need to use that are very different are savoir, vouloir faire and aller, so it is not too bad.  Got to disagree with Ron though, as in history they often use the present, so the past historic is even more useless than suggested[:)]

You need the subjunctive much more than the passé simple, which is never used in speech, unless you are De Gaulle!  It is in the nature of the subjuctive that there can't be a future, because it indicates uncertainty.  If you think that is complicated, consider that we don't actually have a future tense in English!!

it is very difficult to get anything cadbury except fingers, anybody know why

Going private means two things in France.  Either it is a school which is sous-contrat, which means that the curriculum is exactly the same as in a state school, the teachers have basically the same training, and fees will be very low indeed, or it is a "real" private school (so not sous-contrat) where the fees will be high and these are equivalent to a private, or indeed a public school in the UK. 

No, but I know what an "educateur" is within the contexte of a school, it is somebody who helps out children and their parents when there are difficulties, often in terms of behaviour.  A child will be assigned an "educateur" who will often liaise with the school.  So I don't know whether this stage is for this, but if it is, it isn't for teaching. 

FT off peak used to start at 19.00, but I don't know if this is still the case

Maire not marie unless you happen to be on first name terms!! [:)][:)][:D] I think you'd have problems getting a dérogation for a maternelle, but obviously you could pay for the private school as le jars suggests

I expect it is so you can declare your taxes

I don't think it is funny, I think it is just stupid and reflects very badly on the company involved.  How unprofessional.  Of course it is incredibly annoying to be caught up in strikes.  However this trite piece of nonsense seems to suggest that the people who are on strike are do so lightly and don't care about the issue, or don't know why.  This is clearly not the case as anybody who has followed the debate knows.  Well I feel sorry for people who are delayed but I hope this company is losing lots of money. 

[quote user="Russethouse"]Even if it would cause hardship to the childrens families ?[/quote] It's means tested, but they don't just ask the children, they also ask the grandchildren. And their spouses. You have to contribute, or else give up the inheritance

Try going through a travel agency and ask about charters.  I agree about the deleting, it's really annoying

Well lots of those things are great when they are not on strike. [8o|]  I've got to say the public transport is brilliant where I live in Lyon (most of the time) if I compare it to where I lived before (Cardiff).  But dogs allowed in restaurants actually puts me off, and they are not allowed in food shops.  The wine is definitely cheaper than in the UK, I mean there aren't the same taxes and it is made here, so that is kind of unsurprising.  What I like about France is the way that people say hello to each other in shops and so on, even in the big city.  Come on people, rather than criticising the list, why don't we all try and add to things we like about France, there must be loads of things, or else we wouldn't be here [:)]

well it can't be that bad, because there is a shop in the Part Dieu shopping centre called café au nègre.  What I hear more and more and I find weird is people talking about des gens qui sont black. Tresco you would have to be really really careful calling somebody africain-français because a French person from La Réunion or similar would probably be really offended.

I liked the book too; I think there are already quite a lot of Brits living in that area already.  But it is a great place to go for a break, I went last year, Carcasonne is lovely, although obviously the cité is a tourist trap, it is a very pleasant one, and I really liked Toulouse too, and there are cheap flights to both.  I do think you get more out of it if you have read up on the history of the cathars before you go, though.

For christenings there are specific gifts, like bracelets, cups and so on, often in silver.  But I think these are often bought by the godparents.  For weddings, check they don't have a list, they may well do, but if not, money is seen as an acceptable gift (more here I think than in the UK).  Certainly that was what we got from the French side when we got married.

I don't think the French do see it that way.  Certainly the taxes are done together, but it is not in reference to man, but rather considers the two together.  I wonder if your bills in reality just come to one person?  None of ours come to both of us.  Some bills come to me, some to my husband, I have EDF and the internet and the water, he has FT (hmmm, something wrong there [*-)]) and the bank statements are addressed to both of us and my bank card has my name on it, with Mme in front of it.  The bank had no problem with that.  It is just the tax people, who ask you if you are keeping your name when you first fill out the form on getting married, and then take no notice at all!  We actually went in person to complain, and  I pointed out that all of my papers for the taxes were in my own name and not his, (incidentally I'm employed by the state, they have no problem seeing me as married with my own name).  It was only when asked what they did for gay couples who had done the pacs that they agreed that perhaps they could put two names on.  The address on the tax demand now comes in both our names, but not any other post they send, which I now just send back, or the RIB which is on the tax demand so I send them a cheque, with the RIB suitably highlighted incorrect name.  I must admitt this is a real irritation for me (can you tell?) as there is no way I am changing my name, and I know that legally I am in the right (it is even printed inside the livret de famille that marriage does not change your name - or indeed your nationality which is another gripe, lots of French people think I'm French, they never think my husband might be English because he's married to me) and the problem is tradition.  My husband tells the story of his grandmother receiving for years letters addressed to "Mme Veuve Husband's name" like she really didn't exist.  How creepy is that?

Quite.  It is not your husband's tax form, but a joint one, you are not "attached" to it.  Although I wouldn't know it given the struggle I have had to get my name on it (rather than just Mme Pierre Dupont).  Despite the fact that a married woman never legally changes her name. [8o|]

They are generally quite good with deliveries and the number is so that they can ring you up if there is a problem.  I have not been happy with their after sales service.  When my fridge needed a new part (for the inside, just a bit of plastic), we had to go miles to get it ourselves from a particular place ( a Darty SAV), and they would not send it, even though we would have paid the postage, and they would not send it to a nearby store despite us living just 10 minutes from one.  So I no longer use Darty.

[quote user="tmto"] At the lycée level this generally priviliges the subjects in which a pupil is better at, because a kid who tends to get better marks in scientific subjects will probably choose to pass a bac scientifique. [/quote] well if we are being pedantic, a kid who has good enough marks to take a bac S will often do so even if they do better none scientific subjects.  It is mad, but they all want to do S, it drives me up the wall, but it is a question of "prestige"

[quote user="godwinsj"]Tourangelle - I have taught in the UK 11-19 from 1976, & have an M.A in Education & I have taught in France as well and it seems to me that the French teachers I have met have very little idea of actually HOW to impart ideas, information etc or how to organise & control a classroom of kids. [/quote] Gosh well, I didn't mean to provoke you all.  SB, my comments are really about secondary school teaching because that is what I know about.  Obviously what you describe is not acceptable (and I guess you would describe me as a very young teacher under 30).  I stand by what I said, teachers are trained to be teachers, and not civil servants.  To clarify, when I say the training is similar to the UK, I mean in terms of secondary school teaching, as I don't know about primary schools. Godwinsj, I don't know while you feel the need to list your qualifications and experience, it doesn't make your comment "state schools are run by the state to produce a people that are brainwashed by indifferent teachers who are trained to be civil servants"  any more valid.  You don't know what you are talking about, you've never gone through the French teacher training system, so perhaps you had better refrain from making sweeping statements about a system you clearly have no experience of.

[quote user="godwinsj"]There are definitely no easy answers! What I can say is that the Catholic (private) system is more PC & more caring than the state one & is more supportive of foreigners as of course this is part of their philosophy & mission statement. Chillingly enough, state schools are run by the state to produce a people that are brainwashed by indifferent teachers who are trained to be civil servants & have had no actual input in educational theory at all.  [/quote] I am sorry that you have personally had such a negative experience, obviously everybody has different experiences.  However your assertation that teachers are trained to be civil servents etc is false.  This is simply not the case, teachers are trained to be teachers and it is very similar to training in the UK.  Obviously the curriculum is not the same, but the way training is done is very similar.  The training which is given to teachers in private schools and those in public schools in terms of their subject area is identical.

On the news they said there is disinfectant to walk through and to drive through and there is an exclusion zone around the affected areas.  Only residents are allowed in and there are loads of gendarmes making sure that nobody else gets in.  It sounds like what they did in the UK for foot and mouth.

great emoticon  [:P]  I was just think about the French and their veg, and I remember when I first moved here, how surprised I was that they don't always peel their potatoes.  I guess when I go out people don't often serve me potatoes but the other day I was at a friend's house and we were having a raclette evening and my French friends were all saying to our host how nice it was that she'd gone to the trouble of peeling the potatoes[*-)][:S][8-)]