Tourangelle

my father in law died of asbestos related cancer, having worked with asbestos and it is truly a dreadful way to go.  I would never move into a house without having  any asbestos removed, and I think people in France are becoming more and more aware of its dangers.  I know it is only the dust that is realy dangerous, but any asbestos would certainly make me think twice about buying.

in my experience, for teaching business English, TEFL is a really useful qualification.  I'm in Lyon, and here, if you have that and degree level education, you walk into jobs.

if you are interested in East Midlands have you looked at Coventry?  It seems to be developing more and more.  Thomson is operating flights out of there, I don't know what they are like, but I have booked for Christmas for 245 euros for two including tax.  Although it is for Lyon, so perhaps not all that helpful for Toulouse this time, it might be worth keeping an eye on if they open other routes in the future.

oh it is so annoying when French people do that.  Trifle is nothing like a charlotte (although they are both nice).  Custard makes all the difference.  My mother-in-law does that all the time.  Shepherd's pie, "oh c'est du boeuf parmentier", stilton cheese "oh c'est du Saint Agur".  Well no actually, I say politely every single time, nothing like and we do have things in England that are nice and yet unknown in France.  Sorry, bit of rant.  Drives me up the wall.

I think Thelot was a bad choice, the guy who chose 'can you feel it' as the official song for the French football team has a lot more to answer for.  Anyway, for languages in schools I think his proposal has now been altered to a second language, rather than particularly English.  In response to MJW, English is not necessarily the first language learnt.  It could be German.  In fact it could be almost any major European language.  They are starting them younger though, but it is not necessarily very coherent.  A friend's child did Spanish in cm1, English in cm2 and this year started German in 6eme.....  English is, I think the most popular choice, and there was talk at one stage that there were too many German teachers and that they might have to convert to teaching French!

equally not an expert, but I would ask about having a marriage contract done at the same time as the purchase and see if you can do "séparations des biens".  This would mean that you own nothing in common as a couple, and you might beable to restrict it to France.  But I don't know how you would stand for usufruit.....

Thanks for the answers.  I'm in the city, so picking is not really an option.  But I'll have a look in frozen foods.

Does anybody know where I can get tinned blackberries?  I've got rather a lot of apples and I want to stew some, I'd like to put blackberries in but fresh are so expensive.  I've tried Carrefour and Atac. Jane

I know in the UK acupuncture is practised by people who do not necessarily have medical qualifications.  I don't think that is so much the case here.  My husband is very keen on acupuncture and I know that he goes to see a GP who specialises in acupucture.  The advantage of course is that you are sure they are qualified doctor, and not just somebody who fancies trying their hand, and they can give you prescriptions too.  They are not very well reimbursed, but you can get some money back from the social security.  If you look in your yellow pages under médecins: médecines générale orientation acupuncture you could find some.

Absolutely.  Whether you chose to marry or to Pacs, he would be entitled to heath care as your 'ayant droit'.  That is to say, the social security (the 70%).  He could almost certainly attach himself to your mutuelle, which doubtless you would get through your job, but he would have to pay extra.  Well worth doing, and his not working would be taken into account so not necessarily that expensive. 

I had mine done by the French consulate in London in 1997.  I just remember sending it off registered post.  You have to have the full birth certificate.  But if you are coming to France, it might be something that could wait, because as John and Angie suggest, a traducteur assermenté is your best bet I think.  I don't think I have ever had to produce mine, they always seem more interested in the passport Jane

I think one of the problems for parents in relation to school strikes is that, in college and lycee at least, although the unions might announce a strike, it doesn't mean that all the teachers are going to be absent.  Also, some might decide to tell their classes they are not going to be there, but others not.  So just because a strike is announced it doesn't mean that the little cherubs don't have any classes.

Well there is a teacher's strike planned for the 7th December for starters.  You could try the snes' (one of the main unions) site at http://www.snes.edu/snesactu/une.php3 no ideas for the buses though! Jane

I agree.  Why be so rude to TU who puts loads of interesting and useful comments on the forum

It means an e-mail address.  It is just the French attempting to Frenchify the word mail. Jane

if you did read to the end of my message, I do say you can get last minute deals on the internet.  My point was just that  it is not the same as in Britain.  Example, to got London from Birmingham, there are at least two different companies I know of (Virgin and Silverlink), and the choice you make between the two would be based on the offers available, the time you are prepared to spend on the train and so on.  There is nothing like this in France.

I think that although she does dub her own films, this is her first in French.  But her French is perfect, isn't it.

lucky people who managed to live in Britain without slippers.  you clearly weren't living in Edwardian houses with inadequate insulation and no money to pay for any to be put in.  My mother doesn't have slippers but bootees  lined with sheepskin, and she needs them.  I have never thought that slippers were particularly French.  My husband wear these really hideous canvas things, and wouldn't be seen dead in a pair of charentaise!!! Jane

You have my sympathy, it sounds like a complicated situation.  I wonder whether it is in fact confusion over the word "pension".  In French it seems to have a slightly wider meaning than in English (for example pension alimentaire means alimony).  Hopefully it is just a misunderstanding, perhaps a bad translation.  Jane

On a more positive note, that is plenty to live on for a single person, even if it is in Paris.  (Is it Paris?).  If you rent a flat it is the landlord and not you who pays the tax foncier.  You just pay the taxe d'habitation, which really varies from place to place.  I live in the centre of Lyon, which is pretty expensive in French terms.  I have just paid 352 euros and I live in a 60m flat.  Here we also pay a small tax once a year that is basically for the dustbinmen of about 50 euros.  I would say it is definitely cheaper than London, but, hey, I earn much less than everybody I know who lives there. I am not quite sure what you mean by basic French income tax, but there are social security deductions that are made on your salary, and probably the company you work for will offer a mutuelle, which should cover more or less any other medical expenses, although you are not obliged to have it, you can take another one.  The amount for this will probably depend on your salary.  Income tax can be paid monthly, but I don't think you will pay it for the first year you are here anyway, because it is based on the previous year. You will need insurance before you can even rent a flat, and you might even be required to have somebody to guarentee that you will pay the rent on your flat and that if  you don't they will.  I would ask in the company that is offering you the job whether they can help you out with any of these things. I'd leap if I were you, France is great! Jane

There is one at Langeais near Tours.  Also at St Romain de Popey near Lyon.  Has anybody ever seen one on a TGV line though? Jane

It's surely only a nuisance if your documents don't match.  When I got married last year I decided I didn't want to change my name.  In France you always keep your maiden name anyway, you never actually change it you just have the right to use your husband's.  When I came to renew my passport this year I went to the local consulate, where they told me tick the box to say I am married but to put down the name I use.  Simple and straightforward, I thought.  It took about 3 weeks Jane

I'm just wondering in what way she "jumped" seconde?  Given that it is the equivalent of year 11, then it is totally normal that somebody arriving would go into première.  The comment on history and geography teachers being radical is hilarious.  Do you have any idea how huge the programme is that they are supposed to get though in première?  I mean there are always people who are out there with their own agendas, as Mistral suggests, but lets not generalise! Jane

I have heard that it is much cheaper to change your regime at the time of purchase rather than before or after in terms of notaire fee.  Jane

I think I heard that opthamologists, gynocologists and dentists would be exempt from the list of specialists that would have to be consulted with a reference from a GP.  But apart from the photo on the carte vitale thing, I thought this was all just a project rather than something that was definitely going to happen.  Does anybody have some definite info? Jane