Have the French woken up?

[PaulT]

Our French house must be in a unique part of France - the natives are still here in August. Did not realise that in every other part of France every native migrated to the beach in August.......and I thought that in many rural parts of France wages were low thereby not enabling everyone to spend the month on beaches.

[Rabbie]

There does seem to be a touch of double standards in this debate.

IMO it is reasonable to expect people to work on sundays to provide vital services that can protect life. But to compel people to work sundays just to provide you with something you could with a little foresight bought in advance seems to me to smack of arrogance.

Now personally I have nothing against sunday opening where the people providing the service wish to do so. For single parents with school age children the weekend is the only chance they have to spend quality time together in term time but people in this situation can easily be put under pressure to do so.

[Chancer]

Do you really belive that in this pays de merveille that a lowly downtrodden exploited worker will ever be compelled by the rich bloated enemy of state business owner AKA Creator of jobs to work on a Sunday or even to turn up and perform for 35 hours during the rest of the week?

 

Its 5 past 3 here and many shops have only just re-opened after a 3 hour lunch break, even the new Darty was closed when I went out looking for a washing machine, I am awaiting 3 deliveries from parcel companies but we are in May, the month that no-one thinks they should do anymore than punch their clock card (or whatever they do these days) between long weekends, no doubt I will be besieged with messages that I wasn't in, my complete address was incomplete patati patata.......... and then the tracking will show the parcels as lost, they will arrive sometime in June as they always do.

 

Come to think of it, those who are "compelled" to work between 12.00 and 14.00 in the few enlightened supermarkets open here are never to be found, its likely boarding the Marie Celeste and woe betide you if you actually track one down and ask them no matter how politely to assist you/do their job.

[idun]

Grrrrr just got back from casto ......grrrrr .......rude and unhelpful!!!!! They were open at lunch time though, but why if they cannot help clients!!!

[woolybanana]

Chancer, thus far I have only met kindness and good service in the Pas de Calais. Do you have a badge that says 'trouble' when you ask for service?

Leroi Merlin staff very helpful and pleasant, thus far.

Touch wood all round.

[idun]

I wouldn't care at casto the had an acceuillere to say bon jour to all who entered, what a waste of staff. I never 'need' a bon jour, but i do often need to know where stuff is, or a conseille about a product!

[Chancer]

No Wooly, but I do agree with you regarding the Pas de Calaisiens, it was visiting there each year to compete in a hiil-climb and visting friend that I made there which resulted in me coming to France.

 

There is an absolute world of difference between the warmth and openess of the people of 62 and 59 and the total absence of such in my locality, whenever I meet someone that seems to be the exception they say "good lord no! I am not from here, I'm from le Nord/Pas de Calais!".

 

An 83 year old lady stopped and spoke with me on the Holiday Monday, she gave me her life story and that of all her offspring but it was a pleasure because not only was it the first person in 11 years to do so despite me trying to make conversation with everyone that crosses my path, in the UK where I live it would be normal, here it was completely out of the ordinary.

 

As I had guesses she was an originaire of the PDC and she said that the biggest regret of her life was moving here with her husbands work over 60 years ago. Like me she never gets more than a bonjour in return for her efforts before people scurry away.

[Chancer]

No Wooly, but I do agree with you regarding the Pas de Calaisiens, it was visiting there each year to compete in a hiil-climb and visting friend that I made there which resulted in me coming to France.

 

There is an absolute world of difference between the warmth and openess of the people of 62 and 59 and the total absence of such in my locality, whenever I meet someone that seems to be the exception they say "good lord no! I am not from here, I'm from le Nord/Pas de Calais!".

 

An 83 year old lady stopped and spoke with me on the Holiday Monday, she gave me her life story and that of all her offspring but it was a pleasure because not only was it the first person in 11 years to do so despite me trying to make conversation with everyone that crosses my path, in the UK where I live it would be normal, here it was completely out of the ordinary.

 

As I had guesses she was an originaire of the PDC and she said that the biggest regret of her life was moving here with her husbands work over 60 years ago. Like me she never gets more than a bonjour in return for her efforts before people scurry away.

[Gardengirl]

I dislike Sunday opening in UK and find shops being shut on Sundays in France refreshing. Our local butcher and newsagents are open on Sunday mornings with some bakeries open all day in the Gard. That suits me fine - I dislike all the traffic jams anywhere near shopping centres on Sundays in UK.