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Have attitudes to Brits changed?


Chico
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As we are not returning to France for a week or two we are wondering what effect the events of last weekend is having on attitudes towards Brits in France.

 

Although we have brilliant relationships with most French neighbours you don't have to scratch too deeply to find an undercurrent of historical enmity with some of the French.  Often this comes out jokingly, but I suspect it would not take much for some of them to jump on the bandwaggon of Brit-bashing.

So has anything changed or was one French MP right yesterday when he said that the average Frenchman is more concerned about Johnny Wilkinson retiring than anything David Cameron might have said or done?

Personally, my response to any aggro would be
“Ne demande pas pour

qui sonne le glas ; c’est pour toi”

Chico

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There was a flurry of resentment in my 'Café du Commerce' coupled with the usual incomprehension  the Euro-phobic attitudes reported lightly in the Press.

Happily many of them don't read the Telegraph or the Mail.

The general feeling seems to be that it is Perfide Albion up to its usual tricks, mingled with not a little exasperation.

As far as quoting John Donne he is more or less unknown; his name and that 17th Meditation has no cultural resonance.

perhaps the opening is even closer to what you would like to say?

"PERCHANCE he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows

not it tolls for him;
and perchance I may think myself so much better

than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have

caused it to toll for me, and I know not that
"

On the other hands British people might ponder on

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the

continent
, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less,
as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a

manor of thy friend's or of thine own were"

17thC British history, and the place of such great figures as Donne, Milton and Locke in it are woefully under-studied in France.

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All I can say is that I called a good friend and not a mention of it. She was that pleased that I called. I daresay if I was there we would suffer the usual taquine's that we get.

 

Easy for the french with the huge amounts the farmers get in subsidies and so many EU rules taking donkey's years to come into being, if at all. Now what will the farmer's do if all that dries up? and it well could.

 

 

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[quote user="NormanH"]There was a flurry of resentment in my 'Café du Commerce' coupled with the usual incomprehension  the Euro-phobic attitudes reported lightly in the Press.

Happily many of them don't read the Telegraph or the Mail.

The general feeling seems to be that it is Perfide Albion up to its usual tricks, mingled with not a little exasperation.

As far as quoting John Donne he is more or less unknown; his name and that 17th Meditation has no cultural resonance.

perhaps the opening is even closer to what you would like to say?

"PERCHANCE he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows

not it tolls for him;
and perchance I may think myself so much better

than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have

caused it to toll for me, and I know not that
"

On the other hands British people might ponder on

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the

continent
, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less,
as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a

manor of thy friend's or of thine own were"

17thC British history, and the place of such great figures as Donne, Milton and Locke in it are woefully under-studied in France.

[/quote]

Wonderful !  Shades of my "A" level English class - great stuff!

Here, in my French class today (our teacher is German - but been here a very long time) - she did ask if the weekend's event had any bearing for those of us who live here permanently - answer came there none - or none of any import.

In my view - it is not yet a "done deal".  Lots of water to go under the bridge yet.

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Total disinterest around here, but then you have to view that in the light of the local 'rag' which has 2 pages of national and international news in two sections totalling 30 odd.

They regard the British (anglais) stance as normal - its what they expect of us and so its fine.

Everyone we've talked to over the last week or so has been far more concerned as to whether our annual trip back to Mars (the UK) will be trouble-free this year (weather-wise).  "All that snow, fog, wind, rain, cold, etc, etc".  

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In The Independent tomorrow thursday on the front page a top sarko aid declares that "kid cameron" has done france a favour by stepping out of the ring.

I was critical of the manner of him taking a curtain call as I feel that he lost a golden opportunity to ridicule the dwarf, sew the seeds of division and engage in some delicious dwarf baiting before retiring.

However perhaps as the USD fractured the 1.30 psychological barrier today I should say rather..thanks dwarf for the christmas "prezzy".[:)]

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After seeing just how many locals and artisans from other communes turned out to pay their respects to my husband and many more giving us private donations and sending cards, I think most of us who have been here ages and integrated well and paid our dues have no problems with how we are seen. I've no interest in British politics so mostly talk about local and french issues anyway which goes a long way to show your solidarity. The mairie keeps sending me food parcels (I don't really need them at the moment, but who knows later on) that I did not apply for which I think is another sign of them looking after "one of their own".
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Well, Val, we went to our local bar a couple of days ago for the first time for ages.  The three topics of conversation were firstly, my health, second - motor cars (the owner has a Porsche) and thirdly the events in Liege.  Nothing at all about the Euro, and no feeling that somehow we are "different" from anybody else around the place.  You reap what you sow.
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My experience is that our French friends and neighbours don't seem to hold us responsible for the actions of our politicians, whom they seem to regard with a fatalistic kind of contempt.

Even during the mad-cow episode, we were not treated any differently by them, and most are agriculteurs. Our house is in the Charollais area where many were personally affected.

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[quote user="Val_2"]After seeing just how many locals and artisans from other communes turned out to pay their respects to my husband and many more giving us private donations and sending cards, I think most of us who have been here ages and integrated well and paid our dues have no problems with how we are seen. I've no interest in British politics so mostly talk about local and french issues anyway which goes a long way to show your solidarity. The mairie keeps sending me food parcels (I don't really need them at the moment, but who knows later on) that I did not apply for which I think is another sign of them looking after "one of their own".[/quote]

Val, I am so glad that people are kind to you and showing their sympathy in a practical way.

I wish you a peaceful Christmas and health and happiness in the New Year.

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Thank you very much for those words. Neighbours I only used to say bonjour to before,have started to call to make sure I am fine and I think it is before, when my husband was around they thought they might be intruding or he was busy indoors. People are what they are, some are lovely,some are fine and some are just horrible and can't change (we've had a fair few clients in that group over the years too and all nationalities). I also think ordinary folks like us, are more concerned with local issues than politicians either in the other countries or France unless it directly affects them and their livelihoods such as the importing of cheap spanish caulis here and rejecting the local grown ones etc or the price of fish is ridiculous when the local fishermen risk their lives each time to bring it ashore to make a decent living and no one wants to pay the prices decreed.

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