Encouragement please!

[memb]

Raindog - no hoodies?
Walk round the centre of any big town in France and you'll see plenty. And you seem to have missed off your rose tinted list the French hoody's favourite pastime of burning cars, now so common it barely makes the news anymore, and spraying people on buses with petrol and then setting light to them.
And where, in UK can't you buy fresh food and veg?
Open your eyes.

Sorry forgot to answer you - our eyes are well and truly open in the areas WE choose to be / or visit.......walking round the centre of big towns/cities are not areas we choose to be in.  Can you really compare the fresh food and veg from a French traditional daily market to one in the UK, if you can you will be the first I've ever heard say that. Makes me wonder why you are here you are so negative about the place.

[Cat]

I don't think Raindog was being negative, just realistic.  The original poster was asking for encouragement, and saying that, to her, it seemed like more and more Brits were wanting to leave France.

It will help her to hear both sides of the story, as I daresay it could be that the folk who move here with visions of utopia are the very ones to get disparaged and want to return to the UK when the facts don't live up to the expectation.

I love living here, but I'm fully aware of the drug, crime, unemployment and immigration issues that France faces, and as for the wonderful health service, it's practically bankrupt [:'(]

 

[raindog]

[quote user="47AJM"]

Raindog - no hoodies?

Walk round the centre of any big town in France and you'll see plenty. And you seem to have missed off your rose tinted list the French hoody's favourite pastime of burning cars, now so common it barely makes the news anymore, and spraying people on buses with petrol and then setting light to them.

And where, in UK can't you buy fresh food and veg?

Open your eyes.

Sorry forgot to answer you - our eyes are well and truly open in the areas WE choose to be / or visit.......walking round the centre of big towns/cities are not areas we choose to be in.  Can you really compare the fresh food and veg from a French traditional daily market to one in the UK, if you can you will be the first I've ever heard say that. Makes me wonder why you are here you are so negative about the place.

[/quote]

I'm not negative about France i'm realistic. My wife is French and i've lived and worked here for 26 years. It has it's good points and it's bad points like everywhere else in the world. But to present someone asking for advice with your list is misleading and silly. France isn't some sort of nirvana where everything is perfect.

[memb]

Encouragement Please - Please can a few of you give me and moh some encouragement to make the move to France

Encouragement within the title!     We gave them reasons to move to France, no advice was handed out.   We never said it was perfect or Nirvana at any time.     True opinions given by US in OUR little bit of France.    The poster states about negatives so is obviously clued up on them.   Encourage - to inspire with confidence and hope.    

[Gluestick]

I wonder how many teenagers were gunned down in France this week?

 

[chris pp]

Or how many French teenagers committed suicide this week??

Chris

[woolybanana]

But how many did not?

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Miss D Theboat"]Please can a few of you give me and moh some encouragement to make the move to France we have planned for over a year. All I keep reading are posts from people who are desperate to get out. To us it seems like there are no Brits who want to be there any more and we are getting quite despondent.[/quote]

Get your location right, immerse yourselves in the local community and you'll love it.

Ignore the cynics on here who would probably find something to moan about no matter where they live.

As said elsewhere France is not perfect, but it suits us.

Do it, work at it, and enjoy........................................[:)][:)]

[chrisb]

[quote user="47AJM"]

Reasons to move here:

Quality of life/pace of life/peace in your life/better healthcare, no worries of superbugs/no fear when walking the streets, day or night/respect shown to you by children as well as their parents/no hoodies/no fear of your car being stolen, windows broken and items stolen/most immigrants here are not the freeloaders most immigrants going into the UK are, and mostly decent people who want a better quality of life/greenery/beauty/seasons which remember when to change/traditional markets/fresh food and veg/quality wine/etc etc etc.

[/quote]

It's relatively easy to convince yourself that France is better than UK if you swallow all the rubbish typified by this list. Perhaps a study of FACTS rather than prejudice would reveal that both countries actually share a lot of the same problems and the same benefits.

And "seasons which remember when to change". What?

[memb]

It's relatively easy to convince yourself that France is better than UK if you swallow all the rubbish typified by this list. Perhaps a study of FACTS rather than prejudice would reveal that both countries actually share a lot of the same problems and the same benefits.
And "seasons which remember when to change". What?

So are you in France or the UK?  If you're in France, why make the move?  Seasons ..... depends where you are - it differs throughout France.  Yet someone else who has an opinion (quite right too), but don't call mine rubbish, I'm as entitled to mine as you are yours.   Think you missed the point of the thread..........ENCOURAGEMENT.

[Sprogster]

47AJM, it is a statistical fact that the suicide rate in France is 2.5 times that of the UK, so there are problems.

By the way MRSA infections are a concern in French hospitals. One of my French neighbours has been avoiding going into hospital for an non urgent operation she needs, because of her worries about picking up a super bug infection.

In the domaine I live in out of the twenty four houses six have been broken into over the last three years, two of them worryingly whilst the owners were asleep. As a result we all close and lock our downstairs shutters at night and most of us have fitted alarms and security locks.

Last month another of my neighbours had the wing mirrors removed from her new Mini whilst she was parked outside a restaurant. Presumably for spare parts!

All this in a very nice rural area of the Var.

[Bugsy]

47AJM, don't you sometimes find your head full of thoughts such as "banging" - "head" - "brick wall"

...................[:D][:D][:D]

[Sprogster]

Bugbear, I don't think it is a case of banging your head against the wall, it was just unfortunate that 47AJM implied all immigrants to the UK were freeloaders.

Contrary to what many would perceive as racial prejudice, official statistics published yesterday in the UK and given prominence on the national  news, show that the average immigrant worker in the UK earn more than the national average wage.

Anyone who has dealt with employees from Eastern Europe, who form the bulk of immigrants in the past few years, will attest to their high work ethic.   

[Just Katie]

[quote user="47AJM"]

Reasons to move here:

Quality of life/pace of life/peace in your life/better healthcare, no worries of superbugs/no fear when walking the streets, day or night/respect shown to you by children as well as their parents/no hoodies/no fear of your car being stolen, windows broken and items stolen/most immigrants here are not the freeloaders most immigrants going into the UK are, and mostly decent people who want a better quality of life/greenery/beauty/seasons which remember when to change/traditional markets/fresh food and veg/quality wine/etc etc etc.

[/quote]

 

I understand what 47AJM means but I think the message would have been more understood by others if he/she had quoted "less of a fear of superbugs, less fear of walking the streets, less hoodies etc. 

I think both UK and France have their own similar and individual problems.  However, although I dont live in France, it seems to me that on the whole, the problem of crime, unruly youths, etc seem to be more evident on my side of the river.

[chris pp]

Umm, I was speaking to my eldest daughter on the phone about this the other day (as a result of so many people recently arrived in France going on to me about Eastern Europeans), she found the whole thing laughable as she "employs" a large number of them in Hammersmith & Fulham, she reckons that they are great, hard working, conscientious and honest... AND turn up for work every day.

So, once again it's a matter of where you are standing.

Chris

 

[memb]

You are right Bugbear............banging.....head..........brick wall.     My last post on the subject of Encouragement Please.  For those who have digressed (and how many of these same people digress an awful lot on many threads), I remind you of the actual post :

Please can a few of you give me and moh some encouragement to make the move to France we have planned for over a year. All I keep reading are posts from people who are desperate to get out. To us it seems like there are no Brits who want to be there any more and we are getting quite despondent.

Yes, I know this is a forum and open for discussion, but how many threads diverse completely away from the subject matter, ie. (emphasis on Encouragement) "I wonder how many teenagers were gunned down in France this week" and "or how many French teenagers committed suicide this week", and "it is a statistical fact that the suicide rate in France is 2.5 times that of the UK" .   Some people also misread, I never said "all immigrants to the UK are freeloaders".  However, I will give you some statistics as you seem interested:

1. Proportion of population claiming Income Support by country of birth 2005/06

    UK    =   4%    

    compared with the highest 3   ...   Bangladesh 11%  /  Turkey 21%  /  Somalia  39%

2.  Proportion of population claiming sickness and disability benefits by country of birth 2005/06

     UK   =   6%

     compared with the highest 3   ...   Kenya 8%  /  Cyprus 9%  /  Pakistan 10%

3.  Proportion of population claiming child benefit by country of birth 2005/06

     UK   =   14%

     compared with the highest 3   ...   Pakistan 29%  /  Bangladesh 33%  /  Somalia  40%

4.  Proportion of population living in social housing by country of birth 2005/06

     UK   =   17%

     compared with the highest 3   ...   Bangladesh 41%  /  Turkey 49%  /  Somalia 80%

     M.P. Margaret Hodge has called for housing policy to favour UK born citizens over migrants rather than basing allocation on need.

And finally, we thank our lucky stars that our bit of France gives us the quality of life it does....without the rose tinted specs.   We think if a lot of you take your blinkers off and get away from the forums from time to time you'll see some of those quality things too.

[cooperlola]

Well I love living here (but don't hate the UK in any way, btw.)  My rural home (similar to the UK) cost a third the price.  The area is very similar: surrounded by fields, one close neighbour, a bit of minor rural crime and the inevitable drug  problems amongst the local youth - but certainly no car burning etc. Le Mans - our nearest city, certainly has its "rough" areas, but in general is a great place to go to, even late at night.

The people are very friendly (although not quite so inclined to tell you the ins and outs of duck's wotsit about their life story the moment you meet them), and, if you join in a bit and chat to them in French - or your best attempt at it -, don't show any obvious resentment to the fact that you're British.  If I were Parisienne, otoh, it would be different, as they tend to own holiday homes around and get very short shrift from the locals as a result.

It suits me.  Ultimately, I don't care if that's considered to be "rose tinted" in outlook by anybody else - I like my specs just as they are, thanks.

 

[Hagar]

[quote user="47AJM"]

However, I will give you some statistics as you seem interested:

1. Proportion of population claiming Income Support by country of birth 2005/06

    UK    =   4%    

    compared with the highest 3   ...   Bangladesh 11%  /  Turkey 21%  /  Somalia  39%

2.  Proportion of population claiming sickness and disability benefits by country of birth 2005/06

     UK   =   6%

     compared with the highest 3   ...   Kenya 8%  /  Cyprus 9%  /  Pakistan 10%

3.  Proportion of population claiming child benefit by country of birth 2005/06

     UK   =   14%

     compared with the highest 3   ...   Pakistan 29%  /  Bangladesh 33%  /  Somalia  40%

4.  Proportion of population living in social housing by country of birth 2005/06

     UK   =   17%

     compared with the highest 3   ...   Bangladesh 41%  /  Turkey 49%  /  Somalia 80%

     M.P. Margaret Hodge has called for housing policy to favour UK born citizens over migrants rather than basing allocation on need.

And finally, we thank our lucky stars that our bit of France gives us the quality of life it does....without the rose tinted specs.   We think if a lot of you take your blinkers off and get away from the forums from time to time you'll see some of those quality things too.

[/quote]

There are lies, damned lies and statistics !

Worst of all are statistics quoted out of context and without proper reference !

Simply take your last set of numbers - social housing -

17% of the population born in the UK = 17% of 53 million people = just over 9 million !

41% of the pop. born in Bangladesh = 41% of 209 thousand people = Just under 86 ,000 !!

Put another way - there are 105 times as many british born familes in social housing than bangladeshi born families. OR less than 1% of social housing is occupied by bangladeshi born families.

rgds

 

Hagar

 

 

 

[raindog]

[quote user="47AJM"]

You are right Bugbear............banging.....head..........brick wall.     My last post on the subject of Encouragement Please.  For those who have digressed (and how many of these same people digress an awful lot on many threads), I remind you of the actual post :

And finally, we thank our lucky stars that our bit of France gives us the quality of life it does....without the rose tinted specs.   We think if a lot of you take your blinkers off and get away from the forums from time to time you'll see some of those quality things too.

[/quote]

Well you ARE a self righteous little minx aren't you?

[cooperlola]

Don't worry Raindog, when 47AJM gets a few more posts under his/her belt, he/she will wander of topic a bit too - if only to dig his/her way out of the self-perpetuating downward spiral on one or two threads!

[raindog]

[quote user="cooperlola"]Don't worry Raindog, when 47AJM gets a few more posts under his/her belt, he/she will wander of topic a bit too - if only to dig his/her way out of the self-perpetuating downward spiral on one or two threads![/quote]

Cooper, we must start a sports car thread one of these days in the sports/pastime section. Especially if I could figure out posting pics on here.

[cooperlola]

A truly excellent idea, Raindog.

Meanwhile, here are some of my efforts (if you have a rainy day to spare!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/97986095@N00/

[Russethouse]

How to post a photograph

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/819635/ShowPost.aspx

[raindog]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

How to post a photograph

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/819635/ShowPost.aspx

[/quote]

Many thanks Russethouse, i'm off for a few days, but i'll have a go on my return.[:)]