Forever France

[idun]

When I first joined this board, in those rose spectacled days where everything in France was perfection and everything in the UK was dreadful and rubbish....... it sounded like people would NEVER EVER leave this paradise of LBF.

That would have been about 2000.

I seem to remember though a little later that it was suggested that people left France after about 7 years on average, and bit by bit, people have moved, often back to the UK.

All those who still look in and have moved back, how long were you in France and did you keep a pied a terre in France or have a total move back.

I am rather curious about this. But I do realise that some will remain in France for the rest of their days.

[NormanH]

I never had rose spectacles; I have criticised many things about France but when I came I accepted it 'warts and all'

Perhaps that is why I have stayed.

[idun]

And so did I NH, accepted it warts and all. Otherwise I would have left rather quickly.

As I have always said, upon retirement our plan was to return home and we have.

[woolybanana]

Well, I once had a ton of warts on my knee but got rid of them all in one go. Playing on the wing in a curtain raiser to the England/ Springboks match, on a bone hard pitch. I tackled someone, big rugger he was, and knee hit ground. Lots of blood, no more warts. T’other fella, well....

Anyway, which means there are lots of ways to get over warts some quicker than others. In the Middle East it used to depend on wasta or alternatively, bribes.

Here, it is a question of getting into the mind of the system and not expecting too much from individuals. And not screaming.

Remember, in France people say NON first, then try to find a fix for what you want or need.

[idun]

wooly said:remember, in France people say NON first, then try to find a fix for what you want or need.

I am glad that it works like that for you wooly, because I, all too often got the NON followed by ca n'existe pas, or just NON or they did nothing at all and needed pushing to do something.

I have done the full repertoire of complaining, from being nasty to being nice. It would depend on who it was as to how it worked.

Very rarely did I not get satisfaction in the end.

And now  I can only remember twice in 27 years when I got incredibly excellent customer service and once was because they had really cocked up and I could not convince them that they had got it all wrong.

[Lehaut]

Lived all over the UK when we worked there, did not move to France because we had any ill feelings towards it. You make the best of your life wherever you choose to be. Have been in France for over 23 years now and no intentions of going back to the UK in the foreseeable future.

[Lori]

We moved to France in 2000 also Idun.  We did so because husband was transferred to work in the middle east.  Our daughter was 6 at the time and we didn't want her growing up in a middle eastern country.  We lived in Saudi for about two years, then decided to buy a house in Provence as it was a 6 hour flight to Riyadh.

We lived there for about 14 years.  For some very personal reasons, having nothing to do with the quality of life in France, we moved back to the U.S. for a few years.  Maybe not in the first year or so, but after several years of living in France, I became very well aware that it was FAR, FAR from perfection.  Yet, it seemed so much nicer than the U.S. (even with its imperfections).

I did not return to the U.S. once during the 14 years in France.  When I did return, it was the strangest experience of my life. 

We now live in an apartment in Paris.  For us, this was the right thing to do.  Life in the U.S. had become a bizarre scenario straight out of the Twilight Zone for us.  We began to hate it more with every single day.  That, of course, is just us.  But, we had to do what we felt would be best for us.

Our daughter had just completed her Master's Degree at Sciences Po in Paris, so being near her was/is a plus too.  She now works in the city and has her own apartment.

I can relate to so many of Idun's experiences in France.  I miss talking with her and many others that post or used to post here.  I'll try to be more active now.

I've missed you all.

[idun]

Great to see you back Lori![kiss][kiss]

[Lori]

Thank you Idun !

We're about to delve out to get a baguette.  I have no idea what we will see.  Yesterday there were so few people on the streets.  It was the first day we saw the toilet paper and paper towel aisles emptied in the grocery store (we'd already stocked up).  Up to yesterday, things seemed relatively stocked and normal - short of rubbing alcohol.  Haven't been able to find that around here in a week or so.

I hear lots of folks in this apartment building coming and going. 

We've been surprised to see so many elderly people out and about the last few days.  I mean people who look to be in their 80's.  With all the ease of delivery services in this city, that surprised us. These folks look like they would be very vulnerable to any illness.

Hope you all are healthy and stay that way.

[NormanH]

We had many conversations here and on a now-defunct Forum....even by email I remember..

Good to catch up on your news[:D]

[Meek Megan]

"elderly people out and about"

Good for them.

They are stoics and the World needs more stoics.

There is nothing inherently risky about being outdoors as long as they take sensible precautions.

[Lori]

Yes Norman, and I miss you very much.

[woolybanana]

Careful Lori, he’ll be at the door and you’ll. ever get rid of him.

Glad you have rejoined us.