Hostage in France!

R

RichardRider

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 November 2007
Messages
14,729
Location
Haras du Pin, Normandy, France
Visit site
Well, here we go again with the strikes in France. Wife left for her normal 3 days per week in Paris; god knows when she'll have a train back. Students planning on blocking universities, electrical workers, other government workers...

I WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESTORE THIS FARM without BBC longwave on the radio next to me! Civilized, polite and respectful of democratic principals, it keeps me from throwing in the towel on many a day...

I have lived in this country, as an American, over 20years, speak(and work,) in French and even most of my English and American Friends find me "Too" French(so I must be fairly objective,) but I STILL can't stand it when something doesn't go their way, a minority can block the whole country...

...And I forgot the commercial fishermen last week!

Enjoy your day in Great Britain everyone...Today I envy you all!!!!

sad richard
 
we'd best keep our lambs on the ferries then, or they'll be B-B-Q'd in-situ before you can say Charles de Gualle...
 
Ah missed that. Must tootle off to actually read the news (usually do). Thankfully don't need to go anywhere. Oh and yes, agree with the French being unhappy when they are not listened to/understood or don't get their way. Actually managed to do the french thing and shout and wave my hands around a lot when neighbour was shouting at me as couldn't find her OH and thought he was here. Er NO! haven't seen him for months actually. Did laugh my socks off afterwards though, those two yell at each other so loudly the whole village can here but are such a sweet couple..

Isn't part of it Sarkys plans to change some employment law/policies?. As an employer will find these interesting. Theres also a shake up of retirement benefits/entitlements?

Hope your wife manages to get a train home without too much trouble and that you're not too disrupted.
 
I actually have to admire the french for their tenacity in standing up for themselves and making themselves heard. They have kept France French where we in Britain keel over and let things happen to us. We have a major immigration problem, we have to be totally politically correct to the detriment of our own nationality, we have children being taught in their own languages rather than english, we are not allowed to celebrate Christmas in certain towns in case it offends. We have road signs in Polish. Our religion is required to take a backward seat in case it offends and if someone doesn't like anything they can always play the race card.

I accept it is a total and utter pain for you being in with it whereas we are totally apart from it. But I just wish that the Brits would get passionate about their rights and country and stand up for themselves. We might have protected our farmers, our fishermen and our heritage
 
I agree Bosworth! Youve got to hand it to the French, they do know how to put on a good protest! The way they ignore laws makes me laugh too... no smoking indoors? they just put an ashtray on a table in the middle of a restaurant and call it the 'smoking section'. haha
 
Like the man says,"Walk a mile in my shoes, then decide..."

I am not anti French(as i said in the above, most of my Anglo-Saxon Friends THINK I AM TOO MUCH ON THEIR SIDE;ie, France-England Rugby Match, was for the French!) but you both havn't lived here!

It's a joke the numbers of English, Irish and Americans, that I have seen come and go here. Everyone says, much like a few of you, that all this was "in good fun" or defense of their culture(which I defend,) or greatly exagerated, and then about two years into their dealings,...THEY SELL EVERYTHING AND RUN!

Right about one thing though, the breaking of laws...I always have to explain to Anglo-Saxons moving here that only the French can read the invisible writing under any highway sign post saying..."For everyone EXCEPT me..."

rr
 
All the strikes annoy my Mother too, but she wouldn't have it any other way. She has lived in France for years and would have to be dragged, kicking and screaming back to UK for anything more than a week at a time.
I agree with you Bosworth, totally, the Governments of the UK do seem to have rather rolled over and died. Crying shame, I love Britain, it was just getting too full.
If my husband had been willing to learn French we would simply have Channel hopped and wouldn't have come to Canada, although, ironically, French is the second language here!
 
And I missed a chance to work in Montreal, last year...I WOULD HAVE JUMPED AT THE CHANCE! North American(I also like to fly fish for trout,) and the French Culture,...great fun.

Yes, this also is funny, among the Brits I know who have stayed here, none would ever go back. The percentage of those who do return is fairly steep though...typing with a sandwhich is not easy....
 
Yes!! preferably lots of it!!!
grin.gif
 
Glad to know that...although, do you think the French wine is good compared to the New World stuff (or is New World a swear word!)

Shame I cant drink at the moment. Sadly am propped up on sofa as broke my leg last week. The drugs I am on will not mix..
 
By the way, I love France and the French and spend most holidays there. This year i went to Grasse, Nice and Monaco (the best place on earth!).

We drove down there stopping en-route for the french grand prix. The only thing I dont like is that there are some fab oldy towns but they shut on saturdays. Its weird that they are like ghost towns with tumbleweed blowing through!!

One day I will retire in France and run a B&B.

Not so keen on Americans...sorry!! Being very British and reserved, I find most of them too loud for my liking! Canada is brilliant though and had a fantastic time over there on my honeymoon. If it wasnt for my friends and family over here, I would move to Canada.
 
MerlotMonster, sorry to hear about your leg...You know, for wines, I am very "French" oriented...My family came over last year and brought with them several very good Cal. red wines. They are much too strong! Spent a brief stay in S.Africa and found the same there...

French Wine, according to Baron Rothschild must be able to be drank over long periods(meals take hours!) without getting the guests groggy, tipsy or drunk. I find this to be true.

The last time I was back home(Calif,) two glasses of wine had me snokkered!

Take care...rr
 
...Just read the part about Americans
cool.gif


...Now I certainly DON'T regret being for the French Rugby Team!

Once I was in an antique shop not far from our home, here in Normandy. There were two Englishman in the shop as well. My eight year old son found an old double barreled shotgun and wanted to show it to me. "Ne tirez pas, ne tirez pas!" exclaimed one of the Englishman, jokingly(and rather loudly, oh never mind,) from the other side of the shop...(thinking I was French.)

I brought the old firearm to my shoulder, aiming at the wall about a meter to the right of your joking countryman. "We havn't shot at you people for 200years," I replied..."

rr
cool.gif
 
HaHa!! would have loved to seen his face!

There are always the exceptions... you must be one of them (grovelling madly!!)

Hmm, I think your method of drinking wine differs from mine slightly, although if dining out I do spend quite a lot on a nice red and savour that. Different matter if down the village pub on a friday night however....
 
I think we may have to have a French H and H forum, there seems to be several of us "Here".How many of us get the chance to read a H and H, and how do you get it? Its on my wish list everytime we get guests!
 
Where are you living? There are more and more English Breeders, show jumpers and dressage people moving here. I understand it's much cheaper than Jolly Old...

Would be fun to meet up...We have a guest house we don't know what to do with and 9 hectars(20 acres,) with only 3 horses on them too! Anybody want to come for a long weekend to look around?

Must bring HandH with...rr
cool.gif
 
Perhaps will pop by next year. Myself and couple of others on here are planning to do a war grave weekend to see the WW1 memorials and such, so we could come and sample some of your wonderful hospitality on route??

Would promise to being wine and plenty of back copies of H&H!!
 
Love to have the company! Just opened up the computer and will be rushing off to pony club with William in a few minutes...Another thing nice about France(you see I am trying the positive side of things this morning,) is that, given the school, they have 4 day school weeks. Wednesdays he has off to sleep me(me too,) go to pony club, and eventually, when a little older, HELP ME!

Talk to you later...rr
 
You're most welcome! Maybe you might talk the place up. A friend here said that the little cottage would be perfect for someone with horses who is thinking of buying in France but wanting to test the water and live here a bit...

I should place an ad with HandH in foreign rentals ...

Will send you a pic when I get my camera plugged into this new computer....rr
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top