31st December 2017

What a year that was! A year of Trump, who withdrew from UNESCO, climate-change agreements and immigration laws. He understood that Israel was being treated unfairly by the UN via majority Muslim votes then formally recognised Jerusalem as the legitimate capital of Israel. In France pro-EU centrist Macron beat the far-right Le Pen. Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorists and Iran. Zimbabwe's Mugabe resigned. The UK launched the process to quit the EU but the PM lost her parliamentary majority. Brussels and London agreed divorce terms. Humanitarian disaster in Yemen. Escalation of nuclear race in North Korea. Myanmar's Rohingyas' genocide. Catalonia's autonomy suspended. Weinstein scandal. Isis largely defeated.
....and I thought we'd had a difficult year! From my own experiences: don't be swayed by the material things in life but remain true to your own inner feelings. Don't choose where to live based on the weather but recognise where you feel most at home and not treated as a permanent 'foreigner'. A very happy and healthy New Year to you all.

1st January 2017

Enfin. The end of a poor year. The good news? For the Jewish people it's 5777 - any year that has sevens in it is good. Plus, 2017 also has a 7 in it. Yes, four 7s in one year! All good omens. 7 things about the French: 1. Orgueil means arrogant, denoted by the ubiquitous French cockerel emblem. Unlike the English, the French will always crow for their country. 2. They take their health very seriously and recognise that if you want the best, you must be prepared to invest more into the system (note: the system, not in salaries!).  3. They don't like being told what to do, hence marching on the streets. Think la Marseillaise. 4. Use of imaginary English words, e.g. le lifting (facelift), le sweat, le jogging, les warnings etc. 5. They invented condescension by using the 3rd person 'monsieur' when talking directly to you. 6. They like to touch/kiss you at every opportunity - great if it's someone young; not so good if it's the old hag down the road! 7. Contrary to public opinion, they do have a sense of humour, but it's difficult for the average English person to tell a joke in French that they understand or can relate to.
My thoughts for 2017? When levons nos verres with French neighbours, remember to keep eye contact; otherwise they might think you've something to hide (maybe you've poisonous intentions)!  To all my readers, a very happy and healthy New Year. And to my US friends: let's hope we can Trump the opposition.