3rd October 2010

Ever wondered what the French earn? The subject is a definite no no in France. It's more outrageous here to ask what someone earns than asking about their sex life! Currently 7.8 million French live below the poverty level of 949 euros p.m., with half of those living on less than 773 euros p.m. Actual poverty levels are worked out by calculating 60% of the average French wage. In 2008, this median figure was 19,000 euros p.a.
Him indoors said How Much?? But he's always pleading poverty, and says government statisticians have never asked him what he earns here. I remember only too well when we were in the UK. The bank manager said "we have a policy here Mr.......: you're supposed to put some money IN occasionally!" And even here in France, when he visited the chiropracter and the doctor said "this is going to hurt", Him indoors replied "why, are you about to give me the bill?"I know - you've heard some of his jokes before. But what can I do? I tried to emigrate away from them, but they're still with me!
The bottom line: apart from houses, wine and sunshine, France is expensive. Expats won't get benefit credits here, so don't make the move unless your monthly income is at least the above poverty levels.....Him indoors now knows.

18th December 2008

My views on Europe have changed markedly since we came to live in France.
And now, our very own Nicolas feels the same! As Sarkozy steps down from his 6-month EU presidency, he says that Europe has changed him: "I tried to change Europe, but Europe changed me....whatever differences we have, there are so many things that bring us together." With this last presidential speech, he outlined what he had achieved: a 200-billion-euro (274-billion-dollar) economic stimulus package, an ambitious climate change and energy package and a deal for Ireland to hold a second referendum on the bloc's reforming Lisbon Treaty. So all is sweetness and light then in the EU think-tank?
Not everyone feels the same. Those dratted Irish will just have to keep on voting until they get it right! And even beloved George Brown has started to think the unthinkable. At yesterday's count the pound was wobbling at 1.08 euros, and heading rapidly towards equal parity. Could it be that the UK at last will ditch sterling and take on the euro? Who'd have thought it? All I know is that my sterling pension buys me fewer and fewer euros every month. Why, if this goes on, Him indoors will have to forgo some of his luxuries, and we can't have that. Over the past 41 years I've always strived to keep him in the style to which he's long been accustomed. But it's no good - the caviar, foie gras and venison will just have to go. Quel sacrifice!
So, come on George Brown: take on the euro. You know it makes sense (and Him indoors will be eternally grateful).
Merci.

18th October 2008

There's a village in the Var region, on the southern Mediterranean coast, which has recently made a surprising change. Shops there are accepting francs as currency again. The trend was begun by baker Nathalie Lepeltier, who says that people still have a lot of old notes at home, and the last series of franc notes can be exchanged at the Banque de France until 2012. Apparently all the businesses in Collobrieres, the village in question, are now taking part in the experiment and Mme Lepeltier has agreed to collect all their francs and to send them to the bank. I can't imagine that happening in the UK - too much chance of the collector disappearing abroad with all that cash, I'd have thought! But then I'm an English cynic and have lived a bit. Anyway, all the shops in Collobrieres now have pictures up showing the notes that are allowed: the last series which includes 500s with a picture of Pierre and Marie Curie, 200s with Gustave Eiffel, 100s with Cezanne, 50s with Saint-Exupery and 20s with Debussy. All said they didn't like the Euro notes anyway - all those pictures of buildings no-one's heard of. They much prefer the colourful personalities pictured on the old notes. Apparently four out of 10 households in France still work out their budgets in terms of francs, then translate painfully. Some still even think in ancien francs, the currency that went out in 1960 (when a hundred old francs became one new one). Although elsewhere in the EU they have euro 'cents', it's actually still 'centimes' in France now, avoiding confusion with the word for 100. The name of Madame's Collobrieres shop, Le Pain de Jadis, actually means 'the bread of yesteryear'. It made me think of the current Hovis advert on English TV, with scenes of wartime neighbourliness. When times are hard, take people back to an airbrushed past when everything was good, neighbours actually spoke to one another and everyone was content with what they had. Trouble is, the dream soon fades when you're faced with the hard reality of the present again, but it's nice while it lasts.
P.S. Don't miss Part 2 tomorrow of the Bruno serial.

2nd September 2008

I see in the news that the UK Chancellor has disclosed that the government's fiscal situation is even more dire than people thought. In contrast, on the French news M. Sarkozy looks his usual urbane sense, exuding and gushing that sort of charm only previously seen in old American movies. However, when I talk to the French locals in la place des halles, they paint an entirely different picture. 'Ah,' they say. 'M. Sarkozy - he says lots of things, but does he actually do any of them?' nodding sagely. It all sounds very familiar to me. Didn't we all say that about Tony Blair? I wonder if M. Sarkozy has his very own Alistair Campbell doing the spinning for him? We'll have to wait and see. All I know is that every month the euros that appear in our French bank account from the UK pension seem smaller and smaller (not in size, but in total!). I open my purse to have a look at the situation and the usual motley collection of coins fall out. The brass-coloured ones are 1, 2 and 5 centime coins, whilst the 10, 20 and 50 centimes are copper. The 1-euro coin is silver-coloured in the centre with a brass rim, and the 2-euro coin has a brass centre and silver rim. The side showing the value is the same in all euro-zone countries, but the other side is different in each country. You can always tell an English person when they start to mention the money over here by how they pronounce the word. 'Yooros', they say. But the French pronounce the word something like 'Err Os'. 'Ah' said him indoors, 'that's appropriate.' What now? 'The French certainly know a thing or two,' he continued. 'Why?' 'Well, they know that the primary reason why everyone's short of cash is because of 'er indoors........'er owes!!'
Grr.