Thursday 10 February 2011

The ex-pat-re-invented Brits are having a field-day in my neck of the woods at the moment.

There is so much going on it is a job to know where to start.

A female friend of mine, not close, has been ripped off by one our mutual ‘friends’.

The event evolved thus:

My friend works as an agent for an Immobilier.

She posted on that 'wonderful social networking' site that she had found a fantastic property with loads of potential for cost of ‘next to nothing’.

Hmmmm… Bad move, silly girl.

Our ‘mutual friend’ made enquiries as she had sold her house and was living in rental accommodation.

The ‘mutual friend’ then went to another Immobilier who knew of the property and made an offer and is now in the process of purchasing the house.

The friend of mine is now well out of pocket on commission on the sale and she is not happy!

There is now very bad feeling between the two.

Not only that, but the husband of the ‘mutual friend’ helped the husband of the friend in his capacity as a builder/renovator (yes, another Brit in France doing properties up etc…) and took advantage of the husbands good nature and borrowed equipment and promptly broke/ruined/stole the aforesaid equipment. The husband of the ‘mutual friend’ is the sort of person who argues with his fists not his tongue so is best avoided!

Now it was not my friend that told me this but her husband, oh does he love a gossip. Gladdens my heart that a man can confide!!

And now, me in my capacity of being an older woman: you know, a bit of a granny, sympathetic, gives a bit of advice, easy listener, don’t gossip with everyone etc. gets to hear of this.

I do sometimes get people confide in me, I don’t ask them to, but they do and I cannot believe, in my Christian mind that people will do what they do. It absolutely amazes me. Where are their morals or are they born without them?

There are obviously things that I would not dream of repeating to a soul but sometimes there are things that need to be said…namely, why do so many English/British people prey on their own kind????

Just an aside, why on earth do some parents put their children on ‘The Worlds Strictest Parents’ programme. From what I have seen it is the parents that need to be educated not their children!!!

Monday 7 February 2011

Blues part 2

Further to January Blues

Interesting day today…

My dear, tame, English hairdresser called to attend to my ‘barnet’ and a damned good job she did too. Bless her, she knows my hair, how it curls on the right and how it curls on the left in spite of it being dead straight, how fine it is and what suits the shape of my head. I did discuss with my man, this morning, the possibility of colour but though – oh no not a good idea! I have a good sprinkling of silver now and in some lights it looks bloody lovely, natural highlights. The thought of losing that to an artificial ‘chestnut’ (best on a nut), ‘burgandy’ (best in a glass) or whatever, I decided against. At the rate my hair grows I would need to ‘touch up’ the roots every 2 weeks which is way out of my remit.

So my hair is now manageable again and with a sprinkling of silver. It was getting a bit wayward as it had not been cut since mid-November last year. I feel so much better, a little glamorous, just need a bit of ‘slap’, to complete the picture.

Not too bad for 64 years old me-thinks…

I was also complimented on how good my ‘body’ looks…… Well!! What does one say??

After my coiffeuse parted, we had a man we had been expecting since, hmmmm who know when – see January Blues, ‘favours’.

He arrived unexpectedly with an explanation as to why he had not been able to come to us to do the work that he had promised early last year and why we were ‘out of the loop’.

He explained how he had been ‘ripped off’ by an English couple out here, as well as the problems he has had with his in-laws and in-laws partners after a death in the family. Oh my God, aren’t some peoples lives complicated??

I am so glad that I have had only one husband and that he has had only one wife (me) and that our parents stuck with each other through ‘sickness and health, richer and poorer, forsaking all others until death do us part, etc’….

Some people out here have such complex relationships in their lives I find it quite unbelievable! I would love to do a ‘straw’ poll with all the people I know in France and see how many of them have families such as ours…. It would be so interesting.

Anyway, we will be getting the work we want doing within the next 2 months – although watch this space….

Am still gathering information on the ex-pat populaton………….there might be a novel in it yet!!

Friday 4 February 2011

Vehicles

This is from someone who needs to get it out.....

Eventually we got our new(ish) car. a 1998 Renault Megane Scenic. It is a very nice car too and it gets us from A to B.

In the meantime I have had another birthday. Another one where we were unable to go out and celebrate with a meal. Another promise....

I have decided henceforth that my birthday will be the end of May each year. The end of January does not bode well with me. We always have very cold weather and extra expenses (mainly car) and it is too soon after Christmas. So now it will be the end of May, a better time for a party, maybe a barbeque with friends.

I am still feeling rather fragile. I do not sleep well, waking at all hours of the night, I am tense during the day and prone to tears... Oh my God this sounds awful. I know I am not depressed. I did the depression thing after having our daughters and was absolutely 'out-of-it'.

This is different.

Now, when I was very young, around 2 years old, I was hospitalised for life-saving surgery. My earliest memories are hospital beds, disinfectant (I still hate the smell of Dettol), large green and cream hospital wards and nurses in their high hats (then) blue uniforms and starched aprons. I also had a long spell in 'convalescence'. I remember lots of visits to hospitals and to our G.P. Dr. MacArthur (a lovely guy who passed away when I was around 25). My Mum and Dad always said that I was a 'sensitive' child and I think that it stems from my early years and still applies today. My Mum still worries herself silly about my health! I know that if I can turn off outside influences and try to 'meditate' then I will feel better, but it is difficult.

I need to get away from my life and do something different. Do I go to a Catholic retreat in the UK and rediscover the Church or should I go on an alternative retreat and learn to switch off and meditate. I am curious about the oriental option. I have practised Qi Gong and found it very useful but would like to delve deeper. I am sure a residential course would benefit me enormously, but where to go?? Now this is only short term, just to get myself sorted out before I am committed!

Anyway, enough about me..

The car.

He has been driving for almost 50 years now and is used to the internal combustion engine but not to the modern computer driven version.

Oh joy, 1st day with the car and he could not get it to start in the morning....

He thought the worst, I said 'have a look in the manual.' He tried to find the battery to check it was OK. He 'farted' around for about 45 mins before picking up the manual and checking what was wrong...something to do with it being a 'computer' controlled vehicle with electronic locking system. By then I had had a coffee, swept the floors, loaded the washing machine, got really steamed up etc. etc....

He also needed to change the ownership of the car. Slightly different out here to the UK.

We collected the forms and he asked that I fill them.

NO!

Why not..

Suppose I wasn't here?

But you are.

I have dropped dead what would you do?

Get on with it I suppose.

OK, get on with it and stop relying on me....

I'll take it to the Mairie.

C'est tout...

I do love him though!!!