1.What is your name and profession past or present ?
Doreen Porter. I worked as a journalist in the private and public sectors and now do some freelance writing and proofreading — and produce the FiFi newsletter.
2.Do you have other family members here?
1 x husband.
3.How long have you lived in France and are you here full or part year?
Six years, full time.
4. Do you have an activity or profession you wish to promote?
I am happy to do any proofreading, especially something that has been translated into English — I’ve been on Plain English courses — and am happy to check over any documents as a favour to ensure they are correct. (I am a member of the Society for the Preservation of the Apostrophe. How sad is that?) I can also write and produce leaflets, flyers etc.
5. Would you say you are enjoying integrating, give examples?
It’s not something that happens overnight. Some magazine articles imply that the day after you move in, there’s a queue of locals outside your house waiting to hand you a tarte tatin. You have to work at it. We did teach English to members of the local ainés ruraux; Gavin is in a local choir and is the only British person in his Occitan class (now why doesn’t that surprise me?). We could both speak French before we came here, although you are always learning.
6. Do you think you will stay in France for some time or forever?
At the moment, the plan is to stay here.
7.What activities do you enjoy?
Writing — I run a Creative Writing class for FiFi and am a member of Writers Abroad, an online writing group, whose magazine I now edit.
8.Do you enjoy travel ?
Of course. I was lucky enough to travel to places like Burma, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and the USA for work, and we’ve travelled extensively in Europe for holidays, and as far afield as India, Sri Lanka, Borneo and Thailand.
9. Have you got pets?
Two cats: Angus (or Angoose as the French call him), and Kandy, who is named after the city in Sri Lanka. They were found abandoned on a building site in Theydon Bois, Essex. We brought them with us — they flew Cat Class on BA to Toulouse.
10.Is there anything you miss living in France?
Friends and family, of course. A good curry, although Glynis and Emma plus Spiced Cuisine are beginning to rectify that; M&S Food Hall and London theatres.
Val says after our café and conversation where we were inundated with cakes I think tarte tatin could easily be on the menu more and more, the more we make the effort the more tarte tatin we will get.
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