No pussy footing about; that is what I call integration.

What an absolutely wonderful morning. I just cannot express how happy I am that this morning was such a great success.
 Firstly thanks have to go to Gareth and Sarah at St. Martial for hosting the second of our " Café et conversation mornings" Yesterday I was concerned that we would have more UK citizens than  French. Well this morning the French won hands down, with about 24 people participating at least two thirds were French.  We had a table laden with cakes of every description and Gareth and Sarah made a cracking job of topping up coffee. We all talked to different groups and hardly a word of English was spoken. I think my French must be the most suspect as I did get helped a lot with useful phrases and I am not proud, it is help I need. I had volunteered to pick up an elderly gent of the village whose wife has not long been dead. We hit it off so well and in fact this gentleman now wants to host the January reunion. Driving home he was as ecstatic as I about how much he had enjoyed the morning. Julia our young French friend came ( to please me really) and she said she would just stay half an hour. When we left she was still deep in discussion with French neighbours she had just met and looked really animated.
Lots of conversations I had were with singles, ladies and men who had lost partners they  were a bit sad but were really taken with having an insight in to the lives of us from the UK and the  Dutch and were really keen to help us with the language.
From wondering if it would ever work to thinking " yes, this is the way to go to foster friendships and show our French neighbours how much we want to be part of their lives"

  Can I swear?   this morning was  a bl....   marvellous success and a big thank you all round to everyone who participated.
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A great attitude

Hi Malcolm & Val

As somone who is not a natural linguist I would like to comment on the debate about people learning to speak French later in life. We all have different learning styles and for me it had to be a methodical approach, which began with learning a few verbs and some simple grammar. I will never forget the first Christmas party that I organised for 15 of my french neighbours. I had to listen so hard to what was being said and probably missed 50% of it but then we ladies found some common ground - baking! We talked about favourite cakes and each lady left with  a recipe for lemon polenta cake. When we go to dinner with french neighbours it is amazing how often we end up talking about food - they tell us how to get a licence to have eau de vie made from surplus fruit,   how to find truffles and so on. I have fairly recently discovered the magazine Bien Dire, which contains fascinating articles at varying levels of difficulty, with some vocabulary attached to help with understanding. When going to the doctors or going to Leclerc to discuss the fact that they have delivered a table to me with no legs, I still look up some potentially useful vocab in advance. I will never forget how my ability to communicate over the telephone improved so much once I had learned the basic skill of pronouncing letters properly when spelling words - like my name! I still feel much more comfortable reading a book in french than speaking the language but it is so satisfying when I do manage to make myself understood. My neighbours are unfailingly kind and generally manage to hide their amusement at my English accent. 
I do hope that Val is making good progress.
 Much love to you both - and see you for Butterfly, Moya xx
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Be positive, say "corsican" / course i can

hi Val 
 I do agree with Ginny. Don’t be too hard on people who don’t speak much French. As Ginny and Hazel said, we all have different abilities and strengths. I studied languages at school and college, so am OK with French, but when it comes to music and painting, for example, I am useless – as the FiFi Singing Group would agree. You could find me the best music teacher in the world and send me on tour with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the result would be the same – a noise that would make dogs howl. Thinking it must be possible to learn, I did once take piano lessons, but my repertoire starts and finishes with a short burst of Happy Birthday to You (using one finger). Just as those who struggle with French would love to be better, it’s not always possible.

Doreen

 Val says:

I am that person who could not learn French. I was thrown out of French class in third form and was so relieved to see the back of it. When we arrived in France I was happy that Malc a linguist could speak for me... well happy for a while. Thirteen years on and I am still struggling but gosh how I am improving. I will never be in a situation where I can say everything I want to... or will I?

Saying to people "oh you you will never learn" or accepting it when they say it to you shows a distinct lack of encouragement. Close friends of ours  know  how I have struggled but persevered.

I would be the last person to be critical of anyone's French but encourage anybody for trying.

Please do not give up ladies: be more positive within your group.

Malc as you know is disabled; he could not swim but wanted to sail with myself and daughter. In his thirties our daughter taught him to swim. He bought a one man boat, a Laser, and started racing. We called his boat "Corsican" as I used to stand on the bank shouting "course you can Malc", and he did.

For doubters start saying "corsican" instead of "I can't learn".

As Reggie Perrin's boss might have said "I didn't get where I am today by saying I cannot do it".

Speaking the language of the country where you live seems to me to be a fundamental need, not like singing, cooking, art, etc.
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Citizenship and integration

Dear Val

Luckily for us, a fellow TAG reader said that if we were over 60 we did not have to pass the formal French exam just an interview where we will be asked basic questions based around a rather verbose pamphlet sent to all 18 year olds on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. These range from recognising the colours of the French flag, to the duty to voting and the responsibility to send children to school to the age of 16. Disabled people are also exempt from the language exam.

Having read the recent debate in TAG on integration and the ability to speak French all of this rather intrigues me. You, Val, very kindly think that we are a good example of people who are integrated. We are surprised to hear this every time we read it. We basically moved here because neither of us wanted to get dragged back into consultancy when we retired. Ross does things in the village because there are so few of us here and if he gets sufficiently irritated by weeds or something else he does something about it. I think I am integrated by going to a Patchwork group for my own pleasure. Now is this integration or behaving as we would have in the UK? Doing what we like? Similarly trying to restore the church is something we are doing for our own pleasure. We love the reward of the concert, the sound and giving people pleasure and we cope with the brickbats, fatigue and effort.

However the ability to speak French is another issue. As someone who is dyslexic the very idea of an exam filled me with such fear that I would have played the disability card had it included a written section. I cannot spell in English and French is an absolute nightmare. When British people talk about reading the language I think they must have come from a land of geniuses. Hazel was so right when she said we all have different abilities and have come from differing educational opportunities and different levels of confidence. Every time I ask a British person with poor French, how they got on in hospital or at a restaurant, the reply always is that they didn't need to because the French wanted to speak English to them.Finally we should all remember that while some of us may be shaken by Mr Farrage, the country we are so keen to become integrated in is much more racist and anti-semitic than the UK and if Marine Le Pen becomes an even stronger political force after the next elections we may have become integrated in a country we no longer wish to be part of.Ginny

Val says a reasoned post without resorting to intemperate language.

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Well done Gavin

Hi Val
How's this for integration - Gavin has an article published in this week's edition of the Occitan language newspaper, La Setmana. It's on the Scottish legal system and he wrote it in Occitan. Not an easy subject in English, let alone Occitan (or even French!)
Doreen
Val says: well done Gavin, what a remarkable achievement.
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The little acorns have shoots

Malc and I are just back from dining with friends and I was delighted to hear  that a couple of English  ladies who had been at "Café et conversation" met and were greeted by a French lady in the market who they would not have known before. They spent a good few minutes chatting in French and the villager  said just how much she had enjoyed the first coffee morning.
Another English lady tonight had received an invitation by email to the next " Café et conversation" in November  at St. Martial from a French friend in the village and she is planning on coming.
How nice that  everyone enjoyed the morning and it is showing small but significant results.
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Some feed back to "café et conversation"

 Hi Val
Thanks for organising the cafe and conversation morning - nice to meet so many new people and to hear how well some Dutch and English speak French!  I had a long chat with an English girl I had never met before and we stuck to the rules and spoke French to each other the whole time. Do we get Brownie points?? Or better still Brownies with our coffee ?
Thanks again Val. A great idea!    L

Hi Val
 Well, I really enjoyed it, and we all spoke French in our corner!

Thanks very much for thinking of such a good idea and implementing it.

S
Hi Val

First of all, thank you for this morning cup of coffee - I really enjoyed myself and had a good chat (at last) with one of my neighbours.

One way or another, I'd never had time to get around to doing this! Also, the other participants seemed to be enjoying themselves, chatting away and nibbling at the lovely goodies some of us brought along.

Certainly worth doing again, I would think.

M

Val says   We have to keep plugging away, great oaks from little acorns grow. Not sure how or if my French improved but the cakes were good.

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Stuffed with gateaux and oreillettes

Not sure how much French we learned as the noise levels were so high and our mouths were stuffed with cake samples. The French arrived with tasty gateaux and one had made oreillettes which are a bit like flat doughnuts. ( I did manage to spirit some away for future testing.)
We had two local councillors in our midst and Nicole,  Marcia and I,  prime movers in trying to get the groups together felt it was a start. Nicole is French, Marcia Dutch and me British. There were 15 of us all together, We had 3 no shows and one phone call from someone on the way to an emergency dentists appointment.

Animated discussion between French and English neighbours

Overall the feeling from the French was  one of pleasure that we are making the effort. They really want to mix with us and that is only possible if we speak the language. How often at village do's are the French at some tables and the English at another when by now we should be a mixed bunch.
The gathering split naturally into small groups and I did learn an expression for twilight,  "entre chien et loup"  Meaning as the darkness descends in the half light it is difficult to tell if it is a dog or wolf. You never know when you will need that. I will be trying to get it into a conversation in the next few days.

Serge explains a point to Sarah and Gareth, all from St Martiel

 I think I had more than most gentle ticking off on pronunciation, but I keep trying.
We discussed using the  "ancien mairie" again for get togethers, it does have an outside loo and a sink.  We all agreed we need to get the key and really scrutinise its potential as a general meeting place.
 The next get together will be at St. Martiel and I learnt that before long the old centre aere (community centre) which is owned by the commune may be coming up for sale. A lovely building in the centre of St. Martiel, it has the potential to be a fine home.
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Should I have stayed at home ?

After a busy, if not responsible, morning at the Regatta, the sub editor accepted an invitation to play in the nocturne de petanque at Varen. Teaming up with Andy Clench, the no 1 son of David and Joyce, I was not surprised to find only about 20 competitors as these events seem to have lost popularity in the last few years. In the hey days of the Verfeil nocturnes when I was assistant secretary, we would have 50-60 players taking part under the floodlights. Sadly Vefeil petanque club is defunct and Varen may be going the same way.
That said, we had a very convivial evening. Andy is very integrated into the village life and all the players know him, whereas I have only played there rarely (and not at all this year) and was only recognised by the old regulars. I was especially gratified that the maire of Varen said how impressed he was with the regatta participation and especially how much he had enjoyed the Picnic in the Park at Mas del Sol - "je me suis régalé", he said.
What about the petanque, you ask. Frankly, we (meaning me) were rubbish, losing all 3 parties fairly comprehensively. So, should I have stayed at home? Andy may think so, but I enjoyed the evening, even the ribbing that les anglais traditionally endure. If readers like to play petanque I urge you to try an evening at a nocturne, it can be fun and you could end up with French friends and a few euros in winnings.
Malc sub editor
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Ginny tells more about the language test to become a French citizen.

Hi Val
I still have weekly lessons but am now conquering my fear in reading French. Everyone says it is very easy - I shall feel as though I have really achieved something when I pass it. The pass mark for nationality purposes is just 50%. One of the boards is Cambridge level B1 - sounds simple enough! It is the the English nationality test equivalent which they all say is not very high!

Will keep you informed. I think all but those of us who positively do not speak French could pass with ease.

Val says  after we have the Salon du Jardin d' été  and Picnic in the Park under our belt we will follow in your footsteps and try and attain French citizenship. We would always want to retain our UK status but I want a vote. If I can no longer vote in the UK and we live permanently in  France I would want a voice here. Having a vote to me, is something I feel strongly in our democratic society I need to exercise. It will be interesting having Ginny and Ross one step ahead and to be able to follow in their footsteps.

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The ultimate in integration.

Dear Val

After much thought we have decided to apply for dual nationality. It doesn't matter how bad we consider the UK is getting the UK will never let us renounce our British nationality. 

So we have been to the prefecture and got our forms which look surprisingly easy to complete even if they would prefer us to supply our parents birth certificates. Sadly our parents would all be well into their hundreds if they were still alive and the certificates were disposed of some time ago.

However we have had several people telling us that we cannot apply because we did not have an income in France. This is not strictly true. Everyone applying for nationality must be independent of French state benefits. This means that those under retirement age must be working while those of us who are retired must have a pension income which enables them to be independent of French top ups. Our pensions while arising in the UK are paid into French bank accounts and are taxed over here but those people like retired teachers and civil servants who are taxed in the UK can still apply for citizenship over here.

So we have our referees - the mayor and our French teacher, we have to pass our French exams which is fortunately only an oral one and one on citizenship but we can buy a book and mug up on the multi-choice anwers, a change bought in in 2012. Finally there is the visit from a gendarme presumably to make sure we are honest, trustworthy and really exist. Apparently the process takes up to two years;

If anyone has succeeded recently we would love to hear from them and we will keep TAG posted!

Ginny 

Val says  well done Ross and Ginny. I am so pleased you are giving it a go. We want to, but I am spending time trying to improve my French before applying.

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It is more about the little things, other than dinner parties

Are socialising and integration the same thing?

I have heard many saying, but what have we got in common with a paysan agriculteur, how can we invite them to dinner?
Perhaps we should think more on the lines of being pleasant and chatting in their language to said farmer and appreciate  the difference and  if we are lucky enough to be invited into their maybe rustic home, enjoy the difference. Life is all about " difference",  how boring it would be with the same old thing, same old people,  all the time.
On the other hand maybe that paysan farmer would not want to waste time with us and he certainly won't if we cannot speak his language.
Buying locally, speaking in French for transactions, talking to waiters in French, getting manure delivered from your neighbour, this is integrating.

Those who will learn the language and try integration will... those who won' t, won't.
 Those that do will help our stay in France considerably, the others will give Marine le Pen supporters more voice.

Which camp do you want to be in?
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Food for thought!

Someone who is not British, said  "have you ever thought TAG could stop integration by recommending English workmen and placing the emphasis on English activities?"

Val says  I need to give that one some thought.

When TAG was started all those years ago the idea was always to promote integration and to help us know what was going on in the area. That core ideal has not changed, the number of expats  here has.
Very few of us want the SW to become a " little Britain" and I would be horrified to promote that.
I love the UK and the life it gave us when were younger, democracy at it's very best but I embrace our new life here in France with all the differences of language and culture, France is also a very democratic country, and I like it's pride and patrimoine.

No, I do not think TAG stops integration I think it reminds us to be aware that we are  British, Welsh, Scottish or Dutch, members of Europe living alongside French neighbours and we must be respectful of them and remember we are the incomers.
We do though ( most of us) pay our taxes and have a say in village life, as we should have.
I think this whole integration question came up with the municipal election and the French have made us aware we must try harder.

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A few ideas for integration

Hi Val & Malcolm,

 a few things that I feel contributed a lot to our integration into the french rural community; the first thing we did when we came to live here is buy a french car! Your car is often the first thing people see when you arrive somewhere and by driving a foreign car, you could immediatly be classified as 'un étranger',. Secondly, I shop locally as much as possible and use the services of local, french plombiers, charpentiers, notaire, coiffeur etc,. even if your french isn't yet very good; this is how you learn. In small communities like the ones we live in, your garagist or your pharmacien will become a friend if you are a regular customer. Always taking time for a chat helps too ;-). By the way, would you believe that at the BIOCOOP (organic supermarket in Villefranche), they actually know the names of many of their customers?! Organic smallholdings and producers often work on much more personal bases and their clients are usually part of their social circle. Last but not least when you live à la campagne, have a potager! Ask the grandma next door for advice; they know everything,. My neighbours love it when I take the time to admire their garden, 'talk vegetable and weather' and they are very interested in my own garden. If you have a garden, here's an idea: invite your french neighbours to go to the 'Salon du jardin d'été' and go  together!    
 xx Anke
Val says  that sounds like a great idea Anke.
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Another integration story

Ross and Ginny Jenkins have raised thousands of euros for the restoration of the Church at Puycelsi, not just integrating but making a real difference to the Patrimoine of their village.
Jill Spearman is on the committee to raise money for the church at Selgues, and Malcolm is on the St. Vincent de Varen church committee and has been for ten years, he also helps Therese with the posters and publicity for the church at Selgues.
David Clench has painted the stations of the cross which are permanently on display in the church at Selgues.
Come on with other names and stories of integration, help me out.
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I mean it readers, I want your participation

I want you to send a post telling me how you yourself integrate, how your neighbours integrate and we can then build up a picture and inspire others who will be led by the  examples.
I can think of loads of people who do this but I want YOU to tell me in how you think you are participating in French life. Let us have a roll call of simple things to more complicated jobbies. I want more than ticks I want your posts, short, misspelt full of grammatical errors ( just to fit in ) I want your feedback.

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Teaching English to children in Verfeil sur Seye

TAG was reminded by a French reader that a group of ladies, she did not know they were Fifi members,  were teaching  English to children in Verfeil sur Seye, she felt this was a positive step in integration and she is right. Well done that group of Fifi ladies, all credit to you. We know also of a lady,  Hazel who started up a mixed meeting group at Verfeil which did eventually fade away but she tried and for a short while it worked.
Three ladies I know of in Varen,  Jill, Marcia and Kath all work in the library/ mediatheque which without this help would cease to function.

Send TAG positive stories about how we are integrating as from where I sit ( in my chair watching kestrels) I think we  most of us already try very well at integrating .
Please send these people's stories.
integration at  taglines82@gmail.com

Mick Jagger speaks perfect French

At a concert in France Mick surprised his English fans by speaking fluent French all the way through the concert... would be rude not to really.
Here in France with French invited in the audience why would anyone think speaking English was acceptable.
Mick lives in a chateau in the Loire and is perfectly integrated in his village, even paying his taxes and voting when he can.
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Leaving France, never.

A reader asked "do you think we should consider leaving France, the way things are going"
I certainly do not think you should do that, what you should do is get your French lessons booked if you are not already learning the language. If we integrate more by being able to speak to the French they will see we are not far removed from themselves and have more in common than they knew. Joining French groups for singing, patchwork, walking, pensioners groups ( if you feel you fit into that category!)  etc. is also the way forward.
Do not talk about leaving, talk about joining in.
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I think we have been given a wake up call, everything in the garden is not coming up roses.

Marine le Pen and the FN party doing so well in the European elections gives one a jolt. Here in Varen the party was only two votes off winning outright. In Verfeil sur Seye the FN came top. I must check what happened in St. Antonin.
Now however you look at it we do not have any Romanians at all in these two villages but we do have plenty of  UK residents and Dutch. So who is the vote partially against here? I am not saying there are not nationwide factors but we have to face facts we need to make more efforts to fit in.
Once again it is the language that is the barrier, you come, you should learn French. It is difficult, you will stumble, you won't always get it right but we have to try harder. I know my French is not the best but it is improving daily and I am persevering.
Yesterday I spoke French all day as I only met French people. I spent the morning canvassing for judges and for support for the Salon du jardin. Sadly numerous French people when I discussed the salon and our mixed nationality group working together, the villagers said " but the problem is you newcomers do not speak our language so how can you integrate." Once again the getting together in big English speaking groups was mentioned, so it is not going to be a simple task.
What concerns me most is it is not just the older Varenois who have this perception but the young French people who because of our young French neighbours we have got to know, generally think we are standoffish and refuse to learn the language.
Easy to dismiss  and say " so what" and get on with our anglophone lives but I think we do so at our peril.
We learn French,build on making French friends or eventually life will becoming uncomfortable and we will leave.
These are my views and I welcome yours.

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