Tag: moving to normandy france

Our French Life

The Normandy Road Kill

ournormandylife
A nonchalant French bird who flies when he wants to irrespective of a fast approaching vehicle!

So I thought I’d do a light-hearted post about death and what not. Now I appreciate that on the face of it, it probably doesn’t seem too light-hearted but believe me, I think you’ll enjoy this one about flattened animals along the empty roads of Normandy. Well let’s hope so.

Before I begin, I must say I don’t particularly enjoy seeing various animal species KO’d on my local roads, however, it does make for some interesting driving and seeing which poor bugger didn’t make it to the other side. Also, I’ve never seen such a variety of animals and birds albeit dead. I’m a city mouse and now I’m a country mouse – the last time I saw a hedgehog in the UK was probably in the 1980s. In fact, I think they are extinct there now. I see them on a weekly basis here, albeit flattened as a pancake. Interesting fact – I do believe they are eaten in the south of France assuming before they are flattened.

Continue reading “The Normandy Road Kill” →
Our French Life

Dear France, Sorry I didn’t Get The Memo!

ournormandylife

memo

Nope. Sometimes you think you have it all sussed.  You think you know what a country is all about and feel quite the smug immigrant. Then something happens and it suddenly occurs to you that you didn’t get the memo on that one. Or the one before that, the one after and the one before that. I feel I have missed quite  a few memos since my arrival here in Normandy, France. Continue reading “Dear France, Sorry I didn’t Get The Memo!” →

Our French Life

Who Are You Even?

ournormandylife

tumbleweed

When you speak French? That is the question. I’ll be darned if I know who the hell I am.  I know for a fact that I left any shred of dignity, self respect and pride somewhere in La Manche, approximately 3 years ago, on the boat over. That fateful 10.30 pm crossing where my ability to communicate like a funny, intelligent adult drifted out to sea – coming back some time never. And there’s no one, anytime soon, throwing me a buoyancy aid. You really do have to sink or swim. Continue reading “Who Are You Even?” →

Our French Life

Top 5 Tips On How To Argue French Style

ournormandylife

 

war games

Okay as we’ve established I am not fluent in French. I’m getting there. I try really hard. Like really hard. Everyday. This photo clip from Modern Family really sums it up when Gloria screams at Jay how it feels “to have people laugh in my face because I’m struggling to find the words.” Here it’s a more screwed up face and a physical recoiling of the body simultaneously. Oh gawd. That face. The French face of “I haven’t a fucking clue what you are saying to me and in no way am I going to disguise my facial features to this fact.”

gloria
Modern Family and Gloria giving it some

Continue reading “Top 5 Tips On How To Argue French Style” →

Our French Life, our relocation life

What Happens To Friendships When You Move To France?

ournormandylife

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And not just the ones you left behind but the new ones you will invariably encounter in your new life (not in the sun – I live in Normandy) here in France.

By the way, you decided to move to another country not your friends or family. They were probably perfectly happy with the status quo and perhaps bear this in mind when the dynamics of your friendships change. One of my favourite quotes is “the only thing that is certain in life is change”. This is very true but it also rings true that most do not like change one bit. Nope. Not at all. Continue reading “What Happens To Friendships When You Move To France?” →

Our French Life

Top 5 Things I Miss From The UK

ournormandylife

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Okay, the other day I posted a picture of the empty road as we made our way up to the coast. It was a Bank Holiday here in France  – the first of many in May and the kids were off. We took two with us and left one at home. We had a nice wander at a Vide Grenier/ Brocante in Beauchamp before heading on up the coast to Saint-Pair-Sur-Mer.

Another facebook friend of mine had taken a picture of her location (much further south in France) and remarked at the lack of traffic. Being highly original and thinking “oh yeah!” no traffic on a Bank Holiday I did the same. Another facebook friend jokingly remarked “how on earth will you manage?!”. I replied that I did still miss Chinese/Indian take-aways and this got me thinking about my smug post on very little traffic. Continue reading “Top 5 Things I Miss From The UK” →

Our French Life

Top 5: Why You Should Speak Bad French

ournormandylife

puss in boots

I often beat myself up for not being fluent after being here for nearly 2 years.  Only the other week I left my French lesson feeling totally demoralised. I frequently come away internally wailing to myself “how am I ever going to be fluent?” It’s not like I don’t try really hard. I do lots to improve my French and you can read all about it here. After I confided to a fellow lesson goer that I’m not really enjoying the lessons, he replied very matter of fact “You’re not meant to enjoy them! No one enjoys them!” Continue reading “Top 5: Why You Should Speak Bad French” →

Our French Life

Do You Know Your Arse From Your Neck?

 

confused emoji

Did I have you at arse or neck?  I’ve gone right off the rails with the language haven’t I. Actually, I think I would be doing you all a disservice if I didn’t explain the difference between these two words in French. You’re welcome. They sound no different in my Brit opinion but then my accent, at times, can be atrocious. I particularly struggle with a word which has an unacceptable amount of vowels in it – that includes the letter ‘y’ as guess what? The French consider this to be a vowel. I can often see the word in my head, I want to put my hand up like I’m in some imaginary game show and say “oh I know it, I know it!” !”it’s X or sounds like…..” Cue the crumpled up face of the recipient. Continue reading “Do You Know Your Arse From Your Neck?” →

Our French Life

Tales Of Ram Raids In French Car Parks

bumper car

Okay so following on from my post on being ram raided, I have discovered that there are many of you, Normandy Lifers, that this is old news. This is talk to the hand. If you missed this exciting, enthralling tale of living the good life, then you can read it here. 

After my first brush with car parking French style – I happened to mention it on a Normandy forum.  It was at this point, I had to question where on earth I had been for nearly 2 years? Why hadn’t it crossed my mind that my car was not in anyway safe in a supermarket car park – or any other car park for that matter. Continue reading “Tales Of Ram Raids In French Car Parks” →

Our French Life

The One Where I Get Ram Raided

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I set out to write about things to do in Vire, Calvados or Vir-ray as my brother-in-law calls it. I actually prefer this version as it sounds all posh like.  Well firstly, it’s not to get ram raided by another car in the supermarket car park. This happened to me yesterday in the E.leclerc in Vire. So firstly, if you are out shopping be mindful of the kamikaze parking that goes on here. Everything is different. Logic. Common Sense. It’s like living in an opposite game show where the rules keep changing. I love France and the French people are, by and large, very nice but how it all works (even accepting it) can feel like you’re living in a pantomime. I mean the whole way in which we think, in my view, as Brits is the complete opposite to a French person. Continue reading “The One Where I Get Ram Raided” →