The other day I woke up to BFM radio and to a lively discussion on Sarkozy’s reform of pensionable age and I realized to my horror, that I was going to have to work for longer than I’ve been alive before being eligible for a pension… Not that I thought I was even anywhere near retirement but it had never dawned on me that I’m not yet 30 so have another 32 years left! Talk about depressing…
Which led me to remember how long I have been in France. 13 years this summer. Nearly half my life! Okay, so I spent 4 years back in the UK in the middle of this, but even so, 13 years, 11 of which I have been with Hubby… Does this make me officially Frenglish?
At least you will live long enough to work those needed 32 years (I hope). I can’t hope to get in enough years of work to even qualify for any retirement.
Life is just getting more and more fun!
I certainly hope I will
I doubt there will even be anything like retirememt left by the time I get there, I wonder if it really is worth bothering myself with… who knows where I’ll be in 32 years anyway!
Will you get any French retirement even if it’s just for the years you contribute? I don’t know how the system works for people moving here, it must be scary!
Being Frenglish is a state of mind, Piglet. You can decide you want to be, and become it, or not, and resist.
A friend of mine is so keen to be French that she got nationality and set out to become totally French. I find that a bit weird, but it takes all sorts.
Maybe the euro will dive long before our pensions become an issue so it’s all moot anyway…
Sorry, that should be me, not PA.
Hi Sarah
You are so right, thanks for your input! What happened to your friend? Did you suceed in becoming totally French and did it change her as a person? I don’t think I’m either French nor English, just me, a weird, wacky combination of multiculturalness, bumbling along on lifes journey…
Fingers crossed we will get something one day though…
errrrrrrrrrrrr, my ears are tingling!
Now as a reply to being weird, I’ll get round to that….however the remark done by mistake on my Charity Blog at least enabled me to visit your blog Piglet, which is really super.
Now, yes I am French, but in now way would I wish t deny my origins..american Pa and very very Brit Mother. Also (jolly hard going) schooling in a very very very Brit school.
However, I have lived in France since I was 16, and am now 68 My studies, my growing up, my mariage, my children, my friends and my entire “young grown up culture” was accomplished..in France. I therefore adopted French nationality when I got married (at 23), and always felt completely at home. France was my “terre nouriciere” for everything I know, only my school and my Mother were Brit, and Daddy was absolutely cosmopolitan.d
I am not wierd, but yes I am totally French somehow, and without any “trying to be”…just because my entire grown up life and learning to live it…was done in France. Even before I spent most of my school hols with a French family, frieds od my Papa. I never go to England, and have been there on visit about 10 times in fifty years….and I think that when a country welcomes you, nourishes you, helps you to learn and to grow up to adult age, and then make all your friends, your actions, your entreprises comme into life….it’s not at all strange…just deduct nearly 16 years old from 68………
Not am I totally french in my mind and proud to be so, and hate systematical stupid criticisms I hear from folks who LIVE here, but dont like the people or the country!
However I am also very proud of my americano/britannique orgins – its the melting pot….the best way to all get to gether.
Promoarts is my Charity Blog & I don’t have a private one but I spent a long time this morning reading yours – the phtos are super, the texts too….and I adore what you have made out of your home.
Diane
Hi Diane
I’m glad you found me too, even if it was by mistake! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, I see you came to France at the same age as I did and I find your perspective very interesting and similar to mine although I am yet to adopt French nationality. It must have been very different when you came over as now expats are two a penny, arriving when you did must have been an experience. I feel very French, as you say growing up here, education and marriage have meant that a large part of my life has been French and I naturally feel French as my life has been constructed in France. However, I do feel English too which contributes to my ‘lost’ feeling – I have a strong English accent (think Jane Birkin) and I am constantly reminded of my Englishness so whether or not I wish to be French or English I actually don’t have much choice. My heart is closer to England even though I have no real attachment there aside from my brothers, I wouldn’t want to live there. I shed a tear when England lost the football yesterday but my head and my life is firmly implanted in France. Whether one day I will take French nationality I do not know, if I do it will be for integration and so that I can vote more than becoming French I think.
I do hope you will be back to visit in the future and that you’ll be able to share more of your experiences with me. Again, thank you for coming by
“Does this make me officially Frenglish?”
Yes, I am afraid so, but there is still a chance for recovery, if you desire it to be so.
LOL — really though, Promoarts is right. After all, the French are not “The Borg” (geek reference I hope you get… if not, Google will answer!)
Yeah, I am like Dedene. I have no pension right now, not anything, and I only would have 20 more years if I started working tomorrow in France, which is not going to happen *sigh*. I am going to eventually have to go back to the States or some other country in my old age, probably. I am likely to be old and indigent! Aaack!!
I’m still convinced my luck will turn and I will become a famous author or something and have some money in my old age.
LOL
Chance of recovery? Would need a miracle!
Maybe you can publish a guide to hidden Paris and get people to discover Paris in a different way and make your millions that way? You can then do feature length films on the history of each walk, district and then you could have all of the spin off merchandising which could keep you going for years and years in royalties… just a thought! Fingers crossed for you Karin
Well all those future years of working may seem depressing, but it’s more depressing for people like me who have come to the end of their working lives. Of course I’m happy that I no longer have to work…but I’d rather like some of those years back!
Ayak, you’re so right! I should be concetrating on the now, not on the what if of the future! It does just get depressing though, another 32 years of doing something I don’t particularly enjoy… I think I need to make some changes career wise and take control of my future!
Thank you for your words, you have certainly made me think!
Did you go on strike today?
No! Am in Portugal on holiday… 62 isn’t that bad at all though, the UK has just been put up to 66!!!
By the time I get there you’ll probably have to work until the very end *SOB*
13 years!! WOW! That is a really long time. And I thought my six years in Dublin before moving to Provence was a long time. God I hope I’m fluent in French by the time I’m here for 13 years.. fingers crossed…
I’m sure you will be seeing as you’re fully immersed into French culture! You’ll wake up one day and won’t even realise you’re fluent. You may forget your English though and begin to speak a strange language…
Just enjoy being yourself, cope with where you are and don’t worry about other peoples’ labels…
I agree with what Fly says – as I often do! Everyone is different. I’ve lived a good half of my life overseas but consider myself to be first and foremost English and couldn’t imagine it any other way. Other’s are happy, even keen, to adopt the nationality of the country where they live and plan to spend their days. Each to their own.
@Flyintheweb & @VeryLost : thanks for coming by and for your input, it’s really appreciated. I shouldn’t be worried by labels, I’m usually not. In fact, I’m not worried, its just the labels people give never fit!
As I am not the most clever person on the pc. and always need help with my Promo’Arts Blog to keep it up to date and do editos every month… and for the time being I am often am stuck a home with health problems at the moment…so tried to look into it properly, ……..and repeat the gests of Jeremy who has joined the team to help, as Sarah is so overbooked with her activities, it’s getting so difficult for her to come “and sort out the old biddy” when I muck things up!
And oh delight, I found all the articles from flyintheweb, PigletinFrance and the other!
PigletinFrance, I would love to read your articles regularly, and so much enjoy what I alreay read…
can you tell me how?
My real name is Diane Rauscher-Kennedy, lol, not Promo’Arts of course, which is my Association to save children by the arts, as I am a painter.
Thanks to Sarah I got Promo’Arts blog on line – and now it is the real life line for the Association.
I so agree about “labels too!!!” – and even serveral different folks…put several different labels on you…none of them alike, either.
Glad to hear from you so I can find your “blog” all on my own as “Diane” and not “Promo’Arts”
Amicalement
Diane