Today, it is exactly five years since we arrived in France.
It was the start of our new life.
To quote Goethe, "Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid".
We were bold and France did the rest.
There are no regrets .... just reassurance.
On that day, five years ago, we set off on a great adventure.
We left our children and grand-children behind in Adelaide ... but they wished us well.
Since then we have experienced France in all its moods, shades and nuances.
Like all newcomers, we encountered frustrating, bureaucratic complexity, but got through it all .... and learnt patience.
We have always been assisted by acts of generosity and selfless friendship, from the French and fellow expatriates.
We found a magnificent property at an affordable price and it is our continuing joy to live here.
We are happy ...
Tomorrow we head off to Paris to meet our good friends and share the excitement and pleasures of this great city.
France has been everything I'd ever hoped for.
It has its faults, of course, but these pale against the joie de vivre we encounter everywhere.
Hearty congratulations, Tony and Cliona. Chaleureuses félicitations!
ReplyDeleteHi Tony, in these five years did you acquire some kind of fluency? When you learn a foreign language in later years it is not an easy task. And you have to practice more and more. I know, because I have been through that process myself. From now on, I’ll comment in French. You can answer in French if you feel comfortable with that or in English. Your choice.
DeleteAmusez-vous bien à Paris, ma ville natale. À bientôt.
Je vais te repondre sans regarder a Google Translate ou n'import d'autre traduction. Comme ça tu peut voir mon niveau. Je ne parle pas français courement, mais je me debrouille. Bon, merci pour tes sentiments chaleureuses. Et il me tard d'arriver a Paris, j'adore cette ville. Hier on a reçu le rappel d'vaccination et maintenant Cliona souffre un petit peut mais moi, ça va ... pour le moment!
DeleteMagnifique, Tony. Quand j’étais à l’école et que j’essayais d’apprendre l’anglais, il y avait deux choses, le thème et la version. La version, c’était de traduire d’anglais en français, et le thème, c’était de traduire ou d’écrire de français en anglais. Bien entendu, le plus difficile, c’était le thème, car écrire dans une langue étrangère requiert de connaître la grammaire et d’avoir un vocabulaire suffisant. Tony, you passed the test with flying colors. There’s hope for you!!! Keep up the good work. It seems to me you have a very good degree of fluency. So, don’t worry you’ll pass the language test if there is one. Je suggère que vous regardiez la télévision française pour vous tenir au courant de l’actualité politique en France et pour avoir une idée des institutions : Présidence et Premier Ministre, Sénat et Assemblée Nationale. Vous êtes sur la bonne voie.
DeleteBest wishes to Cliona for prompt recovery.
Entièrement d'accord !
ReplyDeleteTony Hull has entered his Golden Age.
ReplyDeleteSo happy for you guys an the time has passed so quickly.
ReplyDelete