France

[#1]

Hope no one is going to France for Christmas as the country is heading for a lengthy strike over pension reforms.

Compared to us they do fairly well on pensions and retirement age, I suspect whatever changes might be agreed they will still do better than us.

[#2]

Yep, take an inch and they'll go and strike!

We posted our 'overseas' cards out last week so the three we sent to France might not arrive this side of Christmas but hey, what can you do. Mind you and seriously, I sometimes wish we were more like our Gallic neighbour and kicked up more of a fuss when the government messed with our pensions but no, we just shrug our shoulders in Gallic style ironically and accept changes in retirement age for both men and women, with the latter losing out big time by not getting their pensions many years after they were due and yep, my Mrs was one of those.

As for travelling overseas at this time of year, I should cocoa.  

Zut alors, and Grr.  

[#3]

We are supposed to be going to Belgium next weekend (14th). Last time we went was the first week of the yellow vest protest and what a nightmare that was getting out of Dunkirk and the subsequent 30kmh escort to the Belgian border.

[#4]

@Marksfish 

Just consider yourself fortunate you were not trying to get out of Dunkirk in 1940. 😁

[#5]

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@Marksfish wrote:

We are supposed to be going to Belgium next weekend (14th). Last time we went was the first week of the yellow vest protest and what a nightmare that was getting out of Dunkirk and the subsequent 30kmh escort to the Belgian border.

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Remember to wear a yellow vest that should get you quicker to where you want to go......and if things go a certain way on 12th December make sure they do not hear you speak with a English Accent or you will be going nowhere.

😁

[#6]

@gleneagles 

What's an English accent - anything that's not Welsh, Scots, Irish... or American, and would they know anyway?

Most countries have regional accents but if it's in a foreign language I really cannot tell the difference - but maybe that's just me with being hard of hearing.  😛

[#7]

English accent is given away by our vowels, I think. We tend to make them in diphthongs, French,Germans etc are far purer in their enunciations.

[#8]

@gleneagles  A yellow vest might not be good idea..The police might arrest them 

[#9]

The youth of today are hopelessly ignorant of the difference between English and American, presumably because English language ceased to be taught in English schools a few decades ago, and the young watch copious amounts of (usually low-quality) American TV.  And what is all this business of putting your right hand on your left nipple whenever you hear the national anthem; that's American, but nowadays it seems any James, François, and Manuel is doing it?

I'm pretty sure the average French person would be able to tell the difference between an Englishman and an American; the brightly coloured golfing 'pants', expanded waistline, loud voice, pushy manner, and tendency to go on about the size of their house(s), car(s), and salaries, tend to give the Americans away.

[#10]

And American or Canadian?

Maybe the Canadian is the one with the French accent. 😛

[#11]

Canadians are supposed to be bilingual so presumably they would speak French (albeit a somewhat old-fashioned variety I'm told) to the French.

[#12]