Baguetting Started

Saints and Superheroes When we’re young and full of the joy that youth bestows upon you, everything seems so black and white. Most of us in the Western world have the privilege of not much more responsibility than maybe the dishes or walking the dog. If we are lucky, as we grow, problems always seem to happen to other people and that war is always far away and your energy stays intact along with the belief that you are somewhat invincible, weathering any storm. Our ability to bounce back as young humans is incredible, that resilience, (albeit part self-centred stubbornness). Even if by puberty, you’ve had your corners knocked off and life hasn’t been exactly a scene from the Brady Bunch, there’s still reserve in our arsenal to endure the curveballs that life throws at us. We still have an ideal of how we feel our lives should pan out; expectations for the future, in many cases in contemporary times, a privileged view of what rights our elders owe us; always a favourite. Often, as we ag...

Buyer’s Remorse...the final straw. Buyer’s remorse is common among house buyers, especially if its your first home. After all, a home is typically the most expensive shopping you'll ever do and normally; for the majority of us , the most valuable item we will ever purchase. It involves not only a lot of money, but huge changes that will continue to have consequences for a very, very long time. We all want the fairytale though? So you’ve made the decision, you’ve got your deposit and are ready for the hunt ! Ready to be a grown up, ready to step into your big boys' shoes and your big girls' pants and embrace a responsible future. And the best feeling of all …is waving goodbye to the sticky-mitted landlord and finally stop throwing money away in rent forever ! if , however, you’re not in a position to buy out right going to the bank in search of a mortgage can be the biggest nail biting hurdle .You turn up for your interview with all your hard earned ( and taxed) cash, show t...

  Fortune Favours the Brave… Or so they say. “Nothing happens inside your comfort zone!”, you  hear them chant from the sidelines, hiding behind the curtains. It seems that, to make progress in our lives, we must step outside the realms of passivity and hasten towards the uncomfortable!I    I am, I believe, a brave person and have led an extraordinary life, depending on your definition of bravery and where bravery finishes and stupidity begins .  Sometimes I failed, sometimes I rose from the ashes, coughed, spluttered and carried on. But my French adventure, my most monumentally important adventure, has me intrigued. What I will never know, to this day, is if it was my bravery that won the day, that achieved my loftiest goals. Or the bravery of another that forced my hand. Was it bravery or compliance? Either way, it was to my great advantage.   So, I had a dream of living in France that’s been percolating away in the background for a few decades…indee...

  The Proof is in the Pudding . “France is a dog-hole, and it no more merits the tread of a man's foot”… Shakespeare.(1601).Alls Well That Ends Well. It is impossible to write of the intricacies of French life as an English immigrant without having a peak through Nelson’s telescope at the relationship between the two countries. I know, I know, no one wants a history lesson but it's important to note that the two nations have been proudly competing for influence and power in Europe, and indeed the globe, for many many years. The two sparring partners have shared a love/hate or even hate/hate relationship since before The Duke of Normandy took his first swing in 1066. Whilst we recognise the monumental, arduous events of history, (insert big list of wars), it is necessary not to bore my followers to death with the lengthy details.The question today reader is... In diplomatic times do the historical prejudices of these two great neighbours still create friction whilst living toget...

'The stuff that dreams are made on'.. Shakespeare.The Tempest . Did you ever stop to think what it was that got you up in the morning? That thing that forced the first probing toe out from the security of the cosy duvet and bravely ventured onto the long shag rug? Sometimes, it’s difficult to decipher or even remember when it all started and what your motives were in the very beginning, what sparked the actions for what you’ve taken on in life and your emigration to a new world.  For average folk, a yearning for new beginnings and dreams of a simple, more relaxing life emerges out of your daily habits . Habits, which are forced upon you under the guise of necessity or offered up as a collective ‘normality’ .. those things we all do to make a life,a living and meet somehow, the invisible benchmark of accomplishment !! Yet, whilst you sit in your hire purchase car, in static motorway traffic .. everyday .. everyday.. a small voice from the very depths of your ongoing discomfort w...