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Post by iolar on Nov 8, 2023 12:07:56 GMT 1
Halo - Gaelic for hello. I'd like to learn more Gaelic before I'm dust. iolar is Gaelic for eagle. Very wary of social media, never wanted to get involved with FB/Twitter that was or anything like that. If you want to see real tribal warfare check out audio forums s/s (solid state) v valve/tube, horrendous insults akin to religious hatred, mainly from the s/s crowd.
Angela and I wanted to move to France in 1990, we had been checking out life in France from around the time we met in 86. From years of cycle/camping in the early 80s I knew the best regions to explore from a climate/terrain point of view. Visited in 89 fully expecting to return in 90, buy land, build an alt/energy house that would become a show house, I'm a retired builder. All I shall say is that life intervened and knowing French inheritance laws - thanks Napoleon, we went to live in Spain in 2001, spent 9 years there in two different locations. The working people are lovely, made many friends and then there is the corrupt professional class - cuidado,cuidado, mucho cuidado. Had enough and left in 2009. First moved to the Aveyron and then just over the border to the Tarn in 2018.
I hav'nt been back to the island in 17 years though I know I must make one more visit out of respect for my mother and father. I have comments to make on the health thread, not here. I've lived now in 4 different European countries and worked in 3, my wife and I consider ourselves European.
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 12:18:06 GMT 1
Post by houpla on Nov 8, 2023 12:18:06 GMT 1
Hello! Welcome to TOFF ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 13:02:41 GMT 1
Post by jackie on Nov 8, 2023 13:02:41 GMT 1
Hello and welcome! 😀
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 13:16:14 GMT 1
Post by Polarengineer on Nov 8, 2023 13:16:14 GMT 1
Welcome well travelled European. Having also lived and worked in different European countries, I understand the feeling.
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suein56
Member
Southern Morbihan 56 Brittany
Posts: 7,963
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 13:17:37 GMT 1
Post by suein56 on Nov 8, 2023 13:17:37 GMT 1
Very wary of social media, never wanted to get involved with FB/Twitter that was or anything like that. Me too .. welcome to our small, friendly forum. Hopefully you should feel at ease on here.
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 13:42:38 GMT 1
Post by gigi on Nov 8, 2023 13:42:38 GMT 1
A warm welcome from me to our friendly forum too.
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 14:20:39 GMT 1
Post by iolar on Nov 8, 2023 14:20:39 GMT 1
Thanks for the positive responses. Brighton used to be a good pace to live, a little seedy but a great music scene and no problem walking home in the early hours - not something I'd do now without a flack jacket and some 'illegal' protection. In both Spain and France I've never had the need to be on full alert. It took me a good 6 months to 'stand down' the 'be alert' mode when we moved to the small northern Galician town of Ortigeuria. Galicia is noted for the sudden sea mists that sweep in and seeing through the mists a bunch of young guys coming toward you, immediately tensing up. When we had moved in only a day or two, the bell went and we saw the town postman. he came to call to introduce himself. This kind of etiquette is totally missing from modern day Britain.
I can remember when buses in Brighton & Hove (1960s') still had conductors there was one woman ( I dislike the word female, so condescending) conductor who used to greet every incoming passenger with a "good morning sir or madam", it made the day so human. In fact then I doubt there was any difference between the French and the British. What we enjoy is the politeness of the French. Only amongst some young teenage French is there a disregard for the obligatory' bonjournee' when encountering any other human when out and about.
I well remember when we lived in Guadix, a town behind the Sierra Nevada mountains in Andalucia and meeting the chef of the local tourist office who had lived in London for about 10 years. She use to flat share with Aussies and Kiwis so spoke English with their kind of accent. She was travelling into central London one day and as is normal with most Europeans you always say 'good morning' in whatever the language is of the country. She addresses this to a man in his 50s who was sitting opposite her. His face began to contort with rage and with spittle forming around his mouth said "what's your f/ing problem". She quickly learned never to speak again or make eye contact.
My last visit to the UK was flying into Gatwick in 2007. Coming off the transit bus and entering the hall I saw a colostomy bag on the ground - nobody was doing anything to remove it. I then got on a train for Brighton and encountered two young guys who had obviously had been drinking - it was 11AM they were going to Brighton and said it doesn't matter if we have no money the local slags will buy us a drink. There was a Scotsman who had flown in from Portugal and he said to me "I've only got to be here for 3 days and then I fly back out". I felt like a stranger then and that was before the Nasty party had been in power for 13 years. There's a Stephen Stills LP with a song - where have all the Americans gone - I just don't recognise my own country anymore - it's so sad.
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 16:02:33 GMT 1
Post by annabellespapa on Nov 8, 2023 16:02:33 GMT 1
Hello Iolar and welcome, my moniquer in Gaelic (or the closest to it) is Abboid or Abbys Father.
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 16:50:24 GMT 1
Post by norfolk on Nov 8, 2023 16:50:24 GMT 1
Hello Iolar and welcome to the forum. I’m between Carmaux and Albi so pop in for a cuppa if you fancy it.
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 16:59:27 GMT 1
Post by lapourtaider on Nov 8, 2023 16:59:27 GMT 1
Welcome iolar
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Post by ForumUser2 on Nov 8, 2023 17:16:52 GMT 1
iolarYou'll still find courtesy in the UK as long as you keep away from the overpopulated areas such as the SE of England, Birmingham etc. If you compare rural towns anywhere with a major metropolis you'll find quite the difference. You won't get your French amiability in Paris, for example I would posit that if you were to visit Enniskillen, St David's, Thurso or myriad other communities throughout the UK you'd find common courtesy aplenty. I was in Portstewart recently where the town sport seems to be amiably chatting with the shopkeeper/barman/waitress and so forth. I'd go as far as to say that small town Ireland is not somewhere to visit if you don't enjoy human interaction and kindness on an industrial scale! Unfortunately, too many seem to think the SE of England represents the whole of UK. It doesn't!
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Post by jackie on Nov 8, 2023 19:26:47 GMT 1
I went back to the UK recently, on EasyJet and the Gatwick train. Late at night due to delayed flight but fantastically helpful staff at Gatwick train station, station platform a guy helped me get a bottle of water from the machine. Coming back put my case in the luggage rack where it kept wheeling out when the train took a bend, about 3 different men jumped up to put it back when this happened. I was so pleasantly surprised and grateful by all the help offered.
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mysty
Member
Posts: 1,728
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 22:10:03 GMT 1
Post by mysty on Nov 8, 2023 22:10:03 GMT 1
Welcome
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Halo
Nov 8, 2023 22:39:45 GMT 1
Post by specsavers2 on Nov 8, 2023 22:39:45 GMT 1
Welcome Iolar.
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Nifty
Member
Posts: 5,358
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Halo
Nov 9, 2023 8:46:50 GMT 1
Post by Nifty on Nov 9, 2023 8:46:50 GMT 1
Hi Iola. Take care. How do you think the corrupt professionals can be controlled?
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