Don't Retire in France Unless You Can Handle These 4 Things (Americans, Watch This!)

Рет қаралды 12,012

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 38

@the_expat Ай бұрын

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@keacoq Ай бұрын

In summary: Learn French. Get used to people going on strike. The health system is good and inexpensive. Big cities and small towns are very different with pros and cons. After 8 years, the big challenge is still listening comprehension, particularly in groups. Imporatn question: What (social) activities will you take part in, in order to integrate. Walking groups are numerous and offer lots of conversation opportunities. I'm into cycle touring, but I think I am lucky to have found an excellent club. Learning French and teaching English give you contact opportunities. Once you are accepted in a group there is excellent solidarity, Rule no. 1: Start every conversation in French, usually with bonjour. Rule no.2: Avoid speaking English in earshot of French people. Doing that isolates you straight away.

@jean-lucfrotey7604 Ай бұрын

C'est avec les grèves que notre système de santé et ce qu'il ait, avec beaucoup d'autre choses d'ailleurs que vous affectionnez apparemment dans ce pays.

@lioneldemun6033 Ай бұрын

C est ça camarade retourne dans ta cellule CGT

@vivienhodgson3299 Ай бұрын

I think you should mention that even people who do know a bit of English do NOT appreciate you ASSUMING you can talk to them in English, and will quite often make out they don't understand you, especially if your attitude is 'if I shout at them loud enough, they'll understand'! I've seen this more than once, and it's incredibly arrogant. If you make an effort with even a small bit of French, they will usually be very helpful. I have only once in 28 years come across a really disagreeable Frenchman, who claimed he couldn't understand a word I said. I know my accent is English, and I'm not fluent, but my French is good enough for most people (I have a diploma in French). The person in question was in charge of a tourist office!!! (His staff were clearly horrified.)

@dpmu1977 Ай бұрын

Learning French is a minimum - the small town vs. the big city is not a problem as there are villages , towns and cities of all sizes , many of them from north to south and east to west.

@francoisleyrat8659 Ай бұрын

There are not 'expat communities' in France or English speaking bubbles, even in Paris or the Riviera. Moving to France sucessfully means being willing to integrate in French society. If not, better choose Dubai.

@gsbeak Ай бұрын

Ho yes, there is : Go to the village of Eymet in "Dordogneshire". You'll hear more British English than French.

@mucfan Ай бұрын

You say that “only” 39 % of the french people speak english. How many american people speak french? According to statistic 3,5 %. How can someone think to immigrate into a country without learning the language. That is ignorant.

@lioneldemun6033 Ай бұрын

What's overrated by Americans is the weather. They imagine the whole country has the same climate as the Riviera. The N-E for instance has a climate more akin to Siberia and the West is very rainy similar climate as Ireland.

@michellemobakeng5938 Ай бұрын

Have you been to Siberia to allow for such comparison?

@lioneldemun6033 Ай бұрын

@michellemobakeng5938 Didn't need too there is a tool called Internet that allow the comparison of different climates and weather patterns.

@davidvassard5998 Ай бұрын

You don't know anything about the climate in France - don't be so affirmative... with a wrong "knowledge", please !

@lioneldemun6033 Ай бұрын

@@davidvassard5998 You re a fool , David. I m French born in France who lived his whole life in that country.

@discoverglobeliving Ай бұрын

Paris is dreamy, but rural France stole my heart. Retirees, think beyond the city-it’s cheaper and calmer!

@fredericgonzalez Ай бұрын

Right! There are many strikes in France. But only for the civil servants!...

@beatricefrask5230 Ай бұрын

Well done Monsieur!

@jfrancobelge Ай бұрын

Changing country is much more than just changing the scenery. If you want to live in a foreign country, any country, that speaks a different language, the very first thing to do is learn at least the basics of the local language; that should be pretty obvious. Even for the locals in France and Belgium strikes can be a real pain and are often perceived as excessive, especially if you're a public transportation user. As for air strikes in both countries, you'd better keep them in mind when booking a flight; that's why, as I live in a tri-border area, I prefer flying from/to neighboring airports in either Germany or Luxembourg. Regarding the medical sector, they have an legal and moral obligation to keep some personnel on duty at all times to take care of emergencies and hospitalized patients. No doctor or nurse will let you die during a strike. As for the pros and cons of living in a big city, a small town or the countryside, isn't that universal? And yes, you do need a car in rural areas of Europe as well.

@dianek1173 Ай бұрын

When I lived in Paris doctor's made house calls and I'm pretty sure they still do. I have to agree with your conclusions overall. I've spoken French for 45 years, and you will miss out a lot if you only speak English.

@trevordaviesable 24 күн бұрын

Being a hermit I have no problems. There are enough translators on line for official needs. However, I have picked up bits of French as I go along . A big advantage for me is that I am not interested in food or wine which seems to be thé main aesthetic of the French so there is no need to burden oneself by duplicating another language. Of the French people that I meet I find them perfectly amenable or downright helpful. However , the bird life is wonderful as I live near the Camargue .

@globalretirementus Ай бұрын

Great video! I’m curious, what are some tips for handling the language barrier and making connections with locals in France, especially for retirees who might not be fluent in French? Would love to know how others have navigated this challenge!

@gsbeak Ай бұрын

The only tip is to learn French and to practice.

@vivienhodgson3299 Ай бұрын

It's a good idea to join in with local life. For example, people in villages in Southern France particularly frequently play petanque on the village boule ground. If you watch for a while, they might invite you to join in. It's usually the menfolk passing the time while their wives prepare dinner, but women sometimes play as well. We have always enjoyed singing, and joined a local choir: music comes in many languages, and you don't have to speak fluent French, just be able to get the pronunciation approximately right!

@globalretirementus Ай бұрын

@@gsbeak Thank you for your reply! I completely agree that learning and practicing French is key. It’s definitely the best way to connect with locals on a deeper level. I’m curious, do you have any specific tips or resources that helped you when you were learning French? There’s so much to explore in the language, so it would be great to hear what has worked for others!

@globalretirementus Ай бұрын

@@vivienhodgson3299 Thank you for sharing these wonderful tips! I love how joining in with local activities like petanque or singing in a choir can help break the ice and build connections. It’s great to hear that music, in particular, can bridge language gaps. Do you have any favorite songs from the choir that really helped you feel more integrated into the community? It sounds like a fun and meaningful way to connect!

@mr-vet Ай бұрын

Attended the US State Department’s Foreign Service Institute (FSI) for French over 20 ago…and attended the Department of Defense’s Defense Language Institute for Spanish (in Monterey CA) and Indonesian (at a contracted school in the Washington DC area). I also took 2 years of German in High School in the 1980s. I can read Italian and Portuguese with a very good level of comprehension-listening skills are not so good; especially, Portuguese.

@StephanieNaftal 26 күн бұрын

Hello! Can you give me the link to your Portugal video?? I can’t find it or search it.

@davidvassard5998 Ай бұрын

Where do those datas come from ? "120 days on strike/year" in France ? Connect your brain and be logical for a second : one third of the year on strike, plus 5 weeks hollydays... Hhow could we earn our living, or make the country work ?