Cultured Views

The most evil kind of human

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This will be my shortest post, and will be straight to the point.

Today a major paedophile ring was busted in the UK. Some evil cretin was hosting ‘live’ viewings of babies and children being abused over the internet from his computor. Some ‘friend’ the home computor has become. They got him, thank god.

They have rescued some 31 children, thank god even more.

Those repugnant creatures who produce, and view, these abhorrent crimes deserve death by hanging - anything less is not acceptable.

These animals exist only to hurt children. They do not believe in innocence, they do not care one whit about childhood. They are the scum of the earth and deserve to be treated as such.

Catch them and hang them. The less there are of them on this earth the better.

Send them to hell.

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To All Dads Everywhere…

Dad’s come in all shapes and sizes, from all different social, religious and economic backgrounds.

They are half the reason we exist. They make us feel safe and secure. They make us feel loved. To most of us females, Dad was the first man we ever loved, and to some of us, the only man we can really ever rely on. Dads are big or small or fat or thin. Some Dads are hairy, some are not. Some Dads are tall, some are not. Some Dads are bald, some are not.

Dads protect us - they should. Dads love us - of course they do. Some Dads go to work, some stay at home. Some Dads cook, others cannot. Dads work in banks, offices, shops; they drive trucks, trains, planes, taxis; they mow the grass and fix the car. Some can fix the computor, most cannot.

Dads tuck us into bed and read us stories at night. They stay until we fall asleep. Dad likes his usual place on the sofa, his favourite TV show and his favourite shirt. Some Dads tell bad jokes, some think they can sing; can’t they be so embarrassing at times?.

Some Dads wear suits or jeans and t-shirts, some wear socks and sandals. Some Dads dance, some, fortunately, do not. Dads cry when they walk their daughter down the aisle at her wedding. If they don’t they nearly choke on the lump in their throat. He is giving his little girl away to some other man afterall, Dad looked after her so that young guy damn well better!.

Dads love their sons, their little boys. Though they may never say so. Some Dads kiss, some don’t. Most Dads hug, some don’t.  Some Dads are tough, some are easy. Dads worry.

Dads love Mummy.

It only takes some DNA  to make a ‘father’.

It takes a lifetime of love, sacrifice, devotion, blood, sweat and tears to be a ‘Dad’.

But the difference is huge.

To all Dads everywhere today, this is your day, have a happy one!.

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When in France do as the French do…be warned!

There has been alot of recent coverage in the British media about the poor English language skills of immigrants and how to solve the problem. Easy. Make spoken English a prerequisite to all new arrivals. But, as many of those ‘new arrivals’ are coming quite legally from another European country exercising  their European rights and thus speaking a recognised European language, how does the British Govt bypass the EU directives declaring  no barrier to ‘freedom of movement’?.

Easy I say. Make lessons in the English language free and available to all. Not only that, but enforce it. Employers: do as the French do…they refuse here to employ anyone who cannot speak acceptably fluent French. Apply the same to the English language in the UK. Here in France, if your teenager cannot speak fluent French they cannot go to College/High School/University, in our region anyway. And don’t forget that France instigated the EU. Yet they recognise no other language, European or otherwise, than their own. It is their culture. The French cannot and do not seperate their language from their culture. We in other countries can…but not the French. Take my word for it, we’ve had plenty of arguments with some of them about this.

We own and run a small hotel in the south of France. In the wine-making region of Roussillon.  You would not believe how many gaffes the tourists make here expecting it to be ‘just like home’, particularly the British.  Here are just a few points to make your ride through France just that bit smoother:

1) NEVER make your first question to a French person ‘parlez vous Anglais’…it will really annoy them. Carry a French dictionary and at least have a go at first. You are in their country don’t forget. Better still, if you are Australian then say ‘je suis Australien’…the response will be so much more positive as they probably assumed in the first place that you were English. They like Aussies here, well, they prefer anyone to the English…

2) On entering a small shop(i.e. bakery) always say ‘bonjour’ to the shopkeeper, you will nearly always receive in kind and also from any other customers. On leaving, whether you have bought anything or not, say ‘Merci, bonne journee’ and they will appreciate that. The French are big on manners.

3) Mealtimes. This where many tourists come unstuck. The French, as a rule, do not cater to the times tourists want a meal. They have a rule in those charming little cafes: before noon, drinks only served. Between Noon and 2pm, food is served. Between 2pm and 6/7pm, only drinks once again. from 6/7pm to 9pm, dinner. After that time, you’d better search for a McDonalds. The French only eat between these hours so tourists have to as well. While on the topic of restaurants: French children are taken ‘out to dinner’ from an early age so they learn restaurant etiquette while quite young. If your kids are on the ‘active’ side it might be advisable to go to either Macs or Quick where they can play to their hearts delight and maybe even eat something as well.  Buffalo Grills are great too as they offer crayons and paper for the kids to go at while waiting for dinner to arrive and do kids menus. If you wish to have a go at a restaurant you will find your kids will be welcome. I myself know what kids can be like when released from a car after a very long trip, so, make your own judgements.

4) Between noon and 2/3pm all small shops and businesses close. Including the post office. If the village Poste shuts its doors at 11.30am, dont bother banging on the door. They wont open it.

5) Much of France shuts down on Sundays including petrol stations. The only place you will get fuel is on one of the motorways, so if you are doing a lot of driving over the weekend, fill up on Saturday. If you want fuel, even at one of the motorway places after 10pm you are stuck if you don’t have a French debit card. And it must be a French one from a French bank.  The pumps are automated at night. Best fill up during the day when the fuel stops are staffed.

6) Despite France being the number one tourist destination in the world, many shops in the villages and at the coastal towns do not accept cards for purchasing goods. This includes restaurants. Have some cash on you just to be sure even though it is a major annoyance at times.  I have walked out of many a shop simply because it was a ‘cash only’ establishment. The French are seriously behind the times with their banking practices.

I hope these few points may serve to help any of you who are planning a trip here to France. You will find the French to be friendly and helpful, and glad to see you. On the whole. Just remember, they are very proud of their country, so respect that. And don’t forget to be a good ambassador for your own country.

A Bientot!.

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