Brilliant video today! I’m area and house hunting from afar until my house is sold in the U.K. so this type of vlog is incredibly informative! Thanks to your friends for an entertaining interview.
Thank you so much! Will pass your comments on to Gilles and Jim. Best of luck selling and please do look at our lovely region of Lot-et-Garonne here in south-western France! Don't hesitate to message for more info :)
Great video. Very interesting and definitely informative for viewers yet to settle on an area in France. It’s imperative to make sure you end up in an area that caters for what you want to be able to do in your daily life 😊
Happy new year from Australia. Absolutely love your channel and love your new ideas for this 25. Brilliant . Fantastic video. Thankyiu to Rob and Lisa for introducing me to your channel 6 months ago.
Happy New Year! Thank you 😀. I'm looking forward to filming more friends soon. Along with some snappy little news pieces. here's to @Escapetofrance-Charente for the introduction! I can't believe we have been producing these for six months already! Actually it was our South Africa trip that kickstarted the series - they were such a laugh to make!
Gilles and Jim are such a gorgeous couple! I loved hearing them talk about their new life in France. Everyone has a story to tell and I find it fascinating to hear them. So would definitely love to hear from more of your friends. Have added Les Martinets to my French accommodation list! 😊
They are so much fun. If we had a three hour session it wouldn't have been enough! Many more to come! I have added this link in the description www.lesmartinets-fongrave.fr/ it's a gorgeous property! Also if you fancy a two stage break with a few days across the river we are villa-la-rive.com/ :)
I’ve just watched this fabulous episode from my bed in frosty Gers just South of you, where w have a holiday home. Wonderful to hear about the lives of other expats in the region. Although I did miss Maria this week! Looking forward to your next video!
Aww thank you. I was happy to have a week off as I was still recovering from the long drive home. Being a backseat driver can be exhausting 😂 Frosty here too so bed is definitely a good place to be. Temperatures set to drop even lower but the sun is out here which is lovely ❤
@ Hi, it was a holiday home there of 20yrs , intention to move there at retirement but husband’s health condition put a stop to that. We are in the Uk now but visit regularly! It sounds like you are very happy there..good. X
What an enjoyable chat! Learning French is not easy in our retirement years. I study every day now in an effort to speak and understand (at least passably) when we eventually move to France. (A glass of wine at study time helps those jumbled sentence structures to roll right off the tongue.☺) Amazingly, I found a mixed group of Americans, French and Belgians who meet at our local library to chat in French about whatever interests us. It's challenging, but fun. Interestingly, we live way out in the countryside, an hour from Washington, DC. Quelle chance to find such a group in our little corner of the world! Looking forward to seeing more chats with your friends and neighbors. This one was wonderful!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! It sounds like you’ve found the perfect recipe for learning French-daily practice, a supportive group, and, of course, a glass of wine to keep things fun! 🍷😊 How fantastic to have a mixed group of language enthusiasts right in your area, especially in the countryside. It really goes to show that community and connection can pop up in the most unexpected places. Stay tuned for more chats, and merci beaucoup Cindy once more for watching!
Hi Richard. You are such a good presenter and this interview was like a big hug. Despite living in a beautiful village in Occitanie your videos are really tempting me to discover your area. ..... mind you wherever I discover in France there is some magic to be found. Bravo on your efforts to learn french. I love languages but it is SO much harder (Spanish in my case as I cheated on french with a french mum) later in life. Looking forward to hearing more about the yacht club as I learned sailing on the etang de Thau here since moving to Marseillan.
Thank you, not sure I present any more, just have a good laugh and a chat! you are pretty close in the region famed for fois gras, which must be equally as stunning. But do come and discover! More news on the Yacht Club to come very soon! 😀
Thank you for this approach. Great idea to interview others about their experiences. My DH and I have been in the north east corner of the Dordogne for 3 years (from the States). We are in a rural area where the vast majority of the population is French and it is very important to have knowledge of the language to feel comfortable. So don't count out the Dordogne for an authentic French experience. We know more Dutch people than English here and very few Americans. Ironically, we have found that there are as many cultural differences between us and the English as there are between us and the French!
Thank you so much. It's so true, we are only an hour away from Bergerac but it is very different here in the lot, with far fewer English, not many Americans at all, so all in all very very French which we love. We do enjoy our trips to the Dordogne though, it is a simply stunning region, but your right, it's not a truly french experience, especially restaurant wise! Thank you for watching, plenty more of our real experiences to come!
A very interesting video - thank you. We have just sold our gite business in the charente after 14 enjoyable, but busy, years. We are moving to Eymet , Dordogne to retire in two weeks and so we have joined your list of subscribers to learn more about the area and find new interests. For us too the french language remains a challenge - despite continuous lessons. (Maybe as you get older - like us - it just becomes harder ?) At school my husband studied russian to O level - but he can't conquer french !! None the less we just love France.
Ah, Eymet is lovely, lovely to hear you are retiring to France after working here for so long! Yes I'm positive I could pick the language up easier had I been younger. But we are getting there slowly, i find listing to the radio really helps.. Culture is the channel I listen to most, its slow speaking a little like BBC 4! Do watch some of our back catalogue for a lot more info on this region, we are just about 40 minutes from Eymet so within easy reach for you to come and explore!
New to your channel, and a Guernsey man!... enjoying your videos. I've been to Fongrave on a few occasions, being the nephew of Sandra, a neighbour of yours, from across the river 😁. Keep up the vids!
Ahhh a fellow islander! Thank you for joining in… hopefully see you in Fongrave with the rest of the Guernsey crowd! Although I can’t believe a Jersey man is admitting that 😂
learning a language is an activity like yoga, pottery, tennis. You just have to take the step and move on at your own pace. but please make the effort. 😊
I'm French, living in USA for 25 years, and planning to come back to France. I find highly suspicious immigrants that have lived in France for many years and still don't speak a word of French. I have a personal reason for thinking that, my father side is Spanish from Madrid, and my grand mother spent 40 years in France and never spoke a word of French and she hated France and the French including us since my father betrayed the family by marrying a French girl. Anyway, my grand mother needed France, was taking from France, but hated France and its people. So when I see an immigrant who still doesn't speak French after many years, he/she reminds me of my grand mother, taking but not giving.
@@Maria_and_Rich_Newlifeinfrance Two things to bear in mind when you are an English person trying to learn learn French as well as the other way round : 1-The others drive on the wrong side of the road i.e if you think in english to try to speak french you are bound to say the opposite of what you mean 2- The French use systematically « avoir » when the English use « be » and, of course, vice versa. With this in mind you should find it a little easier to learn/speak french I hope this helps Sincerely😎
@@jamesw9093 I understand the conundrum, when I arrived in Indianapolis, I didn't speak English and felt very safe at home speaking French with my American wife and felt very safe as well with a few group of French friends we had over there. I had to get out of that comfort zone and signed up for a local chess club, meeting twice a week, and those people were, for the most part, so eager to help. After a year, I had a pretty good conversational English. I still remember the fear I had the first day I went there.
I also understand the language problem and my wife is French LOL. But I am so busy working on my own that I fail to concentrate on the language. Great video and now subscribed. Regards Dave.
I’ve already commented but it’s gone. Dang it What a wonderful video thank you for posting What two lovely gents you featured. And a stunning house they have. How dare you have friends that you can meet in person lol And you need to wear a camouflage onsie if you were to take me off lol
Oooh were did it go? Yes Gilles and Jim are real gems of Fongrave. Actually it was quite a drive for me to get there as our boat is still out of the water 😀 Apologies I don't have a onsie! Will put that on my Christmas list 😂
You get so much bang for your buck in lots of parts of France, in the UK, we have lots of pokey, modern houses that cost a fortune, which i grew up in. Now, im in an inner city Glasgow tenement which is a lovely building, but i dream of having a little house snd small holding in western france. I lived in France as a student down in Pau and also worked for 6 months in the Greater Paris area which is obviously the most expensive part of France. The Dordogne is beautiful, what a lovely house you have with the outlook on the water.
Yes it’s well worth the move if you can! Yes the Dordogne is beautiful but we just adore our little region too, it’s a lot less expensive yet with the simply stunning scenery of the river lot. Glasgow is lovely though too! Love Scotland as a whole!
Some below have incorrectly used the term “expat” (more correctly “expatriate”) and immigrant interchangeably. That is not correct either in English or in French. The Fench equivalent word for expatriate is, unsurprisingly, “expatrié/ée”(une personne qui réside dans un pays autre que le sien), which is the same as the English language definition. Expats live outside their home country, the length of time is irrelevant, but they do not intend to stay permanently. Also, importantly, they are not citizens, hence they do not have the same rights as citizens. Immigrants (immigré/ée) sont généralement définis comme des personnes qui sont venues dans un autre pays pour y vivre de façon permanente, again the same as the definition in English. So, a Polish plumber that comes to London or Paris to work, retains their Polish passport, and returns to Poland after say 10 years, is an expatriate. A Brit or American who moves to France, intends to stay permanently, and may or may not eventually obtain French citizenship is an immigrant. If they do obtain French citizenship then by definition they cannot be an expatriate (because they can’t be said to be living outside their country).
And that’s the thing… who knows who of those expats will stay or not if they don’t have citizenship, in which case, as you rightly say they are not immigrants. We are just on a four year working visa… in that time we may or may not apply for citizenship.
Great video. Is Jim a scouser?. I am and sorta got the gist of a scouse accent going on there. If he is I'd of loved to of heard him speak a little French.
Thank you! Oooh that's one for Jim to answer as I think he if from the Wirral 😀 I hear him speaking french often, but my own french doesn't allow me to pick up his accent. Next time round will record a line or two 😂
I am from Wallasey, although I haven't lived on the Wirral for 50 years! To those outside the area, I am a scouser, but don't tell anyone from Liverpool I said that, because they would not recognise me as a scouser at all. Maybe a "wool"
@@jamesw9093 I have a farm [livery stables] just off the East Lancs road, near ST Helens I can spot a woolly back a mile off before they even speak. A wool can say same the same about a scouser. lol
Another "fab" video. Yes, please do some more interviews with the locals. It would be also good to see what the French have to say about the increase of foreigners in their villages too. For example, someone from that village that has bent over backwards to be so British.
You might want to reconsider your moniker "ex pats" as it has become a perjorative for people who hv immigrated but somehow wish to separate from the herd, esp. Brits.
Thanks for your comment. For me the term “expats” fits here because their future plans aren’t set-they may stay, or they may move on. Who knows, but we do know they are currently very happy with their lot :) An immigrant, by definition, suggests a permanent move, which isn’t certain in this case. Language can be subjective, but I feel “expats” and the interview held reflects their situation for now. Richard
I dislike intensely the term 'expat'. Brits (and Jersey) natives are immigrants or foreigners just like others who have moved to France. 'Expat' has its origin in British colonial times something we should try and forget. Other than this I really liked your video and I am a new subscriber.
Thanks so much for your comment and for subscribing - we really appreciate it! 😊 I see where you’re coming from, but I have a slightly different take on the term “expat.” For me, it’s less about colonial history and more about describing the experience of living abroad temporarily or permanently, often with the intent to adapt and integrate. However we respect your view and love that these conversations can come up - they’re important for reflection and understanding! we are really glad you enjoyed our video, and hope to see you around in the comments on future ones.
You are immigrants not expats ,please learn French if you wish to live here . I had to learn English for work and remember the English complaining about people not speaking English when they settle in the uk .
Thank you for your comment. I think having up to 3/4 French lessons a week and duo lingo everyday. Watching the news in French and French radio is a bit of a clue that we are trying to learn. Also according to the definition of expat in the dictionary it states that expat is someone living outside of their native country but not necessarily forever. Immigrants are forever which is the difference apparently so thank you for bringing it up as it’s good to keep learning 😊
@@Maria_Hall Although your definition is correct, sadly the word is mostly associated with the British Empire and those English rulers that exploited the indiginous population. The majority of Brits moving to France are not victors of the British empire and most come to retire and therefore stay, they do not move from Country to Country and they do not return to the UK, therefore they are not expats. Sorry, but like me, they are immigrants! Only those who come to work and return can truly be called expats.
Thank you for your comment. But we’re focused on settling into life here in France, learning the language, and enjoying the experience as it unfolds. Whether we’re called expats or immigrants, the goal is the same-to respect and appreciate the culture we’re living in. We’re just very grateful for the journey and the opportunity to share it with you all :)
Thanks for asking! Being from the Channel Islands, we’ve always been in a bit of a unique spot-not part of the UK or the EU, so Brexit wasn’t really “our thing.” We had no choice in the matter and no vote. As for immigration, I think moving anywhere (whether to or from the UK) comes with its ups and downs, but it’s all about finding connection and making the most of the adventure. Life’s too short to get bogged down in politics-especially when there’s good cheese and wine to enjoy in France!
It’s true that different countries and cultures approach these terms in their own way. While “expats” is often used in English-speaking contexts, “immigrants” is more of a standard term in France. It’s always interesting to see how language reflects attitudes and perceptions around migration.
@@Maria_and_Rich_Newlifeinfrance I believe the cultrual approach you speak of comes across as arrogance and superiority, stick with immigrant its more respectful to your host Country.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Our channel is really about sharing the fun, challenges, and joy of life in France rather than diving into heavier topics.
Brilliant video today! I’m area and house hunting from afar until my house is sold in the U.K. so this type of vlog is incredibly informative! Thanks to your friends for an entertaining interview.
Thank you so much! Will pass your comments on to Gilles and Jim. Best of luck selling and please do look at our lovely region of Lot-et-Garonne here in south-western France! Don't hesitate to message for more info :)
Yes, it is always wonderful to see Maria's wicked grin. It's good to see that Maria drives and Richard is passenger. She's probably the safest driver.
Thank you! It’s a nerve-wracking time to sell but fingers and toes crossed! @@Maria_and_Rich_Newlifeinfrance
@@retirement-adventures 😂 It’s less stressful for both of us when I drive. I nag less 😂
Brilliant video, and a interview with so happy souls! Thank you
Thank you! Yes we do love happy souls! 😀
Great video. Very interesting and definitely informative for viewers yet to settle on an area in France. It’s imperative to make sure you end up in an area that caters for what you want to be able to do in your daily life 😊
Thank you both, that's so true!
Happy new year from Australia.
Absolutely love your channel and love your new ideas for this 25. Brilliant . Fantastic video. Thankyiu to Rob and Lisa for introducing me to your channel 6 months ago.
Happy New Year and thank you for watching. We don’t miss an episode if escape to France Charente. Love Lisa and Rob too x
Happy New Year! Thank you 😀. I'm looking forward to filming more friends soon. Along with some snappy little news pieces. here's to @Escapetofrance-Charente for the introduction! I can't believe we have been producing these for six months already! Actually it was our South Africa trip that kickstarted the series - they were such a laugh to make!
@@Maria_Hallwe love you guys too xx
De rien 👍🇫🇷
What a lovely video, great to hear of someone making the move, thanks for sharing
Thank you, plenty more to come on a small screen near you 😀
😂😂😂 Thank you!
Gilles and Jim are such a gorgeous couple! I loved hearing them talk about their new life in France. Everyone has a story to tell and I find it fascinating to hear them. So would definitely love to hear from more of your friends. Have added Les Martinets to my French accommodation list! 😊
They are so much fun. If we had a three hour session it wouldn't have been enough! Many more to come! I have added this link in the description www.lesmartinets-fongrave.fr/ it's a gorgeous property! Also if you fancy a two stage break with a few days across the river we are villa-la-rive.com/ :)
I’ve just watched this fabulous episode from my bed in frosty Gers just South of you, where w have a holiday home. Wonderful to hear about the lives of other expats in the region. Although I did miss Maria this week! Looking forward to your next video!
Aww thank you. I was happy to have a week off as I was still recovering from the long drive home. Being a backseat driver can be exhausting 😂
Frosty here too so bed is definitely a good place to be. Temperatures set to drop even lower but the sun is out here which is lovely ❤
Yes, enjoying the sun! But time to get up for me, lots of small things to do! 😅
Absolutely beautiful house, so much space and light. I miss our house in the Vendee..but we have kept the best thing, wonderful friends!
Thank you, yes the space is amazing. Our friends pretty good too 😀 were did you move to from the Vendee?
@ Hi, it was a holiday home there of 20yrs , intention to move there at retirement but husband’s health condition put a stop to that. We are in the Uk now but visit regularly! It sounds like you are very happy there..good. X
Great video (again!) love how you follow a clear theme but take it from so many different angles :)
Thank you! That's very much appreciated! Next up some lovely angles of that wine you dropped over our gate! 😂
What an enjoyable chat! Learning French is not easy in our retirement years. I study every day now in an effort to speak and understand (at least passably) when we eventually move to France. (A glass of wine at study time helps those jumbled sentence structures to roll right off the tongue.☺) Amazingly, I found a mixed group of Americans, French and Belgians who meet at our local library to chat in French about whatever interests us. It's challenging, but fun. Interestingly, we live way out in the countryside, an hour from Washington, DC. Quelle chance to find such a group in our little corner of the world! Looking forward to seeing more chats with your friends and neighbors. This one was wonderful!
@LivinCindysLife couldn't agree more - we are about to move to France and trying to learn the language at age 63 is so frustrating 🤣🤣🤣
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! It sounds like you’ve found the perfect recipe for learning French-daily practice, a supportive group, and, of course, a glass of wine to keep things fun! 🍷😊 How fantastic to have a mixed group of language enthusiasts right in your area, especially in the countryside. It really goes to show that community and connection can pop up in the most unexpected places. Stay tuned for more chats, and merci beaucoup Cindy once more for watching!
Hi Richard. You are such a good presenter and this interview was like a big hug. Despite living in a beautiful village in Occitanie your videos are really tempting me to discover your area. ..... mind you wherever I discover in France there is some magic to be found. Bravo on your efforts to learn french. I love languages but it is SO much harder (Spanish in my case as I cheated on french with a french mum) later in life. Looking forward to hearing more about the yacht club as I learned sailing on the etang de Thau here since moving to Marseillan.
Thank you, not sure I present any more, just have a good laugh and a chat! you are pretty close in the region famed for fois gras, which must be equally as stunning. But do come and discover! More news on the Yacht Club to come very soon! 😀
Yes. We love our grammar. And our fêtes de village.
Every video you put out makes me want to move to France! Thanks for another great video ❤😊🇦🇺
Thank you so much, do it ... do it! or at least come and stay for a while 😀
Really enjoyable and informative chat thank you… and you have lovely friends 😍
thank you, yes we are very lucky, especially as we are surrounded by such lovely people, more friends to come!
Great video loved the interview very informative as are all your videos. Thanks 👍
Thank you. That’s so good to know! Plenty more to come :)
Thank you for this approach. Great idea to interview others about their experiences. My DH and I have been in the north east corner of the Dordogne for 3 years (from the States). We are in a rural area where the vast majority of the population is French and it is very important to have knowledge of the language to feel comfortable. So don't count out the Dordogne for an authentic French experience. We know more Dutch people than English here and very few Americans. Ironically, we have found that there are as many cultural differences between us and the English as there are between us and the French!
Thank you so much. It's so true, we are only an hour away from Bergerac but it is very different here in the lot, with far fewer English, not many Americans at all, so all in all very very French which we love. We do enjoy our trips to the Dordogne though, it is a simply stunning region, but your right, it's not a truly french experience, especially restaurant wise! Thank you for watching, plenty more of our real experiences to come!
A very interesting video - thank you.
We have just sold our gite business in the charente after 14 enjoyable, but busy, years.
We are moving to Eymet , Dordogne to retire in two weeks and so we have joined your list of subscribers to learn more about the area and find new interests.
For us too the french language remains a challenge - despite continuous lessons. (Maybe as you get older - like us - it just becomes harder ?)
At school my husband studied russian to O level - but he can't conquer french !!
None the less we just love France.
Ah, Eymet is lovely, lovely to hear you are retiring to France after working here for so long! Yes I'm positive I could pick the language up easier had I been younger. But we are getting there slowly, i find listing to the radio really helps.. Culture is the channel I listen to most, its slow speaking a little like BBC 4! Do watch some of our back catalogue for a lot more info on this region, we are just about 40 minutes from Eymet so within easy reach for you to come and explore!
@@Maria_and_Rich_Newlifeinfrance" France Culture" is the name of the radio,if you wish people to understand what you are speaking of.
New to your channel, and a Guernsey man!... enjoying your videos. I've been to Fongrave on a few occasions, being the nephew of Sandra, a neighbour of yours, from across the river 😁. Keep up the vids!
Ahhh a fellow islander! Thank you for joining in… hopefully see you in Fongrave with the rest of the Guernsey crowd! Although I can’t believe a Jersey man is admitting that 😂
learning a language is an activity like yoga, pottery, tennis. You just have to take the step and move on at your own pace. but please make the effort. 😊
Great video 😊
Thank you ! X
Great love the interview 🎉
Thank you Paul, tune in this Sunday for another funny one!
I'm French, living in USA for 25 years, and planning to come back to France. I find highly suspicious immigrants that have lived in France for many years and still don't speak a word of French. I have a personal reason for thinking that, my father side is Spanish from Madrid, and my grand mother spent 40 years in France and never spoke a word of French and she hated France and the French including us since my father betrayed the family by marrying a French girl. Anyway, my grand mother needed France, was taking from France, but hated France and its people. So when I see an immigrant who still doesn't speak French after many years, he/she reminds me of my grand mother, taking but not giving.
It is so important to learn the local language wherever you move too. We try our hardest. Just wish we had learnt more in our younger days!
@@Maria_and_Rich_Newlifeinfrance Two things to bear in mind when you are an English person trying to learn learn French as well as the other way round :
1-The others drive on the wrong side of the road i.e if you think in english to try to speak french you are bound to say the opposite of what you mean
2- The French use systematically « avoir » when the English use « be » and, of course, vice versa.
With this in mind you should find it a little easier to learn/speak french
I hope this helps
Sincerely😎
I'm genuinely trying but I haven't lived here for years. We have only been here 18 months.
@@jamesw9093 I understand the conundrum, when I arrived in Indianapolis, I didn't speak English and felt very safe at home speaking French with my American wife and felt very safe as well with a few group of French friends we had over there. I had to get out of that comfort zone and signed up for a local chess club, meeting twice a week, and those people were, for the most part, so eager to help. After a year, I had a pretty good conversational English. I still remember the fear I had the first day I went there.
Yes you said it right.IMMIGRANT not expat...im from uk been living and working 40 years in Italy and speak fluent...however each to their own
I also understand the language problem and my wife is French LOL. But I am so busy working on my own that I fail to concentrate on the language. Great video and now subscribed. Regards Dave.
Thank you! Take a look at some of the older eps you will see our friends thread through the series :)
I’ve already commented but it’s gone. Dang it
What a wonderful video thank you for posting
What two lovely gents you featured. And a stunning house they have.
How dare you have friends that you can meet in person lol
And you need to wear a camouflage onsie if you were to take me off lol
All your quirks need to be trade marked Rob 😂
@ What’s your favourite one? lol
i don't think trading standards could handle the bulk request!😂😂
Oooh were did it go? Yes Gilles and Jim are real gems of Fongrave. Actually it was quite a drive for me to get there as our boat is still out of the water 😀 Apologies I don't have a onsie! Will put that on my Christmas list 😂
@ lol. I bet you’ll look great innit
enjoying your vlogs on France. I hope to have a country house in Burgundy one day!
Oooh now that is a lovely region. I could easily live on the route de vin, especially on the river!
@Maria_and_Rich_Newlifeinfrance anyway is gorgeous lots of lovely villages mostly unknown
You get so much bang for your buck in lots of parts of France, in the UK, we have lots of pokey, modern houses that cost a fortune, which i grew up in. Now, im in an inner city Glasgow tenement which is a lovely building, but i dream of having a little house snd small holding in western france. I lived in France as a student down in Pau and also worked for 6 months in the Greater Paris area which is obviously the most expensive part of France. The Dordogne is beautiful, what a lovely house you have with the outlook on the water.
Yes it’s well worth the move if you can! Yes the Dordogne is beautiful but we just adore our little region too, it’s a lot less expensive yet with the simply stunning scenery of the river lot. Glasgow is lovely though too! Love Scotland as a whole!
what a lovely couple !
Fabulously Fun!
Thank you!😊
Some below have incorrectly used the term “expat” (more correctly “expatriate”) and immigrant interchangeably. That is not correct either in English or in French.
The Fench equivalent word for expatriate is, unsurprisingly, “expatrié/ée”(une personne qui réside dans un pays autre que le sien), which is the same as the English language definition.
Expats live outside their home country, the length of time is irrelevant, but they do not intend to stay permanently. Also, importantly, they are not citizens, hence they do not have the same rights as citizens. Immigrants (immigré/ée) sont généralement définis comme des personnes qui sont venues dans un autre pays pour y vivre de façon permanente, again the same as the definition in English. So, a Polish plumber that comes to London or Paris to work, retains their Polish passport, and returns to Poland after say 10 years, is an expatriate. A Brit or American who moves to France, intends to stay permanently, and may or may not eventually obtain French citizenship is an immigrant. If they do obtain French citizenship then by definition they cannot be an expatriate (because they can’t be said to be living outside their country).
And that’s the thing… who knows who of those expats will stay or not if they don’t have citizenship, in which case, as you rightly say they are not immigrants. We are just on a four year working visa… in that time we may or may not apply for citizenship.
Great video. Is Jim a scouser?. I am and sorta got the gist of a scouse accent going on there. If he is I'd of loved to of heard him speak a little French.
Thank you! Oooh that's one for Jim to answer as I think he if from the Wirral 😀 I hear him speaking french often, but my own french doesn't allow me to pick up his accent. Next time round will record a line or two 😂
I am from Wallasey, although I haven't lived on the Wirral for 50 years! To those outside the area, I am a scouser, but don't tell anyone from Liverpool I said that, because they would not recognise me as a scouser at all. Maybe a "wool"
@@jamesw9093 I have a farm [livery stables] just off the East Lancs road, near ST Helens I can spot a woolly back a mile off before they even speak. A wool can say same the same about a scouser. lol
Don't apologize for the dressing gown; we're lazing about and watching in our pajamas!
Lol thank you! Might try my jim jams next time 🤣
Great video😅😅
Thank you, we have a long list of expats to put in over the next 12 months… should be fun!
@Maria_and_Rich_Newlifeinfrance it's a great topic - Gilles and Jim are wonderful characters 😀
Another "fab" video. Yes, please do some more interviews with the locals. It would be also good to see what the French have to say about the increase of foreigners in their villages too. For example, someone from that village that has bent over backwards to be so British.
Thank you. Definitely the plan. Please keep letting us know what you think 😊
@@Maria_Hall - still waiting on the Prune Museum.
😂😂😂 soon.... soon!
When we were there for longer periods..my god missed a good curry!
I started a curry club here! Haha we survive - Just!
You might want to reconsider your moniker "ex pats" as it has become a perjorative for people who hv immigrated but somehow wish to separate from the herd, esp. Brits.
Thanks for your comment. For me the term “expats” fits here because their future plans aren’t set-they may stay, or they may move on. Who knows, but we do know they are currently very happy with their lot :) An immigrant, by definition, suggests a permanent move, which isn’t certain in this case. Language can be subjective, but I feel “expats” and the interview held reflects their situation for now. Richard
I dislike intensely the term 'expat'. Brits (and Jersey) natives are immigrants or foreigners just like others who have moved to France. 'Expat' has its origin in British colonial times something we should try and forget. Other than this I really liked your video and I am a new subscriber.
Thanks so much for your comment and for subscribing - we really appreciate it! 😊
I see where you’re coming from, but I have a slightly different take on the term “expat.” For me, it’s less about colonial history and more about describing the experience of living abroad temporarily or permanently, often with the intent to adapt and integrate. However we respect your view and love that these conversations can come up - they’re important for reflection and understanding! we are really glad you enjoyed our video, and hope to see you around in the comments on future ones.
You are immigrants not expats ,please learn French if you wish to live here . I had to learn English for work and remember the English complaining about people not speaking English when they settle in the uk .
Thank you for your comment. I think having up to 3/4 French lessons a week and duo lingo everyday. Watching the news in French and French radio is a bit of a clue that we are trying to learn.
Also according to the definition of expat in the dictionary it states that expat is someone living outside of their native country but not necessarily forever. Immigrants are forever which is the difference apparently so thank you for bringing it up as it’s good to keep learning 😊
@@Maria_Hall Although your definition is correct, sadly the word is mostly associated with the British Empire and those English rulers that exploited the indiginous population. The majority of Brits moving to France are not victors of the British empire and most come to retire and therefore stay, they do not move from Country to Country and they do not return to the UK, therefore they are not expats. Sorry, but like me, they are immigrants! Only those who come to work and return can truly be called expats.
Thank you for your comment. But we’re focused on settling into life here in France, learning the language, and enjoying the experience as it unfolds. Whether we’re called expats or immigrants, the goal is the same-to respect and appreciate the culture we’re living in. We’re just very grateful for the journey and the opportunity to share it with you all :)
given you are a brit, what was your position w brexit vote? how do you feel about immigrats in the UK and overall?
Thanks for asking! Being from the Channel Islands, we’ve always been in a bit of a unique spot-not part of the UK or the EU, so Brexit wasn’t really “our thing.” We had no choice in the matter and no vote. As for immigration, I think moving anywhere (whether to or from the UK) comes with its ups and downs, but it’s all about finding connection and making the most of the adventure. Life’s too short to get bogged down in politics-especially when there’s good cheese and wine to enjoy in France!
@@Maria_and_Rich_Newlifeinfrance nonsense, you should have voted remain
That's the thing... we had no vote! Jersey was not or never has been part of the EU
@@1292liam Do you really believe that if voting made a difference they would allow it? That is the definition of nonsense.
...NOT expats...they are IMMIGRANTS...😀...
😂
Expats is a word we dont use in France we use Immigrants .
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It’s true that different countries and cultures approach these terms in their own way. While “expats” is often used in English-speaking contexts, “immigrants” is more of a standard term in France. It’s always interesting to see how language reflects attitudes and perceptions around migration.
@@georgeszurbach444 the English don’t like to call themselves immigrants .
@@Maria_and_Rich_Newlifeinfrance I believe the cultrual approach you speak of comes across as arrogance and superiority, stick with immigrant its more respectful to your host Country.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Our channel is really about sharing the fun, challenges, and joy of life in France rather than diving into heavier topics.
still weird to hear french people have to speak english in their own country even if effort is shared it seems not very fair
Yep it happens the world over… Sometimes life just isn’t fair!