sábado, 11 de julho de 2009

amazing France



I have been lost in this rural idyll, St Puy, I cannot even start to retell how a small village in France can have captured so much of past with every sign of still moving with a modern world. I am staying with Nadine, a stylish Parisian who as decided to make an almost new start in the Gers. Her dream is to make her house into a bed and breakfast, with the granery being a small restuarant and craft shop. With jhave been having slightly heated discussions about the change of use and the change in life style, all in an atmosphere of rural antiquarian, french life seems to have no changes yet the rural village is different. Here in St Puy there is a large community of British, all getting away from what they think others have done to their country, yet putting some chnge on the french life style that has so attracted them here in the first place. Even a caring French lady, having lived in Paris and bought her rural retreat, cannot help but affect the balance of such a small place, it is thrown into the internet world by its incomers, the mayor now as put in an internet cafe, without the cafe, so that the village has its own cyber link, although I am not sure that it is necessary for this, Iam quite certain that all the inhabitants have their own link to the internet.
Since arriving I have been to so many events, whether it was horse riding or traditional Gascoyne dancing, that i am left wandering why Brazil is meant to have some much in the way of feastivals, here there are as many if not more, I beleive there is to be a large feastival for the harvest before Bastile day, and that does not account for all the local fairs and music events, all seem to be free, just need to pay for wine and food. Hopefully I can get to speak some better French before I leave at the end of August, I am struggling with the language at the moment, it reminds me of my first few years in Brazil, trying to learn a language when you need to know technical terms first, is not easy, but still iteresting and well worth the effort.I have now got my workshop almost kitted out and am still trying to organise some electricity for the machines so i can get started on this newly revamped career as furniture maker and restorer. it seems promissing, i have had already, several work offers and have found openings for contacts, very easy, all are eager to pass on your card and build a rapid client base. The snag is that in truth I live in Brazil, and although I am now starting this new venture, i am having to consider how to create the best of both worlds, not as easy as it might seem,if i give up on Brazil I may never return there and that would be a great loss, but the opportunities for a fresh start to restoration and furniture making, are so much better here in France, how I am going to get a balance I do not know. Still here is a new chapter and i will keep it as a feature of this blog.