French Living and Property

As I now have more than just a fleeting interest in France, I have been scouting for photos of building types and also for information about building regulations. In doing so I came across this site which apart from its interest to those wanting to live in France, it is of good interest to a wider public. I have put their index of information sheets, it may not go direct to the site by clicking on my list but you can get an idea of the spread and use the link below to get there.

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http://www.totalfrance.com/index.html


Animals
* Caring For Dogs In France


Building
* Construction/Renovation Process In France (Regulations, Insurances, Permissions, Experts and Taxes)
* Drainage
* Fosse Septiques - New Installations and maintenance
* Planning for a Septic Tank Installation
* Septic Tanks 1 - Regulations, Workings, Installation, Maintenance
* Septic Tanks 2 - Explaining Performance of a Septic Tank


Business
* From farming to a horse livery business
* Making a living in France


Computers and Internet
* Enjoy life in France with the right technology
* The Facts - Broadband
* The Facts – Dial-Up
* What are the alternatives if Broadband Speed is Essential, but the Service is not Available?


Currency Exchange
* Automate your regular overseas payments saving yourself time and money
* Currency dealers - ten good reasons to use one
* Euro Currency Buyers FAQ
* Euro currency exchange on French property
* Euro Currency Update - September 09
* How to stay financially ahead of the game in France
* Latest Currency Report - 29th September 2009
* Living in France?
* Making regular international payments?
* Making the most of your Sterling in France
* Moving back to the UK?
* What’s going on with sterling and the euro?


Education
* French Education - Never Too Young To Learn !
* Primary Education In France


Employment


Food
* TF CUISINE - Christmas Cakes, Pies & Desserts
* TF CUISINE - Christmas Chocolates & Truffles
* TF Cuisine - Comforting winter puddings
* TF Cuisine - Warming Winter Soups
* TF Cuisine - Warming Winter Stews


French Life
* Downshifting - The Six Step Solution.
* Rain Water Collection for Economy, Efficiency & Ecology


French Regions
* A Taste of the Limousin - Living in Bellac
* A WELL KEPT SECRET - Charente-Limousine
* La Vendee
* Roussillon - where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean
* The Auvergne - A Haven For Outdoor Sports Enthusiasts


Gardening
* Bedding schemes
* Kevin's Garden Diary Part 1 - Jan & Feb
* Kevin's Garden Diary Part 2 - Spring
* Kevin's Garden Diary Part 3 - Summer
* Kevin's Garden Diary Part 4 - Autumn
* Kevin's Gardening Step-by-Step Guide: Single and Double Digging
* Pruning Ornamental Shrubs
* Trees - Some Background Information
* Weeds
* Winter Flowers


Health
* Choosing a complementary health insurer - what to consider
* Exclusive Healthcare National Helpline
* French Healthcare System - A Basic Guide
* Healthcare in France - FAQ
* If you need glasses take a look at this...
* Planning for Accidents in France
* Recent changes to the French health system
* Welfare survival tips to help you through hard times


Legal
* A Precis of French Succession Law
* Buying French Newbuild Property
* French Social Security Contributions, Q&A
* Inheritance Issues and Taxation
* Legal Issues: The Buying Procedure
* Selling a French Property - Contractual Issues
* Taxation of French Buy to Lets
* What is the process that will need to be followed to deal with a French probate?
* Why do probates in France take so long and what can be done to speed them up?


Money
* Banking Vocabulary & How to Write a French Cheque
* FINANCING YOUR DREAM HOME IN FRANCE
* How do the recent changes in the Inheritance/Gift Tax law affect me?
* New France-UK Double Taxation Treaty signed – Could it affect you?
* Tax and Estate Planning with Assurance Vie
* The French Mortgage Process


Motoring
* Decisions, decisions - RHD cars in France
* How To Register a British Caravan In France
* Registering your UK Vehicle in France


Property
* A Guide To Choosing An Agent/Immobilier
* A warning about buying land in France, or how I nearly lost 80,000€
* Buying A Property In The Department Of Creuse, Central France
* Choosing a dream property - Don't be Rushed!
* House Sitting Part 1 - Information For Owners
* House Sitting Part 2 - Information For Aspiring Sitters
* Learn to Love Your Agent Immo!
* Long-Term Lets - Information for Owners
* Long-Term Lets - Information For Tenants
* Never Too Late! How Father Buys a Flat in Bergerac, SW France, Only Days Before His 81st Birthday
* Property buying tips for France in general and Languedoc-Roussillon in particular: The 30 most important things you need to know
* Steps To Buying French Property
* Steve's Homebuyer's Check List
* The buying process
* The buying process: How to buy property for sale in Languedoc Roussillon – ten steps to French property buying heaven.
* The financial issues surrounding house sales in France


Renovation
* 3 - Phase Electricity Supplies
* Central Heating - How big a radiator do I need?
* DOWN TO EARTH – SAFELY
* Electric Water Heating
* French Electrical Systems
* Planning Permission Requirements For Renovation
* Smoke Alarms
* SOLAR ENERGY
* The Answer My Friends ... Wind Turbines
* Timber Infestation in Buildings
* To Renovate In France ... Or Not?


Scams and Cons
* Beware 'Wire Transfer' or Certified Cheque' purchase offers
* Beware! Property Renters, Item Sellers & the Nigerian Scammers


Shopping


Sport and Leisure
* 'Winterising' Your Pool
* The Law & Safety for your Swimming Pool


Tax and Financial Advice
* Are you liable to inheritance tax in Britain or France?
* How a Financial Adviser in France can help
* How can you fight against the effects of inflation?
* Is your French home subject to Capital Gains Tax?
* Pensions & Tax - facts and some advice for British ex-pats
* Savings options when living in France


Telecommunications
* French Telephone Lines
* The Facts - Line Rental Installation and Faults
* The Facts - Telephone Call Traffic and How to Save Money
* The Facts – Low Cost Calls from the UK to France


Translation
* Not getting lost in translation...
* Sworn Translating and Interpreting - Who Does it & What Do They Do?


Transport


TV and Satellite
* Obtaining UK and French Television in France - Part 1
* Obtaining UK and French Television in France - Part 2
* UK Telecom launches UK TV service for free!

Poeira mais Global

Acho que você sabe tudo sobre isso, aqui está o link da NASA. Lembre-se, não sei quem pensa que eles têm o direito de falhar alguma coisa para a lua por aquilo que já razão, o Governo americano, causando poeira mais global e não a limpeza depois....Tendo encontrado água que construção próxima, o que na Lua, o que isso pode resolver, por um penso que é melhor resolver os problemas aqui na terra antes da mistura de coisas no espaço exterior. É uma coisa para manter um olho aberto para os perigos que podem existir fora nossa atmosfera, mas realmente confusão com os mundos fora é a minha mente perigosa.
Claramente se tinha um emprego remunerado como cientista pode bem quero explorar mais áreas de trabalho para garantir meu emprego permanente, mas certamente há boas razões para manter a este mundo e não fora neste momento na nossa existência
Lua travando sondas marco importante completo (PA) – há 9 horas WASHINGTON — sonda de LUA da NASA tem separado em duas partes como previsto, um marco importante em direção a uma sexta-feira de manhã, canhões dupla travamento na superfície lunar.

A sonda menor com cinco câmeras e quatro outros instrumentos científicos é agora a reboque um casco de foguete vazio 2.2-ton.

O casco será como em lua primeiro de sexta-feira de manhã enquanto o teste menor medidas destroços que grande casco será acionado. Em seguida, a sonda de menor, chamada LCROSS (EL-Cruz), que é curto para observação de Cratera Lunar e satélites de sensoriamento, alcance a lua quatro minutos mais tarde.

Câmeras em todo o mundo e no espaço examinaremos a sujidade lunar expulsado e procurar alguma forma de água nela.
NASA's LCROSS mission: http://www.nasa.gov/lcross
http://www.panoramas.dk/moon/mission-apollo.html

This is such a nice Blog. get cooking

http://onehungrychef.blogspot.com/

I have just come across this blog and sent it to three of my friends, all keen cooks. It was really because Merrell, my friends daughter, was working for Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, she had started there to learn and wishes to work on her own catering business. This blog reminds me of her time in a Ramsey kitchen and the strain that all of them worked under. Like all commercial enterprises there are not always good times for all and some of the workers get a rough deal, largely covered by their desire to learn and be appreciated by the head chef. Merrell has left Claridges and is now starting up on her own in Scotland, difficult times for starting a new business.

A falta de Preocupação

As notícias de televisão local hoje mais uma vez demonstrou a falta de preocupação por mães na Bahia de cuidar de seus filhos, uma criança de dois anos de idade foi arrebatou com cachaça e, em seguida, violada, ela morreu no hospital da intoxicação e falta de oxigênio para o cérebro. A mãe diria não como aconteceu e o pai disse que viveu em outro lugar.
A falta de preocupação de ambos, foi mais do que evidente, é tão freqüente ver Baianas, preferindo a beber e tomar medicamentos, em vez de usar seu tempo e dinheiro para trazer os filhos de uma forma que irá beneficiar de tudo para o futuro. Problemas sociais são sempre um sinal de desinteresse, há exemplos de todo o mundo foram que facilmente pode ser ativada em torno, aqui, no interior do Brasil, durante muitos anos, foi uma existência mais pacífica, mas agora que a economia como começou a crescer os problemas têm movido de cidade para o espaço rural. Drogas e violência estão agora sendo comuns em pequenas cidades, possivelmente ainda é o problema do álcool que começa a maioria desses problemas. Uma pequena cidade no interior tinha sido vítima muita violência e mortes, principalmente após a meia-noite às primeiras horas da manhã. Quando a prefeitura organizada para fechar as barras em 23,00 e colocar mais polícia na rua para garantir a não beber após esta hora, o montante da violência e mortes diminuíram em mais de 83 %. O montante de violência doméstica também diminuíram 73 %, e agora há mais desejo da mulher existe para reunir e dar suporte uns aos outros. Parece que auto-estima é baixa, os homens tende a mostrar violência quando sua estima é baixa e as mulheres tendo vários relacionamentos e muitas crianças por vários homens, muitas vezes levando a falta de preocupação para seus descendentes e os homens se tornando abusar sexuais de suas próprias e outras crianças. É também nota que muitas meninas de adolescente estão vendendo seus corpos para obter dinheiro para drogas mas também para a compra de celulares e roupas novas, não são precisam de alimentos como eles geralmente retornam para sua casa ou para amigos para obter alimentos.

Educate without Moral

Today's excursion to Camacari was another reminder of the bureaucracy here in Brazil and the lack of manners the educated can have, perhaps its only Bahia. I may well have told the story of my ex and her family, the struggle I had when I eventually found that that had more or less bankrupt me and eventually having got the pack of them and their friends, out of the house, the boy friend of my ex's sister went to the Justice of trabalho and concocted a story of me employing him and then sacking him.
This is a chap with a known history of violence that had had my help in getting him out of prison, at that time I thought him innocent of a crime of double killing and assisted with the costs of a solicitor. I had still at that time, my work in Scotland and was only in Brazil for short periods, having married my ex in 2000 I had left her with my confidence to manage the house and help her family if necessary, although I had done this the previous year by creating a bar for their self employment with an apartment above, in the location were they had lived for some years.
Well the long an short of it was that I have learnt that it is difficult to find a good solicitor and an honest one, I think I have had at least six in Brazil and it as only been in the last couple of years that I discovered my present solicitor, who by any ones reckoning is a first class solicitor and honest, it shows that if you keep trying there is a chance at discovery.
It is with my present solicitor that I have been able to counter the claim from the boy friend and also take the first solicitor that I engaged in Brazil, to court, and win the case. I am sure that this is not easy, it has in fact taken me seven years of trying and still I am awaiting the recovery of the money that was paid to him in 2002, the trabalhista case was started in 2004, but went to the wrong court in Salvador, the fault of the opposition's solicitor, who is acting on a no win no fee basis ( thus the story line from his client is like a Grimm's fairy tale, that even the judge had remarked that if a person had worked for these hours and without a break it would be close to slavery) and the case was then re called in 2006 at the justice in Camacari, were it is at the moment.
It had actually been finalised in my absence at one point two years ago, I had no idea of this until the Xmas brought a different sort of card for me, it was one that said I had lost my case and also inherited a failure to attend a justices demand. I had to counter the judge's decision and to that end I was required to pay a deposit of R$5.000,00 of which R$200 I would lose automatically to pay for the court's time. I have fought this part of the case and won, so the decision of the justice is void and the case will now restart, yes I said restart, such is the justice in Brazil.
It was to the end of my getting the deposit returned that I today travelled into Camacari, I was early and waited, there were two other gentlemen opposite me that had been there before I arrived. We waited for the next 12 minutes for the office to open and for us to submit our various causes, during this time several solicitors and officials arrived and tried the locked door, they too hung around but very close to the door, so when it opened it was clear that they were not prepared to show manners and politeness to those that had waited longer, such is education and a moneyed up bringing, I am sure that the politicians would behave the same way.
I remember when Graca and I had waited all day for a flight from Belo Horizonte, the weather was bad and the flights became a list of cancellations, but we decided to wait rather than risk the following day being the same scenario. It was worth the wait, late in the afternoon the weather improved and a flight managed to land, to our luck it was designated to our flight for departure to Salvador. On boarding there was another delay for some late arriver's, and a passenger with his wife and child occupied seats in front and to the opposite side of us, behind them a man in his early 30's. The stewards had mentioned that the reason they were waiting was that because of severe rain and so many flights getting cancelled they wished to put passengers from four other flights onto ours. The airline asked the couple if they could give the childs seat to another pregnant passenger, they refused, they were offered refunds and extra money for the seat, they still refused. Behind them the man in his 30's stood up and demanded that we take off immediately, the stewards talked to them all but these middle class folk had decided that their rights were being infringed. It became clear from their comments that this group were solicitors and politicians, not at all interested in the poor families and other mothers stranded at the airport, but keen on using their money to have space for themselves. It fell to some other passengers to decide to take the recompense that the airline was offering, including taxis and hotels, for them to fly the following day and give up seats to help the other travellers.
The lady solicitor today who jumped the queue by about six people, had no sense of shame anout it, she clearly feels that she has got position and this goes above others, I for my part think that these jobs ( solicitor, clerks in the council, judges, politicians, doctors etc.) are for public service and although they may well deserve good wages and respect, they do not become anything more than citizens like all of us in urban communities are. It never actually gains anything in the long run, like those that jump queues in traffic, the gain in time often ends with an accident, like those that spend ages chatting before leaving in their car and then try to go as fast as possible on the road.