Not sure I quite agree with that, Nick. I'm an immigrant but have always worked in the 10 years I've been here, I'm qualified and have turned down work too. I'm the one running a commerce now exploiting employing my french OH and a french employee...
Your light-hearted comments have a ring of truth!
Now I know why I don't get invited to the right pool parties ;-)
I agree. We have only met one lot of English people here with whom we no longer socialise.
Most are like us, well accepted and speaking French, volunteering and taking part in communal activities.
That is a rather tabloid view of the world I fear.
Yep, not much around, not around here anyway. Even the jobs in places like McDonalds etc are rated as part-time mostly but I suppose its a job and better than the dole ?
Oh yes Peter I agree entirely and it makes me laugh when we all lust after the street cleaner's job !!
Just the same as a french person struggling to find any kind of work !
Broadly speaking "ex-pats" have either the money to retire or the the skills to work abroad. Rather than the majority of "immigrants" who have no money and few skills other than their hard labour which is exploited by commerce.
I agree but unfortunately the ones who are stereotypical are those who stand out from others like a sore thumb and make it hard for those who try hard to blend in as far as possible. They do nothing to diminish the use of typecasting, thus dragging everybody else into it. However, I tend to remember how many people said things including 'frogs' and 'froggies' when we said we were moving here. So, as Andrew says, it is par for the course.
I feel like an immigrant here (in the derogatory sense) because I find it difficult to find permanent work. I would never consider myself to be an expat. I wonder if my kids consider themselves children of immigrants being in French schools for the last 10 years.
My mum felt herself an immigrant (derogatory sense) for a long time in the UK - she was referred to as 'that German woman' which she wasn't !
unfortunately, that's par for the course :-(
Semigrants when you're in the UK, and simmigrants when you're in France perhaps? :-)
fourthed
Although it all leaves me wondering if I/we are semigrants or halfpats as we spend our time partly in UK and partly in France!!?
I just get a little fed up of people typecasting all English people. I am not responsible for what has gone on in the past and for what a number are doing now.
Well said Jane.
:-D
just put the question to my OH, answer: ben, t'es un expatrié, non? Face goes into a thoughtful contortion... non, en fait, t'es un immigré, t'es là pour la durée, t'as quitté ton pays, tu bosses ici, on se parle qu'on français, t'es intégré quoi !
Despite all that, i'm still le mec avec l'accent/l'anglais/l'étranger/le belge/le suisse/l’alsacien...!
Nice one John!
Immigrant is the correct term for anybody that has emigrated from country A to country B. Expat is a colloquialism, I think!?