Scenery

One of the absolute best frills in France is the countryside. Last week we had to drive north and took the A75 from Montpellier to Clermont Ferrand. I got my way after short struggle with my passengers about taking the high way or the slightly longer route to the country side. And it was absolutely worth it! It was a beautiful dark blue sky and the autumn colors were beautiful. The road behind the Pic St. Loup was even more breathtaking than normal. In the end, the scenic route turned out to be only slightly longer. On those days you realize how nice it is to live in the south of France ...

French Education

It never ceases to amaze me how different the French school system is from the Dutch. In my time we had books and there was a lot of interaction with the teachers. In France the teacher talks and writes on the blackboard, the students are working hard (well, they're supposed to work hard) to keep up with the teacher's writing. Teachers are trained to write fast. When we first moved here, my kids, who were then not yet fluent, were desperate because it was impossible for them to keep up. They complained that they had to read their notes afterward to understand the topics discussed.

But the most surprising thing is that they use no books. Repeat, no books. In the best case they get some photocopied sheets, but no books. My son is studying physics and he has one book, which I made him buy. If you miss a subject during the lecture then you're lost. I would have utterly failed in this system, not being able to recall a single lesson in my past where I took notes (my handwriting is terrible).

The question of course is, is this an efficient way to learn?

Why?

Living in the south of France as a Dutch man provides you with many frills. The food is wonderful, the people are very nice, the wine is divine, women smile at you all the time, and the weather, well, the south of France, what can I say?

However, life here is not without some frustrations. The ominous French state and the semi-state companies like EDF and France Telecom can sometimes make you tear out your hair or just provide you with amusing table conversation.

So this blog will be used to share some of the stories of a Dutch man living in France.