My 6 years existence in this country is starting to take its toll on me. Somebody told me that I could be considered integrated in this country when I start to think French and I start to dream French. My gowd, didn't I encounter Richard Gomez in my dreams last night? What was he saying? Mais, il parlait français? .. Oh my, he was speaking French and I was answering back.. in French!
...
I was whiling away my time at the café this afternoon with my colleagues, after lunch, and the conversation was directed to the gift check being received by parents from our Comité d'Entreprise (CE) for the school opening (that adds up to what they receive from the government). I timidly asked the amount and my colleague told me that I'll receive 15€ gift check next year, when I decide to enroll Louna to pre-school (the amount increases progressively depending on the child's age). My unguarded reaction was C'est tout? (that's all?).
People, when I first knew about this amount received from the CE and the government every school opening - and the Frenchies were still complaining, I had a totally different reaction. It was some kind of revolte for me that this population couldn't appreciate the beauty of their system anymore because they're so spoiled with all the financial aid they receive from their government. I even reiterated to them that in the Philippines, there's no such thing as gift checks so grade schoolers could buy a new bag, notebooks and pens. Let alone parents solve their own problems.
6 years after, a baby, loads of tax money paid and minimum incentives received, I finally start to realize that like all the French restaurants, the more you pay, the less you get on your plate. Can you blame me if I get carried away sometimes and be FrenchED?
13 years ago
12 comments:
Hello Ana I have something for you in my blog :-)
A lot of people told me nga that integration daw = dreaming in French but in my 7 years, I haven't dreamt in version française yet. Although I did dream that the french prefecture was in Manila :)
That was my normal reaction after my 1st to 3 yrs. Don't worry, had the reaction but sometimes I stop and think million times, better to have such amount rather than not receiving something! In the Philippines, no financial aid! If you apply to SSS & Pag-Ibig for credit demand, uubanin ka bago ibigay yung nararapat minsan denied pa! Those are our money that's reducted from our salary! French are being spoon feed kaya naman konting hirap lang strike na, that's what I hate ! They don't appreciate what the government could offer!
an what about your spoiled german counterparts, hehe. daming tamad dahil mas malaki pa ang nakukuha nila from the govt kesa mag trabaho sila hmmp. may allowance for food, for clothing, for furniture, for housing, etc. and the west still gives to the former east germany. and you are right, everything is so expensive now!
Bless, thanks ;). I have to add you in my last post.
Makis, so you mean to say you're still in VO? lol.
Haze, exactly my point, they're always reluctant to change.. no compromise even if they see the reality before their eyes..hay, french!
Raq, oh, there are a lot like that here too.. i think the govt will implement some measures on that (or is it already implemented? i have to check..), like after 3 job propositions and the unemployed still doesn't want the job, they cut down his allowance to a considerable percentage.. para matutong magbanat ng buto!
Talagang ganyaan yata. We get accustomed to the lifestyle and we don't even think about it anymore. I complain about double taxation because we are paying so much already. That's why I am all out for fighting what our schools deserve.
It's so awesome that you can speak French :) .
Sometimes people don't understand us specially people who never left the Philippines for speaking in English or French even when we go back and visit in the Philippines. To me it's not pa-sosysal effect but it just comes naturally when you start thinking in the languages that we speak everyday. Pero meron din kasi yung 1 year lang, aba! Nakalimutan na raw ang Tagalog. Amnesia ang tawag doon.
naku Ana! When you start dreaming in French then you must have been frenchED! :D
I find it funny to imagine Richard Gomez speaking french. Ewan ko ba kung bakit? hahahaha
Hi Ana. How amusing, Richard Gomez conversing in French.
I would be thrilled if my son's school gave me a gift check. That would be the day.
KK, haha, you're right, meron lang talagang iba na pasaway.. i don't know if you could really forget your mother tounge, you might probably change a bit of your accent (which happens to me).. but not the language.. but it's true that using another language everyday, it will come a point when your mind will sync totally to that language + the mannerism +++...
Duke, haha, you know, dreams are weird.
Rachel, haha, let me know if that happens, ill enroll louna in the same school if ever we go back to the phils hehe..
same experience here...nanaginip ako in German minsan...kakatawa nga eh.
pero heto ha, secret lang natin to, "ex" ko yang si richard gomez, we broke up kasi lakas nya maghilik tsaka nahuli ko sya na kasama si Aga. hahaha. charing! wala talaga akong magawa oo.
Rhada, lol!
hehe nice take on being "frenchified" ... ako din when I got here, I was wondering why the labour unions were so unpopular esp those in the Tube & in the Royal Mail... 6 years after ayan I joined a Facebook group basically calling the tube union a load of unprintable names.
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