Lots of help needed!

[twenty20]

hi,

Im a 35 year old Irishman who will be making the move at some time in the spring.

A little about myself...I have rented in france before. In the spring of last year i stayed in a gite in Le Lot (Midi Pyr). I ave also travelled and holidayed through parts of France (The NW, Paris, Midi Pyr, Biarritz). I speak very little French, but it seems to improve greatly with each visit. I am currently taking a course.

More about myself! I went to college at 27. In 2004 i graduated with a BSc in Applied Computing, and in the summer of last year graduaed with a MSc in Computing and Design. Great qualifications, but not very practical skills. My area was the theory of human-computer-interaction. Therefore most IT jobs are not applicable. Also, at 36 (yeasterday) I am a little long in the tooth for a graduate start. My direction was towards lecturing, but this recession business has put an end to that for now as most institutions are cutting back and not recruiting.

So, what am i after?! Well, i have been writing a bit, and doing some web design and photography. (had been entertaining the possibility of starting a small business before the meltdown). The writing does not pay much, but im hoping to use the peace and quiet (and an internet connection) to develop that.

At the moment, my income is a humble 1200 euro a month, although that will increase before my move. By the time i move i will have saved around 3000 euro, which should tide me over for a few weeks at least.

Anyhow, i am looking for a modest place to call home for at least a year. I am single, and have finally reached the point where im yearning to meet someone! I have a car which i will bring over, and i am not snobby about the types of work that i would do to top-up my writing and web bits and pieces.

If anyone has any advice/warnings/encouragement to offer i would greatly appreciate it. My chosen areas would be aquataine, aix-en-provence, grenoble, maybe a larger city like toulouse or bordeaux.

thanks in advance,
roger

[Bevdeforges]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Take a look at some of the other threads here in the French section. The current meltdown has definitely affected employment opportunities everywhere, including in France. The French are somewhat enamored of "qualifications" - which means you may have trouble finding "any" sort of work, especially that outside the field(s) in which you are qualified/degreed.

You may want to take a look at the high tech park at Sophie Antipolis (Sophia Antipolis - le site officiel de la technopole) which is in the general area in which you are interested and which prides itself on innovation. If it is possible to put your credentials to good use, you should be able to find some company there to allow you to do what you're trained to do. Worth a look-see anyhow.
Cheers,
Bev

[Alex S.]

I know a lovely girl in Montpellier I could put you in touch with...

[twenty20]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have looked at the business park and send a few emails. What i should have said in my first posting is that i have all but given up on any sort of IT job though. Even before the meltdown i didnt seem to be ticking the correct boxes due to the obscure nature of my area of research. (I would hope to spend a few years working in any sort of line of work, and maybe if times improve a PhD would be possible again). The combination of studying in my late 20's and early 30's, and a year of job rejections since then has taken its toll, so i intend relaxing a bit more - albeit while finding an income. Since i posted first, i have been looking into content writing as a source of income, which would suit me fine.

As for the nice girl in montpellier, are you serious?! I almost find it embarressing to admit this, but when i was studying i found it hard to meet people, and dating was a low priority. Now though, i would love to meet someone, but am out of the whole scene big time!! Any matchmaking would be very much appreciated

[Alex S.]

Yes. I'll probably get in trouble for my comments, but I'll send her an email with a link to this post, just in case. (",)

[twenty20]

Thanks for the replies.

I have spent a few days browsing the forum and come to the conclussion that it is impossible to be too prepared for the move. If its what i really want, then it will still be what i really want in 3 months - only by that time i could have saved more money, learned more of the language, and investigated the whole thing more.

While a move to another country has always been a big deal, i think with the current economic meltdown it has become more of a leap.

Bev, i have read alot about the park that you suggested, and Alex, I have read a bit about Monpellier since your post!

Having read about other people's experiences, i think that my greatest pitfall would be lonliness, so thats something that learning more French might fend off. I am pretty sure that I could find some sort of income, and a place to call home, but the lonliness would definately be a concern.

Finally, I think the forum is a fantastic resource for people like myself, so a special thanks to those who moderate it.

[Bevdeforges]

If you're moving to France all by yourself, loneliness will be an issue. The French tend to socialize mainly with their family - parents, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, etc. It's a lovely custom, but kind of limiting for those of us with no family nearby.

To counteract that, you need to reach out and get involved in some sort of association or club or other group. The AVF is a good start - and they have a "pre-accueil" service where you can get information about the area you're considering before you move. Other options include expat groups or local sports clubs and teams. But the key thing is that you have to make the first move.
Cheers,
Bev

[twenty20]

Hi Bev,

Having spent a months in Cahors (Le Lot - Midi Pyr), I hear exactly what you are saying. The town has a population of around 23,000 so I thought it would have lots of things to do. How wrong i was! I went looking for dance classes, sports groups or anything to get me out and about but it was so disheartening. The only people i got to know were the ones i was spending money with ie, waiters, shop-keepers. I love how the French socialise, but i fully agree that it can be 'closed ranks' in appearance for incommers.

I am not the type of person who would ever admit to lonliness, but those few months in Cahors were lonely at times - especially at that time of the evening when the cafes empty and people go home to their families. Still, it wont discourage me, and when i make the move i hopefully I will be prepared for that. Im not a city person normally, but maybe locating in a larger town/city would open new horizons.

The investigations go on!

Roger

[Bevdeforges]

Funnily enough, Cahors actually has an AVF - but like many groups of this sort, it seems to be a well kept secret. I've always thought it strange how the French associations insist you have to come in person to sign up, or to even find out much about their group and their activities. There isn't much of an "outreach" function in even the best-run associations. Then again, "information is power" in France.

Most associations are sponsored through the mairie (i.e. the town hall) and that seems to be the center of all information. Pity that us "anglo-saxons" tend to do our best to avoid having to deal with the town hall.
Cheers,
Bev

Hi

I can help out with the Montpellier connection. I live nearby <snip>

Note that Languedoc has 80,000 students, several universities, 250 govt research labs and a concentration of global research companies. IBM, Dell & Palm all have operations here. Even better, it has good weather and is near the beach !

By coincidence, I also have contacts with LIRMM (search google for "lirmm" "ecap2008" "montpellier" as I am not allowed to provide the links here) which could be useful.

Bonne chance


Peter