Yes we have met a few and then avoid them like the plague, when they first meet other English abroad they tend to announce ‘we are not racist but left Britain because of all the Pakis/blacks etc’ in the hope of seeking out fellow group members. I used to argue the point that they are immigrants here but most just didn’t get it or were of the opinion that white folk had the right to settle anywhere.
Don’t you just love to hate them!
Has anyone else noticed a particularly large and baffling group of Brits called the “I hate johnny foreigner but I’m living in someone elses country” group? They could also be labelled the “I left England to get away from the immigrants” group.
I have found some Yanks from the colonies much the same, “we saved the world, now you owe us” group. Very embarrassing.
I have found the customer service quite good, no pushing, no shoving out the door, to make room for the next batch, to be billed and moved on. Once I've gotten to know people in the service sector, I have no complaints, very relaxed, and easy going.
I work with eCC (electronic Customer Complaints) as a supervisor for the Poste. :-)
well i do agree with all of those points you have raised with the diffrent groups but you missed one. the ones that love france and are glad to be here to wake up and hear the birds singing, who grow there own fruit and vegtables and respect that there is good and bad in all kim
What a great way to discover France by "accident"!
I came to France when I was 16 to train as an ice dancer. Fell in love at 18 and the rest is history... I didn't ever choose to live here though but I do love it here.
I think if I was stranded in Bordeaux for a week I would be tempted to stay too :)
We found the Clunysois "by accident". We were on holiday in Tunisia and our elder daughter became friendly with a German girl. She wasd invited to come and stay with them in their holiday home to the north of Cluny and the rest of the family came later.
Without this serendipity, we would be like most of the people who rush past this enchanting "coin".
YES!!! I fell in love with France by accident, ended up stranded in Bordeaux for a week, on my way to Spain. :-)
well, i haven't met a whole lot of expats when I have been visiting France, but most folks I have met appreciate France, and do find it better than the U.S. I find it very much better, not a "utopia" but much better than where I am from.
if accident = chance/good fortune; then we are all in that group.
Interesting observations and so very true but I feel as if maybe there's a group missing as I don't feel as if I fit in any? How about the "came here by accident & stayed" group?
Totally agree with you and with Tom - it´s good to be on the other side of the fence. As a white, middle-class, well-educated woman, it´s educational to have something in common with non-white people of other backgrounds, simply by virtue of being ´other´ in France. Of course, that´s only part of the experience of living in France - the racial discrimination and all that goes with it is not part of my experience here. It depends on each individual´s character as to how we react to it. And after my first period of living in a different country (Japan), I viewed immigrants in the UK with a different eye, which has definitely helped my teaching. Life´s rich tapestry. . .
Fiona and Rosemary (Hello!) I am sitting here laughing my head off!
xx
after 9 years, I’m with Sue…xx
Thanks John and Johnny - backs up my view that this is THE forum/site for level-headed open-minded expats 
Andrew your final paragraph has got to be one of the most sensible and balanaced comments on SFN, maybe it could be condensed and used as the SFN motto.
Open to all, just do ruin it for others.
nice thought Tom. Until the children were born ours was a 100% french speaking household and I think I felt more ‘french’ then than I do now as I speak English most of the time with my kids (family in the Uk would never forgive me if they couldn’t communicate with each other!)
I’ll always be English, even when buried here I’ll still be a foreigner, even if I do get round to applying for naturalisation I’ll have a French ID card and be French but… well English really (even though I feel more at home here than there!)
There’s no right or wrong expat - we’re all living different lives in different situations be it full imersion or the expat bubble, who cares (as long as everyone gets on and things aren’t ruined for others… expats “shouting” in English in bars, shops, restaurants, in the streets… you know what I mean!)…enjoy
very strange as I used french whenever I could in the UK and still will use italian when ever i get the chance and the majority of linguists (I’m a translater too) jump at the chance to use their various languages… perhaps her spoken English isn’t up to much, As I said earlier, I’ve come across many who won’t use it as they’re ashamed of their level.
But hey, make the most of it, that’s exactly what you want, I used to hate it when I was studying languages and people tried to talk English to me when all i wanted to do was practice what i’d learnt