a weekend - oh yes indeed, and to make matters worse I often have to work weekends too... must put me right at the bottom of the heap ;-)
Ahhhh but we would, just a simple division of sexuality, you on your own as the Fem side , me on my own in the masc. but together as equals --- ooeeeeeer, this is NOT a proposal of marriage either lolol.
As I recently stated, not only human, all skin & bone, regardless of class, creed, or colour!
Of course to the even more rigid Romanov's the Queen is an upstart as Phillip is at least descended from the last Tzar's cousin Grand Duchess Olga Romanova. The Romanovs with their 300+ year dynastic empire always regarded themselves as the best
Why is Prince Phillip the Quen's better half? In the ever less rigidly defined royal class system, Phillip is a poor poor relation to the Queen descended as he is from the lesser Greek and Danish royal houses. He can be judged by that standard or by others of course. the 'better half' tag I find repellent, we are perfectly formed and equally flawed individuals. All humans!
Most people are nice when others bow and scrape before them, and that includes AlLL of your classes
Janet, can I join you -- purely as a human being , and an equal.
Many years ago I was, among many others ,presented to royalty, an equerry informed us that if we were spoken to, or indeed made eye contact with we would nod in a subservient manner and wait until spoken to.
I approached the equerry in a polite manner and informed him that I bow to no man /woman, and because we hadn't been introduced before hand i would have no wish to partake in conversation unless spoken to.
He asked me if i realised WHO I wa being presented to and I told him yes i did, a human being, I was then given a diatribe of reasons why I should be subservient and informed that my superiors would be informed, when I replied I had no superiors, only equals he called another person over, whispered something in his ear, at which the newly arrived person looked at me, smiled politely and said that I should follow my conscience.
As I have said before, in my opinion there is no such thing as a class structure, it is purely a atter of how one person percieves another, and to me , we are all equal.
Jeanette - I don't agree that it's a good thing but a class system exists in France (the original question!) - go and talk to them about it not me!
Secondly, the other remarks were about impressions one gives (not necessarily about class) - all you say about convincing clients is true and has been implemented. I don't try to be anything I'm not in the social class sense but I am aware of what the client expects as far as professionalism etc are concerned and try and deliver what's expected - that's normal ie I wouldn't go to met a client in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops even if it's 35°C etc. We're on to another subject of people judging other people, in the same way as they try to judge which wocial class you're from/in/aspiring to etc.
would write more but i really must get on!
;-))))))
If there is one thing that REALLY gets my goat its obscenities and those disgusting four lettered words that destroy the very fabric of ones existance. I mean such obscenities as ( and i am shuddering as I type it ) W-O-R-K-
How can ANYONE ( upper class or not lolol) bring words like that to the delicate shell like things that are my ears.
Fascinating topic. Just a few observations I've gleaned from my French family:
One side of the family comes from a region in the west of France and they we were once part of the "rentier" class which seems to correspond to a kind of minor rural gentry. They lived fairly modestly in a small village off investment income (property for example) for generations. They did not work for wages but they did sort of exercise certain professions: artists, musicians, writers and that sort of thing. They were financially destroyed in the Russian bond crisis and the Depression. Talking with them today this is still as far as they are concerned the high point of the family's existence. They value education but do not seek advanced degrees. They would not think of starting a business. Today they work but those who are in government service (fonctionnaires) have a higher status than those of us who work for companies.
Fascinating.
Well said, Jane.
... and some of us are still at work translating late into the night, now the kids are finally in bed, but can't help checking the site occasionally and who knows, perhaps i'll find the time to post some 'very level headed and polite' comments ;-)
*Pops head round corner, waves white flag and then proceeds to stir it all up again*
"I do agree with your view that class is a way of thinking about yourself and others... which is incredibly French ;-)"
Hmm - hence the expression 'kippers and curtains' - which methinks is very British............
Anyway folks, please, please don't be too erudite with your responses.....some of us are a bit mentally exhausted as we have, ahem, been to work...
Yours fondly
The Right Hon Lady C
James,
Fear not from looking down from your lofty spire for tiz NOT the blogger that transcends the heights of 'class", tiz the response one gets from ones "classier" respondee, ( if there is such a word) that removes all doubt.
I was wondering when James got the time to set these hounds running, twins, working and trying to move to France.
I now see it is in his lunch hour and twe now have a new one!
you don't 'alf pick 'em James, what was the last thread you started - what type of expat are you? - which caused mayhem within the ranks :-O
What will you think of next, oh BTW I'll send you an invoice for all the lost time, I should be working...!
OK Richard, no hard feelings and I do agree with your view that class is a way of thinking about yourself and others... which is incredibly French ;-)
Andrew, Please do not take my posting as a dig at you, it was meant as a general summary of how I consider the "class structure".
"Class" or it deritives are only brought about by ones assumption of anothers position or stature in life, as I stated at the very start, "class is in the head", if you think there IS a class structure then it is you ( meteaphorically speaking) that is saying there is.
Me on the other hand, think no man or woman is superior to me nor, on the other hand, think any man or woman is inferior, therfore by that thought process I do not think there is a class structure.
Importance is percieved by those that think themselves, or their position in life , superior to others, thus forming the "clas structure".