Day 1545 (Tuesday) 31st August 2021

I had a slighter later wake up alarm this morning so I wasn’t too happy when Badger bit me out of bed early. I was only doing two hours online with Switzerland today and as soon as I got started Badger opened one of Huw’s drawers, jumped in and slept for the next two hours.

Today would have been my mother’s birthday so I always feel a bit blue on this date. I was looking for a new book to read and chose Carol Drinkwater’s, ‘Olive Farm’ and got a shock when I opened it to read a happy birthday mam inscription from me – spooky or what. Then I received a text from my Aunty Jennifer saying that she was thinking about my mother and a minute later I had another text from my new Italian student called Jennifer.

The new school called me again today and as soon as I get my police record certificate I have a new job! It’s all very laid back, I haven’t had a real interview and they haven’t asked me for references but the job is mine.

The school is situated close to this, not far from Place Massena …

It’s September 1st tomorrow which means time to go back to reality, I’m quite quiet this week but next week is going to get busy. This article explains this return…

Why ‘la rentrée’ means so much more in French than a new school year

The Local

If you're in France at the moment you won't be able to dodge hearing about la rentrée, but while it's often translated as merely the start of a new school year in fact its cultural significance goes much deeper.

La rentrée simply means the re-entry or the return but its arrival heralds a shift in the winds in France every September, here’s why.

If you spend much time in French cities in August you may have noticed that they are pretty empty – many of the smaller independent shops will be closed and if you’re emailing anyone about a work-related or official matter don’t be surprised to get an auto-reply informing you that they are out of the office until September.

It’s been less marked this year because of the health crisis, but politicians normally take a few weeks off and parliament doesn’t sit during August.

President Emmanuel Macron has recently returned from several weeks at Brégançon, the Riviera property that the French state provides so that presidents can take summer holidays by the sea (although he did chair some meeting via video conference while he was down there). And because the long August holiday is such an embedded tradition in French life, the return in September is a big deal.

Adresse of the Bregancon Beach : Av Guy Tezenas 83230 Bormes-les-Mimosas

Bregancon Beach in Bormes les Mimosas is the closest beach to Bregançon Fort (vacation home for French presidents). Located on the left of Cabasson Beach (after the rocks), this beach extends over 250 metres until the dam that accesses the fort. We find a mixture of sand and stones on this beach.

 

 

 

Our view

Schools restart 

La rentrée scolaire is when schools begin again for the new academic year. There is a tradition that this can only happen so September, and this year schools go back on Thursday, September 2nd.

A side-effect of la rentrée scolaire is the appearance in shops of huge collections of stationery as stressed-out parents head out to buy the dozens of items on the official lists that schools send out, all of which are deemed essential to educational life.

10 sticks of glue…3 boxes of tissues…2 pencil cases…a shoebox. France set for consumer spending boost as parents rush to get the stationary needed for primary school kids. This is why French supermarkets have huge stationary aisles.

Return to work

Of course key workers continue to work throughout the summer but many offices close completely for some or all of August as it’s not at all uncommon to receive out-of-office replies simply telling you that the person will be back in September and will deal with your query then.

Many smaller independent businesses including boulangeries, florists, pharmacies, clothes shops and bars also close for some or all of August as their staff and owners enjoy a break.

If you work in an office, the first few days after la rentrée is often a time for chatting to colleagues, hearing other people’s holiday stories and generally easing yourself back into work gently so it’s not too much of a shock to the system.

Return to parliament 

The French parliament takes a break over the summer and resumes sessions in September and ministers too generally take a few weeks off.

This summer has been slightly different because of the ongoing health crisis, and there have been several meetings of the Defence Committee – one chaired remotely by Macron from his holiday home.

Generally September sees governments prepare to present new legislation or reforms, so expect a rash of new policy announcements in the next few days.

New books are published

There is also a phenomenon known as la rentrée litteraire, which is when hundreds of new books are published in the busiest part of the literary year.

This is partly related to people coming back to work, but is also linked to the fact that many of France’s major literary prizes – including the Prix Goncourt, the Prix Renaudot, and the Grand Prix du roman de l’Académie française – are held in October and November. Publishers therefore release books that they believe have a chance at a prize in late August or September in the hope that they will be fresh in the judges’ minds.

Summer activities end

As people head back to work and temperatures begin to cool, many of the summer activities and facilities close down too, from small town festivals and open-air cinemas to the Paris plages urban beaches that are dismantled in the last weekend of August.

Traffic chaos

With most of France heading home from its holidays at the same time, the final weekend in August is usually the subject of dire warnings about traffic jams, so if you have the option it’s better to avoid being in the car this weekend.

I can understand the end of the summer in the north but down here it’s warm until December, in fact it’s pretty hot in September and October so why stop summer activities?

I thought I’d better get this word of the day in as after tomorrow we won’t be hearing it so much.

French word of the Day: Congé

It's what most of France is on right now (until tomorrow)

Why do I need to know congé?

Because it’s the most common answer to anything in August in France.

What does it mean?

It means being away from work.

Most French learners will know the more common word for holidays – les vacances.

This is used in les grandes vacances (summer holidays) les vacances scolaires (school holidays) and projets de vacances (holiday plans).

But le congé or les congés is also widely used.

It’s a slightly more formal word that better translates as ‘leave of absence from work’ and is used in official contexts such as le congé annuel (annual leave), le congé de maternité (maternity leave), le congé de paternité (paternity leave) or le congé parental (parental leave).  

However people also use it frequently in everyday conversation to say they will be off work, and in August you will often see signs up on closed shops and bars announcing that the owners are away for their summer holidays.

The ‘g’ is soft, so it is pronounced con-shay not con-gay. 

Use it like this

Je suis en congé annuel et je reviendrai pour la rentrée – I am out of the office on annual leave and will be back in September

Fermé pour congé annuel – closed for annual leave

Emmanuel Macron a doublé le congé de paternité – Emmanuel Macron has doubled paternity leave

Time for crappy translations

Lost in translation: Welsh sign tells cyclists ‘bladder disease has returned

 

And finally…

Cats who don’t know the meaning of personal space

Some people claim that cats are cold, aloof and don’t really care about us. That they see humans as nothing more than their personal servants.

However, all cat owners know that this simply isn’t true. Sure, they do see us as their personal servants, but they’re also far more affectionate than people give them credit for.

Maybe even a bit too affectionate.

Our little feline furbabies may sometimes pretend like they’re all about being independent and that they’re too cool to worship us like the dogs do, but it’s hard to take that seriously when they spend so much of their time glued to our heels (or, more accurately, plastered over our faces).
And so, anyone who’s ever known and loved a cat is sure to relate to these goofy, hilarious and adorable examples of kitties demonstrating their complete and utter disregard for personal space.

You don’t need to look at anything but me.

So, what are we reading?

 

Every. Single. Morning. I just can’t brush my teeth alone.

Hey, what’re you doing in the bathroom? Hello?