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French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Hello,
I'm indeed French, but after 13 years of expat from Korea to Egypt, from India to Uganda, I feel more "international" than French and therefore I am scared to go back to France and settle back in ... my country? Both our kids have been born abroad and have never lived in France either... We are bound to TOURS in a couple of months and, as I saw that some members are based in Tours as well, I'd love to get in touch and check with them how we can keep in touch with the "international crowd" 200km away from Paris! Any suggestion, news, info, tips are welcome as we are in the process of selecting a school and then looking for an appartment... |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Originally Posted by MAGELANE
(Post 10695453)
Hello,
I'm indeed French, but after 13 years of expat from Korea to Egypt, from India to Uganda, I feel more "international" than French and therefore I am scared to go back to France and settle back in ... my country? Both our kids have been born abroad and have never lived in France either... We are bound to TOURS in a couple of months and, as I saw that some members are based in Tours as well, I'd love to get in touch and check with them how we can keep in touch with the "international crowd" 200km away from Paris! Any suggestion, news, info, tips are welcome as we are in the process of selecting a school and then looking for an appartment... How old are your children? If they are of Maternelle or Primaire age, they'll go to the Ecole in your Commune (or the one designated by the Mairie if you live in Tours itself, depending on your address). AFAIK you can choose a Collège or Lycée, wherever you live. BE members in the Tours area can maybe help out with "good" and "bad" Collèges and Lycées, but I've never heard of "bad" Primaires in France. Good luck with your move back. I, too, would be apprehensive (not scared!) about returning to the UK after so long here! P.S. Have just seen your other post. Your younger will be fine in Primaire and will have time to get used to the French Education System before going up to Collège. On the other hand, your elder should do at least CM2 to avoid being thrown in at the deep end in Collège without having mastered all the French Grammar and French culture that she'll need. Even if you've been speaking French with them, you'll remember doing grammatical analysis in CM and how important it's considered! |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Originally Posted by MAGELANE
(Post 10695453)
Hello,
I'm indeed French, but after 13 years of expat from Korea to Egypt, from India to Uganda, I feel more "international" than French and therefore I am scared to go back to France and settle back in ... my country? Both our kids have been born abroad and have never lived in France either... We are bound to TOURS in a couple of months and, as I saw that some members are based in Tours as well, I'd love to get in touch and check with them how we can keep in touch with the "international crowd" 200km away from Paris! Any suggestion, news, info, tips are welcome as we are in the process of selecting a school and then looking for an appartment... Tours has a lot of variety in the population and a good choice of areas to live in. The university brings lots of students of various nationalities (incl USA) and also the Institut de Touraine. The hospitals also have a variety of incomers to the town and surrounding area. It also has many people who have come to Touraine from Paris when they retired for the quality of life (and cheaper housing) but still only 1 hour from Paris by TGV. There is also a comprehensive bus service and a tramway (Sept 2013). Can you share with us why you are coming to Tours and what your ideas are regarding housing? Once you have established likely areas to live then you would be able to have a closer look at schooling. We have found it surprisingly easy to live here and we have made many french friends who have made us very welcome. The local accent is also very clear which should be helpful to your children. Good luck |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Originally Posted by cyrian
(Post 10695880)
Hi
Tours has a lot of variety in the population and a good choice of areas to live in. The university brings lots of students of various nationalities (incl USA) and also the Institut de Touraine. The hospitals also have a variety of incomers to the town and surrounding area. It also has many people who have come to Touraine from Paris when they retired for the quality of life (and cheaper housing) but still only 1 hour from Paris by TGV. There is also a comprehensive bus service and a tramway (Sept 2013). Can you share with us why you are coming to Tours and what your ideas are regarding housing? Once you have established likely areas to live then you would be able to have a closer look at schooling. We have found it surprisingly easy to live here and we have made many french friends who have made us very welcome. The local accent is also very clear which should be helpful to your children. Good luck After 13 years abroad for the French Government they want us back to France NOW! My husband applied for jobs in different cities and will most likely be appointed to Blois. Blois looks really small, that's why we are thinking of living in Tours instead (and he will commute). I'd rather live down town (3/4bedrooms apprt), close to the school as I will be looking for a job as well. My concern is not so much French (my daughters are fluent in both langages) but finding a good school that offers a european programm or extra english classes so they don't forget the language+ have a chance to meet english native speakers... If you have any tips... let me know :-) and hopefuly you can be my first english speaking friend in Tours :-) |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Originally Posted by dmu
(Post 10695467)
Hi again!
How old are your children? If they are of Maternelle or Primaire age, they'll go to the Ecole in your Commune (or the one designated by the Mairie if you live in Tours itself, depending on your address). AFAIK you can choose a Collège or Lycée, wherever you live. BE members in the Tours area can maybe help out with "good" and "bad" Collèges and Lycées, but I've never heard of "bad" Primaires in France. Good luck with your move back. I, too, would be apprehensive (not scared!) about returning to the UK after so long here! P.S. Have just seen your other post. Your younger will be fine in Primaire and will have time to get used to the French Education System before going up to Collège. On the other hand, your elder should do at least CM2 to avoid being thrown in at the deep end in Collège without having mastered all the French Grammar and French culture that she'll need. Even if you've been speaking French with them, you'll remember doing grammatical analysis in CM and how important it's considered! You are right! French grammar and analysis is a must to enter college... but we have been doing that extensively... and Océane did her CP/CE2 in a French school... so that shouldn't be too difficult for her... We just have to find the right place where she will feel comfortable... and not bored... and still be able to practice her English... Tricky situation! |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Originally Posted by MAGELANE
(Post 10696163)
Thank you Cyrian for those comforting informations...
After 13 years abroad for the French Government they want us back to France NOW! My husband applied for jobs in different cities and will most likely be appointed to Blois. Blois looks really small, that's why we are thinking of living in Tours instead (and he will commute). I'd rather live down town (3/4bedrooms apprt), close to the school as I will be looking for a job as well. My concern is not so much French (my daughters are fluent in both langages) but finding a good school that offers a european programm or extra english classes so they don't forget the language+ have a chance to meet english native speakers... If you have any tips... let me know :-) and hopefuly you can be my first english speaking friend in Tours :-) There is a Franco-American Association and a Franco-British Association in Tours. There is an RER service between Tours and Blois. You could live in Blois and travel to Orleans or Tours by train when needed. There are loads of schools in Tours and environs. I have no experience of french schools therefore cannot advise. I am unaware of any providing special english classes and I have not come across any english speaking kids in the town. If you live centrally then you are convenient for the train but there is a lot of traffic. I think that you really need to pay a visit and have a look around before you make any decisions. If you have any specific things you need to know then I would be glad to help - I will be back in Tours from 17th May. Many years ago my wife worked for an office of the french embassy in Scotland then she moved to the university and afterwards she worked for the Alliançe Française so we came across the frequent postings of the french staff |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Hi Magelane
We live pretty much between Tours and Blois, about 40 minutes drive to either city. Although we come under Blois prefecture, we head to Tours more often. My daughter goes to the private Lycée at Chambray les Tours and there is a strong emphasis on English so the fact that she is bilingual meant she was welcomed with open arms! There is also a maternelle, ecole primaire and college there but I can't tell you anything about them, our boys are schooled in the other direction, on the way to Blois! I enjoy shopping in Tours and there is an Ikea which, sad to say, has improved my life greatly (I can't help it, I was a design grad in a previous life! ;)) There is an English association, I used to have a leaflet - not really my cup of tea, it sounded a bit too high-brow for me so I didn't persue it. I'm not a city dweller but Tours does seem to me to have a lot to offer, more so than Blois. Sue |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Dear Sue,
Believe it or not, I have been dreaming of IKEA since we moved in Cairo 2 years ago, and I saw the IKEA signs 5 minutes away from home... But I think I will leave before it ever opens! I like very much what you say about the area and the schools... I am aiming at private schools as well (St Martin and ND la Riche) as they seem to be more open to international kids! I saw in your profile that your kids are about the same age as ours... so I hope we'll meet some day! Let's keep in touch, Sophie |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Reading all your kind posts and advices, I already feel less lonely and almost eager to go back to France :-)
I sure will let you know when I come to Tours (probably early July) for a first look... Thanks again, Sophie |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
I wouldn't rule out Blois completely without at least a visit first. Ok, so it's half the size of Tours but with several major international companies (eg Delphi and Procter and Gamble) there is quite a large international scene here.
My daughter goes to http://www.smb41.fr/ mainly because it offered such a high level of international studies (amongst the best in France) and she has students in her class from all over France including Tours and Paris. |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Originally Posted by MAGELANE
(Post 10696477)
Reading all your kind posts and advices, I already feel less lonely and almost eager to go back to France :-)
I sure will let you know when I come to Tours (probably early July) for a first look... Thanks again, Sophie We have been here for 9 years but I remember the scary feeling of moving over, knowing no-one and with even less French plus four kids aged 7 and under :eek:, jumping straight in to run the farm. I still shudder when I think about it! Would I do it again? Yes of course I would! Sue |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Sue
Would it be you I saw with a group of kids in a toy shop in a small mall just off Place Jean Juares last year? Cyrian |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Hi Cyrian
I try to avoid toy shops, especially with kids in tow! We are rarely, if ever, in Tours en famille, so probably not. These days, if I am going to an informatique shop then they would be there in a flash. My children are now 10, 12, 14 and 16, only the youngest is shorter than me :ohmy: We probably look like a youthclub outing ;) Sue |
Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Magalane, If I were moving to anywhere in France it would be Tours, Angers or Nantes, and I know I would be guaranteed a great time. I left Sarthe after 15 years last summer when my son finished CM2, and miss lots of things. Tours has a great feel to it, and a big international crowd, I had a couple of girlfriends who hailed from all over and they loved living there. It's a new adventure, and I'm sure it will be an enjoyable one - you speak the language! You have employment! You will love it, best of luck:thumbup:
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Re: French girl scared to go back to TOURS FRANCE
Originally Posted by MillieF
(Post 10698233)
Magalane, If I were moving to anywhere in France it would be Tours, Angers or Nantes, and I know I would be guaranteed a great time. I left Sarthe after 15 years last summer when my son finished CM2, and miss lots of things. Tours has a great feel to it, and a big international crowd, I had a couple of girlfriends who hailed from all over and they loved living there. It's a new adventure, and I'm sure it will be an enjoyable one - you speak the language! You have employment! You will love it, best of luck:thumbup:
We chose Tours because it is lively - with a large student population and lots of tourists. There are regular markets of all sorts - food; flowers; bric-a-brac and flea. There is an art-house cinema with films in v.o. and a multiplex which also shows some films in english. There is an opera house and an auditorium both of which hold concerts. There is an Ikea (apologies to BW or TP which ever of you objects to this word). There are over 100 restaurants from tourist menus to Michelin. You have access to TGV and TER lines and are only 1 hour from Paris. Good luck with your choice. |
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