Re: PM’s French Re-entry into the Matrix - Phase 1: 500 Hours Extensive Reading

[PeterMollenburg]

On Radio ici et maintenant there is a live show in the afternoon (2-4 p.m french time). Lot of listeners are obsessed by conspiracy theories, "we're in the matrix", ultra-left/right/degrowth/renaissance man/etc, point of views. If you want something out of the mainstream, you can give it a try. There are no podcasts, it's a live program (don't try to buy podcasts on the radio, it's something else)

Thanks Arnaud, that's one i'll def. take a look at, merci I hope your Russian is going well!

[DaveBee]

On Radio ici et maintenant there is a live show in the afternoon (2-4 p.m french time). Lot of listeners are obsessed by conspiracy theories, "we're in the matrix", ultra-left/right/degrowth/renaissance man/etc, point of views. If you want something out of the mainstream, you can give it a try. There are no podcasts, it's a live program (don't try to buy podcasts on the radio, it's something else)

Thanks Arnaud, that's one i'll def. take a look at, merci I hope your Russian is going well!

There's a new magazine launch mentioned on France Culture's website too.

https://www.franceculture.fr/medias/lin ... es-droites

[PeterMollenburg]

Things have been a little different lately...

First up I've been struggling with energy levels and health a bit and the main factor I believe is insufficient rest, along with some other factors out of my control. Needless to say, yet again, and I absolutely do not mean this in a condescending way at all, but I wish people would wake up! So much corruption, so much mindless following. People (including those who think they are very smart) think they are thinking for themselves yet they are being managed like a mass herd of stupidity. Follow the white rabbit. Wow PM, you are like, so smart... I wish you really were PM and that you were like given seven trophies and stuff like that man. You should be like the leader of the free world!

Planning a potential one week family holiday to New Caledonia in the next month or two if all goes to plan. I kind of realised (woke up?), that when it comes down to it, there is a lot of French not that far from Australia. Okay, it is a long way to French Polynesia (6000kms or so) but still that's much closer than France (New Caledonia is substantially closer to Australia, but still, it's not on my doorstep by any means). Too bad these destinations are so expensive to reach and expensive in general. Still New Caledonia actually looks like it's going to happen. Can't wait.

Have not been sticking to regular study at all- a few things had to give. I feel the need lately to spend more quality time with my children, in particular my daughter, but I can slant it to a mutual linguistically beneficial win by reading more to my daughter, and interacting with her more in French than what I have been (not that I use English, because I don't)... and it just feels like the right time for this. And of course as I've been trying to get more rest, I'm waking later and not getting solid hours of French in. Still, this is where I'm at for the moment and that's okay.

Still considering Belgium in a couple of years. Things haven't really gone as planned (ie not the ideal), but at the end of the day we've just got to try this. We are not going to have the perfect scenario, so in around 2 years we'll hopefully be heading in that direction (provided I can get some work) for a 12 month initial stint with the idea mainly based on linguistic exposure as a family and some travel here and there if possible. What happens after that initial year is anyone's guess, but as I indicated in recent posts, I really do not like the way that France is being governed and if all changes go through as politically planned, it's potentially a country I will have to reconsider living in, part-time or otherwise. At the same time, similar changes are on the horizon in this country, so I feel like I'm being cornered.

Politically, Switzerland still looks okay, Belgium is not somewhere I believe I would aspire to live in in the long-term, despite being fond of the country in many ways, Luxembourg looks great for earning capacity and linguistic situation, while a little boring and like Belgium it's not got the climate of southern France. While outside of the francophone sphere Norway, the Netherlands and Spain still remain 'interesting'. Nice to dream, but I would like to think we can make something of a reality of it if the man doesn't keep putting us down.

I'm very very very keen lately to read A LOT. It's not really happening yet but it's like someone has lit a fire under my ass and I can feel the heat building to the point where I'm about to run off in a mad dash and go insane reading tons (by my standard) of booky McBooks, maybe even while running. I might even turn into a book. I'm also very keen to hit the French learning mags for my vocab/intensive reading side and perhaps ditch the focused vocabularly time of 10min per hour... i dunno, see what evolves, not fussed... might drop the course stuff for a bit... but don't trust anything I say! I hope you are all well! Throw a face over your shoulder, pieces of pees, out.

[DaveBee]

I'm very very very keen lately to read A LOT. It's not really happening yet but it's like someone has lit a fire under my ass and I can feel the heat building to the point where I'm about to run off in a mad dash and go insane reading tons (by my standard) of booky McBooks, maybe even while running. I might even turn into a book. I'm also very keen to hit the French learning mags for my vocab/intensive reading side and perhaps ditch the focused vocabularly time of 10min per hour... i dunno, see what evolves, not fussed... might drop the course stuff for a bit... but don't trust anything I say! I hope you are all well! Throw a face over your shoulder, pieces of pees, out.

The Expanse novels might appeal to you, big company conspiracies AND space opera.

Only the first 3 have been translated into french. (I read them in english)

[PeterMollenburg]

I'm very very very keen lately to read A LOT. It's not really happening yet but it's like someone has lit a fire under my ass and I can feel the heat building to the point where I'm about to run off in a mad dash and go insane reading tons (by my standard) of booky McBooks, maybe even while running. I might even turn into a book. I'm also very keen to hit the French learning mags for my vocab/intensive reading side and perhaps ditch the focused vocabularly time of 10min per hour... i dunno, see what evolves, not fussed... might drop the course stuff for a bit... but don't trust anything I say! I hope you are all well! Throw a face over your shoulder, pieces of pees, out.

The Expanse novels might appeal to you, big company conspiracies AND space opera.

Only the first 3 have been translated into french. (I read them in english)

Bien que j'apprécie mille fois tes recommandations et celles d'autres membres ici sur le forum, je ne sais pas si ces livres m'intéresseront beaucoup... je lirai plus au sujet de ces romans, au moins, en ce qui concerne les thèmes et ainsi de suite. En fait, j'ai déjà regardé un peu de la série sur Netflix (doublé en français). J'ai cessé de la regarder. Je n'aime pas tellement des films ou des séries en espace s'ils ne sont pas très très bien faites. Et je n'aime pas les conspirations si elles sont totalement fiction. Comme je suis un peu bizarre, hein? Mais comme j'ai peut-être déjà dit, la vérité est bien plus étrange que la fiction.

[Tillumadoguenirurm]

Edit.

[PeterMollenburg]

I think someone has reminded you before that every country has both good and bad sides.

But seriously, don't go to Noway (it's rainy and cold and the people are weird ).

Thanks for the tip on Norway, as for the other comment, hmmm, I can only take a guess at your tone and assume it's a bit of a joke? If I took it more negatively, I could imagine that you're trying to tell me something and that you think I'm a little stupid for not having previously listened as I appear to be naive and simply not looking at each country in a balanced way. Honestly, i'm not sure what you're getting it, but I'll comment nonetheless.

Yes, it's pretty clear that every country has good and bad aspects depending on one's position and perceptions. There a certain aspects of particular countries that make it harder for some people to live in some countries regardless of the whole good/bad aspects/perception of each country. I've heard (I have no idea if it's actually true) it's difficult to be gay and live in Russia for example, if you like surfing but want to leave in Greenland or Mongolia it poses a challenge, having health care is extremely important if you live in the U.S. but don't worry if you live in Australia, if you're Muslim and want to live in Burma currently conditions are very much not favourable (again this is all based on media, so it's second hand information). Thus, depending on your convictions and how the country you might possibly want to emigrate to relates to such spheres/interests/self convictions/political perspecitves/religion etc, can have a big impact on your experience there, and leave one questioning one's future choice(s), particularly what the image you originally had of a country is changing as things evolve. Sorry if I'm explaining the obvious, or on the contrary being vague. I just wasn't sure exactly of your angle with your above comment, nor do I want to infringe on forum rules.

[Tillumadoguenirurm]

You know what, if you are going to take yourself as seriously as that then forget that I said anything at all. Too much work. Btw, I've never believed anyone around here stupid.

And while am at it, you should really get more backbone.

[PeterMollenburg]

You know what, if you are going to take yourself as seriously as that then forget that I said anything at all. Too much work. Btw, I've never believed anyone around here stupid.

Sorry if I offended you. Had we had this conversation in person I'm sure I wouldn't have offended you, as like I said, I was not sure of your angle, and in person it would've been so much easier for me to gauge where you were coming from (body language, tone etc). I do not blame you nor me for that, it's cyberspace and perhaps my stupidity if you like of lacking the ability to infer meaning when tone is not obvious, seriously. It just simply wasn't clear to me. Perhaps a better approach would've been to ask what you meant instead of responding as I did. Still, feel free to think of me as you please.

I would like to you to do something for me though. Of course it's your choice if you choose not to do so. Go back, pretend you are me (feel free to lower your IQ if you honestly feel i'm quite stupid - honestly I am bad at reading people sometimes and such depiction would not offend me), and re-read your comments pretending you do not have any clue of any of the tone behind the words or any background or inference of meaning- you just see the words, nothing more. You may then see my confusion. I admit, perhaps I should not have responded as if you were being negative, but still, I do offer my apologies, and hope that you can see where I was coming from. No harm meant.

And while am at it, you should really get more backbone.

Could you elaborate please?

[Tillumadoguenirurm]

No worries PM, I apologise too. I agree that my first message might have been clumsy. You've given me several things to think about, I'll have to come to come back to you.