21 minute read
Book Club
Back to school!
by Alison Morton
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As it’s la rentrée here in France, I thought we’d do a little post-vacances catchup. Writing anything, be it a job application, an email, a social media post or a novel, should be about conveying your message clearly and accurately. Different formats and purposes require different types of language, different levels of formality and different levels of creativity. The latter not for accounts, obviously.
The best way to avoid confusion for the reader of your writing is to keep your words as succinct as possible. This doesn’t mean stifling creativity. Some of the most beautiful passages in a novel take several pages to convey the feeling, event or setting, but each word is carefully chosen, whether instinctively or as a result of hard graft. Sometimes we don’t see the bloopers in our writing, so re-reading before sending an important email and engaging an editor for a novel or short story are highly recommended.
Misplaced punctuation, confusion about ‘their’, ‘they’re’ and ‘there’ and apostrophes for plurals can lead to misinterpretation and disagreement. English is a weird language and changes all the time. You can pin a person’s generation, background, education and region by how they speak, but the writing should still follow some basic rules. Sentences usually have a subject, verb and complement; sometimes they have objects, direct and indirect; often they include phrases within them linked with conjunctions like ‘and’ and ‘but’, plus prepositions which add to descriptions (under the car, on the table, in the morning).
In ‘Mary buys a book’, ‘Mary’ is the subject – she’s the one putting her hand in her purse. ‘Buys’ is the action – the verb – and the ‘book’ is the direct object of her action. In ‘Richard pushes the buggy’, ‘Richard’ is the subject, ‘pushes’ is the verb and ‘the buggy’ is the direct object. So far, so easy…
In ‘Mary buys a book and gives it as a present to Richard’, Mary is still the subject as she is driving both actions. The book is still the direct object, but we have to bring Richard in somehow! He’s the indirect object here – someone or something affected by the action of a transitive verb (typically as a recipient) but is not the primary object.
Adjectives describe the subjects and objects, e.g. In ‘Mary buys an expensive book’, ‘expensive’ adds information about the book. Adverbs add to the verb and here tells us how Richard is pushing the buggy – ‘Richard pushes the buggy slowly’. Richard is probably checking his social media on his phone as he dawdles while the baby is asleep in the buggy.
Pronouns (I, you, she) can replace nouns (Mary, Richard, the man) as subjects, for example, ‘I push the buggy.’ Myself is incorrect as it’s a reflexive pronoun and only used when you do something to yourself, e.g. ‘I’ve hurt myself,’ or for emphasis, e.g. ‘He himself took a direct part.’ And please avoid the dreadful ‘Myself and my husband’! Follow the Queen’s example, ‘My husband and I’. Similarly, never ‘Us fair-skinned people burn in the sun’ but ‘We fairskinned people,’ etc.
The one thing to avoid is a twisted subject which is unfortunately common in media, even on the BBC! For example, a representative of J Brown supermarket (not the real name!) was explaining pricing policy: ‘Browns are trying to do everything we can to keep prices low.’ First of all, ‘are’ should be ‘is’, but the real horror is the change from third person subject, Browns, to first person (plural) ‘we’ halfway through the sentence! It would be better as ‘We at J Brown are trying to do everything we can to keep prices low.’ Or ‘J Brown is trying to do everything it can to keep prices low.’
Happy writing!
Alison has compiled a selection of articles from this column into ‘The 500 Word Writing Buddy’, available on Amazon. Her new Roma Nova novel, set in the 4th century, JULIA PRIMA, is now out.
This Month’s Book Reviews
The Water Witch by Jessica Thorne
Review by Jacqui Brown
There were so many things that attracted me to this book, from the dark but colourful cover to the wild, rugged location of Brittany, and not forgetting the Celtic myths and legends the area is steeped in. This book takes you to the heart of a century’s old mystery of a lost underwater city, a water witch and the lives of a family said to be cursed. As the story unfolded, I was drawn in, as if mesmerised by a hypnotic tide, never knowing which way the current would take me. The magic and mystery of this book captivated me from the beginning. As Ari and Rafael dig deep into the past, there is passion and intense emotions, dark moments and strange goings on. The things they see often blur the line between reality and something else, an underlying magic that can’t rationally be explained. They were an unlikely match, but I warmed to both Ari, for her expertise and vulnerability, and Rafael, a handsome, successful Frenchman drawn to Ari in his desperation to survive. This book really inspired my imagination and gripped my mind – it was a difficult book for my head to put down, even when I was doing other things.
The more I read, the more I wanted to discover the Breton legends for myself, and I got to the end feeling that I would love to sit down with the author and chat all things Breton, myth and legend. Her obvious love of Brittany really came through.
If you are looking for a mystery with a difference this summer or enjoy a book that takes you beyond the landscapes of a location, I’m sure you will enjoy The Water Witch as much as I did.
Review by Jacqui Brown
It was the library setting that drew me to this book, but as soon as I ‘met’ Elodie, our shared love of books, libraries and the simple things in life was uncanny. Librarians all over the world will be nodding in agreement at this book, understanding that never-ending quest to find more members, get enough funding for more books and get people to understand that once they open the doors, a library can be so much more than a place of old books on dusty bookshelves, looked after by bespectacled librarians. Having spent a bit of time working as a librarian and trying my best to share the magic and joy to be found inside a library, I was willing her project to save the Willow Grove library to succeed from the beginning.
Everyone has a story to tell, but how many of us are brave enough to open up and tell it, or indeed unjudgmental enough to listen to what others have to say? Let’s face it, sometimes gossip and rumours are easier to cope with than an uncomfortable truth, especially in a small town. Elodie is on a mission to change not just the fortunes of the library, but the way the townsfolk treat each other too. Her passion and determination to succeed leapt out from the pages and the people she met at the library were real characters who made me smile, touched my heart, and felt like friends. I defy anyone to read this book and not admonish themselves just a little about a situation where they may have judged a book by its cover – and been wrong. I absolutely did not want this book to end. I could have stayed forever within the Willow Grove library, a place that by the end of the book felt like my happy space too. If you love books and libraries and stories about people starting over, you will love Elodie’s Library of Second Chances.
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Everyday Miracles
by Jocelyn Simms and Howard Needs
Howard Needs and Jocelyn Simms met twenty years ago. Shared interests in watermills, the countryside and improving French communication at the Centre Socio-Culturel in Bressuire cemented the friendship. Howard has been passionate about photography the whole of his life and has attended several courses in France to expand his knowledge and skills. These courses in the Briere and in the Vendée Marais were a motivation to photograph more nature rather than “things”. He has exhibited photos frequently in local venues, including the Château de Coulonges-sur-L’Autize and Château de Javarzay. A regular contributor to the Deux-Sevres magazine, his articles have brought diverse topics to the publication. His love of history expanded his knowledge of medieval church calendars, musical instruments and the prophetic sibyls preserved on the walls and ceilings of some of the magnificent ecclesiastical buildings he has visited in France. Another interest led him to record in images the raptors and vultures found in the Provence and Pyrenées, along with coastal seabirds.
Jocelyn’s passion is writing, fostering and supporting other writers. She and her husband, Gordon, founded the International Segora Writing Competitions which ran from 2007 – 2021. The Simms put on three bilingual literary festivals in rural France, the last one in 2016. The principal guest on that occasion was the renowned speaker, poet and Chancellor of Manchester University, Lemn Sissay. Subsequently they organized several events involving workshops, readings and book launches, attracting an audience from the UK, several departments of France as well as finding enthusiastic support locally. Jocelyn’s poetry collection Tickling the Dragon won the Poetry Book of the Year award in 2020. This collaboration between photographer Howard and poet Jocelyn first manifested itself in photos and poems exhibited in L’Art Accroch at the Commanderie of Saint-Marc La Lande and this year has resulted in Grisailles, a collection of images and text to celebrate the everyday miracles to be found in this region.
Howard, as an engineer working in TV imaging, and Jocelyn, as writer, poet, reviewer and organizer of writing groups and competitions, have benefited from these years in France in continuing their life long professional interests and activities in this rural peace. The book has received a warm reception from local residents, both English and French, and readers from as far away as the USA and Canada. As well as ‘making the familiar strange,’ a time-honoured intention of poetry, Grisailles takes us on a journey from the Gâtine to the Atlantic beaches. Observing and enjoying the simple gifts of nature is a nourishing experience which is both calming and inspiring.
Here are a few comments to give the flavour of the book. I love the theme of the everyday miracles and the richness and variety to be found from the infinite shades of grey. It put me in mind of Gerard Manley Hopkins’ ‘Glory be to God for dappled things.’ Dr Jackie Fellague, poet, naturalist, California What an exceptionally beautiful thing: to hold, to look at and to read! Both silently and aloud! Dr Phoebe Lambert, counsellor, adult educator, UK I shall be reading and dipping into it many times. It will be in my Yoga room for easy access. Linda Brazier, Yoga teacher, France and UK A splendid and fitting combination. You can wonder which came first, the text selected for the photo or the other way round. In any case the text and photos belong together enhancing the beauty of both. Jan Statius Muller, sculptor and engineer, Netherlands A treasure trove of visual and verbal delights. I enjoyed immensely the visual precision of the writing and the capturing of mood, place and weather in both poems and photos. Roger Elkin, poet, editor. Lecturer
If you would like to buy a copy of this unique souvenir, it can be ordered direct from Howard Needs howard.needs@sfr.fr or Jocelyn Simms jocelynsmms@gmail.com Price: 12€ including p&p
And now for another challenge . . . a French version?
Teacher
listen pay attention stop chirping tidy up those straggly feathers we aim for sleek although you are dumpy stand tall
look at me balance grace poise
Health, Beauty and Fitness Health Matters
by Sue Lennon
Getting into the French healthcare system is something that I see lots of posts about on social media but being mindful of the fact that the DSM is read by English speakers from all over the world, and not just the UK, I am going to keep this article broad enough to be of some use to most newbies, or those who are considering a life in France. I know it is sketchy but I have given you links! First things first. You have to have health care cover in order to live in France. If you are coming with work, then it is generally your employers who help you sort it out in the run-up to your move and access is on the same basis as a French citizen. For others – retirees, those planning to be self-employed and so on - you will need to take out a private health insurance policy to cover the cost of healthcare interventions until you are in the system with a social security number and ‘attestation des droits’ ... and that can take a while. Now let’s assume that you have started the process, followed the guidance from your government, filled in the appropriate forms and sent off photocopies of all the required documents (NEVER SEND THE ORIGINALS). Next, you will either be asked for them all again because they have lost some, or you will receive a temporary social security number. You will know it is temporary because it contains lots of zeros. From the moment you get your temporary number you can receive some reimbursement for any healthcare interventions - though you will be given brown ‘feuilles de soin’ which you post off. After an unpredictable length of time, you will receive your ‘attestation des droits’ with your real social security number. You’re properly ‘in’! Woohoo!! Next, the Carte Vitale (CV). There is another form to fill to apply for a CV (and a photo to supply) which can be done by ‘paper and post’ or online at the ameli website below - it makes life easier to be on ameli, with lots of healthcare information as well as the ability to view your payments and reimbursements. There is no reason to be stressed while waiting for your Carte Vitale to come through; it will arrive in its own time. Have realistic expectations, none of this process is quick, so do not expect to be sorted in a month … or several! Meanwhile, you are covered by your private health insurance and you are safe.
Top Tips? Do your homework or get help.
Before we moved, I’d have loved to have found Ameli (https://www.ameli.fr/assure/english-pages) and the associated English-speaking helpline (09 74 75 36 46) as well as the Facebook group Strictly Santé, which offers good guidance and a dose of moral support on all things health (though like all social media, I’d not rely on it if seeking a diagnosis - you need a doctor for that!). There are other online hits that are helpful, but make sure they have been recently updated. Your government website is a good starting place, though personally I found the UK government site monumentally unhelpful (in 2015). Failing that, connect with an experienced hand-holder – get recommendations!
Registering with a family doctor/general practitioner in France.
This sounds easy, you just pop along to your local surgery and announce that you have arrived, right? Well hopefully that will work, and you will find a doctor who is taking on new patients and maybe they will be nice and maybe they will speak some English. But maybe not. While you are waiting for your attestation des droits, you have the opportunity to seek advice. You can get a recommendation from neighbours - who do they use? Are they happy with the service? What are the pro’s and con’s? Is it a single doctor working alone? What happens when they are on holiday? Do they offer domiciliary visits if you are very sick? Do they have space for you? If so, make an appointment for an introductory once-over; if you are happy to go ahead, ask to be registered. The MT (the GP) will do what is necessary either electronically or by signing a paper form that you send off. If you later wish to change your doctor, this is entirely possible as long as you can find another practice with space and a willingness to take you.
Emergencies.
For medical emergencies, you can go to Urgences at your nearest hospital but 15 is the phone number for health emergencies. Even those who are very fluent in French can have difficulty finding their words when in a state of panic, so you can call 112 if you want to speak in English. Put these numbers into your mobile or cut out and keep the box below and keep a bullet point list of your maladies and medicines in your wallet or purse, just in case!
There are lots of lists of vocabulary related to emergencies on the internet. I found it very reassuring to print a list to keep on a pin-board near the phone, especially when my husband was renovating the house and could be regularly found on a roof or up a tree. Try this list -
https://thegoodlifefrance.com/french-terms-andphrases-for-a-medical-emergency/
or make your own. If you are renovating, it should definitely include ‘Mon partenaire est tombé du toit! Sue x
Your Ground Yoga
by Rebecca Novick
It has been such a pleasure to return to Rishikesh, the city in India where I did my original yoga training. I had the good fortune to bump into an old friend, Acharya Dr. Suresh Raj, naturopath and scholar of yogic studies. Over lunch we chatted about all kinds of topics from the meaning of mantra recitation to the origins of yoga. Here is an excerpt. People have many ideas about the meaning of yoga. Can you clarify: what is Yoga? Yoga is to know the unity of the outer and the inner. We tend to identify almost exclusively with the outer world. From the point of view of yoga, however, the external world is unreal. It is concocted out of our imagination. Ashtanga yoga of Patanjali is more ancient than Hatha yoga which is focused on the asanas. In Ashtanga, yoga simply means being seated in a calm and comfortable position of body and mind. You have an energy field that stretches 12 finger distance from your nose. This is why, when someone passes you on the street, you can feel that person even though you don’t touch them physically. Our belly button is the centre of the energy that goes between you as a finite point of energy and the infinite energy of the universe. Pranayam means observing the turning point of your breath which is at the point of retention, because the turning point of breath is also the turning point of energy. The meaning of pranayama is breath retention; the retention of the exhale as well as the inhale, which begins to extend as you hone your focus. Matsyendrasa Nath is the founder of Hatha Yoga. The particular pose named after him is the seated spinal twist. During Patanjali’s time (around 400 CE), people were in a purer, more advanced state of consciousness. In the yoga sutra of Samadi Pada 1.2, Patanjali says "yogas chitta vritti nirodha" (yoga is the cessation of mental activity). During that time, people understood what this meant and they could apply it also. But, over the centuries people’s mental capacities declined and they needed simpler and more practical methods. Matsyendra Nath started with the body. He made yoga very practical and it was he who developed the foundational postures or asanas that we know today. He started yoga from shatkarma, the cleansing of the body. First you cleanse the body, then you perform these various postures. These body postures describe different emotions. Matsyendra Nath showed how to work with developing detachment towards our emotions such as anger, pride, greed and so on through the practice of these bodily postures. As you sit in these postures for longer and longer, gradually you become less and less attached to your body. Slowly and surely the mind calms down and you become detached from both body and mind. The same kind of process is going on in the whirling dervish dances of the Sufis. Don’t believe anything. Any belief will make you stuck somewhere. You are here to discover who you are – to find complete freedom from everything. When you stop walking around with blind eyes, and you develop awareness, you become one. You cease to exist in the duality of you and other. In the outside world one and one equals two. But when you are in awareness, one plus one equals one. This is spiritual mathematics (laughter).
As always, respect yourself, explore yourself. Rebecca For information on yoga and breathe better courses contact rebecca@yourgroundyoga.com
Finding the mutual benefits
with your animals by Sophie Hargreaves
At La Petite Ferme d’Alpagas Sanzay, we have an ethos of “mutual benefits”, which means in everything we do and offer, we do it for the benefit of both our visitors and our animals. The rewards of this are incredible and we see daily how this creates the best interaction, bringing so much happiness to the farm.
From gentle interaction in the field, a walk through the village and hand feeding the alpacas, we see these mutual benefits; people are enjoying the close interaction with these amazing animals and the animals are enjoying the enriching social aspects and, of course, being fed. Even our hand wash station demonstrates this ethos; the first and last thing I’ll ask you to do at the farm is wash your hands. The first time benefits my animals’ health, the second time benefits yours! If we ever notice that the mutual benefits stop, i.e. either visitors or alpacas show signs of stress, discomfort or dislike, we pause and take time to adapt and correct what may be the cause of the problem. We advocate open space and choice so we do not entrap or make either people or animals stay in a situation or do an activity if they don’t want to. Animal welfare is at the forefront of what we do.
As much as you can train an animal, they will always have natural instincts and in a stressed situation this could mean “fight or flight”. Being a herd animal, Alpacas would be preyed upon if they lived in the wild so, if they do not enjoy a situation, they will run. This means that they will not spend time interacting with people if they do not feel happy and safe. They need to have trust in me and visitors and, as a responsible owner, I continually watch them for signs in their behaviour to keep them and visitors happy and safe. Whilst I look at this from a work perspective, I also have cats and a dog who I use the same principles with to make sure I help them be as happy as possible, and get some trusted cuddle time with them too! Let’s look at dogs for example. A dog will usually show you a sign that they’re happy by wagging their tail or show excitement by being a little bouncy and running towards you. But do you know the signals that dogs use to show stress or anxiety? These are important to look out for to have a happy animal, and also to keep them and those around them safe, preventing unwanted defensive or aggressive behaviours. Dogs can demonstrate small movements to show signs of stress such as moving their ears back, averting their gaze and turning their face away from unwanted attention, flicking their tongue or stress yawning. When you see these small but telling signs, it’s time to remove the hazard and help your dog feel safe. This is the same across all animals.
When we pay attention and take positive action from animals' stress signals, we can embrace their happiness, remove any hazards or danger and reassure them they are safe and loved. They will return this, with that super interaction we adore and crave from animals that in turn greatly benefits us by releasing endorphins, de-stresses us, lowers our heart rate and generally makes us feel happier. And these are the mutual benefits! See if you can notice these in your pets and, once you do and react to these in a positive way, you will reap the rewards of bringing joy to your pets. I hope you can give this a go at home and, of course, give us a visit at the farm too if you want to see this in person or find out more.
