I’ve never trusted the type of ex-pat who’d choose France to be honest. At least we’re painfully honest.

Loving the generalisations about my little community, mind.

No. If you’d spent your life fishing for sardines you’d know why.

Yes. But while they are contributors to the economy and aren’t complaining about the government, why do you have a problem with that?

Now just imagine if hundreds of thousands of foreigners came to England to act like that….

Well I’ve never met one. Though I can’t speak for those in France.’
Well, Bert, I was going by newspaper reports of Spanish resorts where British people live, eating “British” meals, drinking imported beer, watching imported videos and Sky TV and not learning a word of Spanish. I have come across people like that in France as well. Just as it is much easier to change our skies it is also much easier not to change our customs when we do.

I like the swearing here, and the freedom to say what you want. More than this, I like the self policing and responsibility shown by pretty much everyone. Nobody swears to offend, and nobody banters to cause offence. If offence is caused it’s quicky forgiven or forgotten, at least on the surface and I hope deep down too. On a multiculti board the thing that can really bring people together is humour, which does make me at least feel a genuine affection for whoever bought a smile to my face whatever I think of their views or how they put them across.

I think that someone enjoys being a bit of a maverick, so we shall indulge him. I am sure that if he was actually here in my sitting room, it would be a different story. Something like Kathy Bourke’s ‘Perry’ from the Harry Enfield Show (‘Thank you Mrs Patterson).

Correct, Chairwoman has understood who and what I’m referring to.

I was just talking about the inappropriateness of making obscene comments to a woman in front of her mother, even if it’s all obviously in jest. Potentially it’s highly embarassing towards the former and certainly disrespectful to the latter. Bad manners and all that.

However, if neither party objects — which appears to be the case here — then it’s all okay, apparently.

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Chairwoman,

I’m still going to treat you with the appropriate degree of courtesy, as per my previous “aunty” comments. I suspect that many other people here have already been doing this anyway. Asians are generally brought up to be very respectful towards their friends’ parents and people of that generation, although this custom is by no means exclusive to Asians of course. But it’s still a good habit to cultivate, unless the other party takes advantage of their position and/or is malicious (neither of which applies to you).

So keep on trucking.

I think Jai is referring to someone who has an obsession with what Monty Python referred to as his ‘naughty bits’.

The naughty corner was invented specifically for him.

Katy had a colleague who made similar suggestions, who, like K (oops) is actually a very nice chap indeed. I shall get her to blog about it one day.