Le Grand Frère is watching. Our number came up in the computers of INSEE, the government institute that compiles statistics on all that is life in France, and as of Wednesday we are now a French statistic. The surveyor was delighted to find me home. Compiling a survey in the middle of August is a thankless task - only one of our neighbours is here at the moment, and the two buildings next door are undergoing renovation and thus completely empty. Funnily enough, the survey was all about work and unemployment. We decided in the end that I was an 'homme au foyer'. You'd have thought that a survey of an idle man wouldn't take long, but it also covered past work and educational history of both me and la bienheureuse. And it's not over yet. I can expect follow up phone calls every 3 months until the end of next year to check on changing circumstances, and another interview at the end.
Meanwhile, the French government continues its campaign to rid the country of undesirable foreigners. Hundreds of Roma have been forcibly flown back to Romania and Bulgaria. Unwanted and discriminated against here, unwanted and discriminated against in their countries of origin. A mere 300 euros won't help much. Hope Sarko doesn't decide layabout English wannabe authors are next…
