Friday 4 May 2007

Party political broadcast

We've not lived in France long, compared to the French people who live here (well, d'uh!), and as non-French residents we don't have the right to vote in la presidentielle, but schools can be a rich fermenting ground for ideas.

Apparently (I was out to work today before the sun rose, as is normal every other week) youngest, 6, came downstairs to breakfast this morning and on entering the kitchen asked, generally, "So, who do you think would be the better president for France? I don't think Sarkozy would be very good for Brittany; on the other hand, Sègolène Royale isn't very good in international politics." First words he said, I am assured, and a pretty good recollection of what he said, though to be fair it was said in a mixture of French and English. All 3 children are bilingual and often forget their parents aren't, so they try to make allowances, when they remember.

Of course, proud but slightly bemused mother asked if this was because they'd been talking about the elections in class with maitresse. Replying with a look that said 'credit me with some intelligence' and with a sneer in his voice, he said, "No, we've been discussing it in the playground."

6 years old. I ask you.

Mind you, this is the same 6-year-old who went to his 8th dental appointment in 3 months the other day, and didn't want the replacement dentist while his own was en vacances, he'd become used to his own. His dentist is a young but balding chap of about 35 with a chin piercing, fortunately hidden from curious eyes and questions during treatment by his face mask. Eight visits so far, almost weekly save for the 2 week holiday break, because youngest has/had several holes (teeth formed too soft in utero, all bar four of top set taken out when he was 3), but the French dentists, or this one in particular (don't know if it's standard practice but it ought to be), believe in treating one hole per visit, and if it's a big hole, 2 visits, so the patient doesn't get deep-rooted fears of dentists - for youngest, it's worked, he's perfectly happy to go back for subsequent treatment, as long as it's the same man. And it's not private, but done on the Carte Vitale system.

Gradual introduction to the infliction of pain (his mother refuses to take him, she was badly treated on that front under the NHS) has obviously made him phlegmatic about changing situations - politics might well be one of them.

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