English kids in France?

I am looking for a place where I can find English-speaking kids the same age as my daughter (13) in my area. My daughter is bi-lingual, but is missing her culture. We live in Pau, 64. Any ideas?

No, Andy, it's not me, it's definitely her. Maybe we moved her a bit too late into a new culture. She has French friends, but still harks back to her days in the UK and misses talking about some cultural references and, of course, the unique humour. Sometimes, no matter where you are, you need to touch base with your own culture.

Hi !


Toulouse ( zip code : 31), it's no far Pau, and there is an american community, go on : www.geocities.com/aitonline
americansintoulouse@yahoo.com

Have nice week-end,

Catherine from France.

Missing her culture? I should have thought it wouldn't take a teenager, perfectly bilingual, to adopt the local culture. I suspect it is you who are missing the English (American?) culture on her behalf.

That said, I suppose if you locate a local cricket team (or some other predominantly English sport, unlike rugby which has been adopted by the French) you will find English speakers. Googling around, I see a number of English-language descriptions of life in Pau. But I'm too slothful to do your research for you.

For what it is worth, my kids all grew up living in French-speaking places at one time or another in their lives, and going to the Lyc茅e in London. But we were always in capital cities, so we didn't have your problem, if problem it is. One thing I did observe is that the cultural context of our kids changed along with the language that they were speaking at the time. So maybe that's what you mean . . .

Anyway, you can always ask at the City Hall. Governments in civil-law countries are far more intrusive than you are used to in the Anglo-Saxon world and they know everything. (As you have found out, everybody has to register at the Mairie, except for diplomats and then the embassy personnel office does that through the foreign ministry for them.)

There is an international school in Paris. I know there are a lot of Brits that attend. Are there any International schools near by? Any kind of foreign groups in Pau? Just a couple of suggestions.