Five Questions Friday - 7

1. What is your favorite thing about summertime?

I like to live in hotter weather, I like to leave the doors unto my garden opened and this gives me a sense of freedom.

2. What is your ideal retirement location (if money didn't matter)?

This question makes me giggle, I often talk about retirement homes with my children:  I am a fussy eater you see.  So it is not so much the location or the money issue but the  menus that I would be looking at.  I love exotic or spicy food, so I often say will they please check out the chef and as long that he is not so much into mash potatoes but more in rice and curries, I will like my retirement home.  In the mean time I also pray that I am totally with it for a long time...

3. Do you live in the same town you grew up in?

Definitely not, my father was in the French army, so I was born whilst he was posted in Madagascar, then we moved to Germany.  When I had to start school, we returned to La Réunion (Indian Ocean).  I finished my schooling there.  Left to go to university in Paris.  And because I was studying English I came to England and decided to come and live here, the rest is history as they say.
I now live in Welwyn Garden City which I prefer to say, otherwise I would have to say that I live in Le Tampon (where my mother still lives)!!!!  I think it is a good move don't you!  Although the word does not have the same meaning, English speaking people cannot get over it!

Welwyn Garden City

4. What nervous habit did you have as a child that you kicked to the curb before becoming an adult?

I did not like to go into shops and ask to buy bread for instance.  I hated opening my mouth to ask for anything to "strangers".  Now I talk to anybody, my kids cringe about it.

5. What is the most embarrassing thing that happened to you while on the job?

This is still embarrassing when I think about it.  I was working as a personal assistant to the managing director of a successful company, they bought another company and we went in to see how they worked and get to know their working force.  They had a different switchboard to the one I was used to and it also was an opportunity for me to get to know the receptionist.  So I was sitting next to her and learning the system.  My director walked in from another meeting that day and instead of finding me upstairs at my desk outside his office, he saw me downstairs in reception and he said "Trying a new job!" and me young and stupid said " We all have to start at the bottom"

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah I still feel awful when I think about what I said. I never recovered the lost ground with this particular receptionist.  As I am confessing now,  maybe the feeling of awfulness of what I said will dissipate.  It is not happening so far. This was like nearly 25 years ago.  If one day you are the receptionist I offended reading this, please accept my sincere apologies.  I really did not want to sound snobby.

I have learned since not to be so glib with my tongue!!!

I enjoy answering these questions on a Friday, click if you want to join this meme held by Mama M at

 My Little Life.