Almost forgot to mention this, but BBC Radio Four have a new series called “Meet the Bloggers” which aired for the first time this morning, featuring one of my favourite bloggers/people Anna.
Future programmes (airing Tuesdays, 9.30 am and also available on the website) take in blogs as varied as GoFugYourself (looking forward to that one) and Instapundit. Oh and, ahem, petite anglaise is featured next Tuesday, alongside Zoe Twat – on the programme dedicated to personal blogs. It will be very odd to hear a Radio Four actor reading extracts of my posts…
I have a soft spot for this particular interview(er), as I was contacted to participate before I was fired, although the interview did actually take place a few days afterwards, in early May.
about
books
press
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petite anglaise 
So will you actually be on the show, or will they just be talking about the blog?
Comment by suziboo — August 29, 2006 @ 10:56 am
Mark recorded about 2 hours of interview, so yes, definitely – the programme will last about 7 minutes in total, including extracts read out etc.
Comment by petite — August 29, 2006 @ 10:57 am
Just heard the first one with Anna, went well. They seem to be taking it seriously, not trying to make bloggers look mad!(How wrong can they be!) :)
Only downside is the actresses reading out bits of the blog, just sounded wrong!
Will try listen in to yours next week!
:)
Comment by Tattieheid — August 29, 2006 @ 11:01 am
I look forward to it. Mmmmnn Zoe’s been quiet about it.
Comment by Banana — August 29, 2006 @ 11:04 am
All about personal blogs, yours.
Mine was all about public transport. I feel under pressure to go on a bus now (for the first time in 4 months) just to meet expectations…
Comment by anna — August 29, 2006 @ 11:25 am
Oh, and thank you. You are a poppet.
Comment by anna — August 29, 2006 @ 11:28 am
Hi!
I’m posting from Lisbon (sory for my english) I lived some years in Paris too and have 2 blogs with a nick name “e-konoklasta” the name of one of the blogs, the other one is “imago” or “e-mago” as we like. They are very different, the first one comments actualities, art, music; is quit “unsexual”, since lasts days, I did’nt say any were that I’m a woman beacause, here, in Portugal, femal blogs are discriminated. Men dont comment posts of female blogs.
On “IMAGO” “e-mago” I feel free and put some of my digital images and small poetry.
I read about your blog on “le monde” article about your problems with the company you worked on.
Have a good day, Ana.
I’m Teresa
Comment by e-konoklasta — August 29, 2006 @ 11:51 am
Thanks for the information. It sounds really nice, especially since you were acknowledged in your pre “coming out” days.
Comment by BlondebutBright — August 29, 2006 @ 12:00 pm
hmmm, petite, “Meet the Bloggers”…. Do you feel that, having been “outed” by your dismissal and the suit, it is easier or more difficult to be entirely open in blogging. Do the bloggersd really want to be, well, met?
Comment by Lost in France — August 29, 2006 @ 12:02 pm
and to all, sorry about the typos ;-)
Comment by Lost in France — August 29, 2006 @ 12:02 pm
Yaxlich is very much looking forward to next Tuesday. He now needs to work out how to tune his transistor to Radio 4.
Comment by Yaxlich — August 29, 2006 @ 12:12 pm
Ooh wow, you know you’re famous when!
I will definitely attempt to remember to listen…
BG
Comment by Billygean — August 29, 2006 @ 12:14 pm
That’s lovely P. Some proper promo at last. They get off their high horse. ;-)
Look forward to it! This whole thing is a learning process for me.
Comment by fjl — August 29, 2006 @ 12:23 pm
I am new to WordPress, but not new to blogs, having blogged on and off since September 2004.
I am in the slow labourious process of transferring some of my blog entries from Multiply to WordPress (I had already easily imported stuff from Blogger) and am now hoping once complete my blog will give an insight into the life of an expat.
Like yourself, I also live in France – in the Région Parisienne – however, despite being about an hour by RER train (and scooter) from Paris life could not be more different here than in central Paris.
The unfortunate thing is that most of my friends live in the centre and everyone seems to have the impression that I live in the middle of nowhere out here in the Essonne.
That void is increased because it also costs me 15€ for a days transport to Paris and then around the métro.
Hopefully my blog will give an insight into Paris country living.
Keep up the good work – this is a great blog!
Comment by John N — August 29, 2006 @ 3:34 pm
Do you think there ever come a point where you become uncomfortable about how much people know about you?
I mean, when someone writes a blog, they alone decide what to write, how much detail to give away and even how true what they write actually is. They can talk about something intensely personal (as you often have), or something as trivial as a journey on the bus/tube/metro – its entirely up to them. So the blogger basically retains as much or as little of their privacy as they choose.
But does publicity such as radio/tv somehow diminish the “control” the blogger has over the situation?
Just musing. As someone not particularly au fait with blogging circles, it would concern me.
Comment by Pete — August 29, 2006 @ 5:27 pm
Dear Petite,
Yet again, you give us all credibility!
I have never understood the backlash against bloggers. To me, reading a blog is like reading a newspaper article or picking up the page of a book without it’s final chapter written, therein lies the intrigue!
It’s different opinions expressed by a variety of people who should be left do what they do best, keeping people entertained. Whether it is thousands or tens it does not matter. Read it or not, up to the reader.
I started it some months ago and have found it mildly therapeutic, fun and quite frankly it’s my time, my pc so the begrudgers can go swivel on a stick! Well done in being featured, I look forward to hearing you, Lisa
Comment by Lisa — August 29, 2006 @ 6:07 pm
I feel better to know that you are being properly recognized for being a good blogger.
I often flog and enjoy it. Sorry I misspelled blog and it turned- out flog. My stupid mistake. Spilling was never my best subject at that terrible US public school. Now you see why our country is falling apart.
The best way of dealing with your boss is with good humor. What can he do, fire you?
John K
Comment by John King — August 29, 2006 @ 7:30 pm
Are bloggers generally introverted?
It would sort of follow if they are. Petite’s blogs are far less ‘nombriliste’ than almost all the others I have seen.
Comment by Charles x — August 29, 2006 @ 10:44 pm
Ooh, how exciting!
Will have to listen again to Anna’s bit.
Comment by Clare — August 29, 2006 @ 10:57 pm
I agree that many bloggers – and writers in general – are introverts. Writing is a solitary art. Blogging is a great way to exercise your prose and, in this case, commiserate with others.
Comment by Becky — August 29, 2006 @ 11:37 pm
While reading the various concerns people have about the loss of anonymity through exposition to the “mass media”, it struck me that nobody here knows if Petite already writes elsewhere.
Would you recognise somebody by their writing style?
Comment by Jonathan — August 29, 2006 @ 11:51 pm
it seems so odd, as blogging can be so anonymous, when it goes public and you have to explain your thoughts
Comment by lilacstripe — August 30, 2006 @ 12:26 am
Look forward to hearing you on air. Pity about sharing with Zoe. I suppose that will be where the show goes downhill!
*runs for the door!*
Comment by Keith — August 30, 2006 @ 12:40 am
I have a soft spot for interviewers too. Its a swamp ;O)
Comment by simon — August 30, 2006 @ 12:53 am
Er… I made a terrible mistake in my above comment.
I didn’t know that my real name would be automatical-ly added. I stupidly thought I was to be Mr. Anonymous.
For the record, I have never flogged anyone much less flogged a blogger.
How much would it cost me to have you remove my last name from the post above? Maybe ice creams for you and Tadpole?? Last offer, a university education for Tadpole?
Best wishes for your expected success.
Comment by John K — August 30, 2006 @ 1:01 am
Anonymous blogging gets so far under the writer’s skin being outed can put her through a real identity crisis. Girlwithaonetrackmind (don’t know what to call her now we know her real name – what’s an ethical guy to do?) is going through hell both as in having lost her entire blogging rationale and in work, family and friendship. Reading through her recent stuff you can see why. It’s like a bereavement.
Btw Petite (should I call you ‘C’ – like in the movies?) the embedded ‘Twat’ link is not working. I think you intended http://www.myboyfriendisatwat.com/
Comment by Andrew — August 30, 2006 @ 1:39 am
Great program tonight!
Look forward to next weeks edition.
I’ll need about an hour a day now just to catch up on all the blogs I’m reading now!
Comment by tony — August 30, 2006 @ 2:26 am
I like the ” little red boat” at the first sight I saw it…Ummm……
Comment by lisa — August 30, 2006 @ 7:03 am
Yax (11), if you want to listen to Radio Four you can do it online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/ and click on the ‘Listen Live’ link on the right-hand top corner of the page. You will need Real Player installed to do this (and a broadband connection).
Great blog PA. First time I’ve posted. Been reading off and on since the news of your dooce-ing broke on the BBC News website a few weeks ago. Eloquently written, but with sincerity and honesty. Most blogs I’ve read in the past are either rampant ego-maniacs or tedious navel-gazers. Somehow you’ve managed to avoid both traps. More power to you.
Comment by Simon — August 30, 2006 @ 10:56 am
P no one worth listening to thinks you’ve succeeded because you were fired. It was just a brief press perspective. Your writing is a consistent encouragement to others.
Comment by fjl — August 30, 2006 @ 11:34 am
Having read the above postings on here I found the debate about anonynimity and privacy interesting.
Personally I blog for two main reasons.
1) It’s interesting to share life in a foreign country with everyone else out there – and some of the time the ups and the downs. It’s also good to hear from fellow expats in France experiencing something similar. I already run one expat group in the Paris area, so it’s also a way of meeting other people face to face. Especially good considering I live in a small village.
2) I occasionally suffer with depression – which is perhaps a more common illness than a lot of people like to think. Many people who do so, suffer in silence, mostly because society hasn’t come to terms with the fact this is an illness. I won’t go into the reasons “why” here because they are many and varied. Besides that’s something I would prefer to talk about on my own blog and not on somebody elses.
But, blogging is a sort of therapy. Perhaps my crises on my own blog bore the socks off of people – well it’s then visitors choice to read further or just surf on somewhere else.
Writing things down, however, does help a lot, and yes, that’s in a public domain. However if the reader can identify with the problems of the writer then so much the better.
Admittedly there are a lot of weirdos out there on the net – but it really is a case of you take your own choice about how private you are on here (as someone has also mentioned above) and obviously I won’t be posting my address or telephone number on my blog. However, I don’t see any problems with being selective about my observations of life in France and also the other side of living in France, the problems (which a lot of would be/intending France expats do not seem to consider before making the big move) then writing about them on my blog based on my own experiences.
Comment by John N — August 30, 2006 @ 2:07 pm
Just to let you know I’ve sent on this post to Tom Reynolds @ Random Reality, as he was also asked to do Richard & Judy. He features in todays Grauniad. Hope I’ve not crossed any lines, or eyebrows for that matter.
Comment by j — August 30, 2006 @ 2:33 pm
John N
It would seem that the fact that you are actually blogging indicates that you are doing a good job in defeating depression.
My wife has suffered from depression for most of the last 3 years and I find it very frustrating that she is unable to take any positive steps to tackling the disease.
Comment by C — August 30, 2006 @ 5:05 pm
Yes, I blog and I’m a bit of an introvert. Generally I think of blogging as a way to get out of my own head. There is something a bit thrilling and risky every time I push that “publish” button on Wordress. It forces me to move beyond my private comfort zone, and potentially connect with someone who may or may not see the world like I do.
Comment by Sam — August 30, 2006 @ 8:43 pm
I listened to ‘Meet the Bloggers’ on my massively long drive back to France yesterday and thought the programme was really good. I was wondering if it would feature you at all so it’s great to be back and read that it will. I will definitely tune in or repeat listen from the internet. Ah the joys of being able to get the BBC in France. Two perfect things combined!
Comment by Loopy — August 30, 2006 @ 9:17 pm
Thanks for your note C.
It’s sad – it can take years for people to get over it, in some cases depending on the cause.
Here in France I’ve had a hard time finding ways to live with it. Luckily my girlfriend (who is French) supports me morally and over the last couple of years I’ve been to see a Doctor in Homéopathie. This method has really helped me and I feel a lot better these days.
I have off days, but I think I can now cope with that.
The fact is IMHO it’s impossible to try to beat it by yourself.
Where I live is isolating, mainly because until recently I didn’t have my own transport. I live in a village in the région parisienne which, when I first moved here, had 2 buses a day – now 6 buses a day and an RER train which runs once an hour to Paris from a station over 2 miles away across open country.
I also have very few friends in the local area.
Blogging and chatting on the net connects me with people back home in the UK and friends both French and English in Paris.
In this way it helps my moral and stops me climbing up the walls.
Comment by John N — August 30, 2006 @ 9:53 pm
Hi All
Im a long time reader but never took the time to post a comment (yes, im lazy), so even though dont really have any particular reason to post a comment now, I thought id get that first one out of the way.
Hi Petite! I think your fabulous and I promise ill drag my fingers to the key board more often to add to the petiteanglaise chatterboard..
Neil r
Comment by Neil r — August 31, 2006 @ 1:24 am
Petite! Two things:
1) I ate *alone* yesterday. And it was okay! One man stared at me and then my boobs and asked if he could sit down. I was reading my book with the knife propping it open and told him i was perfectly happy. It was unfortunately a boring legal book though. (Incidentally I just told all my readers i won’t be able to blog when am a lawyer in two years; they didn’t take it so well).
2) My boss found my blog.
… And I survived. It was okay. *sigh of relief*
BG
Comment by Billygean — August 31, 2006 @ 1:16 pm
I think it is cool so many people come and read and comment. My own blog started for myself, then it I wanted visitors, then I wanted commentators. However one thing I do is mix and match what I talk about in Nice and in the world in general. Perhaps Petites focus on her is what is so attractive. Your life becomes the soap opera we read. I however struggle to find the time and the decisciveness to be open about things. Plus I am a terrible proof reader. If I may be so bold to put up my link this once. http://celticgaul.blogspot.com.
Thanks again P.A. :-)
Comment by warrior — August 31, 2006 @ 1:54 pm
Note to John N:
Congratulations on having better luck with depression. I have a small background in psychology. Be sure to keep busy and avoid the ‘self-pity’ trap. Maybe join several clubs to meet new friends. Try to find a good sport that will tire you out. Being physically tired is a great way to relax.
Best of luck
Comment by John K — September 1, 2006 @ 4:52 pm
Hi John K.
Ahh that self pity trap… I know it well. That’s something that comes to the fore occasionally mainly because my own family over in the UK doesn’t stay in touch with me here in France. Of course I have my in-laws (who are French), who are generally kind but occasionally difficult. I think that is down to an English mentality meeting a French one, and the fact that my own family isn’t at all as close as my girlfriends are.
Also the inheritance thing means that in particular my FIL has some “power” over his children, through this he has helped them an awful lot. They have had a privelaged upbringing that I never had, and therefore could never understand.
All that is good enough fuel for self pity, but in the last year or so I honestly feel that my attitude to this has changed. Basically both of us (my girlfriend and I) feel we don’t give a stuff about what is going on in the family and are making an effort to live our own lives – not easy when the parents in-law live in front of us. :) But we always try to battle against any meddling in our lives – or being treated like little kids.
I’m not really keen on clubs, besides there are not many round where I live. Our village tends to have activities mostly attended by a closed circle of people who run the Mairie and thus not many from outside this circle are interested in joining.
In fact I did get asked to typeset, voluntarily, a community magazine for the Mairie last year (I studied Graphic Design in the UK) which they appeared to be very happy with. Thinking that they’d call on me to work on something else I was surprised when they no longer stayed in contact.
As for sport – I’ve always been c**p at that, I’m someone who likes walking and occasionally cycling. Anything to do with hitting and kicking a ball around just isn’t my thing.
Thanks for the message.
John N.
Comment by John N — September 1, 2006 @ 11:02 pm
John N, I must say you do sound a bit down, I don’t understand why your girlfriends father has a hold over his children because of inheritance, that sounds rather shallow. Without wishing to sound crass, have you tried sex, it’s a great way of lifting your mood…it releases lots of endorphins and puts you on a high, although it can be rather addictive but, hey, who cares!
Comment by Susannah — September 2, 2006 @ 6:24 pm
Susannah,
As the French say… “N’importe quoi!”
John N.
Comment by John N — September 2, 2006 @ 9:06 pm
Just been watching Rick Gervaise on t’ telly. He’s very good on cripples, gays and nazis. Hasn’t started on depressed bloggers yet…although come to think of it, he has a friend who says, ‘What for?’ every time he mentions something he’s done.
Well, it’s a start.
Comment by Andrew — September 3, 2006 @ 2:58 am
John N, I’ve absolutely no idea what the French would say because my French is appauling. The only French I can remember from my school days is “Je m’appelle Jean Pierre Clouseau”.
Comment by Susannah — September 3, 2006 @ 8:11 am
I love your sense of humour Andrew, you make me laugh almost as much as Ricky Gervais, I saw him on Richard and Judy this week, I only have to look at his face and it starts me of, he just cracks me up.
Comment by Lucy — September 3, 2006 @ 11:23 am
Lucy – as Mr Gervaise would say, “You’ve got to laugh, haven’t you?”, when watching wheelchair table tennis.
Comment by Andrew — September 3, 2006 @ 9:53 pm
Susannah,
I suspect you can also say “Where is zee bombe” in a Peter Sellers French accent then?
That might not go down very well here.
“N’importe quoi” is the polite equivalent in English of “Utter bollocks”.
Hope that helps your French education.
John N.
Comment by John N — September 4, 2006 @ 9:29 am
For John N:
It seems that you are doing well now. The family money trap can be difficult if you allow it to be a problem.
Living in a different country can make you feel isolated with different customs and language. Most often, the source of depression is one person or event that we can’t forget. If the source of your depression is one person, maybe this person is twisting your tail to damage you. Spite is good therapy for some people and terrible for the victim.
I think that the idea of replacing depression with sexual addiction must be ‘British humor.’ One of the worst meetings is for a sexy person to meet a person who is beautiful and equally sexy.
Best of luck in feeling better.
Comment by John K — September 4, 2006 @ 10:10 pm
John K, I find it hard to relate to anything you are saying. I don’t think there is any such thing as “the family money trap”, the only person who can influence anyone into feeling trapped in that respect is themselves.
I agree that living in a different country can make people feel isolated but am not sure that the source of depression is usually one person or event, surely it is much more complex than that. You say that spite is good therapy for some people, I find that a ridiculous statement, how can that be possible when it is quite obviously a destructive thing for the perpetrator and the victim.
And, why oh why is two sexy people meeting each other one of the worst meetings, it sounds good to me! Lastly, as someone who has “a small background in psychology” you must know that depression is a mental illness and needs to be treated as such.
I feel lucky that I have never suffered from depression, it must be miserable and I wish John N all the best.
Comment by Susannah — September 4, 2006 @ 11:42 pm
Hi John K,
I’m trying not to allow the family money trap problem be a problem – but it’s far from easy. The house where we live used to be the family home, so encore plus difficile, Oh and I’m not here to arnaque my in-laws anyway. I’m here because my gf is French and the fact that she wanted to stay in France, so I moved here to live. As long as we stay together then that’s all I want.
We just celebrated our 10 year anniversary – and hope to celebrate many more.
Anyway, we try to live our life as we want despite occasional unwelcome comments and advice from the PIL’s – even tonight we had a similar comment problem from FIL but my gf soon explained how things are to him.
This arose out of what HE wanted us to do with a strip of land at the side of our house and what WE wanted to do with it.
His occasional habit is of totally ignoring me when I’m talking to him. Then asking his daughter about what I’m explaining to him, which I was doing in my perfectly good yet broken French (everyone else understands me – but he is the exception). That is just downright ignorance and something that really makes my blood boil.
I commended myself in just walking away from the situation this evening, rather than losing my temper (which I have done two or three times over the last 9 years). I felt much better for it and very proud of my gf for standing up to her parents and telling them that we’ll do whatever WE want and in OUR own time. Oh, and that we are most definately NOT kids – so stop treating us as if we are, please.
The general cause of my depression is from three things, though. Two are back home in the UK and this “little problem” here in France.
It will be impossible to solve the problems back in the UK because they are unchangeable. However the problem(s) in France CAN be solved… :)
Bonne nuit,
John N.
Comment by John N — September 5, 2006 @ 1:04 am
Just heard you on R4. What a great thing Google is.
You are the only site in the world to repond to,
“Can you see the duck in the water”
Strange that……….
You sound just like you write :-)
I’ve been trying to get a friend of mine to write of some of his experiences owning a flat in the 18th. (You couldn’t make it up, etc). Perhaps you will inspire him!
xxx
jc
Comment by John C - lots of John's here.... — September 5, 2006 @ 11:09 am
Hello John C. :)
Looks like I might be on local BBC Radio this Friday.
I was on a show back home in Leicester last year through sending a comment about some debate or other while listening to a show over the net.
The presenter seeing that I was in France and also from the same suburb as her in Leicester contacted me seperately and was keen for me to appear on her show. So last October, as I was going back to the UK for my Grandma’s 80th, I ended up making an appearance on BBC Radio Leicester to talk about life in France.
Then yesterday I was emailed by the same presenter, asking if she could phone me here in France while on air on Friday, because they are doing some features about expats.
Looks like those back home are really interested about life in France these days…
John N.
Comment by John N — September 6, 2006 @ 12:42 am
Commenting as I listen to your full interview courtesy of the Beeb’s website.
You sound as lovely as you read. If that makes sense.
Great to have you up there with Anna and Zoe in the BBC’s pantheon.
Comment by Rob — September 6, 2006 @ 1:34 am
Hi John N:
You seem to be in better spirits. You also seem to understand how your FIL is wishing to insult and control you some. The insult is in acting like he does not understand your French. The control might be his wish to keep some small control over what you do with the property. Just don’t react to him or show any irritation at his remarks. If you react to him, it encourages him to try it again.
You understood the ‘money trap’ comment, but maybe Susannah hasn’t had first hand experience with it. The money trap most often means family money that you first don’t expect to get. After you have gotten it, it becomes part of your monthly cash flow. You spend more and you get used to it. Maybe you get a better apartment, better car and change your life. This is money that is controlled by some other person. Now you are hooked on this extra money. You are now in the ‘money trap.’ But this is not about you John N.
Keep on with the positive outlook and don’t let your FIL bother you. You might give your GF an idea about her fathers remarks.
What do you think of Petites ‘Submit’ on the comment page? It has an odd S/M flavor to it.
John K
Comment by John K — September 6, 2006 @ 3:42 am
Hi John K,
My FIL who is someone who doesn’t have a lot of patience – and to be frank, thinks he is the centre of the universe too. He is in his 70’s – a retired ex primary school head. Also a musician who writes songs mostly for children. Occasionally he expects everyone to be interested in his works and frequently does karaokés using Powerpoint – which usually get trotted out at family gatherings (ick!).
In fact since he moved back to the village, got back together with MIL and built their house in front of us, we seem to have less and less family gatherings. Although we do see MIL most days.
Anyway – about last night, MIL came to see me this afternoon to try and smooth things over. She explained that he’s being impossible not only with me, but with her (they’d just spent 3 months in the Périgord together, and FIL made her life hell apparently) and also my two BIL’s. Apparently the BIL’s just tell him where to go – something I’m not in the position to do.
So as you say… best to ignore him and get on with what we want to do. My gf knows all about his remarks anyway and she has been really put out over it, to the extent she was so fed up last night she went and gave her Dad a piece of her mind.
As for the money trap – I’m pretty sure FIL has been trying this on with his own children. At one time he would give us money, which we refused – occasionally he succeeded – but most of the time it got given back in whatever way we could think of. We once left some notes he gave us in his fridge. :)
At least he no longer does that – OK it’d make life easier, but this is not the way I or my gf do things.
BTW what is S/M? Oh and sorry to Petite for hijacking her comments section… I guess I’ve just been “perturbed” as of late.
Thanks,
John N.
Comment by John N — September 6, 2006 @ 10:20 am
Hi Petite
This is slightly off-topic. Having just listened to the full-length version of your interview (and you did very well indeed, as with Richard & Judy the other day).
This made me realize two things:
1. Mark Savage is a really great interviewer and seemed to put his subjects at ease (including little comments such as the reference to your mouse mat, after which I could hear the noise of your mouse)
2. The amount of work involved in producing 5 minutes on air using a one-hour interview.
I have only been following your blog for a few weeks, but find it very interesing indeed. I reminds me of my two years as a Canadian living in Paris in 1972.
Regards
Pierre (now living in Berkshire, UK)
Comment by Pierre L — September 6, 2006 @ 3:09 pm