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(Not so) Frequently Asked Questions
Who are you?
My name is Romke Soldaat, a Dutchman in his late fifties, who has been living in France for a quarter of his existence. In my different incarnations I’ve been a baby in Indonesia, a schoolboy and copywriter in Holland, a manager in Ireland, an exile in Italy, and a software developer in France. I was fortunate enough to take (very) early retirement.
Where do you live?
I’m having a wonderful life in the Languedoc-Rousillon region, 70 kms north of Montpellier, together with a wife named Jenny (she's English), two dogs named Lally and Timo (they're Golden Retrievers), and a car named Deffie (she's a Land Rover Defender). My house doesn’t have a name, but deserves one.
What is this blog about?
It is my attempt to illustrate why France is such an endearing and infuriating country at the same time, and why the French are a people that you love one day and hate the next. Don't get me wrong: I've been a francophile for all my adult life, but there are moments when this country and its people are driving me absolutely mad.
Who reads this blog?
I'm not quite sure. From my statistics I understand that about 40% of my readers are in the USA, and 30% in France. Currently, this blog is accessed about 2,500 times a day. From the comments on this blog I get the impression that many readers are blog writers themselves.
Where do you get your information from?
Every day, I find information and inspiration in over fifty blogs and news sites. I try to find the stuff you don't find in other English-language, France-orientated blogs. As a matter of fact, it's my policy to avoid writing about things you read elsewhere.
What about copyrights?
I'm liberal about this. I use images without asking permission, but whenever and wherever possible I link to the original source. That way, copyright holders can't blame me for not giving them credit. If you find anything in this blog that you own and don't want to be published, let me know and I'll remove it.
You are allowed to quote from this blog in any way that suits you, but please be kind and link to the original source. Read more about the rules here.
Why are there no advertisements on Frogsmoke?
Simple: I don't like them. Ads are ugly, and those so-called "context-sensitive" Google ads never get it right. For example: if I post about immigration problems in France I don't need to see a Google ad to tell me how to get a green card for the USA. Besides, I don't think most bloggers make serious money from advertising, so why bother?
