[wim]

Yeah time flies when you theoretically take a years sabbatical!!  

 Again, I thought you were English ...... I can't remember seeing as much as a spelling mistake !!
 For an English speaker French isn't easy,  masculine and feminine nouns and the appropriate grammar to accompany each genre are things that just don't exist in English.
 By comparison English is very straightforward just a little quirky ...... and far more tolerant in terms errors.  ....... see here ......

  The plougher.
   It's rough in a drought ... to plough throughout ..... which wrought nought to the ground .... and bought not a trough ..... thus I sat on a bough ... gazed over the lough .....  sought out to see storms  ... and  to God I besought ..... "Oh Lord,  favour my land" ............... cos if t'was rains you brought ..... I would dreadnought ..... alas he was tough ...... not bringing enough ..... with no dough to make bread  ........ I sobbed overwrought ........ with the plight I was in ......
........... I felt that he ought! 



  As you can see, my "Ough" stanza shows clearly that English is just plain sailing ........

(modified version)

Wow, those 29 years started as a sabbatical .... Amazing!

And thank you for the compliment!

I actually lived and worked in English speaking countries for 15 years, and even though that was 23 years ago now, I still am quite deeply involved with a few English-speaking communities.

Of course, prior to that most of my study books were in English as well, my theses were written in English, and in addition I followed another 4 year course which was entirely in English, and included working visitis to English speaking countries. I guess that all helps. That and being married to a lady who does hold an M.A. in English literature.

My foray abroad essentially was driven by my need to find a job. After my studies I found myself being unemployed, with no opportunities whatsover in Europe at the time, due to the oil crisis back then (I was a specialist geologist in those days).

Thanks to my old school education and later studies I do speak some French, German and Italian as well, although all rather rusty and requiring a couple of weeks of adaptation to get to a conversational level, but I do understand a fair amoount of the written word in those languages.
In that regard I think I was very fortunate with my education ....

Kindest regards, Wim