Rent my house! · Posted Apr 6, 10:05 AM by Todd Babiak
We work and we work and then, in our sixties, presumably, we retire. We retire into leisure and dreaminess. All that we could not do, in the course of our working lives, finally becomes possible.
I never intend to retire, because writing is not so much my job as WHAT I DO, happily, for several hours every day. But there are certain things, in the line of dreaminess, that I have been holding close. One of these is to live in France for a year and learn French, with my family, as I write.
I can “speak French.” This morning I called the director of the playschool where my youngest daughter will be a few days every week, and I negotiated this call in French. But it’s always on an elementary, halting level, without all the joy and confidence that I associate with clever things I know how to do instinctively and unself-consciously. Like tying a tie and getting all the fruit out of an avocado shell without making a terrible mess of things.
Last night, I told my mother that we were moving to France for a year. She wasn’t thrilled. Then we went to a movie in which a 17-year-old girl is captured and sold into sex slavery, in France. Thanks, Luc Besson!
On paper, this is insane. In an economic downturn, one hunkers down and thanks Zeus for having a job at all. One saves. One prays. One avoids risk.
My father died young. I think of him, a lot, of course, but I also think of his situation. It has taught me not to think of “youth” and retirement and leisure and dreaminess in any of the normal ways. So there it is… I’m going to France, in August, to work on a series of journalistic pieces, a novel, some screenplay and TV show ideas and French French French.
All this to say: who wants to rent a furnished house in Edmonton’s finest neighbourhood, for a year?
commenting closed for this article
Holy shit. That’s fanfuckingtastic. Congrats, fellah.
— Ming Apr 6, 11:44 AM #
Congrats. Can’t give you any leads for the house, but surely a deal like that will be snatched up soon.
Once upon a time (not during an economic downturn) I was offered, to my amazement, a lot of money to do a particular job. I turned it down. Instead, I chose limited pecuniary opportunities—at least in the short-term—to live here in Montreal. Never have I regretted it. Et le plaisir d’avoir amélioré mon français? Priceless.
Say hello to a cheap bottle of beautiful wine for me.
— Laurence Miall Apr 7, 05:55 PM #
Bon courage monsieur! I look forward to Todd’s Pensées from France (show Adam Gopnik how it’s done eh?)
— Peter Apr 7, 07:42 PM #
Well done! I am planning to pull a similar stunt one day.
— Jeff Sutherland Apr 7, 11:57 PM #
Salut Todd,
tu vas louper de peu le festival d’Avignon… On vous attend avec impatience!
— Karine Apr 9, 09:17 AM #
I think that’s brave, sensible and fantastic! Congrats to you and your family! It’ll be so great! One of my best friends is in Prague if you need a tour guide there…
— Krista Frohlich Apr 9, 10:50 PM #
Brilliant!!! Just bloody brilliant!! Well done…
— Thomas Apr 12, 01:17 PM #
Congratulations – what a wonderful opportunity!!!
— trinity67 Apr 15, 01:45 PM #
You are my hero.
— Fergis Apr 16, 05:37 PM #
Great Job Todd!!!
I’ve quit Access and am planning a similar journey! Bon Chance!
— Jeff Thompson Apr 17, 06:20 PM #