New members of the Reunion Island forum, introduce yourself here

Hi Julian,
Many thanks for the warm welcome. Currently I live and work in London. I am married to Honey and we have 2 sons, Max aged 14 and Joe who is 6. My wife is pregnant with our 3rd child. I was introduced to Reunion Island by a friend who was born on the island but now lives in the UK with her husband. My wife and I are excited to have found such a lovely place with such a mixed race society and we want to learn more about Reunion. I would be interested in taking my business assets with me and setting up on the island if this would be viable as I think there could possibly be a call for my services on the island, (marine antifoul removal mobilemasterblaster.com). We would look to buy a house on the island and would be interested to know more about the different localities and options for a growing family, schools, shopping facilities etc. I speak a little french and I am learning more all the time. My son Max and father Edward are fluent french speakers. Probably bring the Dad too! We love and thrive in a tropical climate and from what I have read so far, Reunion is cool and dry for about 5 months of the year. I would appreciate any advice, many thanks, Julian.

Hello friends i am a Nigeria broadcaster and entertainment enterprenuer and would want to establish an outlet of my film and broadcasting school in Reunion as a postproduction studio. Can anyone help me with the necessary information i would need to do this? Thank You All

Hi ,


we visited la Reunion in Feb and we loved it. we planning to move there by end of the year. I am from Egypt and my husband in French. we have a 1 year Old little boy.
we have been living in Dubai for several years now and  have decided to start a new adventure. mostly to enjoy nature and outdoors as this is something we missing here.
I guess my biggest concern is around social life and day to day activities. so I decided to join this Blog for more information on this .

Thanks, R

Hi Papyrus

It rather depends whether you're looking for a "trailing spouse" social life & activities or not?

champacs

Hi there,
Not sure what you mean by a trailing Spouse. I did post a question under accommodation and would be grateful to hear your feedback.

Thanks, R

welcome to this forum!!

Papyrus Coutard wrote:

Hi there,
Not sure what you mean by a trailing Spouse. I did post a question under accommodation and would be grateful to hear your feedback.

Thanks, R

if you want to know more about what is a trailing spouse have a look at : http://definingmoves.com/2011/bored-and … -syndrome/

what kind of activities are you expecting to do here?
christ

Thank you very much guys for your warm and cordial welcome.
I am a middle aged man from kenya. I arrived here two weeks ago to join my wife who is a french national. I dont speak french yet,though am trying to learn.mostly i express myself in english and some few words of french that i learn on day to day basis. I'm  living here on a long term visa.
I would like to have your opinions about how i can get a job that does not entail speaking much french.i am thinking of something like cleaning,gardening,construction etc..what i have in mind is to earn some living while learning french.at the same time,am waitting for my papers from the government.
I live in st.clotilde and would welcome any advise.
I was working as a tourist guide in kenya before i decided to live in this beautiful island..
Thank you all once again..

Johnstone.

hi john

do you have a driving licence?

christ974

Hello every,
Sorry in advance as am not introducing myself . I view myself as an old member anyway.
My main theme of writing is all about the Christmas vacation. I have specified here before that i was a tourist guide in kenya,Uganda and Tanzania.
Now,after staying in Réunion for half a year,i am going back to kenya though for a few weeks(around 6 weeks). If there is anyone among the expats who would  be travelling to the same destination from the 18th of november and feels that he/she may need some proffessional help,be free to contact me. I will be more than happy to assist you and maybe point out some places worth visiting.
I will do a few days hike to Mt.Kenya,probably just before Christmas and anyone willing can join up with me and we can have fun together.This mountain is the second highest in Africa,and stands at 5,199metres above sea level.The only mountain on equitorial climate that has snow..
Please dear friends,dont get lost while one of your friends is on the ground and can help shape up your holiday. Call,whatsapp or e-mail..

Gsm (reunion)-0692 104830.
Gsm(kenya)- +254 720 102 100 (also for whatsapp and viber calls)
E-mail- [email protected]

Hi,
Yes i do have a driving licence,bt i presented it to prefecture in order to get a french permit..so am still waitting,although i have a temporary one.
What did you have in mind?

Hi everybody,
We are already registered on the french forum, but we are wondering if they are canadians in la reunion and members of the forum
My wife is canadian and we are planing to settle in la reunion next year (we have done all the research and now we just need to get there)
We are at the moment in Vancouver and we are leaving for France soon
Looking forward to chat
Juanita & Jluc

Hello!
We are a young couple (in our 20's) from Iceland with a one year old daughter, and we're considering the possibility of moving to Reunion Island. We thought we'd introduce ourselves and share a bit of our plans (more of a wishlist, really).

My fiancé has a bachelor degree in childrens development and education, and has a lot of experence working with children and teenagers. Even though we have heard unemployment is quite high in the area our hope would be to get some work, and ideally for my fiancé, in a preschool or something similar where she could bring our daughter along.

I have a bachelor degree in philosophy, and am finishing a masters degree in development studies. I have experience working in a pizzeria, in a kindergarten and some NGO planning, and would be open to work in those fields as well as others. We speak good english but no french (and no créole) but we are interested in learning.

Our reasons for considering this are numerous. Reunion combines several factors we are interested in; french speaking, warm climate, farther away than just moving to mainland France and it just sounded right when we started looking at it. We would be looking to move around september 2015. Some feedback would be appreciated!

Hi Steinivalda,

I'm going to be brutally honest: IMO if you don't speak fluent French there's very little chance either of will (ever) find a job in Reunion. As you've mentioned yourself, unemployment is high here, and there's very little reason somebody would hire an employee who doesn't speak fluent French when generally they can have their pick of French (or French-speaking) people with the same qualifications, even just for a waitressing job. You will also find it difficult/frustrating to negotiate bureaucracy-heavy French administration without (fluent) French, bearing in mind that you will have to negotiate it whether you like it or not.

Incidentally I visited Iceland two years ago and remember saying to myself that there were a number of similarities between Iceland and Reunion (insularity & volcanology for example), although of course there are plenty of differences apart from the obvious ones.

champacs

Hi Champacs, thank you for your answer. Yeah, well honesty is the best policy so thanks for that as welI guess

I don't think we'll give up just yet though we'll definitely look at other options as well. One thing I didn't make quite clear is that a big part of the reason Reunion Island came up for us (apart from the beautiful landscape, unique wildlife, interesting culture - and the parallels to Iceland you mentioned) is that we want to learn French. We both have experience picking up foreign languages while living abroad, so we hope it wouldn't take too long for us to get by (and we can start rudimentary lessons before we arrive). But obviously the first 6 months would always be hard. We might look at applying to some kind of french-school program, but I imagine in that scenario it would be difficult to get proper housing for a family of 3, and we'd always need some revenue as well. Tips or suggestions would be appreciated, but otherwise we'll share our plans here if we manage to find something out.

I'm looking for English speakers to meet up with, I've been here since 2003, based near St Pierre. I was going to create a club myself but see there are more of you than I realised ... looking forward to a response

Hi everybody!!

I got to know the Reunion Island through a friend that was born there but is currently living in France.
She talked to me sooo much and sooo good about her hometown that she just convinced me....I wanted to leave from Spain and that looked like a good place to go....so I did it and booked my flight a couple of days ago! I'll be there the second of March!!!!

I'm a Nurse and I would love to work as that, the best will be working with dissabled people. But at the beginning is probably difficult to find something like that so I'll be willing to do many other jobs that of course will suit me and my preferences! Animation, bars or restaurants, kindergardens, painting, decoration and artcrafts...

Since I won't be able to pay a rent from the beginning I was thinking about AU PAIR or WWOOFING but I don't know where to look for it....

I hope to find some help with you!!!!
And thanks for being part of this!

[moderated: deleted asked by the author]

virgyburgy wrote:

Hi everybody!!

I got to know the Reunion Island through a friend that was born there but is currently living in France.
She talked to me sooo much and sooo good about her hometown that she just convinced me....I wanted to leave from Spain and that looked like a good place to go....so I did it and booked my flight a couple of days ago! I'll be there the second of March!!!!

I'm a Nurse and I would love to work as that, the best will be working with dissabled people. But at the beginning is probably difficult to find something like that so I'll be willing to do many other jobs that of course will suit me and my preferences! Animation, bars or restaurants, kindergardens, painting, decoration and artcrafts...

Since I won't be able to pay a rent from the beginning I was thinking about AU PAIR or WWOOFING but I don't know where to look for it....

I hope to find some help with you!!!!
And thanks for being part of this!

Hi,
i'm gobsmacked.... how comes that you speak so many languages ? ok you travelled a lot but as a qualified nurse you had to pass your exam! and after passing it it's necessary to get to work! it's normal life to earn a living.
i'm not saying that you're crasy!!! actually, yes!! you're so incredible! i wish i were as crazy as you are!!

Nursing students, here,  are reluctant to study english for many reasons!! (not always good!!)
christelle

hi tom

welcome to la réunion!!
i'm neither german nor english people. I live in st pierre. i read somewhere that you were looking for german bread!!
i didn't know that there was a type of bread for each nationality!! but if you're interested in buying good french bread i may be helpful.

wish you all the best here,

christelle

Hello Guys,

I'm relocating to La Reunion next month with my girlfriend. I'm English (London) and she is French (La Rochelle).

This is a big step for us and we don't know exactly where on the Island we will be staying, but we do have a friend who will be able to host us. I am in the process of looking for work (in a junior IT role) and would also be interested in meeting up with some people to get some idea of what to expect. My girlfriend will also be looking for work in translation (English, French and Spanish) - literary if possible.

I currently work in IT in a data centre and understand the difficulties I'll have trying to find suitable work with my limited French. I enjoy playing sports and hope to join a gym, a football club and possibly martial arts if at all possible. I'm looking forward to experiencing the Reunion culture and language. I have never travelled before so you can imagine now nervous I am!

I'll be reading up on peoples experiences over the coming weeks as I prepare to leave. Wish me luck and any help or advice will be gladly welcomed!!

[moderated: deleted asked by the author]

Hi everybody,

Please note that this is not a thread where you can discuss among yourselves , it is a thread for the introduction of the new members only.

Tips to the new members : When you have already posted here and introduced yourself, i will recommend you to create new topics if you still wish to discuss with other members or if you have some questions to ask please.

Thank you

Priscilla 

Hey! Hi!!
Yes, I do have to pass a French language exam but actually I think I can get a certificate of my French level in the job I had in France, that's what I've read. They called me 2 days ago asking me to go back there for one month working(high season). So I'll go to France and right after I'll go to Réunion Island, I had to change my flight from the 1st to the 20th of March...
I've traveled a lot and worked a lot as well, as a nurse and as many things!I like moving into new places and making a new life each time, not so much traveling, but living!
I got my degree in 2007 and I've been working pretty much so I have a good experience as a nurse but in this moment I would like to work with people with handicaps, that's what I've been doing the last year and I just love it!!
I must say I'm good for languages eventhough that can sound a little haughty but it is what people normally tell me, I really pick languages very quick....
So...what you think??I would be able to find something for me in Reunion?? I hope so cause I'm getting there anyway!!!

Hi All,

I have recentlty moved to Reunion from England.  Not really sure what to write here but would like to get to know other people who are in a similar position as myself.  currently trying to learn french before looking for employment.

look forward to hearing from you all.

Jason

Hi, I'm Sarah and have been living in Reunion since August 1999 when I moved here with my now ex-partner who is Reunionnese. I have 3 children, aged 10, 10 and 12 who were born here. I have been working as an MFL English teacher in a secondary school in La Plaine des Cafres since 2005, having taken the CAPES in 2003 to qualify in the French education system. Before that, I was a language assistant for four years in Lycee Bois d'Olives (st pierre). I currently live in Trois Mares (le Tampon) with my children and fiance, Jason, who has recently moved here. I already know quite a few expats, but would love to get to know more:-)

hi jason,
hi sarah,

welcome to Expat.com !!!
waouh !!! so many people here !!!

this is a great place to help newcomers and to get answers to your questions.

have a nice rainy weeklend!!!

chrsit

akitson wrote:

Hello Guys,

I'm relocating to La Reunion next month with my girlfriend. I'm English (London) and she is French (La Rochelle).

This is a big step for us and we don't know exactly where on the Island we will be staying, but we do have a friend who will be able to host us. I am in the process of looking for work (in a junior IT role) and would also be interested in meeting up with some people to get some idea of what to expect. My girlfriend will also be looking for work in translation (English, French and Spanish) - literary if possible.

I currently work in IT in a data centre and understand the difficulties I'll have trying to find suitable work with my limited French. I enjoy playing sports and hope to join a gym, a football club and possibly martial arts if at all possible. I'm looking forward to experiencing the Reunion culture and language. I have never travelled before so you can imagine now nervous I am!

I'll be reading up on peoples experiences over the coming weeks as I prepare to leave. Wish me luck and any help or advice will be gladly welcomed!!

hello akitson

i missed you i mean your post!!
welcome to Expat.com and i wish you good luck on reunion island!
reunion is no different from France : smaller but with a big heart and smile.... so i'm sure you'll please yourself here!!

this is a giant step in your life but it's worth doing it ....

you have the same version in french... just click on the flag sign on your right!! it's important to ask the right questions to get the right answers!!

christ

Hey guys

I moved to Reunion a week ago, I am here to au pair for a year.

I am looking to meet up with other English speakers, I am from Cape Town South Africa.

If you know of any meetings please let me know

Thanks so much
Amy

hello AWhy,

welcome to Expat.com and welcome to my island!

we met twice last month....i don't know when will be the next one!!

where are you living at the moment?

christ

Hello everyone,
I am here at reunion Island since July 2014. I would like to meet some English speakers. I live at "La Plaine des Cafres'. I speak French too!
I enjoy reading, cooking, hiking and dinner with friends. I am single. My three boys live in the US.

hi renee2014,

welcome to Expat.com and welcome to reunion island.

you just missed the meeting yesterday

i would be glad to meet you as well.... though i'm not english!!

how comes that you chose this little rock lost in the indian ocean that few people happen to know ? i don't want to be intrusive ...

yours sincerely,

christ

Yes, I learned about the meeting at 6:15 p.m.  yesterday... Next, I would love to come

Hello
My name is Isabella. I am Italian and have been living in London for over twenty years. Next January I should be landing in La Reunion with my husband and 3 boys aged, by then, 10, 6 and 4 - my they grow quickly!
We will be staying in St Denis as my husband is going to do some research there. Right now I am a full time mum and a part-time potter. I don't know where we are going to live in St Denis, as we won't be tied to an office - so I will shortly be opening another topic about where to live in and around the town. I am looking for a place that is good for children (and ideally near a pottery!)
I look forward to reading more blogs.
A bien tot
Oui, je parle français! En fin ce n'est pas tellement différent de l'italien - my spelling is a bit ropy ...

IsaEd wrote:

Hello
My name is Isabella. I am Italian and have been living in London for over twenty years. Next January I should be landing in La Reunion with my husband and 3 boys aged, by then, 10, 6 and 4 - my they grow quickly!
We will be staying in St Denis as my husband is going to do some research there. Right now I am a full time mum and a part-time potter. I don't know where we are going to live in St Denis, as we won't be tied to an office - so I will shortly be opening another topic about where to live in and around the town. I am looking for a place that is good for children (and ideally near a pottery!)
I look forward to reading more blogs.
A bien tot
Oui, je parle français! En fin ce n'est pas tellement différent de l'italien - my spelling is a bit ropy ...

hello,

welcome to this forum !
if you look on your right you'll see a flag and if you click on it you'll see other flags.... and choose the  one you want!
i don't know if there is a pottery in la montagne but i guess it's a nice place to live though a bit expensive!!

christ

christ974 wrote:

IsaEd wrote:

Hello
My name is Isabella. I am Italian and have been living in London for over twenty years. Next January I should be landing in La Reunion with my husband and 3 boys aged, by then, 10, 6 and 4 - my they grow quickly!
We will be staying in St Denis as my husband is going to do some research there. Right now I am a full time mum and a part-time potter. I don't know where we are going to live in St Denis, as we won't be tied to an office - so I will shortly be opening another topic about where to live in and around the town. I am looking for a place that is good for children (and ideally near a pottery!)
I look forward to reading more blogs.
A bien tot
Oui, je parle français! En fin ce n'est pas tellement différent de l'italien - my spelling is a bit ropy ...

hello,

welcome to this forum !
if you look on your right you'll see a flag and if you click on it you'll see other flags.... and choose the  one you want!
i don't know if there is a pottery in la montagne but i guess it's a nice place to live though a bit expensive!!

christ

oh thank you!!

you're welcome!!

In fact there is one pottery that i know of in st.denis..though am not aquinted well with the street names,but next time i pass by i will take the address.

Hello all,

Just getting settled into the Reunion lifestyle and adjusting to the heat. We, my wife and I, are in Ste Clothilde up in Bois de Nèfle. I work in the environmental consulting field (NRL project) and we are exploring the island bit by bit by car and by foot. In the lagoon on the weekends to snorkel and when the boards get here, out for some surf. Between the food, mountains and ocean, it's remarkable. The multicultural population and the creole adds to the interest.

Cheers
Dan and Sev