A few years ago, my mother bought me a lovely suede backed diary so that I could record my experiences in France as I had (more or less) done during my Erasmus year. On the first page I wrote "Dear Diary (I don't know why I said Dear Diary but I felt I had to address it to someone)I plan to write about my experiences in France in my diary. I don't promise to write everyday but I hope I shall be able to write often".
When I returned to France, to begin with I had a lot of time on my hands and was able to write my daily experiences in my diary. As time went on however and I became more involved in teaching and studying for my course. When I got home in the evening I had less and less time to write anything in my diary and only really reverted to it when I was upset about something.
Having created this blog during the boring months of summer I have found that like my diary I have had less time to write. Also, having examined other blogs, I think I had a "bloggers crisis". Why exactly was I writing this? Who for? What for? Yes I live in Paris and yes Paris is amazing but there are so many blogs which write about living in France. If you want to find out about how workers in Paris trot down to the metro in the morning, picking up a warm croissant or pain au chocolat on the way and then arrive at work to air kiss gorgeous looking French colleagues then you only have to google Paris blogs (I exaggerate only a little) and I'm sure you'll find loads. Just to clear things up, in the same way as the French think we English have bacon, sausages and eggs in the morning, anyone who makes you think that the French pick up hot croissants and pain au chocolats every morning, drink espressos, smoke gaulloises AND remain wonderfully thin, is having you on!
Also many blogs are written by expats who are outside observers of French culture. Whilst I am undoubtedly outside, in the sense that I am not French, I feel that I have integrated the French society and have many lovely and faithful French friends. I loved the line in the recent film I went to see "Two days in Paris" where Julie Delpy says "ça fait deux ans qu'on est ensemble, donc on est un couple qui dure" (we have been together for two years so we are a couple which lasts). I have been living in France for 5 years and France was my new love. Like any great love at the beginning you think that everything is fantastic, soon enough you begin to see the faults and failings in your lover and if you can get past that and learn to accept the faults of the other, your love has a chance of lasting. Sure, France is not always fabulous and god knows the system is a nightmare sometimes, but which system isn’t? Like every expat I think I can say that sometimes I love this country and sometimes I feel isolated and a real stranger but generally after all these years I do still love it and do still want to live here. It is of course difficult for any person anywhere who leaves their home country (even if it is by choice) and goes to another country and tries to integrate into a new society. From the outside the French can seem cold and unwelcoming and the French system frustrating and bureaucratic but once you break the system and get to know the people you find that France is like any other country and the French are just as warm, friendly and fun as any people you could wish to meet. So whilst I can empathize with every expat who is trying to understand this country and its people, I say be patient and you will find exactly how great this country can be. I conclude with "Vive La France!" (of course don't be expecting me to be shouting that too loudly come Saturday! ;-) )
No comments:
Post a Comment