I have spent my entire life living between different cultures; as a product of French-Canadian/Catholic heritage living in a town where everyone was either Italian or Jewish, the only daughter surrounded by brothers, the youngest amongst my siblings and friends due to a birthday late in the year, growing up in a city and spending summers in an extremely rural area, growing up middle class in a upper middle class milieu, living as a foreigner abroad, working as a foreigner in my own country but for foreign governments... and the list goes on and on. I have always been too other for the one that I was with. What has happened is that this is where I am most comfortable.
What I have learned from all this is to stop (to the best of my ability) being shocked by differences, other cultures - this is the direct result of always having had to explain differences/nuances to others - to ease their shock.
I went to a premier of a French movie recently and at the event afterwards I was with a French friend - at the bar when someone who worked on the film festival came up to us and asked my friend - so were the Americans shocked? To which I said, well I wasnt and cant understand why people found the film shocking but I cant speak for my fellow countrymen. The response to this was a "mais bien sur vous ne pouvez pas" well if it is so obvious that I cant speak for a country of multiple millions of citizens - why did you just ask me to?
Then I found myself trying to explain why I am American and wasnt shocked - as this seemed odd since a lot of audience members left looking shell-shocked and hadnt applauded. Could there be an age difference? It depends on what you have done and seen in your life - I have lived most of my life in major cities - so seemingly "alternative" lifestyles dont really shock me.
I left frustrated at having been put on the spot and then somewhat disregarded since my opinions didnt measure up to someone else's expectations. I was brushed off as being different since I didnt agree.
Since I am often on the receiving end of these conversations - I really try to the best of my ability to relativise things - while it may look "bizarre", "etrange", or shocking to you - it is perfectly normal or maybe there are reasons for it in another place and time. Isnt it more interesting to look into that?
I think I take offense as I find the word shocking to be very violent. It is a violent reaction to something the clearly isnt understood by the "other".
I say this but everyone has things that shock them - prejudice shocks me. I just wish that before judging we could ask questions instead of seeing the "other" as bizarre or shocking. I find that that means you really dont understand something and you dont care to look inside.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
SSSSSSSSSSStrike!
During the cumulative time over my life spent living in, working in and/or with, and traveling to France - I have had beaucoup d' experience in France with strikes (les greves).
I applaud the right and courage of anyone to stand up for their rights, for wrongdoings - as this has normally been a harbinger for needed and impending societal change. When and where this has been executed, if it has been hard to do then it was much, much needed.
Last month, there was a series of crippling strikes that lasted almost 8 days in France and were only stopped so that negotiations could take place - but the talk has already begun for the next set of strikes to begin soon.
As someone who has spent the majority of my life in the U.S., our collective experience with strikes in wholly different than that of France. They are FEW and far between and they do not paralyze cities, not regions, nor sometimes the entire country (depends on how you measure this) here.
A few comments:
1. My first and most important lesson about French strikes was learned during a year of studies in Paris. There was a strike one day that I had been unaware of so when I set out for my normal commute to school and realized that no bus or metro would take me there and that I now had to walk, I arrived for a three hour lecture probably two hours late. After the lecture (a room filled with at least 300 students), I approached the teacher to apologise and expected punishment in return. The teacher 1) had no idea who I was and 2) said something to the likes of mais bien sur you were late there was a strike today - no problem.
I was utterly surprised - as normally in the US schools I attended, lateness bore no valid excuses, ever. That day, I realised that strikes in France work in part because the country allows them to, they are part and parcel of life in France. Explained by small signs posted on banks the day before notifying clients that they will be on strike the next day, by and elderly lady driving past a bus stop where she saw two young Americans with loads of baggage - the lady not only stops to tell them but offers a ride to the airport as the bus is on strike that day (true story), and that teachers freely and wholly except students' missing 2/3 of class due to strikes.
They dont work to the same effect in the US as this country does not accept them nor work together to maintain life during them as selflessly.
Where I disagree with les greves is here - normally the dialogue is between the striker and their big boss - e.g. the president of Air France, the head of the RATP... peu importe. Yet those who strike are normally people like myself - making a decent living, but not the highest paid. En bref, they send an indirect message to their big boss by directly affecting those just like them - people trying to live their daily life - but who have NOTHING to do with the issue.
For example, when stewardesses or pilots or whomever at Air France go on strike, plane service is disrupted. Who does this hurt? People like myself, or even worse people who save up for years to take a trip to France only to have their flight cancelled (while the last time Air France refunded those whom they could not re accommodate) but what about hotels? Should hotels in a third country reimburse because stewardesses at Air France decided to strike and therefore someone couldnt make it to their destination? No and they dont generally. Does this affect the big boss - well first off, he - I am betting doesnt fly on Air France commercial flights.
And while it affects the bottom line - isnt this just always passed on to the consumer, again the people like you and me who might have also just lost $$ on their booked hotels - as well as having had to re arrange their vacations, business plans - whatever it is.
For those people, - this seems unfair. Doesnt it?
I applaud the right and courage of anyone to stand up for their rights, for wrongdoings - as this has normally been a harbinger for needed and impending societal change. When and where this has been executed, if it has been hard to do then it was much, much needed.
Last month, there was a series of crippling strikes that lasted almost 8 days in France and were only stopped so that negotiations could take place - but the talk has already begun for the next set of strikes to begin soon.
As someone who has spent the majority of my life in the U.S., our collective experience with strikes in wholly different than that of France. They are FEW and far between and they do not paralyze cities, not regions, nor sometimes the entire country (depends on how you measure this) here.
A few comments:
1. My first and most important lesson about French strikes was learned during a year of studies in Paris. There was a strike one day that I had been unaware of so when I set out for my normal commute to school and realized that no bus or metro would take me there and that I now had to walk, I arrived for a three hour lecture probably two hours late. After the lecture (a room filled with at least 300 students), I approached the teacher to apologise and expected punishment in return. The teacher 1) had no idea who I was and 2) said something to the likes of mais bien sur you were late there was a strike today - no problem.
I was utterly surprised - as normally in the US schools I attended, lateness bore no valid excuses, ever. That day, I realised that strikes in France work in part because the country allows them to, they are part and parcel of life in France. Explained by small signs posted on banks the day before notifying clients that they will be on strike the next day, by and elderly lady driving past a bus stop where she saw two young Americans with loads of baggage - the lady not only stops to tell them but offers a ride to the airport as the bus is on strike that day (true story), and that teachers freely and wholly except students' missing 2/3 of class due to strikes.
They dont work to the same effect in the US as this country does not accept them nor work together to maintain life during them as selflessly.
Where I disagree with les greves is here - normally the dialogue is between the striker and their big boss - e.g. the president of Air France, the head of the RATP... peu importe. Yet those who strike are normally people like myself - making a decent living, but not the highest paid. En bref, they send an indirect message to their big boss by directly affecting those just like them - people trying to live their daily life - but who have NOTHING to do with the issue.
For example, when stewardesses or pilots or whomever at Air France go on strike, plane service is disrupted. Who does this hurt? People like myself, or even worse people who save up for years to take a trip to France only to have their flight cancelled (while the last time Air France refunded those whom they could not re accommodate) but what about hotels? Should hotels in a third country reimburse because stewardesses at Air France decided to strike and therefore someone couldnt make it to their destination? No and they dont generally. Does this affect the big boss - well first off, he - I am betting doesnt fly on Air France commercial flights.
And while it affects the bottom line - isnt this just always passed on to the consumer, again the people like you and me who might have also just lost $$ on their booked hotels - as well as having had to re arrange their vacations, business plans - whatever it is.
For those people, - this seems unfair. Doesnt it?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Le Divorce
Well it just has to be mentioned...
I will approach the subject of the France's current President's (and first ever siting President's) divorce by looking at only what it says about the "pipolisation" of French politics - (and the French people?).
Sarkozy says that it is not the French people who are pipolizied, rather it is the media. Is that true? He reprimanded a reporter from Le Monde for asking about the divorce during a press conference in Portugal which was supposed to speak about the two day EU summit. He said that a reporter from a newspaper of the calibre of Le Monde shouldn't ask questions of a subject of a calibre beneath said newspaper i.e. the private life of France's politicians - "It interests them much less than you, and they are right, and, perhaps, they have a greater sense of propriety, and more discretion.". Simultaneously, his wife premiered on the cover of (French) ELLE magazine - offering an intimate tell-all of her side of the divorce.
What do these opposing actions say?
Let's look first at how some French officials and others have seen the media treatment of this (non?) issue:
Noël Mamère, député Verts : "Il est temps de refermer la page de l'américanisation de la vie publique".
I love this quote - it is time to turn the page on the americanization of public life - below I will argue that there is a frenchification of French public life too.. possibly before it had a place in the hush hush or in magazines that no one admits they purchase - but it has been there, a long time.
Annick Lepetit, secrétaire nationale du PS : "Alors que les rumeurs sur la séparation de Cécilia et Nicolas Sarkozy bruissent depuis six jours, l'Elysée choisit ce jeudi, jour de forte mobilisation sociale, pour officialiser l'information. Aux Français de juger s'il ne s'agit que d'une simple coïncidence".
To which Raffarin responds:
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, ancien Premier ministre, à propos des soupçons du PS sur une "coïncidence" avec le grève : "C'est une remarque profondément déplacée".
There are two discussions here:
The first is about the "pipolisation" or "americanisation" of French political life and/or of the French people or media - whoever you think the shoe fits...either through a manifested interest on the part of the French media or the French people.
The second, is the idea that announcing the divorce on the day of a huge, national strike diverted major media attention from the strike to the private matter of the Presidential divorce.
Again, is it the media or the people who demanded this information and who gobble it up? Is the U.S.'s fault? Since this phenomenon carries our name on it, either directly or indirectly as the term pipolisation comes from the frenchification of the word PEOPLE as in PEOPLE magazine. Does this follow a simple economic rule - the people demand it and the media supplies it? Or does the media supply it to influence the people to demand it, or consume it? I, as an American, find it interesting this term of "pipolisation" - which plays on the U.S. magazine PEOPLE - why was this chosen and not the LONG standing French versions entitled Voici or Gala? Are magazines that supply photos and blurbs about celebrity and politicians lives truly an American creation? Or are they just thrown in t he mix of everything that we dont like we liken to American culture? The reality TV culture is closely associated with US culture while Big Brother was not a US invention. I remember living in Nice a good ten years ago and constantly seeing images of the royal Monegasque family all over Voici, Gala, Hello...etc - at the time there was a scandal involving Princess Stephanie and her at the time husband. Is this really new? Is this really a US thing, a US-only thing, or even something that we invented? Look at the media relationship with Princess Diana or any of the British royals?
Here follow the French media discussion about the coincidence of the timing of both announcemnents:
Il a reproché à Nicolas Sarkozy d'avoir «pris le risque de la surexposition et d'introduire un dangereux mélange entre sphère privée et sphère publique». «Il est temps de refermer la page de l'américanisation de la vie publique», a-t-il dit.
Un avis largement partagé à gauche. Pour l'eurodéputé socialiste Benoît Hamon, «il est temps qu'on sorte de la pipolisation de la vie politique». «Le couple Sarkozy a été l'un des plus gros contributeurs à cette évolution de la vie politique française en mettant lui-même en scène sa vie privée», a-t-il estimé.
A droite, les alliés politiques du président préféraient ne pas commenter l'information, avançant qu'il s'agissait d'une «affaire privée». AFP
I dont have the answers, but I do have some questions:
1. Did Sarkozy time this announcement to downplay the media coverage of the strike?? If the answer is yes, that is a horrible, horrible thing to do, in my opinion.
2. Is the media obsession with Celebrity and/or Politician's lives truly a US thing? It is part of US culture - did we inspire this in other countries or did this already or simultaneously exist? Lastly, does this not exist in France - possibly the French see it as a private matter - not bearing any weight on a politician's capability to serve in office or not something to discuss at a dinner table - but all the while still reading it not only on PEOPLE magazine but in Voici, Gala and any other French versions of celebrity mags as well as something the they do discuss with one another - via the internet, over a coffee or drink? Does this have a place in French society? And if so, is it not a French thing too?
I will end this with one comment - during the trial of Queen Marie-Antoinette, her "private life" was alleged and put on trial - for all to see in books & in pamphlets she was accused of sexual/romantic wrongdoings. Was the public's fascination and at the time judgment any different from what we see in society today?
After all, when Bernadette Chirac was questioned about her sufferings through President Chirac's infidelities and asked why she never left him - she responded that the day Napoleon and Josephine split - his demise began (and hers as well).
Has anything truly changed? Can this truly be claimed as a result of a US cultural influence?
I will approach the subject of the France's current President's (and first ever siting President's) divorce by looking at only what it says about the "pipolisation" of French politics - (and the French people?).
Sarkozy says that it is not the French people who are pipolizied, rather it is the media. Is that true? He reprimanded a reporter from Le Monde for asking about the divorce during a press conference in Portugal which was supposed to speak about the two day EU summit. He said that a reporter from a newspaper of the calibre of Le Monde shouldn't ask questions of a subject of a calibre beneath said newspaper i.e. the private life of France's politicians - "It interests them much less than you, and they are right, and, perhaps, they have a greater sense of propriety, and more discretion.". Simultaneously, his wife premiered on the cover of (French) ELLE magazine - offering an intimate tell-all of her side of the divorce.
What do these opposing actions say?
Let's look first at how some French officials and others have seen the media treatment of this (non?) issue:
Noël Mamère, député Verts : "Il est temps de refermer la page de l'américanisation de la vie publique".
I love this quote - it is time to turn the page on the americanization of public life - below I will argue that there is a frenchification of French public life too.. possibly before it had a place in the hush hush or in magazines that no one admits they purchase - but it has been there, a long time.
Annick Lepetit, secrétaire nationale du PS : "Alors que les rumeurs sur la séparation de Cécilia et Nicolas Sarkozy bruissent depuis six jours, l'Elysée choisit ce jeudi, jour de forte mobilisation sociale, pour officialiser l'information. Aux Français de juger s'il ne s'agit que d'une simple coïncidence".
To which Raffarin responds:
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, ancien Premier ministre, à propos des soupçons du PS sur une "coïncidence" avec le grève : "C'est une remarque profondément déplacée".
There are two discussions here:
The first is about the "pipolisation" or "americanisation" of French political life and/or of the French people or media - whoever you think the shoe fits...either through a manifested interest on the part of the French media or the French people.
The second, is the idea that announcing the divorce on the day of a huge, national strike diverted major media attention from the strike to the private matter of the Presidential divorce.
Again, is it the media or the people who demanded this information and who gobble it up? Is the U.S.'s fault? Since this phenomenon carries our name on it, either directly or indirectly as the term pipolisation comes from the frenchification of the word PEOPLE as in PEOPLE magazine. Does this follow a simple economic rule - the people demand it and the media supplies it? Or does the media supply it to influence the people to demand it, or consume it? I, as an American, find it interesting this term of "pipolisation" - which plays on the U.S. magazine PEOPLE - why was this chosen and not the LONG standing French versions entitled Voici or Gala? Are magazines that supply photos and blurbs about celebrity and politicians lives truly an American creation? Or are they just thrown in t he mix of everything that we dont like we liken to American culture? The reality TV culture is closely associated with US culture while Big Brother was not a US invention. I remember living in Nice a good ten years ago and constantly seeing images of the royal Monegasque family all over Voici, Gala, Hello...etc - at the time there was a scandal involving Princess Stephanie and her at the time husband. Is this really new? Is this really a US thing, a US-only thing, or even something that we invented? Look at the media relationship with Princess Diana or any of the British royals?
Here follow the French media discussion about the coincidence of the timing of both announcemnents:
Il a reproché à Nicolas Sarkozy d'avoir «pris le risque de la surexposition et d'introduire un dangereux mélange entre sphère privée et sphère publique». «Il est temps de refermer la page de l'américanisation de la vie publique», a-t-il dit.
Un avis largement partagé à gauche. Pour l'eurodéputé socialiste Benoît Hamon, «il est temps qu'on sorte de la pipolisation de la vie politique». «Le couple Sarkozy a été l'un des plus gros contributeurs à cette évolution de la vie politique française en mettant lui-même en scène sa vie privée», a-t-il estimé.
A droite, les alliés politiques du président préféraient ne pas commenter l'information, avançant qu'il s'agissait d'une «affaire privée». AFP
I dont have the answers, but I do have some questions:
1. Did Sarkozy time this announcement to downplay the media coverage of the strike?? If the answer is yes, that is a horrible, horrible thing to do, in my opinion.
2. Is the media obsession with Celebrity and/or Politician's lives truly a US thing? It is part of US culture - did we inspire this in other countries or did this already or simultaneously exist? Lastly, does this not exist in France - possibly the French see it as a private matter - not bearing any weight on a politician's capability to serve in office or not something to discuss at a dinner table - but all the while still reading it not only on PEOPLE magazine but in Voici, Gala and any other French versions of celebrity mags as well as something the they do discuss with one another - via the internet, over a coffee or drink? Does this have a place in French society? And if so, is it not a French thing too?
I will end this with one comment - during the trial of Queen Marie-Antoinette, her "private life" was alleged and put on trial - for all to see in books & in pamphlets she was accused of sexual/romantic wrongdoings. Was the public's fascination and at the time judgment any different from what we see in society today?
After all, when Bernadette Chirac was questioned about her sufferings through President Chirac's infidelities and asked why she never left him - she responded that the day Napoleon and Josephine split - his demise began (and hers as well).
Has anything truly changed? Can this truly be claimed as a result of a US cultural influence?
A few of my favorites things...
There exists an eloquent equipe of anglophone bloggers who have written blogs about ex-pat life in France that are delicious to read. I salute them all and follow their blogs with much fervor.
Here are a list of my favorites:
http://artgoldhammer.blogspot.com/
http://francepolitic.com/
www.pensees-en-franglais.blogspot.com
www.petiteanglaise.com (soon to be a book!)
www.maitresse.typepad.com
http://letrangere-americaine.blogspot.com/
As you go through each of these sites, they will refer you to others; dentsdelait, the Frenchification of Mlle Smith, In the Kitchen and on the Road with Dorrie Greenspan...
Bravo to all of you!
Here are a list of my favorites:
http://artgoldhammer.blogspot.com/
http://francepolitic.com/
www.pensees-en-franglais.blogspot.com
www.petiteanglaise.com (soon to be a book!)
www.maitresse.typepad.com
http://letrangere-americaine.blogspot.com/
As you go through each of these sites, they will refer you to others; dentsdelait, the Frenchification of Mlle Smith, In the Kitchen and on the Road with Dorrie Greenspan...
Bravo to all of you!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Fast News
In order to keep abrest on news, cultural tidbits, the latest scandals, and major headlines from the day, I watch LE ZAPPING daily: www.canalplus.fr - in the bottom right corner, you will see a place to click on LE ZAPPING.
If you want to keep on top of headlines across the pond, but dont have the time to read through - I highly recommend this abridged version - they mix funny with newsworthy with artistic and cultural.
Profitez-en.
If you want to keep on top of headlines across the pond, but dont have the time to read through - I highly recommend this abridged version - they mix funny with newsworthy with artistic and cultural.
Profitez-en.
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