Settled in France?

France! Wow! What a place of amazement. I’m always surprised by how things work. Pissed off one minute, in total awe the next – the most menial things seem to amaze me in this country. For instance, just about nothing is open on a Sunday, and this isn’t for religious (Christianity) reasons; Sundays is simply a day for families to come together and bond. I boarded at a French family home for a weekend, the whole family hung out on the Sunday – they bickered and argued over board-games, but still they were spending ‘quality’ time together. Something that seems to be a novelty in today’s fast, technology crazed age. The whole country is very community orientated. Again, most things are also closed at lunch-time, as everybody lunches together or people go home from work. School starts early and finishes late putting a major emphasis on learning, and sport is compulsory. I think it is great, I use to get home from school, play video games or watch lots of TV, and eat junk food! These kids eat healthy meals from the government subsidised cafeteria, and spend a whole lot of time with their peers doing constructive things. It’s hard to be obese as child, when you are forced to do some form of exercise and eat properly cooked meals.

What else? The most democratic state in the world? Possibly! They were the first (or second) nation in the modern world to introduce democracy, with the Revolution hundreds of years ago. And this notion of freedom of speech is still thick in their memory, such as the protests of May 1968, where students took to the streets for equality. Since I’ve been here protesting has been ever-present, with striking affecting every aspect of social life. Few trains have been running, few teachers have been teaching, few kids have been attending school, etc etc. Society is at a stand-still! And this makes everyone’s life more difficult, which is the whole point of the strikes. And what are they striking about, President Sarkosy lifting the retirement age from 60 to 62. Two years. Only. But that isn’t the point, it is French culture, and the right of the ‘people’! Personally I think it is unlawful. Sure, I don’t like Sarkosy, or agree with many of his policies, however he was democratically elected by the nation, and so therefore he should be allowed and left alone to govern! If George W. Bush won fairly I may have thought the same, but he didn’t, so he should have been impeached. If an unfair election happened in France there would have been a proper violent revolt. Nonetheless, this retirement law was finally passed through the senate, meaning I have many pressing delays to look forward to . . . I can’t wait!

I’m in the South-East of France, less than an hour on the train from Italy. I just casually popped over to Monaco the other day; you know: that place that has more millionaires per capita than any other country in the world. This region is really plentiful. St Tropez is a little way west, further west is Spain, and Corsica is just South. This week I’m going to Grasse, a small town that produces much of the world’s perfume, and casually popping over to Northern Italy later. It’s surreal how easy it is to make day-trips to these amazing places, travelling along one of the most beautiful coast-lines in the world. I’m very lucky in that respect, but I’ve found many other things tough!

The bureaucracy for one. I needed a medical certificate to be able to attend the student gym; a medical exam to be able to work here; I had to have my birth certificate translated; and had to fill out a stack-full of forms! Just to generalize, the French don’t like speaking English (even if they can), don’t know how to cue, still think smoking is cool and appropriate, and think working 35 hours a week is more than enough.

Ah the French! I can see why the English cannot comprehend the French, and why the French are arrogant. France is ten times nicer, more beautiful (the landscape), more appealing (the weather), more attractive (the people), more interesting (the culture), than England, but England was far easier to adapt to their way of life. Things are straight-forward, and quite frankly that’s what I miss – the British aren’t flashy, not too fussed, and get things done. But the lifestyle here is obviously far nicer – so I think I’ll stay!

France here I come!

Taking the Eurostar down from London to Nice was one way of travelling. A train journey that took ten hours, whereas I could have flown there within two, it was the romanticist’s way, the scenic route even. From rainy overcast England, through the grapevines of Provence, to the sunshine and beautiful coast-line of the South – my environment had taken a different turn. No more big overcrowded city draped with cold weather, rather 8 months of sun and small city living. But I loved London – it was the (aesthetically) ugly city that somehow had more beauty and life than any other place I’ve ever experienced. It’s true though, I need to get out more – England is the only European country I’ve ever been to. Now I’m in France. The biggest difference among many, is not, the food, the people, or the weather – though markedly different – but no doubt the language. So I guess it’s no surprise that I’ll be teaching English.

English where? In Cannes. Yeah that is the place where Europe’s biggest film festival is held annually, sorry Venice and Berlin, Cannes has more hype and fame than both your film festivals put together! The film festival has transferred the town since it began in 1946. It’s arguably the greatest promotion a little beach town can have. There are a dozens of little other coastal towns along the coast, but the fact Cannes has had Hollywood stars descend on its shores for over 63 years, it has grown upward – with major hotels built, and super-yatchs living in the harbour. As far as small towns go in France it may be the most expensive, only Paris seems to be a pricier place to live, and that is because it’s a capital metropolitan. Nonetheless, the region Cannes sits in is impressive, the province called Provence Cote D’Azur. Yet I don’t think Cannes is the nicest area – sure it has Louis Vuitton type shops and hotels, Nice (the big city of the area) has more culture (with the Modern Art Museum for example), and Antibes has more football pitches, the best surf and the largest port. By any means, when you are living in a near Paradise – you can’t complain, only if the real paradise is a stone-throw away . . . that would be Corsica Island off the South Eastern coast.

Before moving to Cannes I was living in Nice at a hostel. A hostel that couldn’t be less French, it was made up of American, Canadian, Australian, Kiwi, and English young travellers. It was not the ideal location for someone looking to settle and work in a French environment, as the psyche was party, and the language was English! As a reckless traveller though, with one Euro beers within an encouraging climate – you couldn’t go wrong! Unless you were me, a concerned homeless young adult – who had no idea where he was going to live. But like all things in a life of mixed positivity and anxiety, all that start’s well ends well, and I got through it – well thanks to my employer finding somewhere for me to live. I guess I had the grace of the universe on my side!

Talking in existential terms, I spoke to a lovely Northern Irish (protestant) lasse, in a random park in Nice, about my thoughts on just your usual everyday topics . . . you know: where we go after we die, morality of humans, what God is and the role it plays in our life, and how society is evolving etc etc yadda yadda. Pretty relaxed simplistic conversation . . . not really, but I think I was just happy to speak a long dialogue of English – and unfortunately for this 21 year old lady – it all came out at once! Despite me being a total cynical nihilist, in contrast to her total devotion to Jesus and the lord, by any means we clicked and totally respected one another’s opinion. I even admired her faith, because for me, life would be better if I too could believe in a idealized reality: I too would be totally at ease and having something to really live for, as opposed to my thoughts of a world of total inconsistency and irrelevancy.

Once again I’m off on a philosophical tangent – how French of me – maybe I will fit in after all – just imagine in 6 months time – me at a coffee shop eating a croissant and sipping my espresso – talking perfect French – wouldn’t that be an ‘existence’!