In reference to my previous blog-entry: THE FRENCH RIVERIA – THE LIFE OF GLAMOUR . . .

Since writing my somewhat controversial previous blog I have had time to reflect on the situation and by that I mean think about the words I put on the page! Most definitely I have nothing to take back about everything I said, despite one of my fellow Kiwis living in France calling me a Right Winger (and basically racist)! My answer to him was that I was trying just to report on what I saw, what I heard, and what I had experienced – making it more of a observation than a critique of damnation! However it is impossible to be objective but I tried to be as neutral as I could be, on such a tense issue, writing about the negativity I had witnessed in the region. I explained this by saying, I come in contact with North Africans everyday; all my local stores are run by North Africans for example. Other teaching assistants I know that teach in the so-called ghetto have large amounts of North African kids who are French born. One friend has 90%, who says that it isn’t their English that they need to work on but their French as it isn’t at the same level of ethnically French children – thus already a problem of integration into the society. And it is this point I touched on. He then said that “just because you are North African doesn’t mean you commit crimes”, and there is nowhere where I imply such a thing, as I never said North Africans should be told to leave France, are inferior, or are bad people – this would be racist and not the point I was trying to make – as the North Africans situation in the Cote d’Azur is far more complex and could never be taken down to one denominator.


Nonetheless I’ve become much the wiser on the situation. This is after I did a terrific hike from St Jeannet – a beautifully perched medieval town literally within the mountains, to the quiet and quaint French village, Vence. I hiked with two American girls, both open-minded and as liberal as the other; one had lived in Africa before and wants to work in social entrepreneurialship, and the other is seriously with a Tunisian man she met here. However this Tunisian guy is returning to Tunisia after being in France for over five years. He has had enough with the French and never wants to come back here! He came when he was 18 years old, first living in Paris he did well there (she said), but after moving here, he has had a few too many bad experiences! She also explained all the differences between the cultures, like how the North Africans see the French as cold (and often as being racist). While the North Africans have more of an honour system that is based on respect, and it is not about the individual but the collective community where everybody helps each other, as opposed to France a global capitalist country where the idea of the individual is king, ruling how things are conducted in life. Lastly and certainly not least, is their relation and perspective these men have towards women. Women are truly sacred in their culture, and are predominantly kept in the home – hence why late at night I only see North African men hanging around their hang-out spots! Also dressing provocatively is out of the question, and maybe this stimulation from the ‘white woman’ i.e. English and American assistants who dress more liberally effectively stimulates these men ferociously, as much verbal abuse and voyeuristic stares have been experienced by my female peers. But when you come from a country where you see women dressed modestly as opposed to the explicit (or lack of) dress by different foreign women – things occur. Now I’m not saying their actions are fine, but this is definitely a way of helping explain the actions that I and others have experienced.


Conclusively, there is a huge history the French have with these North African countries. They colonized these countries; killed their people in battles that these countries desperately fought for when seeking independence, (which Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria all achieved at least 50 years before); while with post-independence also meant the influx of migrants (to France) who were often utilized as cheap labour; and now there are other issues that are creating cultural clashes, such as explicitly conveying religion in public – something which is illegal in France. (First generation) North Africans make up more than 5% of French citizens, and therefore they should be reckoned with and not ignored, otherwise future problems will keep occurring without any resolution.

THE FRENCH RIVERIA – THE LIFE OF GLAMOUR . . .

My life in France, well in Cannes to be particular has centred much around Boulevard Republique, a removed unknown road, but still one of the main ones; it is, the road that I come in contact with nearly on a daily basis, with any errands that need doing, or any places that need to be reached – for me, it connects the centre of Cannes (and more importantly the closest route to the beach), and my outlet for the transport: the train and bus station. This is where I have my local Kebab takeaway (there is more than a handful to choose from), and the bakery, butchery, and my supermarket is all along this road. Moreover, it is nearly entirely North African, and sometimes I can be the only white person walking down the road, and no-one pays attention to me what so ever. At midnight, when the streets are sparsely populated, still I’m not noticed – packed or empty! They just go about their day, smoking on the side-walks outside the convenience store or the laundry-mat or anywhere and everywhere to be honest. An older classier lot smoke outside at coffee tables, the few restaurants that are able to fit tables in the vicinity as the side-walks are tiny, another characteristic of this road. The narrow side-walks mean, I’m constantly dodging people, over-taking the old people (that could be dead as they move so slow), while avoiding big groups of North African males though they couldn’t care less about me, but that is why I avoid them so I don’t bump into them! It is away from the glamour on both sides, on the one side up upon the hills of Cannes are the beautiful expensive houses tucked away in their exclusivity, (the higher you go the more expensive the home). While on the other side is Cannes centre, the glamorous Croissette filled with luxury stores (such as Burberry), posh beach-side restaurants and massive hotels (like the famous Carlton). Also the iconic Palais de Festival is along here (the venue which hosts many business conferences but more importantly for the city, the famous Cannes film festival)! Republique and where I live divides these two different so-called havens, the mountain and the beach, as Republique is that part of Cannes you don’t read about in guide books or see in the travel programmes – but my ‘local’ everyday spot! I’ve been living in Cannes since October, and up until now this region has been quite slow and recluse, as in the winter months not a lot happens. It is a summer place, which tremendously changes from (now on in), as the city becomes more populates by tourists flocking from all over. Already from now (the start of April) more activity has begun, as the streets are fuller, but also the events are on their way: the Cannes film festival, the Monaco Grand Prix, the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters, while the bars, restaurants, and beaches of the region are going to be buzzing (up until September)! You have the famous St Tropez for example along the coast further West that is known as the hang-out spot for the rich and famous, whereas Monaco actually houses the rich elite in the far south-east of France right by the Italian border. Nonetheless in the off season there has been things to do, such as visiting Grasse where 70% of the world’s perfume is cultivated. I’ve visited famous towns which have been immortalised in cinema history, such as the bridge at Eze village (shown in Hitchcock’s to Catch a thief), Cap d’Antibes (where Picasso resided for sometime), while writer F Scott. Fitzgerald lived in St Raphael, and all along the coast there have been incredibly famous fashion shoots such as Bridgette Bardot who immortalized the beaches of Cannes with her famous photos from 1953. This is the Cote d’Azur which stretches a long way along this magnificent coast; the gem of France representing fun and recreation where the wealthy and famous have homes such as Elton John’s holiday home (near Nice) and Johnny Depp lives with his family somewhere in the region (my friend spotted him on his first day here). What's more, retirees from all over the world flock here, the region has 163 different nationalities who settle in this perfect place to end their new lives. The biggest city in this region is Nice (and the fifth biggest in France), it is where I had my biggest hub of social activity, as it housed the largest group of fellow English assistants in the Alpes Maritimes Provence. Here, much action and activity occurred. It personified the up-and-down stay the assistants had in France. Where some had their wallets stolen, others were attacked, one was even raped! It has been a topsy turvy adventure for many, with some discovering it takes months to receive a debit card from a French bank; others having their power switched off for weeks at a time; and others having to fight at many meetings with their land-lord to get their deposit back. This region is much different to the rest of France, the life here is slower more relaxed and more dodgy as well! Frenchmen from the north and west that I have spoken to, say people here are lazy and generally have a bad reputation in France. Well I have definitely seen some of this! Nice being largest metropolitan in the area represents this, with its dark under-belly, as for example foreign girls (I’ve known) have been too scared to walk home by themselves. For obvious reasons, two Americans I’m in contact with have had to been hospitalized after incidents with men late at night, therefore the gentleman (I am of course), walked many a lady home in the early hours of the morning when the time called for it. Much of the troubles the assistants had with these Nice residents were with North Africans; my experiences had been mainly positive though, I befriended three cultured intelligent Morrocan lads, and all the North Africans I taught at my school were pleasant and well-behaved. Nonetheless, particularly the girls in Nice were very suspect of these groups of men. The only time I was weary was when I was on the back of my friend’s scooter and these dudes were weaving in and out around us and coming really close – the driving was really horrific! Or when security had to remove a man on the train, who was abusing my friend and I in a dialect of what could only be described as Arabian-French! Maybe they are a sub-group that have been ignored, looked over in the region, as usually they are part of the lower-economic sector (I know assistants that teach large majorities of them in the ‘ghettos’ (as they describe it); they are certainly not part of much of the glitz and glamour that accompanies the region, and perhaps they have been excluded altogether in more ways than one. Whatever the social politics may be, and whatever the struggles others have had, this region is totally incredible, a place which has iconic history and known as a hang-out spot for the rich and famous! For me it has been a treat living here, totally a great experience, and one that I don’t want to end (now summer is on the way), therefore I’m going to do what I can to stay!