As of today, Jan 1, 2008, smoking is officially banned from public spaces all over France, including cafes, restaurants, bars etc. What good news for non-smokers!
Me, as a fanatic non-smoker, I can only jump up and down joy (sorry, smokers!). I can't agree more with the law. Non-smokers, including our kids, have every right too to inhale nice fresh air in public spaces without being polluted by the cigarettes.
Well, at least now when we go to a restaurant, we should not waste our time answering "smoking or no smoking" question. Nor should we worry of sitting in a non-smoking zone, yet still smelling the smoke. Nor should we worry of cigarette smell all over our hair, face, clothes or jackets upon leaving a cafe. Nor should we get mad at a smoker sitting and smoking ignorantly next to your little kids. Nor should we get our eyes red due to the smoke in a bar. Alleluya!
But until then, we should see how this law imposition goes....
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The Strike... Second Day of Catastrophe
The strike really stroke me this morning. 2h15 to get to the office compared to the usual 30 mins! What a record!
Today, they prolonged the strike. Not quite as pervasive as yesterday, but since people were anticipating that things were to get back to normal, everyone went out in the morning rush hours. The result was a catastroph. I had never seen so many cars in the street in front of our place before. People went to different directions, left, right, straight.... Chaos. Some were anxiously waiting for the bus who never arrived because of the jam. I could see the tense on everyone's face.
Me, I was determined to go to the office by Velib' this morning. No bikes left at the station near my place. I ran to the next station nearby. Nothing. The third one, zero! No, not really zero. There were 3 or 5 bikes in each of those stations, but they were all out of services. Flat tyre, broken chains, etc. Hhmmm... even Velib' employees were at the strike too.
So, I kept on heading east hoping to get a bike in the next station. No result. Went down to metro. 8-minute waiting time. Then the next one would be in 31 minutes! Needless to say, the platform was packed, packed, packed! I decided to get out and wait for a bus. Ten minutes passed. I could see my bus in the distance, without any sign of moving closer. The traffic was really bad. So, I kept on walking until the next bus stop (still hoping for a bike). Finally, I got on the bus until I realized it was a bad idea, as the bus was moving too slowly. There was no way I would reach the office in time for my 10 o'clock meeting. I got off at the next stop and took another bus to the different direction, which is my home direction! "Yes, I am coming back. This is not worth all the effort. Better work from home again."
Reached home. Drank a glass a water. Dita mentioned tram might lightly interrupted. Well, that was the only transport means I had not tried. Walked 10 minutes to the tram station down south. Look what I saw on the way... rows of bikes at the Velib' station near the tram station! Anyway, I was too late for a bike now. Besides, my tram was approaching. I was relieved! Finally... I reached the office after 2h15!
Whilst walking from the tram station to my office, I saw someone put chain lock around a Velib' bike, so nobody but him would be able to use it! Nasty....
Today, they prolonged the strike. Not quite as pervasive as yesterday, but since people were anticipating that things were to get back to normal, everyone went out in the morning rush hours. The result was a catastroph. I had never seen so many cars in the street in front of our place before. People went to different directions, left, right, straight.... Chaos. Some were anxiously waiting for the bus who never arrived because of the jam. I could see the tense on everyone's face.
Me, I was determined to go to the office by Velib' this morning. No bikes left at the station near my place. I ran to the next station nearby. Nothing. The third one, zero! No, not really zero. There were 3 or 5 bikes in each of those stations, but they were all out of services. Flat tyre, broken chains, etc. Hhmmm... even Velib' employees were at the strike too.
So, I kept on heading east hoping to get a bike in the next station. No result. Went down to metro. 8-minute waiting time. Then the next one would be in 31 minutes! Needless to say, the platform was packed, packed, packed! I decided to get out and wait for a bus. Ten minutes passed. I could see my bus in the distance, without any sign of moving closer. The traffic was really bad. So, I kept on walking until the next bus stop (still hoping for a bike). Finally, I got on the bus until I realized it was a bad idea, as the bus was moving too slowly. There was no way I would reach the office in time for my 10 o'clock meeting. I got off at the next stop and took another bus to the different direction, which is my home direction! "Yes, I am coming back. This is not worth all the effort. Better work from home again."
Reached home. Drank a glass a water. Dita mentioned tram might lightly interrupted. Well, that was the only transport means I had not tried. Walked 10 minutes to the tram station down south. Look what I saw on the way... rows of bikes at the Velib' station near the tram station! Anyway, I was too late for a bike now. Besides, my tram was approaching. I was relieved! Finally... I reached the office after 2h15!
Whilst walking from the tram station to my office, I saw someone put chain lock around a Velib' bike, so nobody but him would be able to use it! Nasty....
Thursday, October 18, 2007
La Greve, Rugby et Les Separations
La greve aujourd'hui. Une grande greve. Le plus grande depuis que je suis arrive a Paris.
It's a strike day today all across France for all types of public transportations, which include trains, metro, bus and tram. Not totally paralyzed, as those companies, under the French law, are still obliged to deliver minimum services to public during the strikes. The reality was the guaranteed services were way too minimum for people to do their normal business, i.e. below 20% of the regular service, which means people would have to wait more than half an hour for your transports. Yet, some transportation means, like tram, were completely dead! Bus services were not at all guaranteed (and I did not see a single bus crossing our street today).
This is the largest strike since I arrived in Paris. There had been some small strikes here and there with no significant impact on most people. But this time, I myself got affected too. Although I could have opted to use Velib' (bike) as an alternative solution to go to work, I decided to work from home, instead (fortunately I did not schedule any meeting today). Better stay away from the troubles. Lucky enough, I read from the news that the number of Velib users doubled to 27,000 this morning, which could mean tough competitions to get one bike, unless you started your day really early. My biggest worry was that unable to get a bike on the way home. That would have been a disastrous long journey home. This afternoon, I saw quite a long queue on the Velib' station near where I live.
The worst is yet to come. It seems the Labour Union may prolong the strikes until tomorrow. We'll see....
What triggered the strike? The new French government under Nicolas Sarkozy has recently announced the plan to change the retirement plans for a special regime (group) of public services employees who work in areas that are considered dangerous, e.g. train or bus drivers, gas or electricity workers. Under the current plan, that group of employees are eligible to opt for retirement as early as the age of 5o. Now, Mr. Sarkozy would like to erase this privilege for the sake of egalite for everyone, which means they would not have any choice but to retire at 65, like everyone else in France. In addition, they will change the way they calculate the pension plan for those people.
In 1995, the Prime Minister back then, Alan Juppe, touched the same issue which resulted in a huge strike and demonstations on the street. People managed to make him step down. Will it be the same this time? I personnally doubt it for several reasons (I am not trying to be political here). Firstly, Sarkozy has a good reason by arguing that he was eligibly elected to lead this country for a change that was eagerly wished for by his voters, which means most people had approved this plan during his presidential campaign. Secondly, according to the survey, 65% of the French say that the strike this time was not well justified, which means that privileged group of employees receive less supports from their fellow countrymen than they did 12 years back.
Enough for the strike. Back to rugby. Tomorrow, France will play Argentine again to aim for the 3rd place. Last week, the England made Les Bleus look like a team of kindergarden kids (perhaps it's too much of an exaggeration). A huge disappointment, to be exact. They did not play as well as they had when they beat All Blacks. Far below par! Anyway, England also had to thank the incredible Wilkinson for the win.
Back to Sarkozy. While he was faced with a big strike today, the rumor of his separation from his wife, Cecilia, had been the headlines of the week. Historically, they had been separated before for a little while. The media speculates this time may be the end of it. It started with the facts that Cecilia has disappeared from all official protocols for the last few weeks. Anyway, who cares? I put it here because I noticed an interesting phenomena. Madame Segolene Royal (the female president candidate from the Socialist Party) also parted her way from her husband, not long after her loss to Sarkozy. What the hell is wrong with those politicians? If they cannot even keep their families together, how could they boast about family values at their campaigns? Better yet, why should they even be allowed to lead a country?
It's a strike day today all across France for all types of public transportations, which include trains, metro, bus and tram. Not totally paralyzed, as those companies, under the French law, are still obliged to deliver minimum services to public during the strikes. The reality was the guaranteed services were way too minimum for people to do their normal business, i.e. below 20% of the regular service, which means people would have to wait more than half an hour for your transports. Yet, some transportation means, like tram, were completely dead! Bus services were not at all guaranteed (and I did not see a single bus crossing our street today).
This is the largest strike since I arrived in Paris. There had been some small strikes here and there with no significant impact on most people. But this time, I myself got affected too. Although I could have opted to use Velib' (bike) as an alternative solution to go to work, I decided to work from home, instead (fortunately I did not schedule any meeting today). Better stay away from the troubles. Lucky enough, I read from the news that the number of Velib users doubled to 27,000 this morning, which could mean tough competitions to get one bike, unless you started your day really early. My biggest worry was that unable to get a bike on the way home. That would have been a disastrous long journey home. This afternoon, I saw quite a long queue on the Velib' station near where I live.
The worst is yet to come. It seems the Labour Union may prolong the strikes until tomorrow. We'll see....
What triggered the strike? The new French government under Nicolas Sarkozy has recently announced the plan to change the retirement plans for a special regime (group) of public services employees who work in areas that are considered dangerous, e.g. train or bus drivers, gas or electricity workers. Under the current plan, that group of employees are eligible to opt for retirement as early as the age of 5o. Now, Mr. Sarkozy would like to erase this privilege for the sake of egalite for everyone, which means they would not have any choice but to retire at 65, like everyone else in France. In addition, they will change the way they calculate the pension plan for those people.
In 1995, the Prime Minister back then, Alan Juppe, touched the same issue which resulted in a huge strike and demonstations on the street. People managed to make him step down. Will it be the same this time? I personnally doubt it for several reasons (I am not trying to be political here). Firstly, Sarkozy has a good reason by arguing that he was eligibly elected to lead this country for a change that was eagerly wished for by his voters, which means most people had approved this plan during his presidential campaign. Secondly, according to the survey, 65% of the French say that the strike this time was not well justified, which means that privileged group of employees receive less supports from their fellow countrymen than they did 12 years back.
Enough for the strike. Back to rugby. Tomorrow, France will play Argentine again to aim for the 3rd place. Last week, the England made Les Bleus look like a team of kindergarden kids (perhaps it's too much of an exaggeration). A huge disappointment, to be exact. They did not play as well as they had when they beat All Blacks. Far below par! Anyway, England also had to thank the incredible Wilkinson for the win.
Back to Sarkozy. While he was faced with a big strike today, the rumor of his separation from his wife, Cecilia, had been the headlines of the week. Historically, they had been separated before for a little while. The media speculates this time may be the end of it. It started with the facts that Cecilia has disappeared from all official protocols for the last few weeks. Anyway, who cares? I put it here because I noticed an interesting phenomena. Madame Segolene Royal (the female president candidate from the Socialist Party) also parted her way from her husband, not long after her loss to Sarkozy. What the hell is wrong with those politicians? If they cannot even keep their families together, how could they boast about family values at their campaigns? Better yet, why should they even be allowed to lead a country?
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Les Chateaux et Val de Loire
***I had had this blog drafted since Nov 06, but never had a chance to finish it until today***
There are many things in France you can easily get impressed with. One of them is the magnificence of its chateaux (castles), which I believe there are hundreds (or maybe thousands?) of them all over the country - small, grand, public or private. Amazingly, the most impressive ones seem to be concentrated in Val de Loire, around 150 kms south of of Paris, which makes it a perfect weekend getaway for Les Parisiens. It has easily become one of my favorite weekend getaways too. By far, I have visited that valley three times, including the recent two visits in August and September last year, and you may guess it is still counting....
If you happen to travel to France, I strongly recommend to set aside some time for a visit to the valley. The surroundings are very picturesque with many castles along the Loire river (don't mix it up with Loir without an 'e'. The latter is a smaller riverbank nearby).
Here is the top 5 chateaux out of several that I have visited by far in the order of my personal preference. I do not mean to detail the histories behind them. If you are interested in more information, just click on each chateau name, it will take you to its official website.
1. Chateau de Chambord
I think Les Francais would agree with me if I say that this castle definitely stands out to be the most impressive one and, peut-etre le plus grand (the largest) amongst the others. I have visited it twice and never seemed to get enough of its spectacular architecture and its collections. The landscape in the surroundings is simply breathtaking! Be prepared to take zillions of pictures.
In some occassions, the chateau is also well-known for its children-friendly events, such puppet shows (les guinols) which are very popular in France.
My first visit to this castle was back in the fall 2002 with some colleagues from a SLB training course. The second time was quite recent with Dita, Nadia and my parents-in-law where we had really a good time pique-niquing with 'nasi campur' as the menu. Oh la la... eating 'nasi campur' overlooking le chateau de Chambord! I think it deserves being in the Guinness Book of World's Records! I don't think this had ever happened before in the history of human life! Ahahaha....
2. Chateau de Versailles
Frankly, I have a vague memory the details of this chateau since my last visit was back in the
Fall 2001. But the sparklingly goldish and colorful interiors still stick to my mind until now. Simply, it's worth all the penny you spend on the entrance. It reflects the luxurious life that was once lived by Louis XVI, the so-called Le Roi Soleil (Sun King). This is why I dare to rank it number two on my list.
Another impressive thing I remember about it is its huge, neatly designed and well maintained garden with a couple of fountains and a little lake. In summer, you will find many picque-niquers laying on the green grass. In winter, it is all white, covered with snow. Still a nice view to admire.
One thing for sure, the chateau is not one of those in Val de Loire area. The once kingdom's political capital lies around 20 kms southwest of Paris. If I may give a tip, the best way to avoid the ticket queue at the gate is to purchase the entry tickets at the RER station, instead. Like this, you will save a lot of time, particularly during the peak seasons.
3. Chateau de Chenonceau
It is probably the second largest chateau in Val de Loire. I rank it in the third place, mainly because of two reasons. Firstly, it was uniquely built on the river Cher, hence, the atmosphere and the view are different from the rest. Secondly, the garden is well designed and simply charming.
The only drawback we experienced during our visit was that the flow of the visit was not well organized, i.e. it was not so obvious where to go next after one display. Consequently, during the peak seasons, you may see the crowds going in different direction. Very close to a chaos.
Other than that, the green yards outside the chateau gate, next to the parking lots, are used a lot in summer for pique-nique.
4. Chateau de Cheverny
This is one of the privately-owned chateaux in France. One obvious reason why this symmetrical chateau is not to be missed is its amazing interior: the paintings, the furnitures.... Definitely, the best amongst the rest on my list.
The lawn outside the chateau resembles a huge green carpet which diligently well maintained. Do not forget to visit its garden where you can enjoy different kinds of vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. Next to the garden is the kernel of the hunting hounds.
5. Chateau de Fountainebleau
The town of Fountainebleau lies around 65 kms south of Paris which makes it a perfect weekend getaway for the Parisiens. Apart from the chateau itself, the huge forest that surrounds it is another reason for them to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the capital.
The chateau, in my opinion, is on par in terms of its Renaissance interior decorations with those of Cheverny. Perhaps, some people would think otherwise. The lawn is vast and remind me of that in Versailles. Hence, if you have limited time in Paris or France and have to choose between the two, my recommendation is go to Versailles instead.
When the weather is nice, you will see people strolling and biking in the forest or just lunching and relaxing in the fine restaurants or cafes in this town. Historically, the forest of Fountainebleau was where the kings used to go for hunting.
And of course, there are a few more amazing chateaux, like Le Clos Luce (the place where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years) in Amboise, or Vaux-de-Compte which I have yet to have a chance to visit.
There are many things in France you can easily get impressed with. One of them is the magnificence of its chateaux (castles), which I believe there are hundreds (or maybe thousands?) of them all over the country - small, grand, public or private. Amazingly, the most impressive ones seem to be concentrated in Val de Loire, around 150 kms south of of Paris, which makes it a perfect weekend getaway for Les Parisiens. It has easily become one of my favorite weekend getaways too. By far, I have visited that valley three times, including the recent two visits in August and September last year, and you may guess it is still counting....
If you happen to travel to France, I strongly recommend to set aside some time for a visit to the valley. The surroundings are very picturesque with many castles along the Loire river (don't mix it up with Loir without an 'e'. The latter is a smaller riverbank nearby).
Here is the top 5 chateaux out of several that I have visited by far in the order of my personal preference. I do not mean to detail the histories behind them. If you are interested in more information, just click on each chateau name, it will take you to its official website.
1. Chateau de Chambord
I think Les Francais would agree with me if I say that this castle definitely stands out to be the most impressive one and, peut-etre le plus grand (the largest) amongst the others. I have visited it twice and never seemed to get enough of its spectacular architecture and its collections. The landscape in the surroundings is simply breathtaking! Be prepared to take zillions of pictures.In some occassions, the chateau is also well-known for its children-friendly events, such puppet shows (les guinols) which are very popular in France.
My first visit to this castle was back in the fall 2002 with some colleagues from a SLB training course. The second time was quite recent with Dita, Nadia and my parents-in-law where we had really a good time pique-niquing with 'nasi campur' as the menu. Oh la la... eating 'nasi campur' overlooking le chateau de Chambord! I think it deserves being in the Guinness Book of World's Records! I don't think this had ever happened before in the history of human life! Ahahaha....
2. Chateau de Versailles
Frankly, I have a vague memory the details of this chateau since my last visit was back in the
Fall 2001. But the sparklingly goldish and colorful interiors still stick to my mind until now. Simply, it's worth all the penny you spend on the entrance. It reflects the luxurious life that was once lived by Louis XVI, the so-called Le Roi Soleil (Sun King). This is why I dare to rank it number two on my list.Another impressive thing I remember about it is its huge, neatly designed and well maintained garden with a couple of fountains and a little lake. In summer, you will find many picque-niquers laying on the green grass. In winter, it is all white, covered with snow. Still a nice view to admire.
One thing for sure, the chateau is not one of those in Val de Loire area. The once kingdom's political capital lies around 20 kms southwest of Paris. If I may give a tip, the best way to avoid the ticket queue at the gate is to purchase the entry tickets at the RER station, instead. Like this, you will save a lot of time, particularly during the peak seasons.
3. Chateau de Chenonceau
It is probably the second largest chateau in Val de Loire. I rank it in the third place, mainly because of two reasons. Firstly, it was uniquely built on the river Cher, hence, the atmosphere and the view are different from the rest. Secondly, the garden is well designed and simply charming.The only drawback we experienced during our visit was that the flow of the visit was not well organized, i.e. it was not so obvious where to go next after one display. Consequently, during the peak seasons, you may see the crowds going in different direction. Very close to a chaos.
Other than that, the green yards outside the chateau gate, next to the parking lots, are used a lot in summer for pique-nique.
4. Chateau de Cheverny
This is one of the privately-owned chateaux in France. One obvious reason why this symmetrical chateau is not to be missed is its amazing interior: the paintings, the furnitures.... Definitely, the best amongst the rest on my list.
Interesting enough, this chateau has inspired the creator of Tintin, Herge, to create the Marlinspike Hall as the home base for Tintin and his friends. Encouraged by this relationship, a permanent Tintin exhibition has been opened for those who like this comical character (comics are very popular in France amongs kids as well as adults).
The lawn outside the chateau resembles a huge green carpet which diligently well maintained. Do not forget to visit its garden where you can enjoy different kinds of vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. Next to the garden is the kernel of the hunting hounds.
5. Chateau de Fountainebleau
The town of Fountainebleau lies around 65 kms south of Paris which makes it a perfect weekend getaway for the Parisiens. Apart from the chateau itself, the huge forest that surrounds it is another reason for them to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the capital.The chateau, in my opinion, is on par in terms of its Renaissance interior decorations with those of Cheverny. Perhaps, some people would think otherwise. The lawn is vast and remind me of that in Versailles. Hence, if you have limited time in Paris or France and have to choose between the two, my recommendation is go to Versailles instead.
When the weather is nice, you will see people strolling and biking in the forest or just lunching and relaxing in the fine restaurants or cafes in this town. Historically, the forest of Fountainebleau was where the kings used to go for hunting.
And of course, there are a few more amazing chateaux, like Le Clos Luce (the place where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years) in Amboise, or Vaux-de-Compte which I have yet to have a chance to visit.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
10 Things about Paris/France
Alright, we have been living in Paris for over a year now. For some people, living in Paris is like a dream comes true. Hhmmm... is that really the case? I dare to say I am so lucky to have had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Like they say, opportunity never comes twice. I have lived in different cities before. Some has plus, some has minus. You'll never get all that you want. I guess I have compromised since long ago. Now, I try to enjoy Paris as much as I could, of course, with Dita and Nadia.
Back to what we've experienced by far, I would like to list down 10 things I like and I dislike about Paris or France. Please note that this is purely based on my personal opinions as a stranger living in Paris. You may or may not agree with me. And please note the word 'dislike', which I carefully chose, because in my opinion 'dislike' is softer than 'hate'. I would not opt of 'hate' in this case, because there is really nothing you hate as long as you are ready to compromise. Moreover, the list below is displayed in random orders.
10 Things I Like about Paris/France
1. The diversity of its landscape and the countrysides. Beauty!
2. History - so rich, particularly the monarchy prior to the Revolution.
3. Food - diverse and good standard.
4. Wine - oh la la... and they are cheap! Alsace wines are my favorite.
5. Public transportation networks - think twice before you buy a car.
6. Parks in the city - maintaining the air quality and giving more options for the kids.
7. A whole year exhaustive list of events: concerts, kids, opera, ballet, ....
8. Weather not so extreme - summer is not as humid as Dubai, winter is not as terrible as Moscow. No complaint.
9. Tourist attractions - historical monuments, museums, theme parks, ... Love them all!
10. Safe - well at least, if you avoid certain arrondisements.
10 Things I Dislike about Paris/France
1. The language - still struggling.
2. Bureaucracy and paperworks - when will they learn to have them all electronically? OMG, cheques are still used all over the place!
3. Lousy customer service - "You can wait until I'm good and ready" attitude.
4. Dog shits on the trotoir - hell to the dogs!
5. Snobbish people - not everyone, but when you come across one, you feel like punching them!
6. Smelly guys in the bus/metro in the summer - Isn't France famous for its eau de toilette? Yes, of course, and I think it was invented for those guys who only take shower once a week!
7. Gloomy summer - at least this year.
8. Strikes on the public transports and access to metro - not handicapped nor infant friendly
9. Expensive (living costs & tax) and small (accommodations) - I thought everything is just overpriced.
10. D.I.Y - oh, how I missed the cheap labours back home....
In the end of the day, we have started to get used to our lives and routines here. Now, Paris is our home until... God knows when.
Back to what we've experienced by far, I would like to list down 10 things I like and I dislike about Paris or France. Please note that this is purely based on my personal opinions as a stranger living in Paris. You may or may not agree with me. And please note the word 'dislike', which I carefully chose, because in my opinion 'dislike' is softer than 'hate'. I would not opt of 'hate' in this case, because there is really nothing you hate as long as you are ready to compromise. Moreover, the list below is displayed in random orders.
10 Things I Like about Paris/France
1. The diversity of its landscape and the countrysides. Beauty!
2. History - so rich, particularly the monarchy prior to the Revolution.
3. Food - diverse and good standard.
4. Wine - oh la la... and they are cheap! Alsace wines are my favorite.
5. Public transportation networks - think twice before you buy a car.
6. Parks in the city - maintaining the air quality and giving more options for the kids.
7. A whole year exhaustive list of events: concerts, kids, opera, ballet, ....
8. Weather not so extreme - summer is not as humid as Dubai, winter is not as terrible as Moscow. No complaint.
9. Tourist attractions - historical monuments, museums, theme parks, ... Love them all!
10. Safe - well at least, if you avoid certain arrondisements.
10 Things I Dislike about Paris/France
1. The language - still struggling.
2. Bureaucracy and paperworks - when will they learn to have them all electronically? OMG, cheques are still used all over the place!
3. Lousy customer service - "You can wait until I'm good and ready" attitude.
4. Dog shits on the trotoir - hell to the dogs!
5. Snobbish people - not everyone, but when you come across one, you feel like punching them!
6. Smelly guys in the bus/metro in the summer - Isn't France famous for its eau de toilette? Yes, of course, and I think it was invented for those guys who only take shower once a week!
7. Gloomy summer - at least this year.
8. Strikes on the public transports and access to metro - not handicapped nor infant friendly
9. Expensive (living costs & tax) and small (accommodations) - I thought everything is just overpriced.
10. D.I.Y - oh, how I missed the cheap labours back home....
In the end of the day, we have started to get used to our lives and routines here. Now, Paris is our home until... God knows when.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
A Gauche ou a Droite?
First round of French's Presidential election. As predicted, Nicolas Sarkozy from the right-wing's UMP and Segolene Royal, a socialist, will battle nose-to-nose on the final round. The next 15 days will be a tough journey for the two in order to win the supports from the 10 lost candidates. Although Sarko led by 5% in this first round, it does not guarantee anything for him to enter L'Elysee, the Presidential Palace, to replace Jacques Chirac (also from UMP).
Already, some of the 10 other candidates have expressed their supports for Segolene, who will be the first female French President if she is elected. Many fear Sarko is too droite and too liberal, like J.M. Le Pen, one of the candidates whose candidancy back in 2002 triggered a controversy and street demonstrations for days (At the end, Chirac mercilessly defeated him in the final around by 60% vote gap!). On the other hand, Sarko remains a strong candidate, thanks to his previous political records. He held a number of strategic posts during Chirac's terms (although the two do not get along), namely Minister of Finance and Minister of Interior.
May 6 will be the deciding day for France. Until then, all we can do is watch and see all the political manouvers from Sarko and Royal, and hope there will not be any manifestations in the streets.
Whatever the outcome will be, it may not have any direct impact whatsoever on me as a legal alien. I just feel fortunate to have the opportunity to witness a true democractic election in a history-rich country like France. Right or left wing, whoever will win, le peuple veut une meilleure France.
Already, some of the 10 other candidates have expressed their supports for Segolene, who will be the first female French President if she is elected. Many fear Sarko is too droite and too liberal, like J.M. Le Pen, one of the candidates whose candidancy back in 2002 triggered a controversy and street demonstrations for days (At the end, Chirac mercilessly defeated him in the final around by 60% vote gap!). On the other hand, Sarko remains a strong candidate, thanks to his previous political records. He held a number of strategic posts during Chirac's terms (although the two do not get along), namely Minister of Finance and Minister of Interior.
May 6 will be the deciding day for France. Until then, all we can do is watch and see all the political manouvers from Sarko and Royal, and hope there will not be any manifestations in the streets.
Whatever the outcome will be, it may not have any direct impact whatsoever on me as a legal alien. I just feel fortunate to have the opportunity to witness a true democractic election in a history-rich country like France. Right or left wing, whoever will win, le peuple veut une meilleure France.
Friday, March 02, 2007
L'Importance d'Etre Constant (01.03.07)
Last night, I was invited to see an ancient comedy called L'Importance d'Etre Constant (The Importance of Being Ernest) from a British author, Oscar Wilde . Although I did not know much about the play and the author, not to mention the actors, I had been excited to see it and compelled to brave my French. (Needless to say, the play was in French.)I was the only non-French person in the group (11 of us from the project team). Some offered themselves to be my interpreter. Luckily, hours before the play, I had a chance to read the plot summary in English from Wikipedia. This really helped. At least, I grabbed the general idea of the storyline. The rest was a matter of relying on my listening skills.
I won't write the synopsis of the play here, because you can read it from Wikipedia link above. En general, c'etais une bonne experience de degouter le gout Francais. It was my first time entering a theatre in France. The experience was overwhelming. Although Le Theatre Antoine in Boulevard de Strasbourg was pretty small compared to what I have seen in London, for example, yet the interior still impressed me. Rennaissance style. Looked pretty ancient. Not sure when it was built, but I could imagine the French has successfully preserved one of their lifestyles from generation to generation. Theatre has been part of their lives since God knows when, even last night you could easily spot many youngsters amongst the spectators.
During the play, I of course missed half of the dialogues, particularly when they spoke too fast or when the phrases were too foreign to my ears or too French, to say the least. And of course, there were times when I missed the laughters. Fortunately, in a play like this, the lights are always down. Hence, no one will see you when you are frown, whilst the others laugh out loud. But still, they can hear you laugh when the others not. In this case, they might have thought you were weird or something. Nevertheless, the good thing is I did not miss half of the dialogue, which means I could understand the jokes and laughed when the people laughed, particularly during the last act (of out 3).
Not only was the play funny, but also it was unique in a sense that it was written with a very rich English flavours in it (the setting was in England during the Victoria era), but the French interpretation brilliantly blends the two different poles into one superb script. For us, the spectators, we found it funny whenever the actors were repeatedly saying "bunburying" in a very obvious French accent.
Overall, the night was brilliant. One more enrichment in my life experience.
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