More on France

In a "companion" post, I talked about a recent visit to Paris and argued on some of the things I don't like about France. Here I want to elaborate a bit on the things I really like about France.



As I think I mentioned once, sometimes in the past I took French lessons. I did it for a year or so, shorty after visiting France. I have great memories of those lessons, for several reasons. The lessons were given in an unusual time (6-7:30 am, Mon to Fri) which was really a challenge in terms of sleeping time. I joined the lessons with other friends, and we all had a great time. Indeed, we used to make jokes, especially because otherwise we would fall asleep! Also, we had a teacher that enjoyed creating controversy and could keep you awake either with the discussion topics or with his unusual teaching methods. The teacher's name was Djamel, a PhD student in Social Sciences that was in Cali (the Colombian city in which I used to live) to study the consequences of the free trade agreement between US and Colombia. Lessons with Djamel were a nice cultural exchange: we 'used' him to confront several of our myths/clichés on French culture; he also learned something from the Colombian culture from us, I think.

The French lessons were based on some method (a book plus videos) called "Reflets" (Reflections). The book and the videos tell the story of four main characters who share a flat in the center of Paris. It was easy to see how each lesson of the method was a carefully crafted piece on a particular aspect of the French culture. For instance, one of the lessons was about the birthday surprise party of one of the characters. I still remember some sort of mini cultural shock that such a lesson caused: in the video, the guy is given a flowers bouquet as a birthday gift, something absolutely inconceivable for a straight guy in the Colombian culture. (You can see the video here.) In many different ways, the lessons were very enjoyable because apart from the language, you could learn precise aspects in which the French culture and behaviors were different from ours. Properly assimilated, those lessons were a priceless opportunity to open your mind.

One of the 'Reflets' lessons I recall the most is one concerning the activities French people do in their spare time. The message of the lesson was clear: French people do not waste time. They're are very organized, even in their spare time: they spend time with the kids, play games with the friends, do some sport or hobby. According to 'Reflets', something very Colombian like watching TV on a Sunday afternoon for hours and hours ---without a good reason--- is out of the question for an average French.

In my last trip to France I remembered that 'Reflets' lesson. During all the metro/train travels, I cared to observe what French people did to kill the time. While I was looking around or listening music, most of the people in the train were reading a book, doing a crossword or some other useful activity. Of course, it wasn't like every single person was doing something useful, but the proportion of people who was committed not to waste the time was surprisingly high. Also related to 'not-waste-time' philosophy ---and this is something that would be considered outrageous in Colombia--- is that in France you have to pay an additional tax if you want to have a TV at home. (I don't know if this also occurs in other European countries.) I can certainly imagine that there are persons and families that instead of paying such a tax, prefer doing more instructive ways of entertainment, like going to the theater or to the movies. I can also conjecture that, overall, the tax might have had an influence on the attitude people have towards TV, and as such, they watch less TV, which in turn could be a positive thing in intellectual terms. Granted, I am sure it's not they're all geniuses in France, but I would dare to say that because of a reduced TV time, an average French teenager has a more responsible, realistic attitude towards the world than, say, a Colombian teenager with a comparable quality of life.

I really admire that French attitudes (or ways of understanding life, if you want.) Another, somewhat related, aspect I appreciate is the role education has in the French society. Indeed, only by knowing people from the French school in Cali, I could see that kids there not only study way more than in other schools, but also that they're given a better education. (It's a pity not everyone in Cali can afford the French school, though.) I have such a good concept of French education, that in the very unlikely case I have a son or a daughter, he or she will attend a French school :) Again, it's not simply the fact that they have more intense curricula: it seems to me that, at all levels, French education effectively aims at giving you an adequate preparation for life. For instance, you rarely see a French computer scientist that only knows about theory: even mathematicians have a good knowledge of implementation aspects. In general, I think that since they're kids, French people are educated to have a comprehensive view to solve problems, to propose solutions for them, and to lively defend their points of view.

To conclude, and to emphasize on my admiration for French education and culture, I must mention the place in which I took French lessons: the Alliance Française. The Alliance is the cultural dependency of the French embassy, and as such, it's supported directly by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It's mission is to spread the French language and culture around the world. In some way, one could say that France feels that is not completely understood by the world, and finds it useful to "explain" to the world its culture, language and traditions. I think the approach advocated by the Alliance is extremely successful: it's fair to say that most of the cultural activity in Cali is organized or sponsored (directly or indirectly) by the Alliance. Apart from France, in Colombia no other foreign country has such a clear commitment when it comes to spreading its culture out. (I know Germany and Italy have similar things, but only in Bogota; the Alliance is in more than ten cities in Colombia.)

To really conclude, I must say that find it fascinating the French culture and society, with all the things I don't like, with all the things I admire, with its (sometimes unintended) arrogance. And above all, with all the things I still am not able to understand about such a great country.