French Music

Lately I have been thinking that I should listen to the radio more often, in an effort to listen to more French music. Whilst it is true that most of the music that people seem to listen to over here is actually English spoken (sung) music, there is still of course a substantial amount of French music out there, and it seems only fair that I make an effort to familiarise myself with these songs.

Due to a law passed in 1986, 40% of music broadcast on French radio must be French. Whilst this is a significant amount, it still leaves a massive 60% of 'un-french' music on the radio. This proportion means that whilst my ability to improve my French through listening to the radio is somewhat limited, thankfully I can still keep in touch with the new artists that the rest of the world are listening to. I wonder though whether songs by French bands, that are peformed in English, are included in the French music category, or if this law (which I believe was originally designed to protect the culture and the language) specifies that French music must be sung in French and that the mere origin of the artist is not enough to classify something as 'French'. For there are many French artists who prefer to sing in English, in order to reach a larger audience one would assume. Artists like Phoenix, Air, Daft Punk, Bob Sinclair, and Justice to name but a few.

So over the next few months I'm going to make an effort to listen to some French music and see what pleasant discoveries I can make. To begin with I thought I'd share with you 2 nice examples of French music. I chose these 2 songs because they are totally different in style, the first is in French, the second in English, I really like both of them and the 2 clips are awesome. Just so that I don't misrepresent the French, these songs aren't the latest things to hit the airwaves. The first song 'Ta Douleur' by Camille was released in May 2005, and the second D.A.N.C.E was released in May 2007. You guys may well know D.A.N.C.E as it's a catchy tune in English and since it was released during my time living in Paris I have no idea of it's international release or success - but in case you didn't know, these guys are French. Happy listening and viewing.

Ta Douleur - Camille (May 2005)

D.A.N.C.E - Justice (May 2007)

For Heath

This week has seen the loss of yet another great Australian. On Tuesday night, the 22nd of January, I arrived at work for what I assumed would be a normal shift. My shift starts at 11pm, and so I arrived in the newsroom right at the moment when we went on air to broadcast the 11pm bulletin. I looked across at one of the hundreds of television screens, that are on every second desk in our office, to see the very familiar face of Heath Ledger. Being proud of all great Australian things, and thinking that perhaps this picture had something to do with the daily oscar nominations, I said to my fellow colleague - ''He's Australian you know'' - to which she said ''Yeah I know, he's dead''...

I couldn't believe it - I stared back at her and said ''WHAT?'', and she said ''Yeah it's crazy, they found his body a few minutes ago''. Without even thinking I dove into my handbag to grab my mobile phone -only one thing on my mind - I needed to speak to Hayley. As I found the phone I saw that I had a missed call, and a voicemail message - it had to be her.

Sure enough as I listened to the message I could hear the voice of my sister, choked-up by her own tears on the other end of the line. I grabbed the phone and I called her.

For anyone who actually knows me, they know that I have a little sister Hayley - and anyone who is anyone, knows that her hero is Heath Ledger.

To me the news was shocking, but I could only imagine what it must have been like for her. It felt in a way like I was losing someone I knew, not because I actually knew him, but because through Hayley I felt like I did. I knew a number of ridiculous details about his life, who his family and friends were, and he had become a part of our family in a way for a number of years. Every morning back home in Australia, I used to wake up to pictures of Heath on our walls, and hear stories of Heath, hear about the latest film and the next time he would be coming to Australia. I'm sure for Hayley, who had met him on several occasions, she really must have felt like she had lost a friend.

To be sitting on the other side of the world to my little sis, editing pictures of her hero's body being loaded into an ambulance was an absolutely surreal and somewhat horrible experience. I couldn't believe that the pictures of Heath I was seeing, that I saw on a daily basis for a number of years, were now pictures of someone who was no longer with us. I didn't want to be there, in front of that computer, editing those pictures for the world to see - I just wanted to be home, to see how she was doing.

Instead I used the opportunity to try my best to edit the best pictures and make the best montage of Heath I possibly could and to pass on the live news information on the details of the death, direct from the press agencies, to Hayley back in Sydney.

It's strange how death affects us in different ways depending on our context and our reference point. For me it seems that since I've been in Paris, the death of a famous Aussie has a stronger effect on me than it would were I back home. There's something strange about being away when it happens, you feel isolated and that no one really understands what you're feeling. I know I felt this way when Steve Irwin died. Being here and knowing that no one over here even knew who this guy was, made the whole thing very bizarre - I couldn't explain it to anyone, I was alone in my shock and I couldn't talk about it with people, like I knew they would be doing back home. I had the same experience when Belinda Emmett died - once again not being able to explain who she was and why I cared and why I wished a was home for a moment just to be able to say goodbye. And with Heath it was the same feeling but multiplied to the extreme because this guy had been such a big part of my sister's life, and through extension, my own.

The comfort with Heath was that at least he was well known outside of Australia, which meant that I actually got to hear the news, talk about it with people and read some articles to attempt to make sense of it all. Although that being said, the press over here covered it just for the day (which is totally understandable) and so I can only imagine what it has been like at home and in a way I miss that. Not because I'm morbid and want to read all the horrible facts, but because I think being surrounded by the media frenzy and having so many stories of that person's life in some strange way gives you the time to come to terms with the facts and to say goodbye...A public grieving in a sense.

And as I don't get a chance to go through the public grieving, I thought I'd try and explain my private grieving, in public, through this blog.

And so Heath, It's always a tragedy when someone dies, but a young man, with a beautiful little girl, is even more difficult to swallow. There are so many things I could say, but the only thing that seems important is to thank you. If there was one man who could light up my sister's face, and make her happy, that was you - and for that I am truely grateful.

I'll end this post with Hayley's simple words of how she saw you;

''a nice person who didn't like all the media attention but had the time to be nice to the people who were nice to him.''

Nothing much to say

So during the past week I've been feeling a little bit guilty (maybe not the right word) that I haven't written anything for a while. Every now and then I have the thought that I really should add to my blog. This thought is then quickly interrupted by the realisation that I have nothing to say and hence i refrain from posting anything as I don't want my blog to become a boring dribble of tireless notes on what I do every minute of every day...Somehow though the first half of January has already passed by and I find myself wondering what I can write about 2008? Just this morning I had the realisation that in fact there are enough things that have happened this year that if I put them all together it might appear like an exciting cocktail rather than a mundane vodka orange.

So 2008 has begun with continuing a few obsessions that I started in late 2007 - the most notable being my addiction to Grey's Anatomy. After having watched a few episodes in Australia and France and being a bit lost and all over the place in terms of seasons, I stupidly decided to start right again from the beginning. In December my boss introduced me to the wonderful world of internet streaming, where I can get all the grey's I want for free, legally and without clogging up space on my computer....after a month of intense watching, '08 began with the end of Grey's anatomy for me (at least for a while) as I have reached the final episode that was filmed before the writers went on strike and am now waiting ever so eagerly for their return...

To counteract this first obsession, my other addiction has been the gym. When a Fitness First opened up at the bottom of my street in October I took it as a sign - even those watching from above must be able to see me getting fat. So I've now become a bit of a gym junkie and go 4 to 6 times a week.

January also means one unmissable event in Paris - les soldes!!!!!!! (Sales!) and as of January 9th (day 1) I have been doing my duty as a Parisian citizen and going shopping most days to see just how much money I can save (by of course spending)...Thankfully for my bank account I have been quite restrained thus far, as I've become far more picky in my selections - although this could all change in the 5 weeks of les soldes that remain.

French president Nicholas Sarkozy has also lost his head in more ways than one this year - starting off with his relationship and supposed upcoming marriage to an ex-model, singer, self-confessed polygamist - Carla Bruni...His popularity has plummeted since this new relationship (co-incidence? I think not!) and the French media are making claims that the prime minister could soon become more popular than the president - who the hell cares?!!! But Sarkozy's stupidity did not stop there - on the 7th of Jan came the announcement that Sarko wants to axe France 24 - my dream job could turn back into my dream without the job part in the near future. Apparently it is unthinkable to have French taxpayers paying for a channel in French, English and Arabic - all tv should be in French and if people want to see English or Arabic stations they can bugger off - Sarko who is supposed to be Mr. ''moving forward, keeping up with the times, breath of fresh air for France" has just succeeded in reenforcing the oldest stereotype in the book of the French being arrogant and unwilling to speak English. So now I am once again a bit confused, disillusioned and keeping my fingers crossed that this is yet another case of nothing ever coming of a politician's word.

This year I have also experienced another of the joys of French working life - the 'visite medicale', where you get the doctor's go-ahead that you are in fact healthy to work. This is always a strange ritual which involves peeing in a cup, getting undressed so that you can sit in front of the doctor for the following 15 minutes in your underwear in the middle of winter whilst you try to give your medical history since the day you were born in French (and I always forget to do my research - I'm shit on organs of the body and illnesses) which then becomes a game of charades, and you begin to wish you were allowed to keep your clothes on, as naked charades isn't really your style, and then you're told you need to be vaccinated against whooping cough, and polio (should you ever go to Marrakesh) until finally they find out that the group of antibiotics you're allergic to doesn't exist in France, which scares them enough to tell you not to go ahead with the vaccination anyway...and the best part of it all is I have to have this 'visite medicale' every six months...yay France!

So, in just a little over 2 weeks I guess quite enough has happened to warrant a post - and to add to all of that I have also made 2 new discoveries - an amazing restaurant called le petit prince, and the best falafel in Paris....not bad considering I had nothing to say.

Top 7 of '07

As 2008 has now officially begun it's time to do a brief year in review - so what better way than with my Top 7 of '07. Just so no one is offended by the following list it has been organised in chronological order as I couldn't distinguish between the top of the top. They were all great moments!

1) Mum and Hayley visit Paris (January and February 2007)

This was definately a top moment in the year!! It was so great to have my mum with me after having been through quite a difficult 6 months of trying to settle into this crazy city. To see a familiar face and to be mothered after difficult times was incredibly nice. Of course Hayley was an added bonus! She came as a surprise - which turned out to be not so much of a surprise - but it was fantastic nevertheless. One of the most important things for me was to be able to share my new life with my family. It's always difficult when you're travelling, living abroad, experiencing a new lifestyle etc to be able to explain this to the people back home. Words don't really do the experience or the place justice. To have my mum and my sister live with me, see my apartment, my new friends, my French friends (from the ever-so-talked-about Toronto exchange), my new city, hear me speak French and just be around was something I'll never forget.

2) Trip to Malmo (May 2007)

This trip marked my first time out of Paris since July 2006 - a long awaited break! It is always an absolute pleasure to see Lisa and to spend time with her. It was awesome to see another Swedish city and to stay in the new apartment that Lisa had bought. Malmo is a really great city and it was so nice to be near the water again.....even if it's not the beach. Going to Malmo also meant that I got to spend a day in Copenhagen as it is cheaper to fly into Denmark from Paris. I love Copenhagen and the shopping and I was once again not disappointed. Just hanging out, picnicing, shopping and enjoying the sunshine with friends was enough to recharge my batteries. I must admit, after leaving Paris, even for 5 days, coming back was a rude shock....I forgot how sometimes Paris can feel a bit suffocating.

3) My new job (July 2007)

I guess if I had to pick a turning point in the year for me this would be it! Up until this point I was loving everything about my life in Paris except my job. I was tired of English teaching and found myself waking up every day and not wanting to go to work - I forgot how important it is to enjoy what you do in life. On the 9th of July 2007 I started working at France 24 and since then I can honestly say life has been great! I love what I do, I love the people I work with, I love the atmosphere, the motivation, the commitment to what we're doing and it's a pleasure going to work everyday (except of course when it means I have to miss out on an awesome party or something). I worked in a variety of positions for a little over 4 months as a freelancer and then I was offered a permanent full time position as Assistant Producer. Things just keep getting better and better on the work front.

4) Trip to Nogent-le-Rotrou (July/August 2007)

This week in the countryside was the most relaxing week of 2007! A week spent with French friends in Florence's amazing family home in Le Perche. I have never eaten so well and been so indulged. I just read books and wrote letters in the glorious sunshine whilst I was brought fruit cocktails freshly squeezed with fruit and vegetables from the garden and provided with gourmet meals twice a day. It was definately bliss.

5) Kate's birthday visit to Paris (November 2007)

Catching up with great friends from home is always a highlight and to be able to celebrate a mutual birthday is even more special. Kate is of course a wonderful Australian friend who conveniently happens to be born on the same day as me! However this was the first time in history that Kate and I were able to be in the same country and celebrate our birthday together. We spent a great week eating, cathching up, partying, visiting Paris, and enjoying the company of the Toronto clan - Guénaelle, Olivier, Christian, Lisa, Kate, Ombeline and the latest addition - Ombeline's son Arthus.

6) Trip to Gap (December 2007)

Spending time with Guénaelle is one of my favourite things to do and spending time with family is also right up there on the list. So to be able to spend time with Guéna and a family (even if it wasn't my own) was fantastic. It might not have been Christmas day, but it was close enough. We certainly ate as if it were Christmas.....enough pastries, chocolates and sweets to rival Willy Wonka. Once again being out of Paris was a nice change - to be able to relax, sleep, breathe in fresh air, and admire the stars (which due to pollution aren't visible in Paris) was a treat. We also went snowboarding which was great fun. I was pretty crap as it's been a while since I've done it, and so I'm still covered in bruises, but it was worth the pain - I forgot how fun snowboarding can be. The time passed too quickly as usual and I wish I was still down in Gap now. Guéna's family are absolutely lovely and generous and I was spoilt with presents and wonderful home cooked meals.

7) Becoming fluent in French

I put this one at the end as I can't really place a time frame on it - I certainly consider it an ongoing process. Whilst I still feel I have a long way to go to becoming bilingual, I can confidently say that I speak fluent French. I still make mistakes and I still have a great deal to learn but I no longer have too many problems expressing myself. And I understand everything which certainly is a big change from 2006. It's funny, you don't know when it happens, but it just does....Suddenly you find yourself going to the cinema, the theatre, watching TV, listening to the radio, reading books and understanding everything that's going on in a language which used to seem so completely foreign....definately a satisfying sensation.

Of course there were a lot of other fantastic moments from the year which didn't make the list - 7 moments can't really summarise a whole year. So many other wonderful people visited and there were lots of parties, dinners, concerts, laughs and fun times that will certainly not be forgotten. So thank you to all of the people who made 2007 the best year of my life yet. Bring on 2008!

French Rarities

Living away from home in a country that is not your own gives you a particular perspective of the new country you find yourself living in - that of an outsider. Having grown up among a different set of standards, traditions and everyday activities means that naturally you have a different way of looking at your new world - through glasses of wonder, excitement, curiosity, confusion, apprehension, pleasure, and surprise. In the beginning the experience of learning, living and breathing a new culture is unbelievably exciting and interesting - everything seems new, refreshing and enriching. As time passes by, the novelty wears off slightly as what was once new and surprising becomes normal and part of your everyday reality. Don't get me wrong, you continue to have new experiences, new shocks and find out more about the country, but it becomes less frequent. And when this happens, instead of only noticing the amazing things around you that you never knew existed, you begin to focus on the amazing things you once had that don't seem to exist in your new home. And hence this brings me to my list of French rarities - these are not necessarily amazing things, nor are they all things that I miss, they are just things which curiously are incredibly rare or even non-existant in France. I can think of so many, but for your reading pleasure I have narrowed it down to 10.

1) Random Breath tests - I must admit, I can't be the authority on RBTs in France given that I live in Paris and have not seen much else of this country and that I don't drive here or have a car, however that being said I can say that I have NEVER seen a random breath test in France. With my job I catch taxis to and from work everyday so I have been a passenger a substantial amount of times at all sorts of crazy hours on every day of the week and yet not once have I seen someone tested. In a country where sensible driving and respect of the road rules is also incredibly rare, it seems somewhat odd to me that they don't breath test people more often.

2) Acknowledgement of Sexual Harassment - In the land of the 'bisous' (ie giving everybody you know or don't know, like or dislike a kiss on the cheek when you meet them) and sleazy men (i'm sorry to the French boys that I do like but the stereotype is generally true!) one would think that sexual harassment would be at an all time high - women surely must complain about the inappropriate behaviour of their sleazy co-workers - and yet it would appear that they don't. As far as I'm concerned sexual harassment is not acknowledged in this country, not that I have been a victim, but I have had and seen sleazy bosses act very inappropriately with employees and colleagues and it seems to be considered entirely normal - interactions between men and women in general seem very different in France.

3) Snacks on the run - If you are French you like food. It's a given. It's part of your world, it's an experience, it's somewhat sensual and is not to be treated lightly. Meals are to be well proportioned and contain enough courses or ingredients to satisfy every taste and desire. Meals are to be had, sitting down, at a table and enjoyed. The 'snack on the run' is non-existant. If you are caught eating in the street you are immediately identified as NOT French. I would know, I have (heaven forbid) committed this very crime. On every occasion I have grabbed a bite to eat and started eating as I headed off on my way to do something else I have received countless death stares and comments from my French countrymen. 9 times out of 10 people call out 'Bon Appetit' in a sarcastic and arrogant tone of voice trying to highlight that your behaviour is inappropriate and that you shouldn't being running around doing things whilst eating - you cannot possibly enjoy your meal like that. You are different and need to be shown through a disdainful look that it is not appreciated so that maybe next time you might think twice before scoffing a snack in public. When a French person has things to do in their lunch hour for example, they either eat first and then go off and complete their tasks, or the other way around. The two are not mixed. It is much more acceptable to take a 3 hour lunch than eat on the go. The eating and food ethic rates much higher than the work ethic for the French.

4) Large bathrooms and kitchens - to say that apartments in Paris are small would be an understatement - tiny would even be too kind a word. Most of them, as my friend Sarah correctly identified, should be referred to as cupboards. And if the apartment is small then the chance of a large bathroom or kitchen is impossible. In most apartments the word 'kitchen' is used loosely to refer to a tiny corner with a stove top and a fridge resembling a hotel mini-bar. Ovens, microwaves, benches - these things are luxurious and are written up in advertisements as if they are hard to come across treasures. Bathrooms are often worse, if you in fact have a bathroom and don't have to go outside to a small toilet and take a shower in your living room (as I did in my first apartment).

5) Occupational Health and Safety - I'm convinced that OH & S legislation doesn't exist in France. There are so many safety hazards in the streets, in buildings, in the workplace, and in public places that people just walk-by and don't acknowledge. It is perfectly normal to have an enormous hole in the pavement with no sign, tape or people in sight to warn or explain to you how it got there in the first place. Exposed wires lying about are also normal - in fact pretty much anything goes here.

6) Healthy, non-complaining citizens - I'm sorry to generalise once again but France is the world of the hypocondriac and the complainer. If you are French and have the slightest hint of a sore throat you should head straight to the pharmacy and buy 3 months supply of drugs - and take the week off work, you can never be too careful. And make sure you tell everyone about your illness and complain about how bad it is. In fact while you're at it, complain about everything, afterall things will never improve if you are positive and seem satisfied with something.

7) Exercise/sports gear in public - There is a time and a place for exercise and sports gear and that is not in public. Having read the book 'Almost French' where the author Sarah Turnbull goes through an account of her French husband being horrified when she threw on some tracksuit pants to go to the Boulangerie one morning, I have spent the past year being very careful not to make the same mistake. I recently joined the gym down the street and have continued to be careful with my attire. Whilst it is literally only a 1 minute walk to my gym, I go there looking acceptable and take my exercise gear to change into once I've arrived. However, a couple of weeks ago I made the mistake of exercising right up until the point the gym had to close and not having the time to change back into my public attire. I was a little bit hesitant to go outside but I thought everything would be ok, given that I had less than 100 metres to walk home and that I was wearing adidas track pants and not just any old rubbish, and yet during the 1 minute walk home I passed by 3 people walking in the opposite direction who proceeded to laugh in my face and compliment me on my Dolce and Gabbana clothing choice. So the vicious rumours were true - No exercise gear in public!

8) Good pronunciation of the English language - Ok I know the French are getting better at English and I know they are trying and hell I'm not complaining - my accent in French leaves a lot to be desired - I'm just simply pointing out that good pronunciation of the English language is very rare in France. Find me a French person who can correctly pronounce the words 'idea', 'development', and 'throughout' and I'll give you a medal.

9) Good Asian food - Whilst the French do food well, they do Asian food pretty terribly. I must admit Japanese food seems to be fine - the level of Sushi in Paris is pretty damn great - and I have come across an ok restaurant in China town, but other than that Asian food is on the whole quite crap over here. Chinese 'restaurants' serve you strange dishes with unidentified meat objects that are sitting in a display and are then heated up in a microwave before your very eyes. And don't get me started on Thai - it's been almost 2 years since I've had good Thai - someone help me!

10) Desire to make new friends - French people who are unsatisfied with most things in life seem to be satisfied at least on one level - with the amount of friends that they have. In my experience most of the French seem to have no desire to make new friends. They already have enough and will not go out seeking new ones. If you have a French friend they seem to be yours for life - sincere, supportive, and loyal. Where one comes across these French friends is another question when you are surrounded by people who are happy to be polite, have a chat with you, but will never attempt to contact you again once the night is over. Thank god for the French friends I met in Canada, otherwise I think I would have NONE!

Drugged dubbing

I have a confession to make - today I was sitting at home watching the french version of 'The Nanny' on tv. As I was watching the show I became disturbed by a number of aspects. Firstly - why does 'The Nanny' have to be translated as 'Une nounou d'enfer' which in French means A nanny from hell....why do the French have the right to say that she comes from hell? I understand the need to change the titles of programs and that sometimes during the translation process the title can be significantly altered as direct translation doesn't make sense, but in this case it certainly could have been directly translated as La nounou - why the need to add the hell part...Secondly - the voice of Fran in French is terrible, it's just a relatively normal voice - there's nothing special about it, nothing nasal, the whole annoying aspect of her voice is lost completely! And yet, they keep her English laugh - so she goes from speaking normally in French to a hideous laugh from the original version and it just doesn't work - not even close! But the most disturbing thing of all is the voice of Brighton Sheffield. The man dubbing Brighton clearly has problems, he sounds like he is on drugs. The voice of Grace is almost as bad and is obviously done by an equally stoned woman. But it's not just Brighton and Grace, they are just two of countless examples on French tv. I noticed it at first a few months ago, and since then I have been haunted by my discovery. The voices of children in American and English series are clearly dubbed by adults...and as these adults are trying to recreate the voice of a child, they change their voices in bizarre ways and end up sounding like one of those chipmunks - Alvin, Simon, Theodore! I am convinced that many of them must be on drugs, the voices that they come up with can't be possible from someone who is sober....or at least if it's not drugs, then they must have inhaled a significant amount of helium gas...Who do they think they are? and are French people not disturbed by this as well? Do they not have a problem with the fact that every child sounds like a drugged adult? Surely they must realise! And is it the same in other countries with dubbed tv shows? Is it just a logistical problem that has never confronted those of us from English speaking countries who choose not to dub foreign programs? Afterall, I guess there just aren't enough child actors around - they're all too busy in school. And I suppose the child actors who do exist actually want to act and be on screen and not just in some sound studio providing the voice for some snotty-nosed American kid who's rolling in the cash and the glory. I tried to find some examples for you on Youtube so that you could listen for yourselves and prove my theory right. But unfortunately I can't find a clip from 'une nounou d'enfer' that features little Brighton. Unbelievable I know! So then I looked up '7 à la maison' which translates as 7 at home - doesn't quite have the same ring to it as '7th heaven' does it? there they go with their bloody translation again. But the episodes I found from this show featured the older teenagers, who fortunately are dubbed much better than the kiddies...So you'll have to just trust me on this one and join me in saying NO to drugged dubbing.

Under pressure

Today I connected to my blog to see if I was inspired to write another message, and to my surprise I had apparently received more than 120 hits in 2 days. Now I'm feeling the pressure - there appears to be people actually reading my blog - what do I say to you all? How about some shameless promotion for my company! For those of you with access to France 24 (ie everyone with the internet - which means you!) I suggest you watch it at 1am on Friday morning (7th dec) - that is of course 1am Paris time. The 6th of December marks the 1 year anniversary of France 24 and so it's time to celebrate! We will all be partying with a private concert, djs, world cuisine and surprises (a little bit disturbing) but for the public enjoyment we will be playing the Best of France 24 bloopers after the 1am bulletin (though the exact time is still undecided). I had the pleasure of watching these yesterday and they are great! You should see some of the rubbish that went to air courtesy of us! Quite amusing....
Now that I know I have an audience, I'll try and raise the standard of my posts....although I'm still not convinced that the hit counter is working. I think it's either a) broken b) trying to flatter me as it's christmas or c)my family visiting 20 times a day....