Ten Questions for une Française

WHO: Laétitia, age 29, accountant for a ready-to-wear company.

PM: How long have you lived in Paris?

LM: Since completing college. I grew up in the Rhone Alpes area though, and I’m of mixed ancestry—what we call metisse. In English, I think you call it biracial.

PM: Have you ever been to an English-speaking country?

LM: Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to make long trips there, but I have been for work. I went to California—San Francisco and Silicone Valley. I’ve also been to London for the Noting Hill carnival.

PM: So what did you think about it?

LM: A part from the icy welcome we got from immigration once we reached American soil, I found the people to be very nice, especially in the stores and restaurants. I also noticed that the people are even polite in driving, and the cities were clean. If there was another negative thing, it was a few people didn’t try to understand our broken English, and we were making a lot of effort.

PM: Do you have any Anglophone friends here in Paris?

LM: Yes, I have one American friend, and some acquaintances that I met through this person.

PM: If you run into Anglophones here and they don’t speak French, are you disappointed?

LM: I wouldn’t be disappointed at all, but since I haven’t been able to practice English a lot, it would be difficult to communicate.

PM: Do you feel that Anglophones living here in France should try to live in the “French way”, i.e. total immersion into the culture, or not?

LM: It depends on whether you’re going to just visit the place, or if you’re going to live in the place. In both cases, it’s good to have cultural exchanges with the country you’re in.

PM: Paris is probably the most visited city in the world. How do you feel about all the tourists here ? Does it have a direct impact on your life?

LM: It’s flattering to our country to have so many tourists here. We have a great tourism industry because of it and that makes us look great as a country. However, on the negative side, the transportation here in Paris can become a nightmare due to all the tourists in summer. That can be a pain!

PM: What would you change about Paris in particular?

LM: I would improve the transportation system—everything about it from the frequency to the rails and air conditioning, and of course, I’d change the prices! There are millions of people taking public transportation but the rates continue to increase year after year.

PM: If there are problems with France, what are they in your opinion?

LM: A majority of the people are suffering because of politics, social problems and status and economics. We’re in an impasse and insecurities are mounting. We are expecting a lot in the next Presidential Election in April.

PM: Sego, Sarko ou Bayou?

LM: Politics isn’t my strong suit. I’m having trouble being interested in it, honestly, and I haven’t yet made up my mind who I’ll vote for…but luckily, I still have a little bit of time left.

Priscilla Lalisse moved to Paris from New York City in 1999. In addition to being the Editor and Founder of Prissy Mag, she is the author of the novel STOCKDALE . For her complete bio, please click here.

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