I am teaching in a high school just outside of Paris and his inauguration seems to mean everything, the dawn of a new era in American leadership but also a redefining moment for the entire world in terms of the dynamics of power, race and class. The space he now occupies, the son of an African immigrant, in the most powerful of nations seems to tip the entire grid of world power, if just for the moment.

About a week after the inauguration I had been asked to work a few more hours for the high school and I agreed. I went with my professor, Isabelle to do the paperwork. These are the times when I wonder how anything gets done here from the handwritten documents to stacks of papers on every desk. Casually, I mentioned that Rami, the Jordanian assistant had a severe toothache and hadn't slept well the previous two nights. She told the financial secretary who gave me a paper for him to take to the hospital. They are in deep conversation for several moments. Then we go to the head principal's office and Isabelle tells him about the toothache. He listens intently, nodding his head, he gets on the phone immediately and speaks softly, concisely. What an absolute humane way to deal with someone, a young person, an employee- it's as if Rami is one of their children.

Isabelle told me to give the paper to Rami; he must go to a hospital in the 20th arrondisment where they will take care of him and after, it should be free or he will pay very little. A few hours later Rami arrives home and I tell him. He laughs because apparently the head principal came to find him in his classroom and asked about his toothache. He was shocked because he hadn't told anyone. That night, the three of us Su Wei and Rami have coca, cashews and smoke shisha. The conversation flows from Chinese new year, to a laughable moment when King Abdullah of Jordan was sworn in, I showed them the Garth Brooks performance at the inaugural concert.

In the states, for the most part our democracy works, and it shined that day. But there was also, for me, something to that conversation between Isabelle and the head principal. I suppose both are moments when we reveal our respect and love for one another. Because a functioning democracy and a peaceful transition of power is a kind of "forceful" love; a love that is powerful, selfless, that in its very act quite literally changes the world; what Gandhi and King had long believed and practiced. And yet there are spaces and corners of this world where pearls of that kind of love also exist. In a year of many surprises and an expanding world view, America made me immensely proud and I do hope that an era of responsible American leadership is at hand, but part of that responsibility is realizing that there are different pearls that exists in other nations; that there are many ways to love.

Ariana Austin is a freelancer writer currently based in Paris where she writes on arts and culture and foreign affairs. Her work has appeared in Trace magazine,the Foreign Service Journal and the Washington Post. She is happy to bring you a 20-something view of living, loving and learning in Paris. You can email her This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with any comments, questions or ideas.

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