Mon histoire d'amour

I have to say I love the French and France: cheese, pastries, language, chocolate, films, culture, music, Paris and that je ne sais quoi. That is a lot and I really mean it for the je ne sais quoi. I can sometimes pick out someone who is French and I can't really explain why: their 'aura', walk, way they hold themselves, that chicness that only the French have which is why they are so fabulous at fashion. They also teach you philosophy in the last year of secondary school which shows a willingness to discuss. Yes, students then have to sit an exam, but my point is it's the discussion.

French films are also not Hollywood films and are comfortable with open endings, complicated endings etc., not the typical happy ending or ending that points towards hope. If there's a sequel in a Hollywood movie, maybe the ending won't be happy, it will be open or a cliffhanger, but that is different. French films also show life, reality, not a polished view where many female characters have perfect make-up and/or hair. French films are so much better than that Hollywood shit. Independent American films are closer to what French films are.

Paris is beautiful in my opinion. It has architecture, greenery with trees and their jardins, and culture is an intrinsic part of it, be it the people on roller blades, the métro, the living art, the smoking etc. It's all part of Paris.

France also have grandes écoles, a term and concept that can't really be translated. It's for super 'smart' students and there's an entrance exam hundreds of students sit. Practically all the French Politicians went to l'ENA. It's the representation of the French educational ethos: at school, marks are given out of 20 and the closer you get, the better it is and the better chances of not being unemployed. I think students in the French Education system are still some of the most stressed in the World according to reliable sources.

I have not met one French person say they speak English well. The education system breaks their confidence so even if you tell them their English is great they don't believe you. I have not met one French person who has bad English.

One last thing which I think is great. Voters for presidential candidates don't care about the candidates' personal lives: it's like "oh, really?" "Ok".

Au revoir.

- A.M.