Tell us a little about yourself (what grade you are in, what is your favorite subject, what you like to do in your free time, where you live, etc.)
My name is Adalia. I am going into 10th grade next year at Broughton High School, which is in Raleigh, North Carolina, one of the east coast states. I’m originally from Michigan, which is the state where most of the Great Lakes are (in the North), but I’ve lived in Raleigh most of my life. In school, I really love science and history (though I don’t like economics very much). I enjoy learning other languages as well but the school curriculum is very slow, so I don’t love learning them at school. Right now I am focusing on Spanish. In my free time, I love reading and going orienteering. Orienteering is a sport, which involves a map and a compass, used to navigate from point to point in order to complete a course. I know that it, and radio orienteering, are fairly popular in Eastern Europe, but I’m not sure about in France. Also, I play the alto saxophone and do marching band with my school.
Have you ever traveled to France? If so, what did you think it would be like before you came? How was your experience when you came?
I have been to France twice to visit my cousins in Barraux around Christmas, but that was a long time ago. I went when I was too young to remember and when I was about two or three. I can’t remember what I was expecting France to be like. But if I were to be going back I would hope it would be cooler there than in Raleigh and to have as great of food as when I went when I was little. The summers here are very hot and humid, which I don’t like very much. I do remember when we went it had snowed a lot, so we built a snowman and went to a ski place, though I only remember sledding. In Michigan, it snows a little less than in France, but in Raleigh it snows maybe an inch or two a year. The food was also amazing. The main things I remember eating were escargot, King’s cake and delicious cheeses. I remember my mom found the prize in the king’s cake, but she gave it to me instead. I also remember a few years later when I was about five or six we went to a restaurant in Raleigh, which had escargot, but it came without the shells and I was so confused. Overall, I think I had a great time there, but I would like to travel to France again now that I am older so I can experience it better.
When and how did you first become aware of France?
I guess I’ve always been aware of France because I have French cousins. Also, when I was in elementary I took after school French for a few months and it has come up in history classes every now and then.
What are you taught about France and French history in school?
In school we don’t focus a lot on French history, but it does come up. We’ve discussed the French and Indian War as one of the causes of the American Revolution, when English colonists were moving into French and indigenous territory. Also, we have spent some time discussing how France had allied with us during the American Revolution. In seventh grade we had a lesson about the French Revolution and the importance of that to Europe’s governments today. Finally, when we talk about WWI, WW2 and the Cold War, France is mentioned, as it was one of our allies.
What do you think of France? Do you have a positive or negative view of France? Why?
When I think of France I think of classical art and fashionability, among other things. I think I have this preconceived notion that France is a very cultured place. It has great food and style sense, even if there is more to the country than that. I don’t really pay enough attention to French governmental affairs to have an opinion either way of France in terms of their political relationship with the world, so I would say I have a positive view of France. This is probably something I should learn more about.
Are there any stereotypes about French people that you have?
The main stereotype I can think of is that French people are very sophisticated, in mostly a good way, though I’ve heard that with foreigners speaking French they are not so nice because of their accents. I don’t believe this about all the French people because the ones I have met have been perfectly nice to me. I wonder if this stereotype of being fancy comes, in part, from 19th century fashion when France and Paris was like the “capital of fashion.” Because the newest trends took time to get to the US, we were behind on fashion, which made France seem even fancier. I’ve never encountered this stereotype in my life, so I try not to let it narrow my view on French people.
Adalia, July, 20th