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What's On in Lyon?
Ahmad Jamal Jazz The jazz player Ahmad Jamal is playing the piano on 29 April, 8.30 p.m., at Théâtre de Vénissieux, 8 Boulevard Laurent Gerin. For all the lovers of jazz music.
Artist Ben The Modern Art Museum of Lyon presents Ben Vautier's main artworks from March 3 to July 11, quai Charles de Gaulle
69006 Lyon, 04 72 69 17 17.
Concerts Alpha Blondy, the king of reggae, 2 April- 8.00 p.m, at Espace Double Mixte, 19 rue Gaston Berger, 69001, Villeurbanne.
Tokio Hotel, rock pop indie, 18 March, Halle Tony Garnier, 69007, Lyon.
Medrano Circus Entertaining shows for children will take place at Medrano Circus near Perrache railway station.
for a cultural exchange between the French and the Japanese communities.
City Guide to Lyon, France an in-depth Lyon city guide featuring information about Lyon tourist attractions, sightseeing, where to stay, what to eat, and other useful Lyon, France travel tips.
Contact Expats Contact expats worldwide through their network
for people choosing a new life in a foreign country
Dreamkaravan This blog is a very original travel in the world of beauty and wonder by a very talented local writer
Expat.org Portail de la mobilité internationale et de l'expatriation
The French are lazy and unreliable. Many people think the French have too many vacations compared to other countries. They usually have about 8 weeks more of vacations. A lot of French workers have part-time jobs and work 4 days a week depending on their firms. They also have a lot of trouble going to work when the public transport is on strike, which happens regularly . That’s why they are used to staying at home as soon as it is possible, especially when they are said that the weather conditions are going to prevent them from going home after work.
Some could say that the arguments against the French are highly debatable since they are merely stereotypes.
However, the French think that vacation has been a social right since the First World War and they highly respect the men and the women who died to fight for their rights. In other words, they have been used to a system that gives more priority to the rights than to the obligations. They consider flexibility at work, working overtime and money making jobs as the enemies of their system.
True, nobody should accept to work more and earn less money. But, it is hard to see the validity of such a point of view as the young generations will not be able to pay for the retired people. The French know the fact. They do not need economists and experts to tell them about the critical situation that more and more workers and future retired people have been handling. It is illogical to complain about the retirement age extension whilst at the same time having a second job at 70 when you have the bare minimum to live on.
It is clear that the French live in a paradox: they cling to their social rights that have always been the symbol of their victory over the evils of the marketplace. They were certainly right to fight for a better and more egalitarian society as their fight proved to be a symbol of social progress. The fact remains that the reforms that have been implemented so far may be necessary to save the French system. Reforming means that you have to change something from the past to adapt to the new reality. Unfortunately, the French as the Europeans and many countries in the world are facing an incredible financial crisis. So, they should work longer to save the retirement system for example. But, how can you go to work when you are 55 and you have just been fired by your employer who decided to build a new factory in China?
This boils down to saying that the French will have to be lazy and unreliable in the future as they have no choice.
The French have been debating over society issues since the election of president Sarkozy who has launched a series of reforms and stirred up passions over immigration and the French values.
The burning debates over Guy Môquet, a French resistant to the Nazi domination during the Second World war, the French national identity and the Buqa, the black veil covering a minority of Muslim women, have intensified the criticisms of President Sarkozy’s selection of the issues.
The opposition Socialist Party boycotted the debate over national identity, accusing Sarkozy of triggering xenophobic behavior. They are now accusing him of increasing discrimination against the moderate Muslims in the debate over the Buqa.
Others do not trust Sarkozy and see his selection as an attempt to exploit the symbols of the French values to his own ends in order to be ahead of his political opponents. The debates he has launched over what it means to be French and the respect of the French values could be considered as an attack against the Socialist Party that is in favor of the immigrants’ integration.
However, the French who were reluctant to debate at first because they did not want to be handled by Sarkozy, have started to feel concerned about the issues as they reacted to the French government’s policy. At the same time, the debate over the Muslim Mosques triggered by the Swiss ban or the arrival of immigrants in Corsica last week added to the need to debate over immigration and the French values.
Maybe, Sarkozy’s debates and reforms call into question the founding values of the French society, especially in a time of financial crisis that put the French to a severe test.
True, France has always been known as a welcoming country for all the immigrants.
Today, the number of foreign students has risen to 80 % over the past 10 years and more than 80% of the students’ visas have been granted in the first semester 2009.
However, the debate has grown over national identity and the role of Islam in France as a result of the Swiss vote to ban mosque minarets. “the minarets should fit in well in the urban environment and be built in respect of the other communities”, said François Fillon. He denounces those who lump together the fundamentalists and the Muslim community. President Nicolas Sarkozy who has been attempting to give a definition of what it means being French, has called for tolerance. But he has also declared that all the Muslim immigrants should integrate the French society and respect its traditions and historical values.
“While urging Muslims to avoid ostentation and provocation, Sarkozy avoided specific comment on another test soon to be posed for his government, this one over whether Muslim women should be allowed to wear veils that cover their entire faces. Although only a small number do so, a parliamentary commission has held three months of hearings and is expected to issue a report next month proposing legal restrictions.” […]
The president has said publicly that "the burqa has no place in France," said Edward Cody from the Washington Poston 9 December.
In Lyon, about 4-6 % of Muslims practices the religion of Islam and can go to the Grande Mosquée de Lyon, located in Bron in the eastern part of the city. Opened in 1992, the mosque fits well in the environment as it combines traditional Maghreb architecture with a 25-high-metre minaretand calligraphy with a modern Western style. The entrance patio is covered with a 230 column glass pyramid supported by 230 columns and the mirhab, nicely decorated with a blue mosaic, indicates the direction to the Mecca. If you want to visit the mosque you can contact the Lyons Visitors Bureau since regular guided tours are organized.
President Nicolas Sarkozy has always warned the French against the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. He is convinced that practicing Muslim religion in a mosque is undoubtedly the best solution to stop the fundamentalist groups who favor extremist religion in the caves.
However, there have been still some prejudices against the Muslims, especially after the 11 September attack and some of the moderate Muslims’ claims for the building of more Muslim graves have not been taken into consideration yet. In 2006-2007, there were only 300 graves for about 300, 000 Muslim people living in Lyon region.
What is more, cremation is absolutely forbidden by the religion of Islam, but in France, the remains of the dead can be burnt in the cemeteries. Therefore, many Muslims prefer to bury their dead in a Muslim country.
So, the Swiss ban on minarets and the debate on French national identity may also reveal the French’s concern about France’s ability to welcome and integrate immigrants during a world financial crisis.
photo by Kalleboo (flickr.com)The Stereotypes about the French are not only the funny and old image of the man wearing a beret hat and a baguette.
The French are said to be lazy and unreliable, but also difficult to meet, especially in Lyon.
Most foreigners do not understand the endless strikes in France whenever there is a social conflict in the country. Even the French living in Lyon complain about the strikes in Lyon public transport that occur regularly for many reasons. Another strike is already planned next 8th December that celebrates the city of lights and the Beaujolais Nouveau. Transport tickets are usually free for that special day in Lyon. So many people living in Lyon will not appreciate this strike. More and more affected people by the bad consequences of the strikes use the public bicycle services to go to work.
Unfortunately, the tourists on holiday are often trapped and their week holiday becomes a nightmare as they have to change their visit program or even cancel some visits.
What is more, they cannot rely on the French air transport companies that may go on strike when they just plan to move to France. Yet, transport measures have been taken to improve the public transport to get to Lyon, and then travel in the city. The Perrache and the Part-dieu railway stations in the center of the town are linked to the international Saint-Exupéry airport which is 2 hours from Paris by TGV high-speed train. It has become much easier to get to Lyon…, except on strike days.
In addition, the Lyonnais are said to be distant people who do not make acquaintance with people so easily. True, language is a first obstacle since they do not speak English. Does it mean they do not care about the other cultures? Certainly not. They are just very bad at speaking foreign languages, especially English, as the second language courses in the secondary schools with 25-28 pupils of heterogeneous levels prevents any relevant oral practice. The French even consider oral speaking as a taboo since the French culture is based on writing habits.
Today, the French living in Lyon are more aware of the language gap.
Some prefer to have their children in bilingual and international schools. Others are trying hard to create English-speaking sites and magazines to help the tourists and the international expats in Lyon.
Body image is often related to self-esteem. We like our body because we have high respect for ourselves. French women prefer slim and elegant body that has a fashionable standard size. For that reason, fat women do not usually find outsize department in shops. They feel rejected as unattractive women.
Who can fit French standard size in women’s clothes and dream of a French success-story? Your daughter, maybe, provided that she can put pants low size and skimpy T-shirt on. It does not matter if her clothes show every bulge. She wants to look like French top-model Adrianna Karembeu who presents M6 Top-Model show on TV. Your daughter also dreams of being the winning candidate in a top-model competition. She will have to prove that she is a womanwith strong personality and talent, especially at high fashion modeling in Paris where the physical and mental requirements are very strict.
Now, imagine your daughter is 12, 14 or 16 size. Will she have the choice between a black denim dress and a cotton shirtwaist? She will certainly have to contend herself with a white turtleneck and a gray full skirt because the only clothes available in the outsize department do not exist in many models and colors. They are not fashionable; they do not help your daughter to feel confident and good-looking.
What is more, physically attractive people have an advantage in their jobs. They look successful. They will not take the risk of thinking that physical appearance is a superficial matter in France. They are even ready to pay for how-to-look-bright coaching. Image building is part of social and professional success. On the contrary, fat women are told to wear black rather than a bright color since their weight is a disadvantage to find a job.
For that reason, they build a negative image and respect of themselves. This vicious circle does not make them perfect, even though they have specific skills to get better jobs and more help.
I was a little boy when I arrived in France and I will always remember my first school year in Saint-Antoine primary school. For the first time in my life I did not have to wear a uniform, but mom was very angry since she would always complain on the tomato ketchup on my shirt and pants.
Well, she could have been thankful to the French boys and girls who put ketchup sauce on every meal. Everybody loves ketchup. I was certain about it. I was also very proud because I could share ketchup sauce with the schoolboys.
One day, I met a group of boys who used to call me “Ketchup Boy”. Pierre, one of the tallest boys, told me they wanted to take their revenge out on our schoolmistress who was too strict. True, she had punished me that other day because I was chatting with my best friend while she was teaching us about Louis XIV. I thought time had come to punish her. So, we decided to throw tomato ketchup at her shirt as soon as she turned her back toward us.
On D-Day, I could feel how tense the other boys were. They did not dare to look up at her. I think she felt the tension but did not say anything. Then, she turned her back and I threw ketchup sauce at her white shirt without thinking. All the pupils gave a loud hearty laugh as she gave vent to her anger. Suddenly, she looked straight at me and ordered me to go out and wait for her.
She was certain I was the leader of the group because I was nicknamed “Ketchup Boy”. Alone in the headmaster’s office room, I did not dare to tell the truth when the two of them looked askance at me. I just imagined mom’s reaction and I was right.
That summer, poor “Ketchup Boy” was not allowed to eat ketchup sauce when he spent 10 days at his grandma’s cottage for the holidays. He felt so ridiculous not to be allowed to eat the sauce in his own country. How could he explain the situation to his friends in Margate?
When the school year started in France, he was so glad he could eat his favorite sauce again on French chips.
I will never forget my first trip by train from Avignon, South of France, to Lyon, the Capital of the Gauls. My best friend, Susan, had invited me to taste the French cuisine in traditional restaurants of Lyon. I could not wait any longer to come and stay a few days at her small student apartment in Rue Chevreuil. So, I took the train one spring morning in May.
I was so glad to travel by train and spend a few hours watching the landscapes flashing past the window. In the wagon, I was sitting alone, listening to Christophe Willem's songsand imagining myself delighted by the taste of a multiple delicious meals. I was waiting for the departure of the train but I soon fell asleep as I was lost in thought.
In my dream I was eating out in Chef Bocuse’s well-known restaurant in the west of Lyon. Waiters dressed in penguin-like uniforms were carrying meal trays while Bocuse himself was commenting on every local product. Though I could not understand French language, I was very impressed by the flow of the speech. I could not help drooling over the desserts. I was ready to eat up the « tarte pralinée », some pie with red almonds, when some noise made me jump. I was certain I was in Lyon. I had a quick look through the window and I saw the sign mentioning Avignon stop.
At first, I did not understand my mistake until I realized that the train had never left the station. I went out of the train and looked for a railroader but I could not find anybody. The place had become a ghost rail-station. I was a desperate English expatriate lost in hell since my train named « Desire » had been a mirage. I would never taste Lyon gastronomy. I was going back home giving up my first experience of French cuisine when I suddenly heard a crowd humming outside the station. Some people were carrying signs that claimed a rise in pay for the railroaders. So, I was unexpectedly having my first experience of a French strike.
And believe it or not, it was also the first time in my life that I took so much delight in eating the hot dog I was given by a striker. Of course, it was not traditional French food but, you know, I will never forget my ghost trip to Lyonsince I realized that day I would always eat my fill in France,the country of gastronomy.
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Swimming and Aqua Activities for adults, children and babies
The French are Lazy and Unreliable
