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Alright, the recording started
-it started?
hey, tell your experiences with French people!
well, when I was an international student in Belgium
I visited Paris twice
indeed, I started and ended my trip in Paris
and I had been told Parisians were rude and not friendly
- of course!
-of course!
But the day I left
on the same day I was returning to Montreal, Quebec.
It was around 6 am, I had to catch my plane very early
and I was carrying 40/45 kilos of luggage
I was alone, and being on a tight budget,
I did no want to spend money on a taxi.
So I walked up to the train going to Charles-de-Gaulle airport
and I get lost in the streets of Paris, at 6 am...
finally, two very nice parisians
a girl and her boyfriend, they were leaving
a bar or something,
spontaneously the girl came to help me
seeing me carrying 40 kilos of luggage.
Then they walked with me up to the metro
went down the stairs, making sure
that I was taking the right train.
So every time I hear about those "damn French"
I respond it's like in every population,
there will presumably always be a small percentage
like some Quebecois are really damn annoying
but most of them are friendly !
- we have the proof in front of us, right? Yeah, there you go!
Question: Here in Quebec, for those who might not know,
French language is in a quite different situation than in France. Could you tell us more about it?
Answer : it improved for some time but now it is going backwards
like anything in history
one must make one step back to make two steps forward
- aren't you afraid, that now in Montreal
there are about 50% anglophones
-what I'm afraid of is when I hear in French radio stations
"c'est le week-end" (instead of "fin de semaine")
yeah, they use that a lot in [some radio program]
-Yes, destruction of French is real!
but even spelling mistakes in French newspapers
-the reform of French at school...
Q: in France too we complain about degradation of the language
but it's more a debate on quality.
While here in Quebec I was struck
by the antagonisms, if I may say, between
francophones on one side and anglophones on the other.
They do not have any relationships in common.
This is true in Montreal, but if you go up to Quebec City
that would be the limit
-they're almost rednecks in Quebec City !
-Yes, you'll never find a movie in English OV in Quebec
-there is no cinema where you can go see a movie in English
-And that is lees and less true in Montreal
More and more Montreal theaters
-that is surprising
...only show movies in their original version
or French versions of American movies
-that are most of the time translated in Quebec
- So yes and no
-not French movies, but movies dubbed with French from France accent - that's so weird!
- I agree with you!
- You know, there are some decline but also advances
like regarding culture; but still in the everyday life
if you go across the bad side of the St Laurent [river across Montreal and Quebec]
you will not hear much French there.
Q : you said "the bad side" : doesn't that show that there is resentment,
a strong antagonism towards anglophones?
moreover you tend to say "the English" instead of
"English speaking Canadians"
- Yeah, "les anglos" (the English), we always say that
- But Quebec has a very young history
and the patriotic wound is still very present
Don't ask him questions!
'cause he's not a true Quebecker!
- aha, here we go again!
my god!
I am as Québécois as you, Quebec is in my heart!
ah, well, anyways. The grief, indeed
there is the grief of the defeat in 1700, back in time
with Wolf and Malcom (?), Louis Riel (Quebec revolutionary figure)
the famous hanging of resistants
You know, war has been so harsh
that it's hard to forget it, it takes time to heal this wound
It also became a very convenient excuse
"it's always the English's fault"
- Yes, the English, always the English
- However, consider the situation today
we are more and more assimilated by the Americans
all our entertainment, music etc comes from here
but Quebec is like the village of Asterix [very popular French comics]
- haha, "that still holds it against all" !
- that's a good comparison
- We also have very good quality artistic and cultural production
entirely francophone and québécois
very appreciated by our people
and which French from France also like.
Our series "A Guy, a Girl" (Canada) / "Lovebites" (US) has been translated and broadcast in many countries
- Quebeckers are loved in France for their music
- the culture
- Yes, ""Cœur de Pirate" for instance
- or Pierre Lapointe
- Natasha St Pier
Lara Fabian
- Celine Dion ? haha!
.
-Yes, that's it!
- Quebeckers are a cultural paradox
- We are scattered just about everywhere
Q: let me ask you, are you Canadians or Québécois?
- haha, the answer depends on who is asking the question!
- I'm asking you, as a French from France!
- I am Québécois, even if that's not the right answer to give for a school test
or a government form
- We are far more defined by our quebecois identity, our nationality
we are Quebecois prior to be Canadians
Quebecois first
- But I'm curious to know whether in Alberta [Canadian province]
they define themselves as Albertans or Canadians
- Would they rather feel Canadian ?
but right now they are withdrawing into themselves
.
- maybe Albertans see themselves as Americans !
no but it depends
you also have to understand that Canada is so a huge country
that it's hard
to identify with a province located thousands kilometres away
that doesn't speak the same language
has not the same culture
does not live the same things, the same issues in the everyday life
That's why we in Quebec, having a specific culture
it is hard for us to side with something
as great but as abstract as Canadian identity.
I mean, ask the same question in British Columbia
[eastern province in Canada]
and they will also refer to another nationality as the Canadian one
Q: Ok. We have very little time left, in a few seconds
what would you say are the main cultural differences
between France and Quebec?
For instance, Quebec winter is well-known
- We're always talking about the weather here in Quebec!
- Right, weather and temperature
that's number 1 topic of conversation
Temperature varies so much
-30°C (-22F) in winter and 30°C (86F) in summer
all year long we're talking about the weather
that's number 1 topic of conversation, besides politics maybe
or the [student] strike !
But that's maybe the case because in Quebec
every time the sun starts to shine
we rush out towards terraces and we go outside
we love nice, sunny weather
- We are far more relaxed than the French!
yes, I think we are more relaxed than them.