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Why I changed my mind about France in general and French children in particular

Published on 5/3/2008

I used to hate children (by which I mean anyone under 30!). When I arrived in France however, I had to change my tune, the children and young adults here are absolutely charming. I would not for one moment say that this was true all over France, but certainly in the areas around where I live, I have been astounded and delighted by the gentility and politeness of the local youth. When you arrive at a café, or work, the first thing everyone does is shake hands or give 'les bises' - this is certainly a part of it, but the way the youth treat their elders with such respect is phenomenal. Two illustrations. The first time I was invited to a mechoui I noticed that my best French friend had spent a long time talking to an old chap at a distant table. When he returned I asked if it was his grand father and he assured me he was no relation at all - the fact was, he confided, the gentleman was the oldest person in the village and was a very interesting man to talk to. A large party was organized at the local football stadium for the combined birthdays of 3 friends, two british (one flying in from Australia where she lives) and one French. The night of the event went off superbly and carried on right through to daybreak, we grabbed a couple of hours sleep and then went to the lunch we had organized. Replete with lunch we were not looking forward to going back for the clear up, but it had to be done before the Monday morning, so off we went back to the scene of the crime expecting the worst. Arriving at the football stadium we were astounded to find that not only had everything been cleared and cleaned, but the leftover food and drinks had been organized in readiness for our return at which point the local lads were going to play host to us as a thank you - and then clear up again!