What a show of solidarity for the conservation of our planet!
I actually feel I should go out there tonight, act as the town crier of old and stand in the middle of the square, shouting at all of Lalinde to "Switch off"!When I mentioned this to a friend today, he remarked that this will probably mean that France will not have to worry about negative population growth this year! Let's make a note in our diaries and check in nine months' time if he was right -- will there be a baby boom in November 2007 in France? Be that as it may, if France does switch off tonight at five to eight, I for one will be very impressed and very proud of my fellow man!
Photograph:Yves Malenfer/Pierre Bideau
Asking a country like France to all do something like together, is not the easiest ask! As de Gaulle remarked, no doubt throwing his hands in the air and accompanying the remark with all the appropriate gallic gestures : "How does one govern a country that has more than 365 cheeses?" France is made up of what used to be more than 44 provinces, now divided into 22 regions - ostensibly to prevent rigorous competition between the provinces. Each region in turn is divided into départements
Each of these 95 departmental regions is administered by a Conseil Général, and each has a préfecture with a Préfet, and traditionally two Sous Préfectures. The departments are numbered in alphabetical order. These given numbers form the last two numbers on a car's number plate and the first two number of the postal code. Add to those the regions the exotic flavours of the régions d'outre-mer -- the DOMs and the TOMs : Guadeloupe, Guyane française, Martinique and Réunion, and Corsica, French Polynesia, Mayotte, and New Caledonia -- And then, if all that is still not enough, the départements are divided into communes. This an example of the communes in la Dordogne-Perigord, one of the Départements of the region Aquitaine.
The geography of France also sees to clear divisions within the country -- there are for instance four different climate zones, mountain ranges, fertile valleys and marshlands. There are vast contrasts in language, culture, history and traditions, music and architecture -- and of course food -- and not to even mention those cheeses! Travelling from one region to another is almost like travelling into another country -- everything is so notably different.
And if all that is not enough of a challenge, each person seems to be full of his or her own internal contrasts as well! One only has to ask them about who they will vote for in the upcoming elections, to see what I am talking about! "Ah!", would be the likely response. "That dépends................ do I vote with my head or do I vote with my heart? Do I think we want a président who talks or do I want a président who acts......Do I want an énarque or do I want un homme du terrain.........", and so the one-sided debate continues..
But is this not exactly why we love this place so much! Never a dull moment -- the possiblity of another revolution flaring up any moment, yes! the smell of a different cheese around every corner -- a new experience every day!
Ah! Ma Belle France! At the risk of sounding cheesy, I must confess I just love this new home of mine! Click on Link:
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