Day 6-Day 7 of the First 100 Days

Alain Juppe will be spearheading the discussions about global warming, sustainable fuels, maybe eventually? cars using sustainable fuels, pollution . . . and last but not least nuclear power. As many of you know, France has a number of nuclear power stations although other energy sources of energy have been explored as well - such as aeolian wind power.

Today is a day for discussion. Wait till July for more than talk.

Day 7 - Well not every day can be a ‘big picture day’. Today the headlines concern whether or not students should stand up when a teacher enters the classroom - or whether they should use the polite ‘vous’ form. I must be REALLY behind the times. I assumed that it goes without saying that the ‘vous’ form is reserved for one’s elders. Standing up in class? Maybe in a military school, that makes sense, but the last time I stood up in a classroom for anybody, it was for the parish priest. (That was in the late sixties. I happen to remember that day very clearly. We had drawn a poster for the room that said, “Be a Leader. Not a Follower” Father Calimeri looked at the poster and said, “If everybody is a leader. There’s no one left to follow.”
I never wanted to stand up again. But I would still always say ‘vous’.
‘Vous’ is a sign of respect, but it’s also a sign of distance. Toi is reserved for those with which you feel close, and comfortable.
You may refer to a teacher in the ‘vous’ form, but if you pray to God, you would use the ‘tu’ form. Standing and bowing only have true meaning when they occurr spontaneously. Everything else is just habit, coertion or just trying not to make waves. i.e. Be a leader, not a follower.

By Parisgirl | Permalink

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