This has been a week of activity! Suddenly lots of opportunities to join in Rochelais life presented themselves and we took them all on.
We have been impressed by the creativity and innovations in La Rochelle. We were intrigued when we read about the first public meeting to discuss the new plan 2010-2020 and decided to go. Imagine our amazement when we arrived only slightly late to find the 780 seat auditorium completely full with people standing at the back. We crept in and found places sitting on the stairs. After the introductions of the chairs of committees and the mayor, they showed a very slick film, outlining the goals of the plan: biodiversity, the economy and social issues. After a further explanation of each one, the floor was open to questions and some heated debate took place. Concerns similar to those in any western community were raised--housing, transit, access to services. Some of the questions were fun. One young woman wanted to know if the mayor could arrange for the over-abundance of storks and swans in an outlying community to be transported into La Rochelle. Another man was one of those frequent types who come to grind an axe about a development he has been trying to initiate on protected wetlands. It was clear that he had gone head to head with the mayor in the past. Our mayor's body language was something to behold! He reminded me of Pierre Trudeau. His replies were articulate and well organized and then there was his quintessentially French shrug.We were impressed by the thoughtfulness of the plan and the clear interest of the large number of people who attended.
Thé Dansant--we saw little ads in the local What's On and wondered. My mother spoke about thé dansants at the Chateau Laurier in the 1920s and they are sometimes mentioned in novels of that era. What could they be in France in the 21st century? Last Sunday afternoon we set out for the Tasdon community hall with our friends, Géry and Marie. As we entered, this is what we saw.
"Oh no, not line dancing," I thought. It was indeed line dancing but of an ancient Bayonne variety, a folk dance really. The hall was large, with a stage on which a two man band was working at full blast. We arrived about a half hour after the designated start time and they had to scramble to find us a place. Clearly, the rest of the participants were enthusiastic dancers and had arrived on the stroke of 4 PM or 16:00 as I am learning to say. And what dancers most of them were! The band played folk dances, Strauss waltzes, tangos. It was really a joy to watch most couples artfully dancing these complicated steps. Mostly seniors with a sprinkling of middle-aged folk, the women especially were dressed to the nines, some of them in cocktail dresses. People watching was great fun. 
My favourite couple had to be in their eighties but they were on the floor constantly, moving together flawlessly, gently smiling, as I imagined they have through many, many years of marriage. There were many women dancing together and we were intrigued by a very elegantly dressed couple who looked like sisters. They spun around with enormous skill, obviously enjoying themselves. We left with a new resolution to find a dancing school and learn how to waltz properly!
My favourite couple had to be in their eighties but they were on the floor constantly, moving together flawlessly, gently smiling, as I imagined they have through many, many years of marriage. There were many women dancing together and we were intrigued by a very elegantly dressed couple who looked like sisters. They spun around with enormous skill, obviously enjoying themselves. We left with a new resolution to find a dancing school and learn how to waltz properly!
We have been impressed by the creativity and innovations in La Rochelle. We were intrigued when we read about the first public meeting to discuss the new plan 2010-2020 and decided to go. Imagine our amazement when we arrived only slightly late to find the 780 seat auditorium completely full with people standing at the back. We crept in and found places sitting on the stairs. After the introductions of the chairs of committees and the mayor, they showed a very slick film, outlining the goals of the plan: biodiversity, the economy and social issues. After a further explanation of each one, the floor was open to questions and some heated debate took place. Concerns similar to those in any western community were raised--housing, transit, access to services. Some of the questions were fun. One young woman wanted to know if the mayor could arrange for the over-abundance of storks and swans in an outlying community to be transported into La Rochelle. Another man was one of those frequent types who come to grind an axe about a development he has been trying to initiate on protected wetlands. It was clear that he had gone head to head with the mayor in the past. Our mayor's body language was something to behold! He reminded me of Pierre Trudeau. His replies were articulate and well organized and then there was his quintessentially French shrug.We were impressed by the thoughtfulness of the plan and the clear interest of the large number of people who attended. 
And then there were the Christmas concerts. All over France, there are small bands called les Orchestres d'Harmonie. Their origins go back beyond Napoléon and now they are supported by local governments. They are made up of amateur musicians of all ages. It is a charming mix of very young children, adolescents and adults who are obviously long retired. We attended two of these concerts. Both of them took place in old--and cold--buildings! The audiences were just like home: adoring parents, grandparents and partners. Lots of cameras flashing and loud applause for every number. Our friend Géry was performing for the first time in his new role as sax player so we were part of his adoring and impressed audience.
By the end of the week, we felt that we were really beginning to see into some parts of French life in small cities. These events, like much of our life here, raised questions for us about Canada. We wondered: why is dancing so much more a part of French life than Canadian, who supports events for seniors, what sort of plan is there for the future of Toronto to 2020 and how many people would attend a meeting about it, are there local bands in Canada and who supports them financially? And I wondered, why can French men dance so well while their buddies in Canada can't (aside from David, of course!)?
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