Today I embarked on the first of the international political practice of leafleting and petition signing.

I’ve thus been getting involved in the campaign against the construction of line 2 for trams on the Promenade des Anglais, which is the long walkway and road that goes along the front of the sea and, of course, the beach. I’ve only been there briefly so far (where I saw that, like English beaches, it is in fact mainly stones, but, unlike English beaches, the sea is blue and appealing) but all you need to know is that the site is very beautiful, and that’s what everyone comes to see. (Evidence of this to follow in the post).

A group of us went to the Palais de Justice (the courthouse) where there is a square outside at 1000h to get started. Approach someone with the clipboard: “Bonjour Monsieur/Madame, dites non au tram sur la prom?”

The majority of the time I just got a simple but polite “non merci” though in two hours I managed to get about 20 signatures. My main cultural question is at what point a Mademoiselle becomes a Madame, so I had to restrict my efforts to old women in that sense to remove all doubt. A few people where busy, a few poilte, a few in favour of the tramway there and a few people with questions.

I managed to develop a few arguments in case I had some inquisitive people (and some took AGES to make their point, so I smile and nod and make affirmations like “Really?” “You’re right” until they stop and sign), though they were more akin to 1970s Soviet Rockets that an American Stealth Bomber in their sophistication, but it is day 3 after all.

If there are any French speakers who read this, I suggest you head over to the campaign website.

Still, all good fun for cultural learning.

In a similar vein, I’m delighted to say that I have already been asked directions by tourists who speak French badly worse than I do. It seems like I’m joining it quite well.

On a slightly more fun point, if any one you are going to France soon, see how many stereotypes cultural experiences you can find (I’ve done all these ones so far):

• People walking around with more than one baguette under their arm
• Someone throwing a cigarette not at you directly, but just where you are about to walk
• A French flag
• A French flag flying next to a European Union Flag
• A French flag flying next to a European Union Flag flying next to ANOTHER French Flag
• The words Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité inscribed somewhere
• Seeing someone almost get hit by a car even though they were at a crossing when the green man was shining
• A woman on a bicycle with a basket full of vegetables (I assume there were onions)
• Someone almost getting their toes cut off my a cyclist
• A man playing an accordian!