Interview with Mathias!

For my last post, I had to interview someone who’s not originally from Quebec about his integration experience in Quebec. I had fun doing this because it is interesting to be conscious of the Quebec particularities through the eyes of a foreigner.

Mathias is francophone. He is from a small city near to Nantes in France and is 24 years old. He visited Quebec many times.

His first time in La Belle Province was in winter 2005. Afterwards, he came in summer 2006, 2007 and winter 2012 for about 2 weeks each time. He has even been to Rimouski!

What struck him first is the greatness of the country. Everything looked huge to him: landscapes, buildings, roads, cars (the consumption of them, as well) and "Mc Donald’s menus".

He also said that the country looks "recent". The streets are straight, perpendicular and well organized, unlike in France where it is a little more sinuous and narrow.

According to him, Quebec has a pretty good integration system: people can not come to the country if they have less than 4000 dollars and there is a rating system (job, age, etc.). In France, it is much less supervised and it suddenly creates problems of integration.

Regarding food, "if we like fast food, we like Quebec". There is an impressive selection of fast food restaurants: KFC, Mc Donald’s, Subway, Burger King, etc.
There are some things that are quite different compared to France. Cheese is hard to find. Beer, bread and wine are 2 to 3 times more expensive than in France.

Regarding language, except for our ‘’damned’’ accent, we use a lot of English words in our conversations in French, making a funny mix. We have lots of pictorial expressions. He thinks that our language is quite straightforward. In France, there is a lack of spontaneity in language.

Another thing that struck him is the maintenance in natural parks. They are super well organized and maintained.

There is also a lot of volunteering which is not as developed in his country, unfortunately: "We may be a little too individualistic", he said.

Regarding the houses in small towns, they are not fenced, while in France everyone surrounds his house of fences or hedges. "We must be paranoid", he adds.

To end, Quebec is a beautiful country where everything is disproportionate. ʺBut if you want a country where wine and beer are cheap, come in France", says Mathias.

To me, this interview makes me want to travel in France in order to experience the integration in another country.