Cultural clash : English vs French in Quebec

I live in a province of Canada ( Quebec ) that has his own ( and specific ) cultural context. Starting with the obvious : language, we're a majority of french speaking Canadians, continuing to its European heritage and adding, important to mention, descendants of the loosing side of the colonial wars. These factors forged a part of our personalities. It's a big chain of events that had influence over the generations; always making the next one different and unique. It's an evolution. 

Many people want to protect our culture from other's. Like it's a second invasion of the long gone New France. I'm not taking any position about whatever mean we should take to ensure our cultural uniqueness. I think very few people will agree with me on this one, but I don't even care that we should. In our province, there's not many voices that go against protecting our culture and to some extent, I understand. But I asked myself why is it so important to protect it and came up with this explanation. 

I asked myself. When has it become an issue to protect our culture? Was it Montcalm first preoccupation when he was fighting the redcoats? I don't know for sure but I don't think it was. It was a question of conquest for land and resources. It became an issue because we lost. It was the only thing left to fight for; our origin, our language, our culture. We lived amongst a different culture since then. But that British culture influenced us and even if it's still two separate cultures today, the New France culture's evolution is inseparable to the lost of Montcalm during the battle of the Plains of Abraham and ultimately to the English culture. 

Yet, these days, there's a hunt in my province for people who choose to not embrace the french culture by learning its language and/or making it flourish on different layers. Quebec is Canada and Canada is Quebec. We live in a bilingual country. I agree and understand that people have the right to work in their language. But explain to me when has it been made mandatory to learn both languages? I mean, its a question of choice. Each individual have a choice. Whatever is to learn a second language or not. If they don't feel the need to it, then why would it be wrong? 

Culture influence individuals and individuals makes culture. Am I an "enemy" only because I chose to write a blog in "anglais"? I chose it to help me improve my English skills and it still needs to get better for my liking. What is wrong with that? We consume culture from different sources. Many comes from foreign countries. Are we wrong to open ourselves to other cultures? 

I have no problem with financing french culture in our province, but it is still my choice, as an individual to speak, write, read in the language I want. If someone can live in our province without feeling or having the need to speak french that's his own business. I'm born french Canadian but that doesn't automatically make me a knight defender of our culture. Somehow, people, by questioning, criticizing my choices and making it a moral issue, are walking on turf they don't own. This turf is call free choice. You can put any measures to encourage individuals to choose french. I have no problem at all with this. But once you're starting to point persons and to criticize their choices, you've taken the wrong path if your quest is the perenniality of french in America. 

Fiction on Nowhere Near Normality

I started writing fiction during last summer. My reading habits had increased and it gave me the will to give it a shot. I've read a few blog with many advices about writing and without much of a technique I started with short stories. 

I didn't have problems finding ideas or anything. Actually it was the other way around. Once I started a story, a better idea came to replace the one I was writing about. I ended up having many unfinished stories that I told myself I'd finish another time but now I know I probably never will or if I do it'll be because the idea was really good. I may still be bad at it (I might never be any good who knows) but I've improved and I know now that I can do better with those unfinished stories. 

I finished the first draft of a story this week-end and even though it's probably also very bad, it's the best one so far. That's probably why was able to write it to the end. I'll post it here when I'll be done rewriting/correcting it. I do not plan to make a career as a writer anyway and I don't pursue the dream of being published. I began to write only for the fun of it and to find out if I can make it. Until I change my mind I'll post my stories on this blog. 

I want to get better, so feel free to give advice and to tell me what doesn't work. You won't hurt my ego at all. The harder you are with my writings the happier I'll be. I'm an amateur and even if, like I said, I don't plan to be a published writer, my stories are meant to be read. I thank you in advance if you read me and more particularly if you participate with advices and critics.

Our evil ways

Sometimes, I'm having a hard time dealing with people who claim to be good, moral persons. Let me explain. I'm 31 years old now and for what I know I, too, claimed myself to be a good person for maybe the first 28-29 years. Looking back at what I did, it was a false statement. My intentions were good though. No, not really. The right way to put it is to say that I thought I had good intentions so I thought I was good. 

Please don't get me wrong, I didn't do anything awful or really out of the ordinary. What I mean is that until I realized all the evil behind my actions, I was pretty normal. My understanding of life changed and the more I come to know someone now, the more I see all the excuses, all the reasons they tell themselves to justify their actions. That way they keep a good opinion of themselves. They always see their actions from the inside. 

Let me use an image. Your driving your car and someone honks his horn at you. You don't know what you did to offense or endanger the other driver. You curse him and you go on. To him, your a bad driver, but you don't think you're a bad driver. In fact, you think you're a good driver and that guy lacks judgement. The truth is, You will never drive accordingly to all others. You will drive your way and others will drive their ways and because there can't be total harmony. As a result, you're going to be honked at once in a while. 

That's what it is all about. You may think you're doing good, but in fact someone thinks you're doing bad because your actions may have negatives effects on him. That's why nobody's really good. Why does it bug me? Because the way people justify themselves often end up to worst behaviors than the initial offense, in my example, it was the cursing. It's especially during a conflict because of the tension escalation. 

Are we good persons ? No I don't think we are. So we're evil then? No we're not. What are we then? Persistant to stay unaware of the fact that it's impossible to be good even if you feel you're most of the time good. It prevents you to be less stubborn, more compassionate of those you may have offended, less selfish and ultimately and ironically a better person.

Dennis Lehane - Gone, baby, gone

Gone, baby, gone is the second book in the Kenzie and Gennaro serie I read. You might be more familiar with the movie though which I haven't seen yet but will in the near future. This story takes place around the abduction of Amanda McCready. A four years old little girl from Dorcester whose mother is negligent enough to go drink, while Amanda sleeps alone their unhealthy apartment, in a watering hole named Filmore tap. A place where vermins and other low-life criminals hang out. Right off the bat you can tell this story's gonna question your own morality. But what's great about this book is that even if you're expecting it, the way it questions our morality, our perspective on society, on the ugliness hidden in plain sight that surround all of us, is overwhelming. Gone, baby, gone kept me turning the pages whenever I had the time to, even brought the book at my job so I could read during breaks. 

Besides the thrill of the story itself, I got surprised a few times and I love it when I'm surprised, I have to give the first star to Remy Broussard. Lehane built one of the most interesting characters I've read about so far. He's a gritty detective, clever, athletic and good looking with almost 20 years of service in different departments such as vice, narcs and the CAC, crimes against children. He's on the McCready case with his partner Poole, a cop nearing retirement. Broussard is the kind of guy that can be very hard with the whom he loathes and very warm and caring with the one he loves and he loves children. That multiple dimensions/ layers type of personality makes him alive and go beyond the tough enough policeman who has seen too much shit he'd never blink an eye anymore on misery and deprivation. When he and Poole told their story about the kid they've found in a barrel with cement still liquid and the way he looses his temper during the Cheese Olamon's interrogation are good example of how well built Remy Broussard is. He's also the character that will challenge your morality the most.  

Lehane has not only my respect and admiration. He rightfully deserve a place in my favorites authors list and I won't wait long to read another of his books. He's that good.          

Received my Kindle today

I must say that I'm impressed. It took only 3 days to arrive. Normally  it takes more than one week to receive packages I order. More often two. The first thing I did after unpacking it was to order BEAT to a PULP: Hardboiled and The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology because they're the first two publications of a friend of mine Ben Lelièvre. You can read him at Dead End Follies. He's a smart and interesting guy to read. I guarantee it's worthwhile 

I'm going to finish Gone, baby, gone by Dennis Lehane first and then I'll attack these two collections of short stories and I must say they look as promising as Ben's future as a writer.

Also, The Lost Children is for the benefit of PROTECT and Children 1st Scotland.

I'll probably blog my thoughts about them in a near future. Stay tune and get your copies on the kindle store.

By the way, the Kindle looks like a kick-ass gadget. I might had just got it out of the box and quite frankly I wasn't really informed about it when I ordered it. I just did. But man this thing is cool. It looks like a toy I had back in the days I was a kid. You know the drawing board that worked with magnets and little marbles trap behind the screen. You had to turn the two knobs left and right in order to draw something. Well the kindle sure is more precise than this crap toy but the screen feels the same. I think I'll enjoy it a lot.

Edit : My bad, I reread myself and it sounded like the whole collections were written by Ben. Actually he wrote a story in each of the book mentioned. As for all others writers, I must admit I don't know much about them and will have one or two more clues after reading their stories.