Why Become French? By Not Even French

Tutorial Transcript

Hello Youtube! As promised, to celebrate the fact there are more than 20 000 of us in our Francophiles community, I will do this video today on the 3 reasons for which I want to become French. Obviously there are many but here are my top 3. Firstly I just wanted to say sorry for the delay I didn't think I would hit the 20 000 so fast So while it was a very nice surprise I wasn't at all prepared That's why I did my best to find a timeslot to film today but I know that I'm already 2 weeks late. For those who follow me on Twitter, I asked you which topic to cover to celebrate this rather enormous step and you chose this one. I am of course obliged to film it in French, otherwise that would be weird! Symbolically, I can't speak about something as important as becoming French while speaking French - it doesn't really work! So for your comfort I will put subtitles in both English and in French to be sure that I am well understood Before starting, a big big thank you to my subscribers you are awesome! Okay let's go! The first reason for which I'd like to become French is that I have fundamentally changed as a person since my arrival in France. Although I've spent just 5 years here they have been the most intense and formative years of my life. As such, some of my values my way of thinking, my opinion of the world were formed here in France and under a huge French influence. This means that there are times were I no longer behave like a New Zealander but rather like a French person. A conrete example is when I started working in France 4 years ago I was a little pissed off by the taxes. I found that with all the Social Charges we pay plus the tax on your income plus the tax you pay as a renter / home owner I thought to myself: we pay TOO much here. Even though I saw the advantages of the healthcare system and the unemployment benefits it annoyed me to pay so much. I was a young, healthy worker with no kids no need for a high level of protection I didn't do all of my studies here in France so I had the impression that I paid a lot for other people whereas I wasn't able to save. Whereas today I am different I am more than happy to contribute to society and I really believe that we are only as strong as the weakest in our society. This means that I understand and I believe much more in the concept of fraternity (French value). I know that it's just a small example but I hope that you have understood that my values and my way of thinking etc have evolved in France I am aligned with France's values and I would like this to be reflected in my nationality and at the same time that the French nationality is reflected in my personality as well. I'm not sure if i make sense but I hope you have understood. The second reason I wanted to mention is that I would like to be closer with my French family As you know I have my partner and my in laws here who are very important to me and although we haven't spent a lifetime together and we haven't shared similar past experiences or even cultural references I would like to share something deeper with them in the future, that is to say the fact of being French with them. Plus, I want to have a family of my own one day and the kids would be 50% French and I want to be a part of this exclusive club - I can't be the only non-French of the group, that's so not cool! The third reason for which I want to become French is because I love France and I'm proud of her. As you know I have a strong interest in the French culture the people, the country and I think I see the positive side of France. I often defend France against misconceptions or clichés and sometimes I even receive messages from French people thanking me for making them fall in love with France again and appreciate their own country. I know that having the French nationality is a responsibility and I need to work hard to better understand the language and it's history but I think that my intentions are good and I think I have a level of motivation that will push me to understand further the complexities of France. Obviously I could continue I could talk about the relief to not have to get a visa every year to stay here or the simplest things that I love every day here in France like going to the bakery in the evening but I hope that I have given you an idea of my motivations all the same. Even if I will never be 100% French I think that there will always be a part of my that is sufficiently French that deserves to be recognized. phew it's hard to say If you are French tell me in the comments why you are proud to be French or if you are expats do you see yourself like a French person to some extent? if yes, how? If no, why not? Until the next video I will say thank you everybody We will see each other next time, see you soon!