Walks around town with a KR-cap
At the headquarters of Alliance Française in Tryggvagata, the new journalist, Alexandre Labruffe, is awaiting, but he has lived here for six months. In a wonderful chat, Alexandre tells of his stay in Iceland, his books, the Alliance Française’s promotional campaign and his stay in Wuhan during the crown virus. Alexandre would like to learn Icelandic and even intends to write a crime story that happens in Iceland, as they are very popular in France!
Closed inside for 155 days
« I had never come to Iceland before, except in my dreams. As a child, I dreamed of coming here, but I ended up in China and lived there for all for ten years where I worked for the Foreign Service and as Managing Director of Alliance Française. I speak Chinese which is much easier than Icelandic, » says Alexandre.
« I started working for the Consulate to set up Alliance Française in China in a » small « city right by Shanghai, » he says, but the city, Hangzhou, is small on a Chinese scale but counts eleven million inhabitants.
« At this time, there was a lot of interest in French culture and language and many people thought of moving to French -speaking countries such as Canada, France, Belgium or African countries where French are spoken, but China works a lot with Africa. When I was there sixteen years ago, China was free than today.
« The people in China are very nice, but today it is difficult for artists who adhere to free thinking to live there. »
Alexandre has long experience teaching people all about French culture.
« The idea behind Alliance Française is to teach people French, but also organizing events, such as the French Film Festival that was recently here in Reykjavik. »
Alexandre lived in Wuhan at the beginning of 2020 when the crown virus went on a crunch, but as the international remember, its beginning could be traced to that city.
« I was then working for the French Konusulat in Wuhan where I took care of culture and had to organize events. I came there three months before the virus and maybe I brought him myself from Paris, I don’t know, » he laughs.
Alexandre played a gesture player in a promotional video to appeal to young people and get it to learn about French culture and language.
« These were difficult times, sad and emotional but also interesting. It was all closed, in a few cycles. First everything was closed for six months; from January 2020 until May and then I went to France but then came back. Quickly or even the whole neighborhood.
I perceive the atmosphere
Alexandre says he has always read a lot, from childhood. A book he read as a boy had an influence on his decision to come to Iceland.
« It is a real dream to come to Iceland. I read as a child the trip to the center of the earth after Jules Verne and understood it when I came here because I had read this book always dreamed of coming to Iceland. Laughs. He says he has been very pleased when it worked out, but he is hired by Alliance Française for four years.
« Here I go swimming, but I don’t live so far from the Vesturbæjarlaug. Here, swimming pools are different from them in France; here they are outdoors and all other temperatures on the water. Go swimming here is like going to a cafe or bar, because people meet there. the country, ”says Alexandre.
Recently, social media launched a new video to encourage young people to learn French, but the French campaign was launched in March. March 20 is an international day of the French language, but all March is dedicated to the French language of Alliance française.
« French is a way of people into French culture. It is important for young people to get more into culture and stop hanging on their phones. him.
« The video has one gesture player and I don’t know why, but I was asked to play it. But fortunately I am unrecognizable, » he says.
The northern light app that beep
Is it true that you walk around the town with KR traces?
« No, this is a hat! I was told that it was good to wear her in the West Bank, but not necessarily elsewhere, » he says, laughing.
« When I came to the country in September I decided three things. First was going swimming and another to download the Northern Lights app. It has been to go to Icelandic sports games.
« I went to the game KR and the Westman Islands. I want to avoid doing tourist things, because I want to find a real Icelandic atmosphere and what’s better than going to a sports game with the locals? I of course don’t understand what people are talking about around me, but that’s fine;
« I also go to theater shows, in the movies, on a bar and a cafe to experience the culture. I want to learn Icelandic but the pronunciation is so difficult! »
There is a detailed interview with Alexandre in the Sunday newspaper Morgunbladid this weekend.
