Insight into a travel journalist...

Wednesday May 13, 2009 

Today we had the chance to be able to have a visit from Eleanor Beardsley who is reporting from France for NPR since June 2004, following all aspects of French society, politics, economics, culture and gastronomy. She provided us with some tips on how to be able to report from places that we are unfamiliar with. Being from the US, she married her husband who is French and came to work and live with him in Paris. She is a great story teller and told us about a few stories she has done such as meals children receive in French schooling as opposed to the US, she covered Obama's visit to France, and even Sarkozy's election. It is always nice to have someone who is experienced offer advice to those who are new at the industry. One of her major recommendations is not to be shy but be assertive and make sure to try your best when finding a new angle to stories and breaking away from mundane stories. 

Beardsley has found that the French culture is very relaxed and not necessarily for the worse. One observation that struck her when she was ordering photos from Walgreens for her mother in the US, she looked at the hours and thought it was horrible the store was open from 8-10 everyday. Things we take for granted are not the case in France. In fact most stores besides cafes and restaurants are closed on Sundays and most boutiques are closed Mondays too. She has also observed that jobs like collecting garbage or cleaning the streets are not frowned upon as in the US because of the benefits and pay offered by the government. She has noted many important differences that make you take a step back and think about our lifestyle. 

Following the meeting with Beardsley, I went home to relax a little and wanted to treat myself to a delicious dinner. I went out with a few friends to a little cafe near the Place d'Italie and order a rack of lamb. I have tasted this dish before but there was something about this one. Accompanied with a bed of rice, a rose wine, and some bread.... it was a perfect match for me. One barrier we did have though was trying to communicate with the waiter as he didn't know very much English but he was attentive and as helpful as could be.