Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Working all night working all day to pay the bills I have to pay?

Last month, as I had to choose the speciality of the master I am going to do when I go back to France, I had to think seriously about what I wanted my future and my career to be like. So I freaked out. Since the age of six, I have always known what I wanted to do as a job, I have always had an answer to the typical question “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, even if it changed a lot, from veterinary to teacher or journalist. Since I entered university, I was sure I wanted to work in the highest realms of French public administration, especially in local authorities. However, when I had to tick the box of the Master I wanted to do, in front of such a large range of choice, I was not that sure anymore of wanting to do “Public Affairs and administration”. Living a whole year as an exchange student in Chile made me realize that having a prestigious career maybe was not that important and that politics was a definitely a ruthless world. Moreover, I was afraid that choosing to study public administration would ruin my possibilities of working in outside the borders of France.

However, I decided to choose public administration, because it is what I am interested in, and that I would improvise in two years what to do. I would like to have responsibilities, and wages corresponding to my level of studies enabling me to leave a confortable life and to travel, without worrying me to much for money, and I would definitely like to work abroad. But I know I do not need to earn a lot of money to be happy, and what matters to me is having a profession I find very fulfilling, and which enables me to have a blossoming social and family life.

Wednesday, 23 June 2010

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them - Ray Bradbury


I used to be a “bookaholic”. I spent my childhood reading, to such an extent my mother was worried, and forced me to play more and to read less! Since I entered university, I have stopped reading novels because I have to read a lot of academic papers. Moreover, I think that the fact of having a laptop drove me away from books. However, I feel very guilty about that since I consider books fundamental for our personal and intelectual development! I enjoy reading fiction in general, detective novels, historical novels, theater plays too. I am currently reading “Confieso que he vivido”, Pablo Neruda's memoires, in which he recounts his personal, literary and political fascinating life.

I suppose that digital books will replace their actual format. It makes me sad because I am used to it, but it may be positive, since it could make books to be more accessible.

“Are you looking for a VIP club very selective and reserved to men? Register to parliament.com”


Are you searching for a VIP club very selective and reserved to men? Register to parliament.com” proclaimed the last campaign of a French feminist association a month ago, protesting against the inequality of access between men and women to the public sphere. Even if nowadays,in not a single country women are denied the right to vote anymore, there is clearly no similar opportunities for both men and women to participate in politics. Only 20% of French deputies are women, and it is still very difficult for them to break the glass ceiling. As both a feminist and a political activist, gender equality, especially in politics, has been one of the issue I am most interested in for a long time. I am already trying to contribute to it by volunteering in a Chilean association called “Communidad mujer”, but this issue is definitely the one of those I would campaign for in the future.