North of France : Bethune- Bruay

This is the second week and the final week, I am here to organise the residency project. The remark of my short time here: First of all I am surprised of how friendly, polite and helpful, people had been when I came across the locals. In last 25 years and more, I have been to many regions in France. Up till now, this place has been the most comfortable place I have been to. Even apparently there are only 5 Chinese family in Bethune, people may look at me but not in the hostility I have felt in the past in other regions. They are just simply curious and most adults I came across treat me without putting the emphasis on difference. While my walks, old and young people says Hello and speak to me, if they see if I am having some trouble, they will come to let me know what they know, when I bought the local news papers, the shop keeper explained to me when the each news papers come out. Because of the economical condition that region had been affected by closing of mining industry, one would imagine a typical working class mentality in photographic works such as Martin Parr and recent exhibition I have seen of the Thierry Girard. In reality, I have not come across this kind of stereo typed people at all till now. In a class children did a short sketch in their local language for me but this is an entertainment for everyone that is making fun of each characters they are pretended to be. I am meeting people who are well spoken, articulated and knowledgeable. Teachers here in the area also seems to be much more devoted in education that are more than teaching the academic materials. I met a teacher who told me that she as a little girl, she was not taught to explore questions and thinking process of why they are doing things in the class, she is transmitting this process to her students. In general, I am enjoying meeting people from this region which is unknown to me and learning day by day about the place through people.