Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | NXg | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest |

GOING NATIVE

Happy to be here

Married to the city Amelie Weigel

A student exchange programme first brought Amelie Weigel to the city. She was fascinated by the rich cultural heritage of the city. It was also here that she met her husband-to-be, Sukumaran Mani, a native of Thiruvananthapuram.

Now, eight years later, Amelie is back in the city as the Director of Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum.

As the Director of Alliance, Amelie has three important missions. First, to increase the number of French classes being offered. Second, to showcase French culture and give a picture of what modern France is and third, to organise exchange programmes to foster mutual understanding of cultures.

Says Amelie, a native of Savoie, a French district close to Switzerland: “Yes the culture and lifestyle are different but not difficult to adapt to and this is what I wanted.” The food is spicy but she loves the fresh fish of the coastal city. The weather is hot but better than extreme summer and winter.

“What I like most about the city is that there is some cultural event or the other every day. Paris is known as a cultural centre but the difference here is that people from all walks of life wholeheartedly participate in cultural activities. The Attukal Pongala, for instance, fascinated me.”

A mother of a three-month old daughter, Lalitha, Amelie lives with her daughter in an apartment. Her husband who works for Cadbury is currently away on work.

Amelie is emphatic when she says Lalitha will learn both French and Malayalam. Although she knows just a couple of words in Malayalam herself, Amelie adds that she is trying to build up her vocabulary. She is also brushing up on her English.

The bibliophile in Amelie comes out when you discuss books. With the library at Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum well stocked with books, Amelie spends her spare time browsing in the library. As the library is also networked in the sense that one can access any book in any other centre of the Allaince Francaise, she browses online too.

A people’s person, Amelie enjoys travelling and meeting new people. Her favourite tourist spot in the city is Kovalam.

Regarding the changes she has noted in the city, she says “Thiruvananthapuram has changed in the last eight years. People are much more friendlier. There are more shops and you find more foreigners who have made the city their home.”

As she winds up her conversation she says: “The city is a happening place and I am happy to be here.”

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail