THE GALLEY, Media Club of Ottawa

The Galley, Media Club of Ottawa Page 3 March 2008

Jessica Goodfellow joined the Media Club after completing her studies at the University of Ottawa. She is currently posted in Paris and has agreed to give us a taste of the big city..

Across the pond….

by Jessica Goodfellow

People here in Paris have a saying for their weekly routine – “metro, bureau, dodo”. Translated this mean, “bus, work, bed”. I am coming to learn this is not much of an exaggeration. And this is all done in a very loud, busy, grey setting. Sometimes I get the urge to buy myself flowers. I think this is my subconscious retreat away from the cement and chaos!

On the weekend, I feel the need to ‘de-tox’. I venture around, acting like a tourist. Sometimes I visit the main sites. I have been to Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame. Other times I just go on long, aimless walks. I have walked along the Seine and have visited small, cute villages with live music and many artists. On these days, I just enjoy the simple things and try to forget about work and the stress that comes along with the expectations of a new job.

The city I find has two layers: One is the chaos; the other is the love of beauty in everything – food, wine, people, art, fashion, music. The latter is what is making me fall in love with Paris, more and more. It is easy to find charm here. Culture is just as important as work. You work long hours (9a.m. – 6p.m. at least), but you are expected to work just as hard at having fun.

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So, to follow-up on this expectation, I have visited restaurants of various cultures with colleagues, listened to live Tunisian music while sipping on great wine, enjoyed evening walks in mild weather, sought out fellow Canadians through a meet-up group, and have been compiling a very long list of experiences I eventually want to have in this city.

The people here are not radically different from Canadians, but the most evident stereotype is the men. They feel they should tell you exactly what is on their minds and they feel they definitely have the right to do so - no matter how bold or direct. Depending on how innocent the comment, I either roll my eyes or shake my head with a smile. Always though, I am laughing to myself and take it in as good entertainment.

Let me tell you a bit about my position and organization. I am the Communications Officer for the International Federation of Agricultural Producers. The Federation represents over 600 million farm families grouped in 115 national organizations in 80 countries. IFAP is a policy making organization mandated to push farmers’ interests forward in international meetings of governments and other bodies.

As a result of globalization, there has been a dramatic shift towards industrialized agriculture which is extremely centralized. Domestic economies, especially in developing countries, lose their strength to these corporations and international agreements (like NAFTA and the WTO) engineered by the richest countries (G8) which impose standards that seriously threaten sustainability. Add to this, evolving environmental and societal demands. The agricultural sector is the hardest hit. One of IFAP’s roles is to help farmers find a place in the international playing field in a way that fosters sustainability and competitiveness.

It is a very timely issue for which I have a deep dedication. Thus, I am very excited to be working for this organization and consider it a privilege.

In my time in Paris, I hope to have a healthy balance between work and play. I will keep you all posted about my adventures in trying to maintain this!

A bientot!
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