What do you do for a job?
I am a mobile EMS personal trainer. It’s a 20-minute workout straight from Germany. It has been life-changing for me since a young age. It is short, intense, fun and gives you the best results. I love my job and I get to meet amazing people throughout the day. I am very grateful for anyone who has opened their home or office to me and I hope I can bring a bit of light to their busy day and help them to get or stay in shape and reset.
How long have you lived in NZ?
In August, it will be 10 years that I have lived here!
What prompted you to move here?
Many reasons brought me to New Zealand, but believe it or not the first one was to learn English. I wanted at first to go to London but many of my friends were mentioning that it will be exactly like living Paris so I decided to look further and at different options. Then I picked Australia because of the hot weather and the sexy surfers, it sounded more exotic! A couple of months before I left, I heard that the rugby World Cup was on in NZ and thought it would be a great opportunity to find a job easily and to be part of a great experience, even if I knew nothing about rugby! Next minute I was on plane with my 20kg backpack and ready to say, “kia ora”. I can remember every single emotion that came with this decision, it was a great time in my life!
What do you love most about New Zealand? What I love the most about New Zealand is the outdoor lifestyle. Growing up in a big city I never experienced that side of my personality. But seeing the ocean every day and being surrounded by green all the time is something I could not live without anymore. New Zealand is a big playground for freedom and the beauty of its landscape is breathtaking. Living surrounded by nature gives you a more down to earth approach to life. Never wore a pair a gumboots in my life before I came here but I love it!
I was young and madly in love so I left everything without thinking about the consequences.
What is your favourite Kiwi food ?
Kumara. I eat them pretty much every day. A nice slow cooked lamb leg in red wine with some roasted kumara is as good as a Sunday night meal can be!
What do you miss the most about France?
Paris! By saying how much I love New Zealand’s nature I also really miss the Parisian lifestyle. There are never two days the same! The old and rich culture and diversity in France is something else: food, architecture, people, artists, and travel. You are always entertained without making any effort. Creativity is everywhere. Being a Parisian is a real mood and I miss that every day.
What is your favourite French food and are you able to get it here? That is probably the hardest question to answer. I was raised in a home where food was everything. Dad would always invite the whole neighbourhood for dinner and Mum was always rushing to get the best ingredients and make the most delicious meals. We could stay hours sitting at the table and just enjoying our meal. But if I have to pick one, it would to be a baguette with some cheese and butter from the market and a beautiful glass of Saint-Emilion. But my list could be long. New Zealand has an amazing food selection and I am definitely a happy girl every time I go to Farro or Maison Vauron, but the selection is way smaller. I still cook pretty much French food pretty much everyday — beef bourguignon is still my favourite home dish on a cold day.
French people are all about letting it out, the good and the bad, which Kiwis tend to keep to themselves and be way more controlled about.
What is the biggest cultural difference you have noticed?
The cultural difference is very big between the two countries. I have found the biggest to be the way we manage our emotions. French people are all about letting it out, the good and the bad, which Kiwis tend to keep to themselves and be way more controlled about. You will rarely see negative emotions from a Kiwi unless you are close to them, while a French person will give you a more instinctive reaction at anytime to anyone.
Did living here take some time to get used to? It did, but my situation was a bit different. I didn’t choose New Zealand as a home, I chose a Kiwi as a life partner. I was young and madly in love, so I left everything without thinking about the consequences! One week before I was about to leave NZ and was all packed and jobless, I decided to stay here, l’amour. It was all so rushed when reality hit me and it was a real struggle for sure. Being a foreigner on the other side of the world is way more challenging than what I anticipated but it had nothing to do with New Zealand.
I was actually very lucky that life brought me here and not somewhere else. But it doesn’t take away the challenges of being far from your friends and family (especially when you have kids), and a whole culture that isn’t yours. However, 10 years later, I am happy to have New Zealand and France as my two homes. Both are amazing countries that are the perfect ying and yang in my life.
You have three children?
My three kids were born in New Zealand but have a very French life here! They go to French school in Ponsonby, are fluent in both languages and love French food. I also have a lot of French friends here that are a big part of my kids’ life so there is a lot of oh la la at home. Before covid we were very lucky to be able to go back to France every year so they have a lot of memories over there. I am also very close to my mum and we call her pretty much every day so they do miss France a lot. However, the first thing on their list is to go to Disneyland Paris which is actually an American concept!
How old are your children?
Pia is eight years old, Benoit is five-and-a-half, and Lottie is almost four! I love being a mum and you quite naturally raise your kids the way you were raised, but I had to adapt a little bit. We have a very different approach of raising our children. In France we are way more strict than here, and our emotions are not hidden. We have a bit more of a ‘raw’ approach. We talk a lot about our feelings. Here it is way more laid back. I find the Kiwi approach way more polite and proper.
The three of them have very different personalities too, so honestly, I feel like most of the time I learn from them, not the opposite!
