Francois Hollande, the president of France, recently visited Charlottesville to tour Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home, with U.S. President Barack Obama. Holland’s trip to the U.S., at Obama’s invitation, was a historic event, meant to symbolize and cement friendly relations between the two countries.
But what the trip meant for me was this: Now my city is on the map. Maybe when I return to France, people will know where Charlottesville is.
When we lived in Paris last year, at first I named my home town. After receiving a blank stare, I might say: “It’s near Washington, DC.”
“Is that close to New York or California?” French people would often ask. “New York,” I’d say. Soon, after people asked, “Where are you from?” I started just saying, “Near New York.” And it’s true, considering the vastness of American geography: a six-hour drive is relatively close.
When we were getting ready to leave Paris, I saw a note from one of my daughter’s friends. It said, “Have fun in New York.” I laughed.
The name Washington, DC didn’t mean much to many French people. Especially children. Maybe because in the French children’s dictionary my daughter used (the standard one for students) Washington, DC was placed right above Oregon.
After Hollande’s visit, French children should know that Charlottesville is near Washington, DC. Which probably means they think I live somewhere near Portland.