The Champs (tchAmps) (by M A)

The Champs, yes, pronounced with an ignorant American accent. Taking a stroll on the Champs-Elysees for an hour makes somebody think of these things. So with an open binder in hand and pen in my mouth, I approach people (no pun intended). I wonder what this ironic situation will bring to my class project and me? Asking people on the Champs about the banlieu, it’s strange, but definitely interesting. Many don’t stop, especially women who figure I just want to win their cell phone numbers. On this immense avenue, I notice that most people are shopping or just enjoying the entertainment available, justifying their hesitance to stop and talk for five or ten minutes. I did successfully stop many people, with a diverse balance of age, race, ethnicity, and religion. Their response is positive, eager to express opinions and take an odd leave of reality from their routine quotidian life-style.

With five words ready, I ask them their immediate thoughts and words that pop in their heads (The word list is asked to each person in the same order shown). They spit their beliefs and take off soon, but much is learned. A few showed more ambition, and even supplied me with new categories of thought and culture of St. Denis. I asked these nice people to apply culture (the first word I asked them to think of) to the other words to attempt to put together some pieces of the impossible definition of these places. So this is what came out of this experience. I bunched the answers together so you won't be framing culture yourself. Some responses were repeated but I'll leave that untouched, for you to think about. Ponder on why I chose to do these interviews in this way and on the Champs-Elysees. Your reactions to these words will differ and yet overlap, as the following results do:

Culture -Ways of living -Differs with each country -We all have our own culture -Hip-Hop -Books (Moliere and Charlemagne are mentioned) -Television, news, media all influence culture -As time changes so does culture -Conflict with parent culture and generation gaps (conservative vs. liberal, the former not wanting to acknowledge the latter, in denial of new culture influence on themselves). -Personal interest in other cultures -Culture resembles the realities of different societies -Understanding and acceptance of other cultures initiates progress -Sex Culture -Languages -Religion -Open mindedness of differences between cultures -Learning other cultures

Banlieu (Suburbs, a.k.a. ghetto) -Skyscraper apartment buildings (including housing developments) -A special way of living, different (in a positive and negative sense) -Less priveledged people -Ghetto life, the somber realties of it -Rackai (thugs) -Rap -Graffiti -NTM (and French Rap in general) -Incomprehension of the banlieu situation -The young in the banlieu are not all delinquents; they experience a different culture and environment. Some people are ignorant in their pre-judging of young adults from the banlieu, thinking they're all trouble, they're wrong -Very isolated from opportunities such as work, good housing options, and safety for children. There are few means to a good or possibly even successful life in the banlieu -Nicely cultivated cute gardens -Tranquil -Negative connotations of the banlieu inhabitant -A people culture, love for others in the same struggling situation. -Bad boys

Les Champs-Elysses (come on, The Champs) -Prestige -Luxury culture -They enjoy it; it's a fun place -The FNAC culture, tied to Virgin -Cinema and entertainment culture -Lido and other strip clubs -A mixed culture of people, different colors on people's faces -Parties -Shopping culture -A fun place to be, lots of options for entertainment -Tourists -Huge streets and wide buildings -Lights everywhere -The champs defines Paris -It has a multi-ethnic variation of people and a cosmopolitan vibe, culture -The Champs-Elysees song -Snobby people -It provides all material things a person wants (in a nut shell, I suppose they mean)

Saint Denis -Banlieu/Ghetto -Poverty, drugs, and violence -Football (a.k.a. soccer, calcio) -1993 Connection -Stade de France (We Are The Champions is chanted happily amongst their comrades) -Smoking Hashish, Cocaine -'La Vache Folle,' one jokingly added, so we must order Le McChicken -St. Denis' general culture (yes vague, but that's what they said), representing banlieu culture but with its own uniqueness. -The Rebellious Young -There is a bad image of St.Denis -Hate attracts hate and creates more hate (gang hate/beef) -L'universite de St.Denis Stade de France -St.Denis -Football (the World Cup) -A multi-cultural French team -'Allez Les Bleus!' -Le Penn-'fils de pute,' 'fascist de merde,' 'jaloux raciste,' -Pride in French soccer team representing immigrant people (Arabs and North Africans) -Champions of the world -Zinedine Zidane -It is positive that Stade de France is located in St.Denis because it attracts help and work to the area. -Music concerts

Police -Are all around Paris -Ask people for their ids, their surnames -Racists -Target minorities -Can be helpful -Supply security for some, for minorities they provide paranoia -Metro police and dogs -The French film 'La Haine'