At the Avesnières neighborhood center in Laval, there are about forty Ukrainians and French people gathered this Saturday, April 14 under the porch of the building. On the program for this day: workshop traditional flower crowns, hairstyles and exchange. The purpose of this day, organized by the Mayenne Slavic Cultural Center, is to dialogue between refugees and host families to understand the differences encountered on a daily basis.
Adapt to French cuisine
Timothy and Anna easily identify two major differences between them. The first is from Laval and lives with his wife and their three children in the city center. Since mid-April, they have welcomed Anna, a Ukrainian from kyiv. The first problem is of course communication., they admit. To speak, they use a translation app on Timothy’s phone, but it takes a long time, he admits. “We manage to translate three sentences during dinner, it’s exhausting for everyone.“
“Things are done gradually”
Next comes food, especially for Anna. “It’s the way to cook. But that’s okay, it’s normal. You have to put yourself in the French way. Even if you are invited somewhere, you have to adapt to the way of the person who welcomes you.“There’s also the question of timings.”You go to bed quite early, around 10 p.m., while me at midnight, it’s normal“, says Anna to Timothy, smiling.
The most important thing, advises Timothy, is to give yourself time to adapt. “Now Anna eats when she wants. And we only kept one meal together a week. Things happen gradually. The children get used to Anna’s presence, they ask about her when they come home in the evening.“