Womens Forum Day 0
October 11, 2007 by Chris | permalink
Do you have any idea where Deauville, France is? I had no idea until today. It is on the 'Northern' coast of Normandy, France just south of Le Havre. It is essentially a well known beach resort that built a convention centre a while ago to house the American Film festival in Europe. Most of the centre of town is shuttered up since the properties are really summer holiday residences. It is a bit spooky actually. That being said, it is very Normandy. Lots of half-timber and highly articulated expressive architecture.
I am staying in the Barriere Royal Hotel. It is one of those timeless edifices built around the turn of the century [this one actually in 1912...and considering what happened in the area immediately after it is amazing that it is still here]. I think James Bond could have strolled around and felt very much at home....my room is tiny, but has a corner view of the ocean. Thankfully shutters will block out the all-nightfacade lighting. It has an ginger-bread-like top two floors which sits upon a great piano nobile with fivefloors of room stacked between them. Great wooden revolving doors whisk you in and out.
I was picked up at the airport by a woman who is a 'gazelle' - which is a group of women who have been doing rally's in Morocco for the past 18 years - in a great big Renault Transit. [A bit of a beast of a 'car']. We struggled a bit at first with our mutual understanding of Franglish, but the two hour drive dissipated rapidly. Catherine now lives in a small town in south west France after too many years in Paris and this is her annual regeneration of all things global. Good on her for doing this and choosing her lifestyle. I was dropped off at the hotel, checked in and scooted off to the evening's reception.
The reception this evening was everything that I had expected. It was held at wonderful local 'residence' which is used for such events. It was very and well appointed in every way; Great decoration, nibbles and drinks. AND, no one was remotely interested in speaking to me. I was like I was a see-thru alien. Fortunatly I met the Gazelle women again and was able to stroll around the room with them until they had to head back to Paris to pick up more participants. The mayors wife chatted with me only because I had made my way back to the entrance and was standing there a bit like a stranded fish [I think she took pity on me]. Turned out that she is an interior designer and very interested in the future of cities as was her husband. She pulled him over from the pictures routine with the Chinese delegation and we chatted about his frustrations in delivering change in his town. It ended up being a fascinating conversation....and still have not yet met any of the delegates. I wonder if this is the way women are treated when they attend conferences which are mostly male dominated? Are they ignored?
I think my experience at the lift at the hotel summes up my first impression. I was waiting for the lift to arrive with two other participants. one turned to me and aggressively asked 'So, What are you doing here?' I replied, "I was invited to come and speak about the future of cities'. That seemed to be OK with her. Silence as the lift came and deposited me at my room.
end of day naught.
