Moules et frites

Tonight is the local moules et frites night that the parents association at the school have organised and I have volunteered to help out.  With about 160 people coming to enjoy an evening of food and dancing I was slightly apprehensive about going down to a crowded village hall and possibly not knowing many people there, making myself approach the people I did know to see how they were and start the conversation - a bit daunting when everyone knows everyone else except me.

I was to be there at about 8pm, and got there for about 20 past, people were still arriving and there was not much to be done.  As the evening progressed it struck me that there are many cultural difference between a dinner dance that happens in rural France and the UK;

1.          Event starts at 8pm, in the UK you would be sitting down to eat by 9pm at the latest.  Here the kids finally got fed at 9.30pm and the adults sat down to start their aperitifs at 10pm.

2.         The biggest difference was the presence of children - this was a family event and most people bought their children along.  The kids enjoyed running around, jumping off tables and generally having a good time while their parents enjoyed the pinot and whiskey on offer to start the evening off.  There were children from 6 months old to 11 + and all were left to their own devices pretty much.  In the UK the kids would be tucked up in bed with the babysitter settled down for a night in front of the TV.

3.         Health and safety - there seems to be little H & S here, big pots of boiling mussels were set on the floor with burners underneath to keep them warm, children as young as 18 months were wandering into the kitchen oblivious to the dangers of being burnt by the hot pots.  There is relaxed and then relaxed!  In the UK H&S has probably gone too far, but for me I was quite blown away by the lack of it, where children are involved.

4.         Digestive pauses - after each meal, the disco was put on and everyone got up to dance, making room for the next course and giving us time to clear the tables and get ready for service the next part of the meal.  All of the dinner dances I have been to  in the past (in the UK) the meal is completed and then the music starts.  Here is works differently; the kids loved being able to dance with the adults and enjoy the part atmosphere, the adults loved the opportunity to put on their dancing shoes and frocks and party the night away.

The evening was a great success and will help provide the funding to buy all the children a book at Christmas time for Father Christmas to give them.  The parents all worked really hard and worked brilliantly as a team, laughter and hard work made the evening pass really quickly.  At 1am the final course was served and it was time for me to think about slipping off as I knew that I would have my children to entertain at 7am.  I could see that some of the kids were so tired, but did not want to give into sleep, a couple of the younger ones had fallen asleep in their parents arms, the others were just trying to hold it together and not get too manic as tiredness set in.  I slipped away about 1.30 and it took me some time to find the car, there was no moon and it was pitch black, I worked my way along the line of cars until I saw one that did not have a flashing alarm and tried the key in the door - it fitted and I climbed in to take the short drive home.  When I got home I realised how I stuck of fish and cooking chips - not the nicest of smells so stripped off and put the offending clothes in the washing basket.  I had enjoyed myself, got to know more of the mums and done my bit for the school - I look forward to the next event.

Comments

[rae of sunshine]

I agree there is a great sense of freedom for the kids and you can see that they love getting all dressed up and ready to party. I think that the timings are quite normal for our commune as all the events I have been to advertise starting at 8 and we never actually get to sit down to eat until at least 10pm - maybe we just live in a commune with lots of party animals or those with lots of stamina!

[minutepapillon]

Serving moules frites at 1am is unusually late for such an event in my opinion, I mean from the experience I got living up north. Did you ask about it, is it usually how it happens for the school committe? So you didn't taste the moules after all? It is a great liberty time for kids and it makes great memories. They have another week to find their usual sleep pattern again before school starts again.