World Traveller - Ludivine
Ludivine, better known to me as Ludi, is originally from France and I met her when she came to Sydney where we worked together at ‘Best of NSW’, in tourism. Obviously, with my fascination for all things French, I loved spending time getting to know her and quizzing her about France. I loved listening to her enchanting accent and enjoying her great sense of humour. She was lots of fun to work with. Eventually, it was time for her to return to France and we have kept in touch over the years via social media. Her life has taken several exciting turns since we worked together and I asked if she would share her story and some photos with me.
Carole: Hi Ludi, can you tell me where you are originally from in France.
Ludi: Hi Carole! I was born in Paris (well in the surrounding area, more precisely), Vitry sur Seine. I left Paris when I was 5 or 6 years old. My grandparents had already moved to the French Riviera, St Maxime, and I used to visit them on each summer holiday. It was amazing! One day, my parents decided that it was our turn to move, also to this beautiful area but not in St Maxime , we arrived in St Raphael ( 30 minutes away from St Maxime).
Massif de l’Esterel, French Riviera
Carole: What do you love about your hometown and surrounding area?
Ludi: The landscape is incredible, both in nature with Massif de l’Esterel and also the beach, 5 minutes away from my parents’ house. The weather is amazing during the summer.
Beautiful beach near St Raphael, French Riviera
Carole: Why did you choose to travel to Australia?
Ludi: Thanks to my parents, I’m used to being on a plane since I was only 3 months old, ahah. I am totally addicted to traveling and discovering other cultures, mentalities, countries ... I used to travel a lot before Australia : Norway, Italy, Spain, Austria, Ukraine, USA (6 times), Croatia (I worked there for 8 months), Tunisia, Holland, England...Then at the end of my university, one day my best friend Emeline called me and said : I would love to visit Australia! Come with me! After 2 days I said a big YESSSSSSS! You know for French people, Australia is kind of dream. I mean they imagine that there are Kangaroos everywhere, Koalas and other animals that we cannot find in France. It is the perfect location for freedom and adventure in the French mind...Something very, very wild and exciting. When French people think about Australia, they remember the Disney movie ‘The Rescuers (Down Under)’ ahah.
View from Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Carole: Did you get to travel see some other parts of Australia during that time? What was your favourite experience in Australia?
Ludi: I have been 3 times to OZ. I arrived 10 years ago with my bestie in Melbourne, then Adelaide then back to Sydney (she still lives there and she is married to an OZ guy they have a beautiful little girl). I have also travelled on a trip from Adelaide to Alice Springs (Amazing). Also Brisbane, Cairns, Noosa, Airlie Beach ..
Ludi performed in the ‘Sacré Montmartre’ cabaret
Carole: I do recall that you like to perform – sing, act? Can you tell me a bit about it?
Ludi: Since I was a little girl, I have been performing. I started dancing when i was 3 and kept going for 13 years. Then when i was 14 years old, my school proposed to do the musical comedy, Roméo and Juliet, and I was the nanny ahah but a song teacher was there and he proposed to me to come to his school of music. I then did a lot a performances on stage in France and other countries (Austria, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Holland). I was the lead singer of an orchestra of 40 musicians and it was amazing. After this I tried another experience. I was a singer in a Cabaret named ‘Sacré Montmartre’, kind of same things than Moulin Rouge. It was a beautiful experience.
Ludi all dressed up and ready to perform
Carole: After you returned to France, I think you were involved with helicopter flights on the Côte d’Azur, is this correct?
Ludi: Exactly! I came back in Australia to pass my masters degree in Tourism in Sydney. I had been studying Tourism since I was 17! When I went home to France, I was looking for a position in this industry, it took me 6 months and 300 resumes to get this job! I was so excited.
Helicopter view of the French Riviera
Carole: It sounds like a very glamorous job. Did you ever meet any celebrities? Or do you have any particularly wonderful memories of that job?
Ludi: On the French Riviera, especially during events, it was crazy and yes I met a lot of celebrities: Leonardo DiCaprio, Woody Allen, Eva Longoria, Tony Parker and others. Even the French president of France at this time ... We have Cannes Festival, Grand Prix of Monaco and St Tropez 20 minutes away by helicopter from Cannes so a lot of famous people...It was a stressful job by the way, I used to work more than a lot and these type of customers are very, very demanding.
Another helicopter view of the French Riviera
Carole: You now live in Québec, Canada. When did you decide to move there and why?
Ludi: I moved to Canada in 2018. I had been there on holiday in 2015 and we fell in love with this country. To be honest, my fav country ever will stay forever Australia. The problem is : the distance.. I had a little girl in August 2020 and it is important for me to be not too far from my family. We decided to leave France for a few different reasons : First the mentality is a closed mindset especially on the French Riviera, people can be judgemental and it is so hard to find a job nowadays in France..Life is so expensive in this area. I love my country of course but I think that in Canada I will be able to blossom.
Chateau Frontenac Vieux, Québec
Carole: What is the process for a French citizen to move to Canada?
Ludi: It is pretty hard. There are different ways to get there : working visa, studies ... my boyfriend went back to school so I could get a work visa. After that you need to get one year in a full time job to have the chance to have the CSQ ( Certificate Selection du Québec). You have to fill out a file with your grades from school to prove that we speak good French .. Certificates from employers .. birth certificate etc. . If Québec chooses you, then you can fill another file with other requirements: your history of the last 10 years, work and travel and other documents ...By the way the first step CSQ does not exist in the rest of Canada to get the permanent visa. This is only for people that want to stay in Québec. Then Québec has to choose you.
Ludi’s house in the autumn/fall
Carole: Was it easy to find work, somewhere to live, fit in to a Canadian lifestyle, make friends?
Ludi: So easy ..I found a job with a helicopter company only 4 days after I had my visa..But you need to be in Canada. I remember that I had tried to send a resume from France and I didn't get any answer. The minute I was in Québec, everybody called me back it was crazy for me. It took me 6 months to get a job in France! What i love here is that it looks like France but 25 years ago.. Everything is written in French but the good French. The security here is amazing, I feel very secure when I walk in the street .. I don’t close my door. Canadian people especially people from Québec are so friendly and seriously nice. At the beginning it was almost weird to have help of some strangers..When I was pregnant, one of my neighbours came to my place and proposed to me to help me if i needed help with grocery shopping and other stuff...
A friendly local
Carole: What about the food? Do you miss French food?
Ludi: Omg yes! They have great food here but seriously nothing compared to French food...Seriously the gastronomy in France is one of the best.
Street view from Old Québec district
Montmorency Falls, Québec City
Carole: Have you had the opportunity to travel around Canada very much?
Ludi: Not really. I have visited some places in Québec like Montréal and other areas. I have also been to Toronto and Niagara Falls but there are a million places that i would love to visit like the Gaspesie..All of my friends here told me that this place is amazing!
https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/businesses/parc-de-la-chute-montmorency
Niagara Falls
Carole: Was it easy to understand the Canadian French language? Is it very different to French?
Ludi: For french people, the Canadian accent is hilarious. That’s actually funny because my Canadian friends here laugh about my French accent. At the beginning it was hard because they have other expressions..Some words mean the opposite. They use expressions that we used to use years ago. After almost 4 years in Québec, this is normal for me but when my family from France visit me, they don’t understand my friends so I am here to translate ahah.
Carole:You now have a beautiful little daughter, Eva. How are you enjoying motherhood? Do you think it is the same or different bringing up a child in Canada compared to France?
Ludi: My angel. I am enjoying it alot! The difference between Canada and France is that in Canada, the maternity leave is ..ONE YEAR! In France is it only 2 or 3 months..The mentality here is very different..For example school in Canada starts at 5 years old..In France 3..I feel like children here practice much more sport activities (hockey, Skiing, snowboarding, Baseball, Basketball..) People here finish their work earlier to do activities.
Canadian’s embrace winter sports like ice hockey
Carole: There is often a LOT of snow in your photos, how are you enjoying Canadian weather?
Ludi: The winter here is approximately 5 to 6 months of snow. The good thing is that there are a lot of things to do during the winter! Canadian people don't stop to live even if it is -30 degrees outside! If you love winter sports, you will be more than happy here ahah. During the summer it is really hot. People think that we have snow all year in Canada but most of Canadian people have a swimming pool ahah
View from Ludi’s house during the winter
Ludi dogsledding in Québec
LOTS of snow in Québec
Carole: What is the one thing you are missing about France the most, besides family?
Ludi: Food, historical patrimony, landscape, weather sometimes.
Storm Spa In Québec
Carole: Is Canada your home now or will you return to France?
Ludi: We never know what can happen in the future but I think the standard of living is better here. Everything is easier because the laws are different and the mentality is different. But I must admit that the level of culture, of vocabulary is better in France. France will always be a big part of myself, the same as Australia is.
Carole: Thank you for sharing your special story with me. Merci beaucoup, Ludi
Ludi: You are welcome Carole!
