Falling straight from the sky from a wagon of the Toombow train, the Toombow Kids microphone landed in France today to meet Nassim, an adorable 12-year-old boy, half Algerian, half Moroccan. He will tell us about his daily life in France, his little joys, and what he likes a little less. If you have always wanted to explore France through the eyes of a teenager and share a bit of his life, then hold your smartphone or computer and keep reading because “Simsim,” as some of his close ones call him, doesn’t hesitate to say everything he thinks.
Toombow Kids: Hi Nassim, thanks for being here today! How are you?
Nassim: I’m good, thank you! I’m really happy because middle school is over! Now I’m on summer vacation, and it’s great because I was getting tired of some people at my school. I hope I’ll make new friends in my new class next year because this year, I barely had any!
Toombow Kids: Oh, I hope so too! And maybe you’ll even make some new friends! Tell me, what’s your favorite place around where you live?
Nassim: The only place I really like around here is a big park. There’s a beautiful fountain there, lots of fish, and it’s often sunny, so it’s cool!
Toombow Kids: What do you like to do most in your free time?
Nassim: Either playing Minecraft or Roblox on my PC or swinging near my house with my friends.
Toombow Kids: Do you have a favorite French dish?
Nassim: Hmm… I’d say the French taco! Let’s say that’s my favorite. I call it “French taco” because Mexican tacos are different. The real ones they make there are like a heated tortilla with some veggies and a bit of meat, while in France, it’s a tortilla with a lot more meat and cheese sauce. It’s so good!
Toombow Kids: Yum! Bon appétit to all our readers who are eating while reading this! We hear a lot about the French, can you give us one stereotype that’s true and one that’s false?
Nassim: Honestly, one that’s true is that French people eat a lot of baguettes! One that’s false is the outfit! I mean, when you see drawings of French people with mustaches, berets, and striped shirts, no one wears that! At least, I’ve never seen it.
Toombow Kids: Oh, I see! What’s your favorite holiday or event in France?
Nassim: Since I’m Muslim, my favorite holiday is Eid al-Adha because we have a big feast with the whole family!
Toombow Kids: What are your favorite sports?
Nassim: I like pétanque. Swimming too. I used to like playing soccer, but I stopped because of a tendon issue in my knee. If I push too hard, it can get inflamed and hurt. I also love badminton, but when we play at school, it’s not fun because the rackets are all bent and damaged. We have to hit hard just to get the shuttlecock over the net.
Toombow Kids: That sounds tough! What are your favorite French movies or TV shows?
Nassim: The last thing I watched was a boring educational film in class! I prefer shows like Rick and Morty. As for movies, Karate Kid is great, and I recently discovered The Truman Show, which I loved.
Toombow Kids: Thanks for the movie tips! If you had to describe the French in three words, what would you say?
Nassim: Sometimes nice… sometimes mean… sometimes racist.
Toombow Kids: It’s sad that there are still too many people like that! What’s life in France like?
Nassim: Nowadays, I’d say it’s okay. It’s not like before when I was little. Life was cheaper back then, now everything’s expensive! For example, a jar of Nutella today is 7 euros, whereas before it was max 3 euros!
Toombow Kids: If you could take a foreign friend to one place in France, where would you take them?
Nassim: Honestly, I’d take them to a place I loved during a vacation, a town near Monaco. It was beautiful, sunny, we went out a lot, did visits, and I loved going to the beach! The only downside was that there were many pebble beaches, and I prefer sandy ones. But it was still great!
Toombow Kids: That sounds lovely! Do you see your future in France?
Nassim: Honestly, I’d visit France to see my family, but my dream since I was little has been to live in the United States. All the videos I watch make me really want to go there, it looks amazing! Plus, I speak English well, I’m even known for it at school. I watch movies in English without subtitles. And what I’d like to do is get into modeling with Mason Ewing Corporation over there.
Toombow Kids: Those are great plans, and we’re sure they’ll come true! Lastly, could you say in your language, “Thank you, Baby Madison, for taking us on a journey”?
Nassim: Merci Baby Madison de nous avoir fait voyager!
Toombow Kids: Thanks, Nassim, for sharing your day-to-day life with us. Keep your honesty and straightforwardness, and we hope to see you later on the American continent! See you soon !