Je m’appelle Helene

Helene
Je m'appelle Helene
Je suis une fille
Comme les autres
Helene
J'ai mes joies mes peines
Elles font ma vie
Comme la votre
Je voudrais trouver l'amour
Simplement trouver l'amour


The song is popular in China right now. I even don’t remember when was the first time I heard it. But I’m sure it was in a metro station. You can hear the song everywhere, from metro station, to CD shops, from radio station to a guy passing by with an ipod. You can hardly hide from the girl who named Helene.

When we were shopping together for souvenir this morning, my French visitor turned at me and giggled at me. What she can’t understand is why the song is everywhere, what I cannot understand is why she laughing so suddenly at a French song.

“The song is for teenagers is France” she said, “I mean girls about 8 to 12 years old.” She explained, “The song is soft and sweet, it is for teenagers who have day dreams. In their dreams, everything is pink and sweet.” She told me Helene is the main character of a soap opera, she dreams to have relationship with boys.

It was my turn to laugh. What a misunderstanding! To a French ear, that Chinese love music for day-dreaming-girl.

The culture differences are everywhere.