Another spring has come to my quiet southern French village of Auterive.

Recently, all of the cherry trees, apple trees and plum trees in the garden blossomed under the spring sunshine. I admire these flowers in their full glory. Even if they probably don't possess the elegant finesse of Japanese cherry blossoms, they still have a candid beauty.

Without noticing, I have celebrated several springs in France. The other day, I felt a strange emotion that I'd almost forgotten from the hanami parties that I used to enjoy so much, and didn't miss like before.

Besides hanami, there are many other things that were once a must in Japan but have become so estranged to me during these years. Natto, for example, or shopping, going to work in a gray office every day, always apologizing, thinking about pensions at the age of 30, and so on.

Furthermore, lately I've even forgotten to wear makeup or feel embarrassed by my shabby dress. And if I confess my ultimate degradation as a good little Japanese citizen, I even started to ask myself such perilous questions as "People work, and for what?"

Many people I know in France are freelancers. For instance, Patrice, my companion, used to work as a photographer in the city but has run a B&B in the countryside for the last five years. Phillippe, who was involved in marketing, makes and sells handmade jam, and his girlfriend, Louise, is a freelance actress. Jean-Pierre worked for a security firm for a long time but he quit and opened a massage business.

All of them have a modest income close to Smic, or Salaire Minimum Interprofessional de Croissance (guaranteed monthly minimum wage), which is about 1,217 euros per month, and don't spend much on things other than essentials. They hardly travel or eat out, and of course, none of them has a Louis Vuitton bag or a Cartier watch.

Nonetheless, they seem to live more pleasantly than many of the salarymen I know in Japan, spending sufficient time with family and friends. Besides, they are happy working for themselves and not for the profit of others, and most importantly, they don't have to worry about being fired.

In France, the jobless rate is as high as 10 percent, and in underprivileged districts it's even higher. If they have a job, over 15 percent earn only Smic. And for young people it is getting increasingly difficult to find a suitable job even with a university diploma.

Recently, the French government suspended the Contrat Premiere Embauche (First Employment Contract), which would let employers more easily fire workers aged 26 and younger. In theory, the initiative was aimed at encouraging businesses to hire more young people, but students and unions didn't believe in it, fearing that workers rights would be further eroded by the new law.

The gap between rich and poor is said to be rapidly widening in France, and anti-globalization and anti-corporate sentiment is becoming common among ordinary people. According to one survey, two-thirds of French people don't believe in the benefits of the free market economy.

As a foreign resident, I don't always share the same views as French people, and their constant strikes and relatively low work motivation are indeed very frustrating -- yet they have given me a chance to think over the correlation between work and the true quality of life.

And even with a small income, I'm definitely happier to have the time to fully enjoy spring under the trees rather than spending it working for a big firm dressed in fine suits, as I naively once wanted to do.

The Japan Times Weekly: April 29, 2006
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