French Consul to 'City of Joy' feels X-mas celebrations in Kolkata warmer

"I have been here for four years. Christmas celebrations here are warmer than in Europe. People are warmer, they will take time off to talk to you unlike Europe where a person would say 'Hey I am busy, to see you later" Olivier tells IBNS on the sidelines of the cake-mixing ceremony at Smoke Shack (Rooftop) here.

He says, "Park Street looks so busy during this time of the year. Lots of people, lots of illumination, In fact I found in 12 months there are 13 festivals in Kolkata. From Christmas to Durgapuja. I haven't seen anything like this. You build up an amazing piece of work. You think about new idea every year and you dismantle everything after some days once the festivities end..We in Europe would have kept these works."

Coming to cake mixing for Christmas, the Indophile Frenchman says, cake mixing is not in vogue on the occasion of X-mas in France where it is more about turkey,  vension and champagne.

"But I love this tradition in Kolkata which has great past," he says.

The Consul advocated more culinary exchanges between the two countries.

"There are rows of Indian shops and restaurants in an area near the main station in  Paris. This is because there is an Indian community,

"But while Indian food has to use lots of spices, we use herbs a lot. In Europe we eat bread, we love wine. There are dissimilarities, still there is oneness," he says.

"It is interesting for the French tourists to discover India, it's myriad colors, places like the Pink City Jaipur. The streets where one can see camels, cows, donkeys and monkeys," he says.

The envoy, who recalls how his mother was ecstatic on learning she was posted in Rabindranath Tagore's city, feels the present generation needs to be initiated to this culture. .