The Proust Questionnaire
Christine ANDRIEU-LAKE : "Even if there are difficult times, you have to tell yourself that there are still things that are worth living".
Christine Andrieu-Lake is an English teacher in the Nelson Mandela highschool since 2017. Before that she worked on cultural coordination still in the education system. She is passionate about culture and discovery. I have always been a student and I was curious to meet the other side, the teachers. In high school, Christina Andrieu-Lake is known to be really involved in her classes and full of creativity. I wanted to go deeper and discover who is really Mrs Andrieu-Lake.
What is your present state of mind?
These days, I have to say that it is double. On one hand, there is a certain bitterness and angriness regarding my current job environment and on the other hand, a lot of hope for the place where I would like to work in the near future. So, I would say, an ambivalent state of mind.
From now on, I live it relatively well, because I try to be positive and project myself with things that motivate me. This can be meeting new people from different cultures, working with my students, taking them to new horizons and showing them that the world is wonderful. With that, they will learn that it takes time, work and energy but it is essential to implement every day and to share, discover and become open-minded.
For what is less well, I continue to have this little shell and to filter things so that it does not affect me too much. As long as I have this motivation and this desire to share and stay curious about what is happening around me, the energy will be there.
What is your motto?
Even if there are difficult times, you have to tell yourself that there are still things that are worth living, and that is why it is worth continuing. One event that marked me and makes sense to this motto was a trip that I made with my student in South Africa. Every time I speak about it, I am really emotional and I wish for everyone to experience these moments and to live what I lived. It was unique and I learned a lot there.
What is your favorite color ?
I really like mauve. There is no particular significance about it, but I am just attracted by it. I also like cyan blue but you can note that there are still soft colors. Perhaps they just soothe me.
The friendships I have today were created rather naturally. I do not know if I am looking for this quality or if we were simply on the same wavelength. We had the same values so we quickly continued to see each other. I have to say that I am very loyal, it takes a lot for me to turn the page.
Moreover, usually with good friends, we are also having a lot of fun.
Which living person do you most admire?
Good question. I have never been a fan or a person that has an idol but it is more the actions than the people that I admire. I was watching an interview with Georges Clooney last time, and it is someone that I find extraordinary. He is doing the good around himself without showing off. We are always coming back to doing the good around ourselves. I think it is something important in the world we are in today. If I had a lot of money, I would not be attracted by a Ferrari or the large villas but I hope I can change the world.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Tha arrogance, gratuitous wickedness, it is just silly. All these people, I do not know if it is with malicious pleasure, who talk and act lecherously and who can hurt others. The only thing I am thinking of is “what is the point?”. It already happened to me and it upsets, it hurts and it demoralizes because it is not necessary. I can understand on a bad day, it also happened to me, I am perfect and I can be disagreeable. Culpabilisation always comes after and it does not then this is when gratuitous wickedness arrives. As I grew older I learned to preserve myself, it affects me surely, however, I move on faster than I did before.
What is your greatest fear?
As a mother, it will be that something happens to my son or that I disappear too soon, and not be with him long enough. It is my worst nightmare. It is probably due to my background because I lost my father when I was very young and it was a violent shock. My son knows about it and it is part of our history.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I would say the desire to share, always. The desire to help because I have the impression that I am in some situations where I am sharing feelings, moments and memories. I have to say that I like it. It is something that nourishes me and that I need also. I nourish myself from feedback and experiences and I do not say that I am doing it to have feedback, however, when you give, you receive afterwards and that is fantastic.
What do you most value in your friends?
Open-mindedness, outspokenness.. but above all who do not judge. For me, a good friend is someone who is not judging. When you are making mistakes, they tell you, they encourage you in your life projects. It does not matter the decision that you make, they will not judge you. They will probably give you their opinion, checking if you are sure or not about that choice but without any judgment towards your decision. I find it primordial.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Under very academic exteriors due to my job, I can be odd. I can sing, dance, disguise myself and become a performer. Depending on the class I have in front of me, I can also be like that with my students. I like doing little theater sketches and I am not the last one to participate. When students are comfortable with me and I am comfortable with them, this part of me is going out. I notice that the look of the others, despite my age and although I have greatly improved, is still something that touches me. I need this mutual trust that I was talking about to be truly myself with others. The look of students never disturbed me. It is more when it comes to your peers, your colleagues. As adults, we should not be judging each other, we should be mature. This disturbs me more.
On what occasion do you lie?
I am not a liar in general but I can lie to not hurt someone or to motivate people. For instance, I have a friend who had a serious illness and we did not
not know if she was going to survive and I told her “You will see, it will be fine” while a priori it was not won. I have to say that I did not lie during the interview. It is really complicated to lie, you have to think a lot so that the rest of the lie does not seem fake. I find that it is too much work so I prefer to be honest.