The last time I lived in a neighbourhood like this was in Vauxhall, England 2005. It was a bit of a rough area, and while initially troubling, I soon adapted to its ghetto-like surrounds. But here in Couronnes, France 2007, I am finding it to be more of a challenge. This interesting part of the infamous 20th arrondissement is home to a condensed and bizarre mix of Asian, Arab and African cultures. It is probably one of the most diverse and remarkable places I've ever lived in, but by the same token, it is probably one of the most unpleasant.

While I do not want to criticise this area too much (as it is after all the neighbourhood of my kind hosts - the Ngo family), I have to say that this part of town is completely messed up. During my 5-minute walk to the local Chinese eat-in, I cross an amazingly broad social demographic. I literally go from swearing French black youths, to African migrants in traditional dress, to old Arab men playing dominoes, to whites sipping fine wine, to Chinese and Viets buying groceries, and finally to the drunken homeless lying in the middle of the footpath. It is not exactly what I would call "home".

The closest thing I can identify with is the small Chinatown, but even that is too Chinese for me. The convenience of Chinese groceries and takeaway is great, but I'm not that Asian. I feel more comfortable living around whites - haha. At least I could have the occasional chat about the weather or something. Fresh off the boat (FOB) Chinese immigrants don't do the best job of learning foreign languages nor mixing with other cultures.

Similar is the Arab community here in Couronnes. Like the Chinese, they like to stick to their own kind. Most tea houses and kebab snack bars appear to be "Arab only". I don't think that is the case, but how is someone meant to know? Maybe it would be fine to go into one and smoke a few shishas, maybe they would be very welcoming, or maybe I'd just get a lot of funny looks. I've had some great experiences with some friendly members of their community, but by the same token I have had some bad ones as well. On one occasion I walked past a mosque down the road, which was in the middle of a service. The mosque was overloaded and everyone spilled out onto the roads. It was an amazing sight. Over a hundred followers were crouched down in prayer. I wanted to stop and watch the service but my curious glance was met with confrontational glares. They basically suggested that I better move along. So I did.

Amongst all of the cultures present, I would say that the blacks are the most uncomfortable to be around. Yes, I know, that sounds completely racist. But I assure you that it is an objective statement :) Allow me to explain. For the local white (or Asian) kids of Couronnes, their idea of playing outside is to go to the local park and hang on the swings or something predictable to that effect. Their darker halves, however, prefer to run around in the streets shooting each other with projectile fire works. It's all very well if they want to set one another alight, but I'm the one that has to walk in the firing line every time I leave the apartment. As for their older siblings, you can usually find them hanging around on street corners - day and night. While the streets may be livelier, I would definitely say that this is a negative aspect. It's not so much the fact that they're there; I think it is more to do with the frequency. They can be found loitering around the neighbourhood all the time. It feels like I am an alien in territory that they own. And unfortunately, as in most cases, things seem more suspicious at night. On the way home after a night out on the town, the conditions are prime for paranoia: silence, poor visibility, tiny alleyways, and groups of physically imposing blacks on every corner. It's not my idea of a nice stroll home.

Even though being a truly remarkable melting pot of cultures, Couronnes feels a little too foreign for my everyday. I'm not a xenophobe, far from it; I love exploring other cultures. I am a Chinese Mauritian Australian living in France after all. But here, in this neighbourhood, I feel that the cultural divides are too large and as a consequence I am always on guard. It's a great place to experience and to refer to anecdotally, but it's not such a great place to live in. I should have known that this place was a little different. I did witness my first Parisian street brawl here. It featured a group of fired-up Asians against a group of equally aggressive Arabs. Now, you don't see that everyday... well, at least not where I come from.