Read all about it! France to honour last newspaper hawker in Paris

The Star

One of France’s most prestigious honours is about to be bestowed on 73-year-old newspaper seller Ali Akbar who has crisscrossed Paris’ Latin Quarter selling dailies on the terraces of the capital’s cafés for over 50 years.   Akbar is set to be conferred the Grand Order of Merit, which recognises distinguished service to France in civilian or military capacities.  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00Breaking news! Breaking news! Breaking news! Let's go!

00:09How are you?

00:11Hello!

00:12How are you?

00:14How are you?

00:15How are you?

00:16How are you?

00:17How are you?

00:18How are you?

00:19How are you?

00:20How are you?

00:21How are you?

00:22But it's true.

00:23I live in this neighborhood.

00:25It's because there's this.

00:27But it's love.

00:28If it was only for the money, I could do something else.

00:31There's a business.

00:32There's plenty of things to do.

00:34But I'm happy with these people.

00:36They are adorable.

00:37I love you or not?

00:38I love you.

00:43Hello!

00:44The last time I bought it, it was 30 years ago.

00:46You see?

00:47It's already 30 years ago.

00:48At the fac.

00:49Oh, it's at Spon.

00:50No, it's at Sorbonne.

00:51Oh, Sorbonne, Sorbonne.

00:52I worked at Sorbonne.

00:53I bought it at the restaurant, but I bought it.

00:55Yes, yes, yes, yes.

00:56You see?

00:57It's like this.

00:58It's like this.

00:59We made a selfie.

01:00Oh, yes.

01:01It's been 30 years ago, I think.

01:02Yes, yes, yes.

01:03Yes, yes, yes.

01:04Yes, yes, yes.

01:05But I'm here since 1972.

01:06Yes.

01:07Yes.

01:08Since 1972, I'm here.

01:10Yes.

01:11Oh, with the kids and everything.

01:12Oh, allah, allah.

01:13All the family.

01:14Oh, it's a pleasure.

01:15Oh, I love the kids.

01:16Oh, I love the kids.

01:17Oh, there's one.

01:18There's one.

01:19Oh, the papers.

01:20J'adore the papers.

01:21It's true.

01:22I love the papers.

01:23I love the papers.

01:24I love to read.

01:25But I don't like the tablets, all that.

01:27I love to read.

01:28I love to read,

01:29any letters or a book,

01:32always with a real book.

01:34Never on the screen.

01:36I don't like it, personally.

01:37I love to read a real journal.

01:39A real journal.

01:40But it was a coincidence.

01:41I arrived in this neighborhood

01:43and my goal was to really find a job

01:47to earn money.

01:48And I fell on a young student

01:50who was selling a journal

01:52like Marakiri, Charlie Blow.

01:54And I fell on him.

01:57And it gave me ideas.

01:58And it gave me ideas.

01:59And it encouraged me.

02:00And the people who took their course

02:02in the small commerce.

02:03And it was a village.

02:04There were little shops everywhere.

02:06There were little shops.

02:07There were little shops.

02:08There were little shops.

02:09There were little shops.

02:10And then the people,

02:11it was all.

02:12It was all.

02:13It was all.

02:14The people knew.

02:15But now we didn't know it.

02:16We didn't know it.

02:17And every day, there were new têtes.

02:18Ali, it's an incontournable.

02:19We buy the world every day.

02:21We do more than to buy the world.

02:24Because, effectively,

02:25we take the coffee with him.

02:27Eventuellement,

02:28we eat with him.

02:29Like today,

02:30we eat a crêpe.

02:31And it's a figure.

02:34If Ali didn't exist,

02:35it would not be Saint-Germain-Neprey

02:36it would not be Saint-Germain-Neprey.

02:38Because I have a certain way

02:39to sell the journal.

02:40Because I try to create a blog.

02:43And the people, they laugh.

02:44And I'm positive.

02:46And I put an ambiance.

02:47The joy of life.

02:49We call it the joy of life.

02:50And I laugh people.

02:52I laugh people.

02:53And in addition,

02:54I live in the heart of the people,

02:55not in the pockets.

02:56I laugh at the desk.

02:57And I laugh at the door.

02:58And the joy of life.

02:59And the joy of life.

03:00And the joy of life.

03:01I'm an ordinary person like them, but it makes me happy when they tell me that you're really

03:12someone of good, you're someone of famous. It makes me happy. There are people who are

03:17happy to find me like that and who are happy to find me.

03:25I saw you!

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