Archive for November, 2015
Zep sur Lemonde.fr Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Nov 30, 2015
Les bandes dessineés sont très populaires dans le monde francophone. On dit même que les bandes dessineés sont uniquement Belges d’origine. Comics are very popular in the Francophone world. Some people even say that comics are uniquely Belgian. The list of French-language comics is indeed impressive: Tintin, Babar, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Asterix, Titeuf, and many…
Charging Your Battery in French Posted by John Bauer on Nov 25, 2015
With international travel there are a few things that you absolutely need to remember when you faites vos valises (pack your bags). In our electrically charged modern life, making sure you have all the right converters for your appareils électroniques (electronic devices) is one of the most important things to remember. La puissance électronique et…
On t’aime, Paris! Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Nov 23, 2015
I was left shocked, like so many people around the world, after the attacks on Paris last week. These attacks certainly hit “close to home” for me, as my husband’s family lives in Paris and we have many friends there. The initial shock soon turned to fear for the safety of our loved ones, and…
Aux armes, citoyens ! The History of the French National Anthem Posted by Josh Dougherty on Nov 19, 2015
Les hymnes nationaux (national anthems) are patriotic numbers used to tell the history, traditions, and struggles of a country and unite its citizens. Their styles vary per country – some versions are standard fanfares, some sway more toward operatic pieces, and others have difficult lyrics that are very easy to flub! As an American, I…
Leaving Imprints – How to Print in French Posted by John Bauer on Nov 18, 2015
Having just come back to France, after getting over la fatigue à cause du décalage horaire (the jetlag), there’s been many meetings catching up on what happened while I was away. That means I’ve had to imprimer (print) many documents, and has led to me realizing that I don’t know how to talk about les…
French Vocabulary: Housing Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Nov 16, 2015
Do you have a dream of changing your life drastically, whatever that entails, and moving to France? Maybe you’re there already. Or maybe you want to make this drastic change for only two months, or even two days. Hotels can get very expensive when you are staying for longer periods of time. To keep it…
Education in France and Counting Backwards Posted by John Bauer on Nov 11, 2015
Je viens de revenir en France (I just came back to France), which means I’ve been dealing with le décalage horaire (the time difference). That also means all the confusion of living abroad in another language has come rushing back, bringing up interesting interactions. Having a conversation with un ami (a friend), I wanted to…