Archive by Author
Did You Know? The French in North America Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Sep 25, 2017
Did you know that there are 10.4 million Americans who can trace their history back to France or to French Canada? While it is generally known that French-American relations were very friendly during the Revolutionary Period (indeed, France’s centuries-long tension with Britain provoked a military relationship between the fledgling United States and France that directly…
Le Président et le code du travail Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Sep 18, 2017
If you’ve been listening to the news lately, you might have heard that the newly elected French president, Emmanuel Macron, has been the subject of protests because of his vision of changing France’s labor laws. In French, labor laws are referred to as le code du travail. Travail, of course, means “work,” and workers can…
MHD Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Sep 12, 2017
My husband was recently listening to music that caught my ear. It was catchy and happy—just what I needed to listen to at the moment. The artist, MHD, has become somewhat of a star in France since the release of his debut album last year. He’s played at Les Victoires de la Musique, the French…
Hurricane Season, ou La Saison Cyclonique Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Sep 8, 2017
Every year, hurricane season, or la saison cyclonique, begins in the Atlantic Ocean region in late summer, usually peaking around late August and September. Unfortunately, some years—like this one—large and frequent hurricanes—in French, les ouragans—can bring great damage and destruction to any place that falls within their path. So far, Texas and areas of the Caribbean…
L’Éclipse Solaire Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Aug 22, 2017
For many people living in across a certain path in the United States, today was a historic day. It was the first time a full solar eclipse was viewable from the US since 1919. (The solar eclipse of 1919 was also a particularly historic one, as Einstein’s theory of relativity was shown to be correct…
En Voiture Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Aug 17, 2017
Summer can mean lots of wonderful things, including spending time at the beach, barbecuing with friends and family, and trips to new and exciting locales. This means traveling, which means…you might be spending a lot more time in your car. In French, the word for car is voiture. The word voiture is feminine, so it is la voiture. The verb “to…
Les Papillons Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Aug 7, 2017
I’ve recently had a loss. When someone you love dies, it is easy to see (or want to see) signs around you that show your loved one is still with you. There can be many signs that are specific to your culture. For example, in American culture, seeing a red cardinal is often interpreted as…