Archive for 'Culture'
French Commercial – Renault Robbers Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 7, 2019
When I was 14, the French car company, Renault, made their entrée sur le marché américaine (entrance to the American market). My parents even bought two … matching red and blue Renault Alliances. Sadly, they weren’t great … and Renault didn’t last long in the US. Imagine my surprise then, when I got to France…
Drumming Up New Vocabulary – Talking About La Batterie In French Posted by John Bauer on May 2, 2019
En étant un Américain en France (as an American in France), learning the language means having normal converations hide surprise French lessons almost every day. It’s hard not to stumble through a few interactions every week as I realize I don’t know how to talk about something as simple as le shampooing or les mails…
French Music – Nach Posted by Tim Hildreth on Apr 30, 2019
The global music scene is so diverse these days. Musical styles and personal styles mix to give us fun and inspiring songs that reflect a broader sense of the human condition. I really like this song from the French singer Nach and its message. Nach (Anne Chedid) is another scion of the well known Chedid…
Notre Père Who Art In Heaven – Our Father In French Posted by John Bauer on Apr 24, 2019
The sad news in Paris last week left thoughts of Notre-Dame in everyone’s head all week. The incredible cathedral and all its art and history also made me realize an interesting connection it has to language. Notre-Dame de Paris is renowned for its beauty and solid place in European history. Over the last millennium, Notre-Dame…
French Wit Posted by Tim Hildreth on Apr 23, 2019
When I was first living in France and learning French, understanding humour was one of things that took me the longest. As John discussed recently, a lot of this is due to the fact that so much humour depends on more than simply understanding the words. It’s also because, for the French, humour is an…
The Age Of Cathedrals – A Notre-Dame Song In French Posted by John Bauer on Apr 18, 2019
With l’incendie (the fire) earlier this week in Paris, it’s not just les Français (French people) who are mourning, it’s the whole world. When one of humanity’s greatest structures is hit by tragedy, it’s impossible not to feel affected, no matter where you are from. Great monuments suffering such a loss feels like something that…
Notre-Dame de Paris avant le feu Posted by Tim Hildreth on Apr 16, 2019
Mon coeur est lourd aujourd’hui (My heart is heavy today). Unless you are on a 24×7 news blackout, I assume by now you’ve all seen the tragic news out of Paris hier (yesterday). In an absolutely shocking turn of events, one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals and un vrai chef-d’oeuvre de l’architecture gothique (a true…