Archive for 'Culture'
French Vocabulary – The spirit of the season Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 18, 2018
The news from France hasn’t been the best lately. As of this past weekend, les gilets jaunes are still protesting in the streets of Paris – despite concessions from the French government – and of course there was the sad news out of Strasbourg of l’attaque du marché de Noël (the attack of the Christmas market). But…
Helping Les Bébés Fall Asleep With A Soft And Holy Carol – Silent Night In French Posted by John Bauer on Dec 12, 2018
The days are getting colder as December marches on, but at least as each day gets longer there is another door to open on le calendrier de l’Avent (the Advent calendar). The cold days also mean le père noël (Santa Claus) is preparing his sleigh, and that it’s the perfect time to get into the…
French Music – Katty Line Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 11, 2018
December is here and the holidays are right around the corner! After the last few weeks looking back to World War I and the recent protests that have rocked France, I thought we could all use something a little lighter … something like this great groovy 1960’s hit from Katty Line. Qui est Katty Line?…
French Current Events – Les gilets jaunes Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 4, 2018
I have been doing my best to avoid the news recently, so it was with a shock that I discovered the recent news of nationwide protests rocking France. From Paris and into the countryside, these past few weeks have seen growing unrest which culminated in a rash of burned cars, smashed store windows, and injuries…
French History – World War I bis Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 27, 2018
Last week I shared a short excerpt from the Bulletin de Lille, a biweekly paper printed under the direction of the German Command in Lille. I love how the exchange illustrates the delicate dance between occupied and occupier that can arise in such situations. This week we look at a another except that highlights another…
French History – WWI and the Occupation Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 20, 2018
Last week the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended la Grande Guerre which ravaged Europe from 1914 – 1918*. As a young man living in France, I heard much more about la deuxième Guerre Mondiale since my host parents had lived under that occupation**, but the recent anniversary got me thinking about that previous…
Francophone language and culture – Finding an amazing meal in Québec Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 13, 2018
Sometimes the best things in life are surprises. The best meal I ever ate, was just such a surprise. Travelling through Québec on our way to viste la tante Rose, we found a marvelous meal, a wonderful souvenir (memory), and a story we still tell. All of these wonderful memories were brought back last week when ma tante…