Archive for 'Culture'
Etiquette for Gift Giving in France Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 22, 2014
Many people bring up the idea of cultural etiquette during this season of gift giving and receiving. For example, you might have heard that, in Japan, you should accept gifts with both hands. Or that it is common for Singaporeans to graciously refuse a gift several times before accepting it. It is important to have…
Provincial Nativity Characters: Les Santons! Posted by Josh Dougherty on Dec 19, 2014
La crèche (the nativity scene) is pretty common this time of year, but in the southeastern part of France in Provence, they go a little further. Le bébé Jésus, Marie, Joseph, les Rois mages, les ânes, et les anges sont tous là (Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Three Wise Men, the donkeys, and the angels…
Bernard Adamus: Y Fait Chaud Posted by John Bauer on Dec 17, 2014
When learning a new language it’s always good to have some music to listen to in that language. It not only motivates you, but it gives you a fun way to pratiquer the language that goes beyond the textbooks and conjugaison charts that are often so dull they vous font dormir (put you to sleep)…
La Fête des Lumières à Lyon Posted by Josh Dougherty on Dec 11, 2014
For 4 days each December, la ville de Lyon s’allume (the city of Lyon lights up) with a spectacular show of lights, lasers, and music. Called La Fête des Lumières (The Festival of Light), Lyon welcomes about 4 million people each year to see it. Sounds like an awful lot of visitors for some lights…
French Around The World: La Francophonie Posted by John Bauer on Dec 10, 2014
It may sound strange, but one of the coolest things about learning French has nothing to do with France. The French language is the fifth most spoken in the world and opens doors to many countries and cultures beyond l’hexagone (The Hexagon, common term for France). The community of francophones has even formed…
Recette pour un très bon cassoulet Posted by Josh Dougherty on Dec 7, 2014
Well, it’s cold out, and nothing quite warms me up better than a good cassoulet. Qu’est-ce que c’est (what’s that?)? You’ll find plenty of variations, but a good cassoulet is always a slow-cooked white bean and meat stew. It’s a pretty heavy (assez bourratif) dish, and it’s generally served at lunchtime. Attention: ce n’est pas…
Louise Attaque: J’t’emmène Au Vent Posted by John Bauer on Dec 3, 2014
Rock and roll isn’t always the type of music you think of when you think of France, but le rock français (French rock) is a real thing and it’s not something to be skipped over. Similar to elsewhere in the world, there was a bit of an explosion of alternative rock in the 90s in…