Take Your Pills! – Finding Batteries in France Posted by John Bauer on Dec 9, 2015
I’ve been having trouble with electronics and hardware these past few months. It seems that when one thing goes wrong it creates un effet domino (a domino effect). I recently bought une souris sans fil (a cordless mouse), but forgot that it needs batteries to function. So I was surprised when ma souris stopped working…
La Cheminée Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 7, 2015
This time of year in New York, as the temperatures drop, our best friend is…the fireplace! In our house, we have a wood-burning stove so its not just for decorative purposes, it also provides heat in the house. (We still have the heat on, but keep it on low. Our converted fireplace pushes out hot…
Can I Borrow a Few Minutes of Your Time? Borrowing and Loaning in French Posted by Josh Dougherty on Dec 3, 2015
Ah, French… The language of love. The language of diplomacy. The language of Molière. And unfortunately for learners of French, the language of so many confusing pairs! Whether you’re asking yourself if you need to use en or dans, c’est or il est, or encore or toujours, you’re going to keep running into words or…
Planes, Trains, and Carpooling in France Posted by John Bauer on Dec 2, 2015
Between all the subways, bus stops, train stations, and airports, it’s easy to get lost even if you’re not struggling in a foreign language. C’est-à-dire (that is to say) travelling while abroad can be difficult. All the different moyens de transport (modes of transport, means of travel) can be confusing. Est-ce qu’on devrait prendre le…
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…