This episode is about authentic French crepes, made by an authentic French man, in Melbourne! I met Cedric, the owner, during the last Melbourne Paris to Provence French festival, where I got to eat a few of his truly delicious crepes. We’ll be discussing crepes making and flavours, but also languages and the issues that we sometimes face as expats, forgetting our native language sometimes! Episode Timeline [04 min 23 sec] How Cédric arrived in Melbourne [06 min 02 sec] The birth of Pop-Up Crepes [07 min 30 sec] Why pop-up? [08 min 44 sec] From a part-time to a full-time venture ? [09 … Read More →
How many of these 16 facts about “la Chandeleur” / Crepes Day do you know ?
Test your knowledge and learn a bit of French along the way! AND download my free French crêpes recipe! I've got it from my grandma's! Now you have the perfect excuse to make crepes tonight :-) 1. Nowadays, « la Chandeleur » is mostly known for being Crepes Day ! 2. Because they are round and golden, crepes symbolise the sun. Around “la chandeleur” time, days are getting longer and warmer (in the Northern hemisphere!). 3. Traditionally, we try to flip the crepes in the pan by throwing them in the air, holding the pan in the right hand and a coin (a gold coin if possible) in the left … Read More →
FV 009 : Hotel Particulier de Suhard: Tasteful Interior Design and History
Featured in many French interior design magazines, this 16th century hotel particulier in the Normandie region was renovated, tastefully decorated, then turned into a welcoming guest house by owner Josiane Lenoir. Travel back in time and learn about the characteristic interior design features of the past few centuries! Staying at a guest house is a great way to discover France, because you get to meet the hosts : they make your breakfast and tell you about the region / make recommendations of places to visit. Episode Timeline [05 min 27 sec] How Josiane became the owner of Hotel de … Read More →
FV 008 : Yoga in French with Alex
Alex is a French yoga teacher based in Melbourne. She offers yoga lessons in French, a great way to enjoy the benefits of yoga while brushing up on your French! Episode Timeline [03 min 34 sec] From Paris to Melbourne [04 min 54 sec] How Alex became a yoga teacher [06 min 44 sec] Atha yoga [07 min 12 sec] What’s in a yoga session [08 min 21 sec] Physical prerequisites to start yoga? [09 min 40 sec] Alex’s Yoga in French [13 min 00 sec] Yoga: a lifestyle [14 min 24 sec] Health benefits of yoga [16 min 16 sec] Travel to the motherland of yoga: India [17 min 27 sec] More about … Read More →
FV 007 : Comme une Française: Fun Videos to Understand French Culture
Geraldine, founder of Comme une Francaise, releases weekly videos which are free, fun and packed with information to help you understand popular French culture and avoid embarrassing mistakes. This interview will take you through the making of Comme une Francaise’s episodes and will tell you more about this very interesting concept. Episode Timeline [04 min 07 sec] Comme Une Française, a success story [04 min 45 sec] What is Comme Une Française and who is it for ? [05 min 28 sec] How the idea came [06 min 25 sec] An example of cultural difference : bise vs hug [07 min 57 sec] The making … Read More →
French Traditions : New Year, Galette des Rois
French New Year Greetings Wishing you all an amazing year ahead!! Or, how to say it in proper French ? “Bonne année, bonne santé” (“Good year, good health”, because health really matters), or “Bonne et heureuse année" ( = “a good and joyful year”. A bit redundant in my opinion, but you never know ; it’s better to say it twice than none!). Traditionally, French people don’t say “Bonne année” before January 1st (superstition wise, it’s bad), but we have all of January –i.e until January 31st - to give our wishes/greetings, so there’s no rush. You can just say it to your friends the … Read More →
FV 006 : Historical Heritage of Le Perche, a French Territory
Discover a former French province, Le Perche, and the richness of its historical heritage. Joël Lenoir is the president of Bellême Heritage Association (l’Association du Patrimoine de Bellême) and he is very involved in the restauration project of “le porche de Bellême”, which used to be the main gate to the small town and is now in danger. Listen to find out what the problem is and also how you may be able to help save this historical building! Episode Timeline [04 min 37 sec]Le Perche, a former French province [06 min 16 sec] Geography: where Le Perche sits on the map of France [07 … Read More →
A Year in the Merde
Don't get me wrong: the year that's almost over has been a great year! I had two weddings, went on two honeymoons, enjoyed seeing my family and friends from Europe, learnt a lot, read a lot, cooked new dishes, met and worked with great people! But if you’re looking for a Christmas gift idea for a friend who loves French culture (or for yourself!), I can only recommend Stephen’s Clark “A Year in the Merde”. The novel is in English (with some French words), so it’s above all for entertainment, and it IS doing the job very well! When I read it, I burst out laugh many times – which is probably … Read More →
Recommended Reading List : French Literature Within Your Reach!
I have created a reading list of French books that I have personally read and recommend to my students. Discovering French literature really is within your reach! I have rated the books in this list by difficulty on a scale of 1 to 5 as follows: Beginner – ideal to start Intermediate – language/style is accessible and the book is short or clearly cut into parts/short stories. Intermediate Plus – language/style is moderately hard and the book is short or standard length. Advanced – language/expressions are more advanced and/or book is long. Very Advanced – the language and … Read More →
How to Add French to Your Daily Life
Here are tips on how you can add a bit of French language and culture outside formal lessons, in your everyday life. I’ve been inspired to write this article by Dennis, a student of French who recently asked me this question: “Right now I am learning French with 'study sessions' (I sit down, I study French), but then outside of that I'm not really 'using' French in my life - so I was wondering if there were things you would recommend for making it more a part of my life, even when I am not studying”. Thanks Dennis for the question! So, here are ideas about how you can improve your French by … Read More →