Category Archives: Cultural Perspectives

A Song that really gets it. And gives it.

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Susan

A song going viral in France captures and throws at us the feelings the murders evoked – anger at the terrorists, stubborn devotion, anyway, to freedom of expression, and Solidarity with the traumatized country. Those feelings are strengthened by its … Continue reading →

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Ruben Oppenheimer’s cartoon

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Susan

The French are going through their September 11th. Their twin towers were sharpened pencils – words, satirical drawings, thoughts – as symbolically cherished by them as our Twin Towers were to us. Violence killed them all. For us the symbol … Continue reading →

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Paris Off the Beaten Path

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Susan

If you think you’ve ‘done’ Paris, think again. Many new sites and experiences have developed since the old nuggets. See the following article: Dipping into a French melting pot, by Farai Chideya

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Puzzling out Quebecois from TV5

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Susan

TV5 is such a fun way to learn French! A complete novice can get the melody from listening to the language in the background. Intermediate students can follow talk-shows, cartoons, films, soap operas and cultural shows with or without subtitles. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Perspectives, French culture, French versus English, Language Tips, Reasons to learn French, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The latest tempest in a silly symbol

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Susan

La Sculpture américaine vandalisée, place Vendôme (via Etienne R.) The latest offense an American is perceived to have made against the French was an abstract inflatable Christmas tree, called “Tree.” Paul McCarthy, its American sculptor, created it for Fiac , … Continue reading →

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Duras Retrospective – cinematic and personal

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Susan

To celebrate Marguerite Duras’ centennial, Lincoln Center is showing a retrospective of her films. It was also 45 years ago  last month that Lincoln Center presented the first of her films ever to be shown in America. The film was … Continue reading →

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Perils of Mixing up “Tu” with “Vous”

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Susan

Carolyn V. sent the following wink at the perils of confusing Tu and Vous: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-og-bastile-vous-tu-20140711-htmlstory.html The dangers are serious! Already at 21, I made a peer feel that I was presumptuous when I said “tu” to a good friend of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Perspectives, French culture, French versus English, Language Tips, Only in France ! | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Duras’s ‘stolen’ movie

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Susan

Why did Marguerite Duras not get more credit for having written La Voleuse? TV5 Monde has broadcast the otherwise ordinary-looking 1966 black and white film 3 times recently without advertising or mentioning ahead that it’s a film by Duras. I … Continue reading →

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Examples of Michèle L’s Sites That are Worth a Visit

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Susan

So many people asked me for examples of Michèle L.’s sites, that she sent us some URLs. 1 – Voici un site pour le tourisme à Paris, qui donne des indications classiques mais parfois des propositions moins connues : “un … Continue reading →

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What are the subtleties of KIFFER ?

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Susan

Could a kind and well-informed French-speaking person explain the subtleties of the verb “kiffer” ?  I’ve heard it a lot and gathered it meant ‘to like,’ ‘to love’ or ‘to appreciate.’ But then I read in the daily Libération that … Continue reading →

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