LKL’s Blog

I just finished watching the short-lived French series Cinq sœurs (Five Sisters), and I’m very disappointed. It was on 5 nights a week and was supposed to last for a year (260 episodes), but was cancelled after just 108. It wasn’t brilliant by any means, but it was interesting and it was also great for French listening practice, as there were a variety of formal and informal situations (though the verbs tutoyer and vouvoyer were used more than I’ve ever heard them in real life). Plus, it ended on a cliffhanger, with numerous characters in mortal danger. Very uncool!

Il n’y a pas de club de conversation française à Hyères, donc j’en crée un. Bavard’Hyères invite les Hyérois (qu’ils soient français ou étrangers) qui ont aussi de bavarder en français et de faire la connaissance d’autres amateurs de la langue française. Les sujets peuvent s’étendre des livres aux films et du voyage à la politique - la seule limitation est la langue de discussion: Bavard’Hyères.

Last week I subscribed to the Éco-forfait WWF illimité, a new option from French publisher Relay that allows you to download as many of their 400 French magazines as you can read, plus donates a euro a month of your 18-euro subscription to the World Wildlife Fund. I downloaded over 20 magazines on news, culture, food, wine… it’s fantastic. For info, see the bottom-left corner of the Relay site.

This movie has broken all French box office records, and with good reason - it’s hilarious, fun, and heart-warming. If you get a chance to see it, don’t miss. I can’t imagine having to watch it with subtitles though, as an important part of the story and dialogue has to do with the French dialect spoken in the north of France.

I read that Will Smith (among others) wants to do a remake. The French article said it would be Bienvenue chez les Blacks, so I’m guessing the English title would be something like Welcome to Harlem. Of course, these are very early days, but it sounds great - I can’t wait to see it!

I’m delighted to announce the publication of my fourth French book: Intermediate French for Dummies. It includes intermediate-level grammar lessons, writing tips, and practice exercises, and it’s the most extensive (and, all modesty aside, the best) book I’ve written. Check it out at Amazon.com or your favorite bookstore: Intermediate French for Dummies

Here are some links to help you celebrate with your beloved.

French love language
French terms of endearment
Spanish love language
Vegetarian aphrodisiacs

Even if you don’t speak French, this is kind of fun. See how well you know how to use French terms like déjà vu, carte blanche, and je ne sais quoi in English with this quiz: French terms in English

Good-bye 2007 (does anyone else notice that could read Good-bye to 007 [double oh seven]? Is this a sign of James Bond’s future?) and hello 2008. It was a good year - I spent more than half of it in Costa Rica. But this year will be even better, as I’ll spend the majority of it in France. I hope you too will have some long-cherished dreams come true.

Here’s some reading material and ideas for New Year’s Resolutions for you:

New Year’s in France
French New Year’s Resolutions
Veggie Table New Year’s Resolutions

I hope you and your families are happy, safe, and warm this holiday season. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

Vegetarian Christmas Menu
Christmas in France
French Christmas Vocabulary
Spanish Christmas Vocabulary

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American celebration, but you still might want to talk about it in French or Spanish. Here’s some vocabulary related to American Thanksgiving:

French Thanksgiving Vocabulary
Spanish Thanksgiving Vocabulary