Service ‘sans’ smile
You may read the heading of this post and assume it’s going to be another litany of complaint against France and all things French. You would be wrong, although that would be a reasonable assumption. I...
View ArticleSwedish for ‘I’ll kill you’
I used to read a column in the newspaper called “Can this marriage be saved?” Both halves of a troubled couple would tell their side of the story, then the marriage counsellor would pronounce an...
View ArticleFermeture annuelle
Anyone who has spent time in France is familiar with these words: ‘Fermeture annuelle’ or ‘Congés d’été’. Usually on a scrap of paper stuck behind a closed shop window. Most family-run businesses in...
View ArticleBien dans mes baskets
What we call trainers, sneakers or running shoes, the French call ‘baskets’ or ‘tennis’. Whatever you call them, I love my running shoes. I just feel good or, ‘bien dans mes baskets’, as the saying...
View ArticleSauf exception
The first time I heard the expression ‘sauf exception’ I was sure it was a mistake. Except for exceptions? It sounded like the invention of a bureaucrat somewhere in an ivory tower, a grammatically...
View ArticleLa fin
With summer’s breath still warm on our necks, the first fumes of wood smoke tickle my nose. As the leaves on the trees begin to change, I realize with regret that it’s time to put away my sandals until...
View ArticleEpic marketing fails
I saw this display of herbal tea at the supermarket the other day and wondered if somehow I’d missed something. Yo, die? A lot of herbal tea is consumed in France, commonly referred to as ’tisane’....
View ArticlePet à porter
I snapped this shot of a petite pooch at the market on Sunday. It is for me a typical scene of French life. Little dogs go just about everywhere with their owners in France, and well-behaved pets are...
View ArticleCarte de fidelité
“La carte du magasin?” the cashier asks dully, mustering all the enthusiasm of someone required to ask the same question of every customer, day in and day out. But it must be asked. He — or more often...
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