Brisbane French Theatre

Savez-vous que*….

Brisbane has its own French theatre troupe?

Here, Lingua Franca speaks to musician, actor, writer and director Thomas Smith, who wrote BFT’s latest play, Les Uns Contre Les Autres*.

Be sure to right to la fin*. We have two tickets to give away!

---

LF: Thomas, tell us a little about your background. Where are you from and how did you come to be living in Australia?

TS: I am a "Ch'ti" from Northern France who first visited Australia on a Working Holiday Visa back in 2008. After a year travelling around the country in a van, I spent a few months working in Brisbane... I fell in love with the city and decided to settle here!

LF: Have you always wanted to be a playwright? What propelled you to take this on?

TS: I was introduced to theatre by chance: a friend proposed we audition for Brisbane's first ever French play produced by Growl Theatre in 2015, and it soon became an addiction. Along with five friends, we founded the BFT in 2017. Writing original plays was mainly born out of necessity, after we found out how difficult and time-consuming finding an existing play was - when you have limited casting options and don't necessarily want to produce works from the traditional French repertoire.

LF: How long does it take you to write a play and do you collaborate with other writers? And where do you get your inspiration from?

TS: It's usually an uneven process that's spread over several weeks, with sudden bursts of productivity followed by days of drought. My partner (and BFT's resident director) Isabelle is of precious help as we exchange ideas, she reviews my drafts and provides feedback. Inspiration is a mixed pot of past experiences and random observations: crossing Paris one summer in the Metro led to "Alas April", while the romantic vision people often have of France was "Repeat After Me"'s starting point.

LF: What is this year’s play about and when and where can we see it?

"Les uns contre les autres" is a tragi-comedy dealing with the challenges of long-term relationships and how they can be affected by lengthy lockdowns due to Covid. It will show at the Queensland Multicultural Centre in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane on 14, 15 & 16 October.

Head here for online bookings.

*Did you know that | * Against One Another | *the end

The Parisian Agency

I was recommended this Netflix series during a recent confinement* and it couldn’t have been more timely.

What more could you ask for while hunkering down? With exquisite French luxury properties, the extremely photogenic Kretz family, a dance-pop soundtrack and a good dose of humour, you’ll be hooked from the opening credits. And who wouldn’t want a grand-mère* like Majo with her urban trainers, cropped leather jacket and well-timed pep talks?

A note of caution, though. You’ll be tempted to faire un marathon*, but slowly does it - there are only five episodes so you need to savour them until a second season is announced.

Croisons les doigts*!

*lockdown | *grandmother | binge-watch | *Let’s cross our fingers!

Duo Lingo Podcasts

If you’re looking to take your first step towards listening to French podcasts, we may just have la solution* for you!

Many of our students are keen users of the Duo Lingo app. It’s especially great for beginner students and really helps to build confidence.

Duo Lingo has been improving consistently over the years, but this latest addition is really quelque chose de spécial*. Not only are the subjects interesting and varied, but the structure is very clever and particularly good for upper-beginner and intermediate learners.

There is an introduction by the host in English, then the interviewee speaks for a short time in French, before the host chimes in to give a brief summary in English of what they’ve said. This is repeated throughout the interview, and better yet, a full transcript is included.

I would highly recommend you give at least one episode a go. Tu ne le regretteras pas*.

Simon Hérault
Simone Hérault had the gift of a unique voice, but as a child, she was too insecure to believe in it. Still, her talent and dedication would end up taking her places she never expected…until she became one of the most familiar and beloved voices in all of France.

Aliénor Le Gouvello
At 30, Aliénor Le Gouvello set off to ride solo across Australia’s toughest trails. She gave herself one year to train wild horses and complete the journey. Riding ten hours a day, every day, Aliénor was determined not to quit — not for crocodiles, fire ants…not even for the handsome helicopter pilot she met along the way.

Les Moines Brasseurs
At age 27, Matthieu Landri said goodbye to his family and shared one last beer with his friends…then began his new life as a Benedictine monk. He longed for a spiritual life of contemplation and prayer. But soon he found himself embarking on a new journey: reviving the lost French art of monastic beer-brewing.

*the solution | *something special | *You won’t regret it

Vive La Révolution!

In the May édition* of Le Chouchou News, I did a round-up of the French films showing on Brisbane cinemas screens. I was happy to report that although the Alliance Française French Film Festival was over for another year, there was still a small range of films on offer.

1959

2007

2011

2001

1961

1937

1967

1994

2011

1991

1967

1928

Imagine my delight, then, when this email floated into our account a couple of weeks ago. Voici un extrait*:

Sacré Bleu! From François Truffaut to Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Dendy presents a magnifique curation of essential classic French cinema. Celebrating Bastille Day, and running July 1-28, the same month as the 2021 Festival de Cannes,

Dendy has collated twelve iconic titles, each either hugely influential in their own right, modern classics exemplifying the titanic talents of France’s celebrated film industry, or just possessing a certain je ne sais quoi. Between romance and drama, comedy and adventure, experience these films as they were meant to be - on the big screen- and rediscover the artistic cinematography, creative directing, and the classic splendour of these truly essential masterpieces of French cinema.

If you love French cinéma, please support this fledgling festival to ensure we have access to another 12 films (or more) in years to come. Bon ciné*!

Dendy Coorparoo line-up

Dendy Portside line-up

*edition | *Here is an extract | *Happy film-going!

Romance your way to French

If, as Frédéric Chopin said, la simplicité est la réussite absolue*, then the French Hacking Instagram account @frenchhacking is a huge hit.

The concept couldn’t be simpler: a post a day with a French phrase or quote on a plain black background. Not only does this solve the problem of how to insert more French into your vie quotidienne*, but if you take the time to scroll through a dozen or so posts in a row, I’ll be surprised if you don’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling from the exercise. Short enough to translate in just a minute or two (even for beginners), the posts tend towards the romantic, nostalgic and sweet.

Vivement recommandée* and thanks to one of our Chouchous*, Tania, for the tip off!

*simplicity is total success | *daily life | *Thoroughly recommended | *Teacher’s Pet

Exhibition Melbourne

We know travel is tricky at the moment but the National Gallery of Victoria is nonetheless trying to seduce us southwards with their upcoming French Impressionist exhibition.

With over 100 works on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, you have the chance to see some of the most famous paintings from artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Mary Cassatt and more.

Ça vous tente*? Jump onto the NGV website for more information. The exhibition opens 4th June and runs through to October.

*Sound tempting?

What's on Netflix

Finalement* ! The fourth season of Dix Pour Cent* (Call My Agent) is available on Netflix. In a stroke of good luck, filming was wrapped up before Covid hit in 2020, but it has been a long wait for fans, with the new series only dropping le 21 janvier*.

We know many of you jumped right on it, but if you haven’t just yet, or if you’ve not seen seasons 1, 2 or 3, you are in for a real treat. It’s fun, fast and sexy and with real French cinema stars playing themselves with just the right touch of auto-dérision* it gives us an aperçu* of life inside a chaotic Paris talent agency.

One note of warning, please do not judge your French by your comprehension (or lack of) of the dialogue. Parisians are known to speak quickly, plus there’s a high level of slang, jargon and swearing in the actors’ rapid-fire exchanges. Nos conseils*? Just sit back and make the most of the exhilarating ride that is Dix Pour Cent.

*Finally! | *Ten Per Cent | *on the 21st January | *auto-derision | *glimpse | *Our advice?

I spotted this new series (also on Netflix) pendant les vacances*, a time when I traditionally spend a fair amount of time looking for good movies to see at the cinema. So I’m going to forgive myself for confusing this series, starring Omar Sy, with Lupin III, a recently-released kids’ movie based on a Japanese manga series.

As it turns out, both new arrivals are inspired by the French fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise, Arsène Lupin, hence the names of the projects.

For the curieux(euse)* here’s a Rolling Stone review that gives some more background on the intriguing M. Lupin and his clever ways.

*during the holidays | *curious

Alliance Française French Film Festival

After an especially difficult year in 2020, the Alliance Française French Film Festival est de retour* and from the bande annonce* it looks like it’s going to be an absolute cracker.

Alliance Française presents the 32nd season of the Alliance Française French Film Festival!SYDNEY: 2 March to 31 March MELBOURNE: 3 March to 31 MarchCANBERRA...

We’re waiting for the programme to be released so we can organise a film event for les Chouchous*. We usually choose a Sunday in April, but we’ll reserve our final decision until we’ve seen the entire sélection de films*.

I don’t know about you, but the idea of being transported into a French world for an afternoon sounds particularly enticing en ce moment*.

Croisons les doigts* that things remain stable, of course, and look out for an invitation in a future Le Chouchou News.

If you’d like to be notified as soon as the programme comes out, sign up to the festival website here.


*is back | *trailer | *the Teacher's Pets | *film selection | *at the moment | *Let's cross our fingers

French Films on SBS

With les vacances d’été* just around the corner, you may already be in the process of lining up tout ce qu’il faut* to enjoy some seriously relaxing couch time. Bol de cerises, coupe de champagne et un film français?*. We can’t help you with the first two but we can certainly point you in the right direction for the third, thanks to our friends at Rendez-vous Australie.

A web-magazine designed for French speakers who live in Australia, Rendez-vous Australie is a trésor caché* and our own Fiona Berrocal is on the editorial team (elle touche à tout* as they say). Dedicated to Australian news and culture but written in French, it’s a great way to take the first step in reading a French newspaper, which we know is a goal for many of you.

The team at RVA know their French films and where to find them. SBS On Demand has a fantastic collection of foreign films and their French compilation is particularly impressive. The full list is here, ranked by year and with links to bandes-annonces*, or if you trust our taste, we’ve selected a few of our coups de cœurs* below. Bon visionnage*!

En liberté !
(The Trouble With You)

2018

[MORE INFO + PLAY]

Au revoir là-haut
(See You Up There)

2017

[MORE INFO + PLAY]

Un homme à la hauteur
(Up For Love)

2016

[MORE INFO + PLAY]

La famille Bélier
(The Belier Family)

2014

[MORE INFO + PLAY]

La Môme
(La vie en rose)

2007

[MORE INFO + PLAY]

*summer holidays | *everything you need | *Bowl of cherries, glass of champagne and a French film? | *hidden gem | *she has a finger in every pie | *trailers | *favourites | *Happy viewing!

Who is The New Parisienne?

Most people who have fallen in love with the French language came to it by the way of French culture: fashion, literature, movies, ballet, food, wine…the list goes on.

If you own a television or have ever flipped through a fashion magazine, you’ll know how ubiquitous the French aesthetic is. We often hold up French chic as the gold standard of style.

But how do we know if we’re being fed the true story? What does it mean to be Parisienne? Has it changed? Does asking these very questions make us feel slightly uncomfortable, like something’s about to be taken away from us?

Are we ready to have the dream not shattered, but perhaps adjusted to better represent the Parisienne of today? If you’re curieux(euse)* enough to consider the questions, you’re going to love this book.

[BUY THE BOOK]

[READ THE FULL ARTICLE]

*curious

Petit Poulet

We often have beginner students ask us if we know of any children's books that would be suited to their level. It makes sense - as a beginner you're really starting from scratch, as you do as a bébé*. What we tend to forget, though, is that before we start reading in our native language, we've already had years of exposure to words and sounds and our comprehension of the spoken word is almost perfect. Therefore, picking up a children's book in French is not as easy as it may sound.

This is why we were so delighted to discover this lovely little site. If you're a current Chouchou*, you may have seen a post about this great little site last week in the group Slack channel. In case you missed it, or for those who are not yet doing lessons chez Lingua Franca*, we thought you might enjoy it, too.

The French Experiment is a site dedicated to learning the French language. It's small but very well done, and when we saw the list of French contes* available, we knew we had to faire passer la parole*.

Though there are several tales available (there’s even an original love story between a whale and a bird), the one below is the only one to have been animated (so far). Though this is a high intermediate level, it is suitable for everyone as you can choose to have English subtitles, French subtitles or no subtitles at all. For the others, you'll find the story in French accompanied by lovely illustrations as well as the option to translate the text into English.

NB: Be sure to click on the red text “Watch the video” to see the animated version. If you click only on the play button, you’ll just hear the audio.

Alors, lancez-vous!* Les Trois Petits Cochons*, Boucle d'Or* and Le Petit Chaperon Rouge* are waiting for you.

*baby | *Teacher's Pet | *at Lingua Franca | *fairytales | *spread the word | *So, give it a go! | *The Three Little Pigs | *Goldilocks | *Little Red Riding Hood

French Movies in Brisbane

With the Brisbane French Film Festival over for this year, you may have thought we'd seen the last of the films français* for 2020. Au contraire*! A quick scan of Brisbane cinema websites has turned up somewhat of a treasure trove of choices if you're keen to satisfy your cinephile* tendencies. Some of the more popular movies from the French Film Festival have come back on general release and the Brisbane International Film Festival is about to start so Brisbane French-lovers ont l'embarras du choix*.

PALACE

https://www.palacecinemas.com.au/movies/now-showing/

We'll End Up Together - Nous Finirons Ensemble
La Belle Époque - La Belle Époque
The Translators - Les Traducteurs
Les Misérables - Les Misérables

DENDY

https://www.dendy.com.au/cinemas/

Two of Us - Deux
Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu - Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Blue is the Warmest Colour - La Vie d'Adèle
BPM - 120 Battements Par Minute

NEW FARM

https://fivestarcinemas.com.au/new-farm

Secret Impressionists  - Segreti Impressionisti
Felicità - Felicità

REGAL CINEMA GRACEVILLE

https://fivestarcinemas.com.au/regal

The Mystery of Henri Pick - Le Mystère Henri Pick

Bon ciné*!

*French films | *Quite the opposite! *film-lover | *are spoiled for choice | *Enjoy your movies!

L’accro du shopping a une soeur

Karen Curling

CRITIQUE LITTÉRAIRE | BOOK REVIEW

by Karen Curling

Lingua Franca student (Advanced 2) and accro de la lecture en français*.

Apart from learning French, one of my favourite pastimes is reading novels, so you can imagine my delight one evening before class when I discovered the little library shelf at Lingua Franca.  Immediately, my eyes were drawn to a book with a bright purple cover, complete with a caricatured illustration and an intriguing title, L’accro du shopping a une soeur (Shopaholic and Sister).

The author, Sophie Kinsella, is well-known for her popular chick-lit and so with that in mind I decided to give myself a new challenge – to read a novel which has been translated into French.

This is an amusing, light-hearted book which follows the story of a loveable and ever-optimistic character, Becky Brandon. Recently married, Becky (a happy shopaholic) and her new husband, Luke, return to London following their ten-month around-the-world honeymoon.  Upon their return, they are greeted with the news that Becky has a half-sister, Jess, whom she never knew existed. True to her charming character, Becky receives the news with great excitement and completely throws herself into this new sisterhood. Unfortunately, there is another shock in store for Becky because the two girls are like chalk and cheese - and furthermore, Jess detests shopping!

Throughout and to the end, poor old Becky experiences heaps of ups and downs – and yes, I did manage to get to the end, albeit six months later.  Reading this book offered so many positives. It was rewarding to recognise and recall words which were covered in class, while the exposure to new vocabulary has boosted my confidence with speaking. 

Personally though, it was helpful to see the whole range of verb tenses in action. Ultimately, it has shown me that reading an entire novel in French is possible. It is always a luxury to cosy up with a good book but especially so this year. If you are looking for something light-hearted to read which will complement your class work, “L’accro du shopping a une soeur” vaut vraiment la peine*.

* is really worth the challenge

Roland Garros

The French Open, or Championnats Internationaux de France de Tennis*, to use its official name (when not being referred to simply as Roland Garros - la confusion!*) has been delayed due to COVID-19 and is currently scheduled to take place in late September.

Since the French word for tennis is le tennis, you'd be forgiven for thinking the French imported the game from England. Oui? Non!* The modern game is actually based on an ancient French game called Jeu de Paume*. We don't want to lose you in translation, so take a look at this recent article from the New York Times to get to the bottom of the white games, hallways and eggs that make up tennis en français*.

*The French International Tennis Championships | *how confusing! | *Yes? No! | *Real Tennis (literally: palm game) | *in French.

La Génération Perdue

It appears intergenerational friction is as old as time. While today it's a tussle between the Boomers and Millennials, the period known as l'entre-deux-guerres* in France marked the arrival of La Génération Perdue, or The Lost Generation. So who were they and why were they lost?

The Great War had an enormous impact on everyone who lived through it, whether in Europe or elsewhere. Post-war America adopted a 'back to normal' policy, which was anathema to many of those who had come of age during the conflict. Finding their inherited values had no place in a post-war world, 5000 Americans a week boarded Cunard cruise ships bound for Paris, which promised a more liberal and permissive society (also, prohibition was bearing down in the States at this time - even more reason to escape to a less puritanical culture).

The artistic among them, chafing against the constraints of traditional values, descended upon Paris and started to explore a new paradigm along with other expatriates from all over the world.

A mix of writers, musicians, artists and dancers reinvigorated post-war Paris and produced a hotbed of creativity. Among the expats were F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, Josephine Baker, Igor Stravinsky, Salvador Dalí, Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein. In fact, it was Stein who first appropriated the term Génération Perdue after hearing a mechanic dressing down one of his apprentices who had neglected to repair her car on time, saying "Vous êtes tous une génération perdue!*". She mentioned it to Ernest Hemingway, who included it as an epigraph in his novel 'The Sun Also Rises’, about a group of American expats in Europe.

Revelling in the freedom Paris offered, these artists spent much time sitting in cafés, writing, dreaming, discussing, smoking, arguing and drinking - a heady mix indeed. Two of their favourite haunts were the renowned cafés Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore, nestled côte-à-côte* on the Boulevard Saint-Germain in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Nearby, on rue de Rennes, was a third hangout, La Closerie des Lilas. It is said that this is where Hemingway first read Fitzgerald’s manuscript for The Great Gatsby.

Soon, entrepreneurial types were capitalising on the revitalised artistic movement, opening publishing houses to disseminate their works, which were often racier in nature than what could be printed in their home countries. In fact, it was at this time that the iconic left-bank bookstore, Shakespeare and Co., was opened by Sylvia Beach on rue de l’Odéon.

For a soi-disant* lost generation, they certainly made a huge contribution to the creative world and their revolutionary vision and talent continues to inspire today. Maybe not so lost after all.

*between two wars | *You're all a lost generation! | *side-by-side | *so-called

Le Festival

There is no doubt about it. The team responsible for Le Festival really do not take non* for an answer.

As we all know, the arts has taken an absolute hammering during Covid and events are folding de tous les côtés*. But the organisers of the biggest French festival in Australia? Ils refusent*!

So what did they do? Firstly, instead of cancelling the event, they postponed it to October. Next, they launched a crowd-funding campaign to ensure that come October they were sufficiently financial to actually run the 10th édition* of the much-loved event. Not stopping there, they added a fantastic raffle as a way to promote their partners and raise additional funds.

Finally, a surprise announcement raised the bar in a major way. Le Festival Director, Betty Moinet, and her team, still wanting to celebrate La Fête nationale* with the people of Brisbane, have organised a series of free cultural conferences. The lineup has to be seen to be believed. There is something for absolutely everybody and you can sign up to as many sessions as you like. The amount of work that would have gone into organising this series of events is phenomenal and, under the current circumstances particularly, speaks volumes about the passion Betty and her team of volunteers bring to putting this event on for us, the French-loving public of Brisbane.

Let's support them by getting involved in any way we can. Allez!*

*no | *left and right | *They refuse! | *year | *Bastille Day | *Let's go!

Snippets of Paris

www.snippetsofparis.com

This is such a great little website! We came across it last month when we were doing some research for our story on Au Clair de la Lune* and earmarked it for further investigation this month and I am so glad we did. It is absolutely plein à craquer* with recipes, stories, etiquette tips, travel ideas, language anomalies and much, much more.

Written by Nassie, a Canadian ex-pat who discovered the French art de vivre* and never looked back, it is the perfect site to dip in and out of over a quiet weekend. The best thing about it? It's not a blog offering up the clichéd version of living in Paris, but a more considered and honest one, which is often much more interesting for true lovers of France and the French language.

As she writes:
Snippets of Paris aims to tell you what the locals tell their friends about, to go beyond the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower. We’ll share with you fun anecdotes about what daily life in France is like, so that you too can imagine yourself living here. Does Paris continue to hold its charm if you are living there, rather than just visiting? Do you ever become fluent in French? And raising kids in France!? Ooh là là!

Bonne lecture*!

*By the Light of the Moon | *full to bursting | * art of living | *Happy reading!

Spotify Playlist

We always encourage our students who are en pause* with their French to stay in touch with it in some way. It's such a shame to completely lose contact with the language when life gets busy, so flicking through a French magazine, watching the French news, even cooking a French recipe are all great ways to garder la main*.

Some would suggest even buying French makeup is a way to stay in touch - a position I wholeheartedly endorse.

One of our students, Anna Vella, avocate* by day and I suspect part-time DJ by night, has put together this fantastic Spotify playlist, which is keeping her French on a slow burn as she takes a well-earned break from her studies.

Merci Anna et à bientôt, j'espère*.

Where do you find your French music?

It’s surprisingly everywhere. French radio apps are fantastic – but Spotify is also a great black hole to get lost in.

Are theRE any special memories attached to any of the songs on your playlist?

I was the prime demographic for Sex and the City when it was originally released. Re-watching the final episode, An American Girl in Paris (Part Deux) a few years ago contributed to my motivation to start learning French, and the MC Solar song “La Belle Et Le Bad Boy” is synonymous with that episode. On our very last gathering as part of last year’s Paris Summer School, I was swapping information with another student as to French songs we recommended or had discovered on the trip and that one came up (I tried to pretend that I hadn’t Shazamed it directly from the television….). It was an Australian Girl in Paris (Part Trois) moment for me.

Who is your all-time favourite French artist?

Daft Punk (and their spin-off Stardust) are pretty hard to go past. I feel like they were pioneers of the house/electronic/dance/synthpop sound in the early to mid-1990’s (and some of their “music videos” were wild). It was hard to go past Daft Punk, a $2 Fire Engine and a dance floor at the time. They have stayed on the scene and continue to chart. And I appreciate their sustained effort to dress like robots. Also, Petit Biscuit is a different speed but wonderful – he is only 20 and in 2018 he did a set at Coachella.

What is the song on the list that best represents France for you?

“Tout va bien” by Orelsan. I heard it in a taxi on the way home after a night out in Paris last year during the summer school – I was full of delicious food and wine and had been laughing all night and it was raining and I was giving directions in French and I was watching the muted city lights go past. It was magical. And the lyrics to that song make no sense. Je kiffe!

Go to track when I'm…

Sad: Night Trouble, Petit Biscuit

Tired: La Fin Du Monde, Ludo Pin Facing

Getting up on a Monday morning: 40%, Aya Nakamura

In need of motivation: Da Funk, Daft Punk

*taking a break | *keep your hand in | *lawyer | *Thank you, Anna, and see you soon, I hope

Au Clair de la Lune

We’re sure most of you are familiar with the French Song “Au Clair de la Lune*” but did it ever cross your mind that it might be a bit risqué*? It certainly did not to us, until we were tipped off by a curious student, Martha, who set herself the seemingly innocent challenge of translating this French comptine*. So what did she find? Well, it all starts out fairly innocently, with talk of quills, candles and the love of God, but by the third verse, things have taken a sexier turn (or do we just have dirty minds au nid*?).

See what you think by checking out the video, which seems to play on the faux* innocence of the words. Again, we could just be seeing this through a slightly perverted lens, mais sérieusement*, the God of Love wants to enter your cabin??? À vous de décider*.

Comptine "au clair de la lune" Au clair de la lune, Mon ami Pierrot, Prête-moi ta plume Pour écrire un mot. Ma chandelle est morte, Je n'ai plus de feu ; Ouv...

"Au clair de la lune,
Mon ami Pierrot,
Prête-moi ta plume
Pour écrire un mot.
Ma chandelle est morte,
Je n'ai plus de feu.
Ouvre-moi ta porte
Pour l'amour de Dieu."

Au clair de la lune,
Pierrot répondit :
"Je n'ai pas de plume,
Je suis dans mon lit.
Va chez la voisine,
Je crois qu'elle y est,
Car dans sa cuisine
On bat le briquet."

Au clair de la lune,
L'aimable Lubin;
Frappe chez la brune,
Elle répond soudain :
–Qui frappe de la sorte?
Il dit à son tour :
–Ouvrez votre porte,
Pour le Dieu d'Amour.

Au clair de la lune,
On n'y voit qu'un peu.
On chercha la plume,
On chercha du feu.
En cherchant d'la sorte,
Je n'sais c'qu'on trouva;
Mais je sais qu'la porte
Sur eux se ferma.

"By the light of the moon,
My friend Pierrot,
Lend me your quill
To write a word.
My candle is dead,
I have no light left.
Open your door for me
For the love of God."

By the light of the moon,
Pierrot replied:
"I don't have any pens,
I am in my bed
Go to the neighbor's,
I think she's there
Because in her kitchen
Someone is lighting the fire."

By the light of the moon
Likeable Lubin
Knocks on the brunette's door.
She suddenly responds:
– Who's knocking like that?
He then replies:
– Open your door
for the God of Love!

By the light of the moon
One could barely see.
The pen was looked for,
The light was looked for.
With all that looking
I don't know what was found,
But I do know that the door
Shut itself on them.

*By the light of the moon | *risqué | *nursery rhyme | *at the nest | *false | *but seriously | *Over to you to decide

F is for France

If you're looking for something light and super intéressant* to read at the moment, one of our students recommended F is for French by Piu Eatwell to us, and we're so glad she did (merci*, Sue!). Divided into alphabetised chapters, it covers the big issues, par exemple*:

A is for Absinthe
F is for Fashion
H is for Hashish

and, of course

D is for Death

Learn all about...

• the "Paris Syndrome" and why it is the reason for the hospitalisation of dozens of Japanese tourists each year,

• what the Eiffel Tower and Margaret Thatcher have in common, and

• Dominique Bouhours, the famed French grammarian whose final words were: "I am about to - or I am going to - die: either expression is correct."

Poor Dominique. Are we sure he didn't bore himself to death?

A great read for times like these. Bonne lecture*!

*really interesting | *thank you | *for example | *Happy reading!