If you’ve been following my life here on TAIP, you know that I got married last year not once, not twice, but a whopping three times (you can read about the first two times here and here). Yes, all to … Continue reading
French
Book Club: A Year in the Merde, by Stephen Clarke
I read a lot of books about Paris and France before moving here and I’ve only recently realized I might do well to share them with you. So, I’ll start with an old favorite. It was the second week I … Continue reading
French for “Customer Service”
“It’s not my problem” — accompanied by a shrug, said by almost every French person ever to a customer in need of help. The quote above is a caricature, surely, but my French friends will admit it’s pretty close to … Continue reading
The Myth of “Fluency”
Americans abroad sometimes beat ourselves up — often on behalf of our fellow countrymen — other times because of our own perceived shortcomings. One of these is the famous lie: “Well everyone in Europe speaks at least 2-3 languages fluently.” … Continue reading