My interest in French music was really more something that accompanied my early years of love for French culture. My good friend and then A-Level oral assistant was the one to introduce me to French songs.
'C'est La Folie' sounds like a jovial and bad attempt at calling the world a crazy place. Well, crazy place it might be, but for those of you yet to discover the delightful book that bears this title, I am so excited for you to read it.
n total juxtaposition to the glamour of the season of Advent, I recently read about a rather controversial decision which would affect the capital – or a good 9.2 per cent of it this year, if the unemployment statistics are anything to go by. During my time in Paris, I remember noticing the stark and irrefutable presence of the city’s SDF (sans domicile fixe, or homeless).
I think the film touched upon something much more relevant to those of us who have fallen under the city’s spell… nostalgia of a golden age. I was reminded of my three months working in Paris. Whilst I won’t pretend my Parisian world was as idyllic as Owen Wilson’s, it felt close at times.
The Académie Française met to discuss globalisation and the value (or the threat) of sharing a common language. The purist group came together to discuss their pet hate: anglicisms.
Visitors to France hanker after the boulangeries and pâtisseries found on every street corner of the country. The boulangeries, yes. The croissants, I understand. Macaroons, I LOVE, so I give them that too. These, after all, have become part of my holiday routine. And yet I rarely touched the things when I lived, worked, and immersed myself in French life... [But s]o how has this world of sucreries become such a reflection of French culture?
“Mais, tu es française ou anglaise?” This is one of my favourite questions. Although my English heritage is obvious well before I can open my mouth, much of my heart will always be, in the immortalised words of Bonnie Tyler, “lost in France, in love”.
Come with us to experience French life beyond the cliché.
Magazine – Events – Experiences
Wherever you live, if you’re a francophile or French and you’d like to join our team of Contributors then we’d love to hear from you – check out our submissions page. We’re also constantly seeking savvy interns – please check on available internships
