16.12 - French in a Tea Cup, Leftovers in the Law and the Paris Street Nobody Told You About
In the FREE le Bulletin you'll discover writers who take us somewhere unexpected, into a morning ritual, a legislative rabbit hole & a Paris street with centuries of stories.
Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter
Bonjour mes ami(e)s !
It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today, at the beginning of a new year! Bienvenue !
In this newsletter, you’ll find these wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché,
Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.10.a - .“ It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←
À bientôt !
Warmly,
Judy - 28.3.2026
1. MyFrenchLife™ Magazine: new articles
“There are many talented Contributors to MyFrenchLife Magazine and I thank all of you for sharing your experiences with us in such an engaging manner.
You take us right across France & deep into many worm-holes.
We delight in discovering
and learning more about France beyond the cliché”
Merci
Judy
Our list of valued Contributors →
Introducing NEW Contributor: Laura L. Barkat (L.L.)
I am the founder and managing editor of Tweetspeak Poetry and publisher at T. S. Poetry Press. I’ve authored more than ten books, including the popular Rumors of Water: Thoughts on Creativity & Writing. A former contributing writer for The Huffington Post, my poetry has appeared on NPR, in The Best American Poetry, and on the BBC.”
Laura’s Substack is ‘J’ai Fait du Thé’. Here’s how she describes it:
Wonder. Creativity. Tiny Adventures.
The name of this publication—J’ai Fait du Thé—means, quite simply, “I made tea.” What can you expect if you follow along?
I’m here to stir your sense of wonder, explore the creative life, and invite you to tiny adventures in tea and photography (with French on the side).
Reader, come along with me?
Let’s say “oui” to the possibilities…”
as always, L.L. “
What you’ll find there includes:
Tea as ritual 🍵
Photography of the ordinary, made extraordinary 🍵
A Beginner’s Video Journey (NEW) 🍵
French through beauty 🍵
Word of the week (NEW!) 🍵
Welcome, Laura. It’s wonderful to have you join our fabulously talented team of Contributors.
And now here is Laura’s first article in MyFrenchLife Zine.
a) Why I’m Learning French Through Tea
by LL Barkat
…or, what happens when you start living with a language instead of studying it...
Living with Language
There’s a special kind of beauty that slips into the day when you start to make your morning tea.
You open the tea tin, and the lightest fragrance enters your senses. The little leaves are nestled silently in each other’s arms. (Even inside a teabag, there they are, romancing each other.)
The light plays across the water as you pour it into the kettle.
You choose your teacup (I have regulars for each day of the week, and Wednesday is a wild card day.)
A few minutes for the steeping, while the aroma stirs your soul.
Then the pour. The glorious, precious pour.
Mmm.
It is in such beauty that French lured me again.” writes Laura (LL).
b) Leftovers on Purpose: Stew, Law, and Anti-Gaspi France
by Keith Christiansen
How France Turned Leftovers Into Law”
In France, yesterday’s scraps are today’s dinner — and, increasingly, tomorrow’s legislation.”
TL;DR
France has long turned scraps into menu staples — bouillabaisse, cassoulet, pot-au-feu — and since 2016, supermarkets are banned from wasting food, to mixed effect. anti-gaspi apps like Too Good To Go, Nous anti-gaspi shops, and socialist events like Disco Soupe. La Chanson des Restos — France’s cheesy 80s We Are the World moment — still funds millions of meals.
Want in? Download the apps, check the ding-and-dent shelf at the supermarket, or start with the simple pot-au-feu recipe below…” writes Keith Christiansen.
c) 20 Streets of Paris #3: Rue Réaumur
by Pierre Guernier
Third Episode—A journey of discovery through Parisian history, one street sign at a time - Let’s go!
Think you know Rue Réaumur? You know its iron-framed façades, its newspaper offices, and the rumble of the city at work. But do you know why a street humming with industry was named after an entomologist? What architectural revolution unfolded here around 1900, when Paris decided that even a working street deserved to be beautiful? Why this single thoroughfare once stitched together the world of finance and the quiet of a garden square? Pierre Guernier does — and this month, he’s lifting the steel-and-glass curtain to reveal the layers beneath. Fair warning: you’ll never glance at a blue street sign here the same way again.
2. Merci mille fois
“Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’, the newsletter of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine.”
Judy MacMahon
Bonjour mes ami(e)s,
What a treat this week’s free edition has been to put together.
A poet finding her way into French not through grammar books but through the ritual of a morning cup of tea, a deep dive into the surprisingly fascinating world of anti-gaspi legislation, and Pierre lifting the lid on a Paris street that has been hiding its secrets in plain sight for well over a century.
Welcome to Laura L. Barkat, who joins our contributor family this week for the first time. Her Substack, J’ai Fait du Thé, is exactly the kind of quiet, beautiful corner of the internet we all need more of, and I have a feeling her writing is going to find a very happy home here at MyFrenchLife™.
Merci mille fois pour la lecture, mes ami(e)s. If you’re enjoying the FREE edition, there is a lot more waiting for you in this week’s PAID le Bulletin newsletter. It’s not too late to upgrade and join us there.
Judy x
judy@myfrenchlife.org
Thanks for reading ‘le Bulletin’! This post is public, so feel free to share it.
‘le Bulletin’ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support us, I personally ask you to consider becoming a free or annual subscriber.
Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience, and deepen your French connection.
🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
Become an annual member and save! Enjoy exclusive, intimate glimpses into France and French lives delivered straight to your inbox.
⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
If you love le Bulletin, you can help us share more stories of remarkable French women and authentic French experiences. Plus, enjoy special perks!
🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It’s the perfect way to share your passion for France.
💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings at any time that suits you, wherever you live, and at any time.