Il y a longtemps que notre pays est beau mais rude.
--Newspaper editor Olivier Séguret, 25 January 2012
The USA are entirely the creation of the accursed race, the French.
--Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966), writing to Nancy Mitford, 22 May 1957
The mayor of Calais is suing Marine Le Pen of the Front National for saying "repeatedly" that citizens in Calais need a pass issued by the mayor to get to their own homes (because of the number of migrants in the town). In fact, the passes are issued by the police prefecture.
"À nous de vous faire préférer le train!"
"Voyager autrement"
"Avec le SNCF, tout est possible"
--Former ad slogans of the SNCF (French national trains), each in turn quickly dropped
(literally: marmoset)
Etymology: onomatopoeia from the sound a marmoset makes. Actual meaning: this is what you say in France when you want people to smile for the camera.
Selon une étude réalisée par le fabricant d’appareils photo Nikon, le « ouistiti » utilisé en France au moment de se faire prendre en photo est le petit mot le plus efficace pour s’assurer un joli sourire.
Private sector
First strike in 43 years at an aeronautics company in Toulouse, Latécoère
Public sector
The SNCF (toujours eux), regional train employees in the Lyons area guaranteeing unpleasant travel from the 17th-21st December
Also yet another strike by Sud-Rail, a particularly truculent SNCF union in the south of France, this time five days in January: 6,7, 21, 22 and 23. "We have no choice." Right.
Marseilles trams on strike until February
« Baby blackbirds on the balcony | Main | Our bilingual life (bis) »
Walking near Bastille I saw a group of African-American tourists on a corner, gathered around a large fold-out map and seeming puzzled. Two of them had started looking around, the way you do when you are about to ask someone for directions.
I was about to step up to my countrymen's aid when I suddenly realized they were actually speaking Italian.
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In Paris, the purest virtue is the object of the filthiest slander.
–Honoré Balzac (1799-1850), in Scènes de la vie privée
À Paris, la vertu la plus pure est l'objet des plus sales calomnies.
Annual Geminids meteor shower (shooting stars!) coming this weekend, if it's not too cloudy out at night.
Keith Eckstein also has a new book review site, Books About France
So, how is your Italian? Could you still help them? I always like when I'm surprised by the mismatch of a face and a language. For instance, I've met a few Asian-featured women who are Russian-speakers from the border area.
From Sedulia:
Europe has become racially diverse, mostly just in the last ten years. But that is plenty of time for young people to grow up and feel at home in a culture.
I do speak Italian, but I was so taken aback that by the time I recovered I had walked past them!
Posted by: Neil | 10 May 2006 at 19:17
Oooh...this happened to me once in Japan of all places, only I didn't realize they weren't American til' I talked to them.
Some "African American" guys opened up a store across the street from my apartment selling Fubu and Sean John and the like, and they used to stand out in front of the store handing out coupons on weekends.
We saw each other every day, and I found it awkward that we never acknolwedged each other, being clearly the only Americans in this tiny little town. Finally one day I crossed and said, "Hey! Where are you guys from?"
They were in fact not African Americans, but African Africans from...I can't even remember where...one of the former French colonies, and didn't speak a lick of English (or Japanese!).
Weird.
Posted by: Sarah | 10 May 2006 at 23:14
Just out of curiosity... in America we now call people of color "African-Americans" but what are they called in other predominantly white countries, like Canada, France, Italy, Australia? I was actually thinking about this just the other day without finding an answer, and your post just brought it to mind again. What's the P.C. terminology outside of the U.S.? Does anyone know?
Posted by: The Bold Soul | 10 May 2006 at 23:44
To: The Bold Soul:
If this people have french nationality we call them french. In any case we use their nationality first. For exemple: i call "american" an "african-american", or "senegalese" an african from senegal.. :)
my 2 cents
Posted by: ernestranglin | 11 May 2006 at 09:59