Kristin Espinasse's Blog, page 43

Les Bienfaits de la Solitude or The Benefits of being alone

Solitude revives the soul and the senses. Solitude is the crucible of the mind, the good is purified there; the fake evaporates there.
La solitude ravive l'âme et les sens. La solitude est le creuset de l'esprit, le bon s'y épure; le faux s'y évapore. Citation de Pierre-Claude-Victor Boiste ; Dictionnaire universel (1800)

Photo taken in St Cyr-sur-Mer, at our former vineyard (there were also these magnificent centuries-old olive trees).

la solitude

    : loneliness

 

A DAY IN A FRENCH L...

Third greatest Frenchman after Charles de Gaulle and Louis Pasteur + Charlie Chaplin's big French heart

After I began watching Invisible People (homeless interviews) a series of unusual things happened here in the sunny south of France. Our heater broke. Then it snowed. Then our water heater broke. Then our car would not start. And then our daughter's car broke down! And then I ended up all alone for two weeks.

This is not to say that you will have bad luck if you focus on the homeless. But if some of these things happen to you (if your usual comforts suddenly disappear), it is much easier t...

Enquiquineuse: The famous French advocate who was known as a pain in the neck

I woke up this morning thinking about my grandmother, Audrey Young. I was remembering a phrase she shared with me at the end of her life, in a nursing home. "The squeaky wheel gets the grease!" she would say. It meant that if you don't pipe up people will not help you!

Sister Emmanuelle, who we learn about today, would have high-fived my Grandma Audrey--and then the two might have enjoyed a gin and tonic together :-) Here is today's word and a profile on a most amazing femme française as...

Invisible People (aka SDF, sans-abri, sans logement, va-nu-pieds)

Read The Family Under the Bridge to a young person and help spread homelessness awareness. "Armand, an old Parisian living on the streets of Paris, relished his solitary life. He begged and did odd jobs for money to keep himself warm and fed, and he liked his carefree life. Then one day just before Christmas, a struggling mother and her three children walked into his life..." Click here to order a copy for yourself or to offer as a gift!

INVISIBLE PEOPLE
I recently discovered a YouTube chan...

Afin de + When, just like that, a cultural curiosity is demystified

In order to express thanks and gratitude, in Arabic, the term "chukran" that is pronounced. (Hear this sentence in French, below.) Photo taken on the northeast coast of Morocco, at Tmadet Sidi El Bachir. 

Today's word: "afin de"

    : so as, in order to, 

AUDIO FILE: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce the following sentence in French: 

Click here to hear the sound clip

Afin d'exprimer remerciements et gratitude, en arabe, c'est le terme « choukran » qui est prononcé. -- L'Arabe facile.fr



A...

Dépaysement - one of Jean-Marc's favorite French words!

After a recent dog-walking clash there was no time to linger in the comfort zone of home, dwelling on a negative experience. Une nouvelle expérience awaited just around the corner of North Africa.... 
  

LE DÉPAYSEMENT

    : change of scene

* dépaysement can also have a negative connotation, for it also means "culture shock" or  "disorientation" 

AUDIO FILE - hear Jean-Marc read the following sentence in French

Dépaysement sentence

J'enregistre ce message vocal à l'aéroport de Nador où nou...

La Prise de bec - unexpected run-in with a stranger while walking my dog

Ever since I dislocated my elbow while walking my dog, outings with my golden retriever have changed. I am more aware of the dangers around every corner. Giant barking dogs can leap out of nowhere, causing a dog on a leash to react in self defense, and even tiny chiens can wreak havoc. For walks to go smoothly, you have to know your dog, be alert, and have a back-up plan--my own is to quickly change sidewalks or change direction, but this reflex did not work for us recently.  

Saturday's dra...

Today is Armistice Day. Share about a Veteran.

By tradition, in France, two minutes of silence are respected at 11 am, the 11th day of the 11th month: it is at this time that the armistice was implemented. Listen to this sentence in French, just below.


JOUR DE L'ARMISTICE

    : also known as Le Jour du Souvenir, and Veterans Day, November 11th is an official day to remember those who sacrificed their lives in WWI and other wars

Armistice soundfile: Hear Jean-Marc read the following sentence

En France, il est traditionnellement resp...

Ristourne & Ristourner + Name something good that is free

I don't have a story to go with today's word. Tout simplement, I learned it Friday night on the backstreets, or les ruelles, of Cassis. About a hundred steps from the old port, Jean-Marc and I were dining with another couple when the word ristourne popped up in conversation. Here's what it means, followed by a few photos on this quiet Wednesday. First, please visit today's sponsor:

High quality vacation rental in the heart of Provence. Recommended by readers. Click here for photos

une rist...

"Donner le meilleur de soi-même" + urban winemakers Fabienne & Lukas Vollmy in Marseille's historic Panier

Enjoy Jean-Marc's bilingual story about meeting Lukas and Fabienne Vollmy, winemakers in the historic Panier neighborhood of Marseille. First, today's French expression, followed by its correct pronunciation....


"donner le meilleur de soi-même"

    : to give one's best


AUDIO FILE - hear Jean-Marc pronounce the following sentences in French 

Click here for the sound file

("donner le meilleur de soi-même") Les vignes, c'est comme les humains. Plus elles vieillissent, plus elles donnent l...