Lisa

Bicycle visibility

Darkness is here: Visibility for biking and pedestrians

" ' Dans les jours qui suivent le changement d’heure, le nombre de morts parmi les piétons augmente de 42 %, entre 17 heures et 19 heures ', ajoute la Sécurité routière. " Quote from Le Parisien 26 October 2024

The months of "darkness", October through January, are the deadliest for pedestrians and bicylcists as busy traffic during commuting times takes place after sunset. In particular there is a 42% increase in fatalities right after daylight savings time ends. When daylight savings time ends and you have daylight from only 8 am to 4 pm there's a lot of bike riding and walking that is done in the dark. How can you put the odds of being seen on your side? Wear light colored and reflective clothing. According to highway security if you wear black you are visible at a distance of 20 meters, with reflective clothing you can be visible at a distance of 150m. That makes a huge difference…

Speak Easy: Siamese Twin Words

Speak Easy: Siamese Twin Words All the English words in this Speak Easy puzzle are «Siamese Twin Words» or «Irreversible Binomials», in other words a pair or grouping of words used together and joined by either «and» or «or» and in which the order of the words cannot be inversed. Many of these phrases are rhythmic or alliterative making them catchy. Some word combinations have become so widely used that their meanings surpass the meaning of the constituent words and are thus inseparable and permanent parts of the English lexicon. Many of them are also clichés, thus should be used with caution. Some of them translated to French by another set of Siamese Twins. Please make a comment below if you know what the equivalent French linguistic term is! Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of Speak Easy puzzles can be purchased on store.fusac.fr. The term Siamese Twin Words was first used as a linguistics term by H. W. Fowler, a renowned lexicographer who worked on A Dictionary of Modern English …

Laughter in France

Laughter is the best medicine they say. According to scientists, we laugh and average of 18 times a day. Laughter is therefore an important part of our everyday lives and even the French know how to rire. Here's a few reflections on laughter in France, the land of La Vache qui rit! La Vache, by the way, has her own maison and museum in Lons-le-Saunier and she just celebrated 100 years in 2021.

The city of Bordeaux seems to be the center of laughter in France

One might say Bordeaux likes to laugh more than elsewhere in France (is it because Bordeaux is also the rainiest city in France?). The city is host to the Festival Les Fous Rires de Bordeaux in March each year http://lesfousriresdebordeaux.fr/. The city also presented an exhibition called "Rire!" at their science and nature Muséum. But Bordeaux doesn't own the market there are many other spots are also holding annual festivals, for some funny reason most are in March!

Voir Plus about Laughter in France

Recycle, Please don’t just throw it in the garbage

Zero waste

There's a Zero Waste House in Paris, 3 rue Charles Nodier 75018, which proposes ateliers, information, products and ideas for moving your day to day towards zero waste. The association Zero Waste France which runs the House has all kinds of different campaigns to reduce waste most of them are initiatives to not use containers or distribute flyers in the first place. The association is also a great place to volunteer or make monetary a contribution.

But sometimes we have to get rid of things no longer useful to us. So here's some ideas as to how to clean up and clean out by sending things you are done with to either proper disposal facilities or recycle and pass them on to others who just might find your garbage to be just what they need.

Please don’t just throw everything in the garbage - recycle

Some items need a few minutes reflection for proper waster disposal and to recycle. For example according to Eco-Systemes one …

French Culture Quiz

French Culture Quiz : 21 questions to measure the extent of your knowledge Answers at the bottom. 1. Where did Julius Caesar defeat Vercingétorix in 52 BC ? 2. Parisian revolutionaries in 1789 were called - Les sans-culottes - Les passe-muraille - Les rabat-joie 3. Who is at the origin of the abolition of slavery in French colonies in 1848 ? - Victor Hugo - Victor Schoelcher - Lamartine 4. Bonaparte said this about a certain honor : « C’est avec un hochet que l’on mène les hommes. » To what honor was he referring ? 5. What river does this bridge / aqueduct in the photo above cross? Hint: It was built by the Romans to bring water to the city of Nîmes. 6. This popular car from the 1930’s included in its specifications: Carries 4 people, 50 kilos of potatoes or a small cask of wine at a speed of up to 60 kilometers per hour with a consumption rate of 3 liters per 100 kilometers. What car is it? - La 2 CV - La 4 CV - La 4L 7. What island sold to F…

The great white birds of France

France has at least three great white mute birds in various locations. There are swans in Paris, storks in Alsace and Egrets on the coast. All three of these birds have been commemorated on postage stamps. Swans in Paris In 1676 Louis XIV brought in several couples of swans from Denmark to decorate the banks of the Seine and several basins in the Royal châteaux. The Maquerelle Island in the Seine near the Champs de Mars was chosen for the swan’s new home. The island was soon renamed the “Ile des Cygnes”. In October of the same year the king signed an ordinance to strictly to prohibit troubling their peace and quiet. River boatman had to stay away from the island and no one was allowed to walk there. The fine was quite steep for stealing eggs or harassing the birds. By 1678, only two years later, there were 150 swans. Clearly, the swans liked their new space. Guardians were put into place to protect the swans along the Seine from Charenton to Poissy. Later the origin…

The Power of a Postcard – make an impact

The Power of a Postcard - make an impact

I've received postcards from my parents when they travel for many years. I've kept nearly all of them in a file and some day when they can no longer travel it will become a set of reminiscences to look at with them. The power of a postcard picture and small bits of information on the weather or activities will bring their trips back to life and lead us on to various and sundry conversations. I also have a collection of my-grandmother-in-law's postcards which she sent in the 1940s and 50s when traveling in the United States. Some were picked up along the way at the Howard Johnson's Motor Inn or others in National Parks.

I know from being both the sender and receiver of postcards how the power of a postcard is to bring joy. That's why when we created Bill & Rosa's Book Room we put in a POP desk dedicated to what we call the Power of a Postcard. Time and time again we have found that taking a few minutes to hand writ…

Happy 80th birthday Smokey Bear

Who are Les Phryges, Germain the Lynx, Smokey Bear, KC Wolf, Serge the Rabbit, Bison Futé, and Bibendum? They are all mascots. “A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fictional, representatives spokespeople for consumer products.” Wikipedia Germain is part of the PSG soccer team, KC Wolf of the Kansas City Chiefs NFL team. Serge is the RATP character and Bison tells us the French traffic report. Bibendum, better known as the Michelin Man, is perhaps the most widely known and the oldest mascot. Les Phryges – you’ve seen them a lot lately. But the only one who was real is the American firefighter Smokey Bear. Smokey celebrated his 80th birthday in 2024. The bear first appeared on a wildfire prevention poster in August of 1944, but it was the introduction of a live bear with a …

Do you know this rabbit? Serge the RATP Mascot

Do you know this rabbit? You've probably seen him hundreds of times, but can you recognize him out of context? This is Serge, the RATP Mascot Rabbit for safety in the Paris Metro. You mostly see him down low - at kid's height - on the insides of the doors not far from the "loqueteau"* reminding kiddos to keep their hands away so as to not be pinched. The RATP Mascot Rabbit has been around since 1977 and was first drawn by Anne LeLagadec. She chose a rabbit dressed like a child because rabbits express fragility, softness and run around without paying attention to their surroundings (so she said). In 1986 the safety rabbit was redrawn in a yellow jumpsuit to make him more visible and he became the unofficial mascot of the Paris metro. He even got a name: Serge, after Serge Maury who drew this second incarnation. In 2014 a new version of Serge was unveiled. Fresh stickers of Serge, who is now wearing a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers, were progressively affixed to th…

Vintage & Classic Murder Mystery

If you’re looking for some gripping reads to take with you on holiday, we’ve got you covered! We picked four vintage classic murder mystery authors who will keep you hooked. A lot of their books are available at Bill& Rosa’s Book Room, starting at 3€! Read on and pick your favorite flavor of mystery. Agatha Christie (born in England in 1890, died in 1976). Homeschooled from an early age and the youngest of three (much older) siblings, she was used to making up stories to entertain herself and started writing around the age of 18. After marrying Archie Christie in 1914, she served for a while as a nurse in the Voluntary Aid Detachment, where it is said that she learned about poisons and medicinal plants. She would later use this knowledge in The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1919), in which her exceptional description of the murderer’s use of poison garnered her a review in the Pharmaceutical Journal. Her most famous character, Hercule Poirot, is believed to have been …

9.00 €

Learn French and English idiomatic expressions

Learning, Lessons, Education, Books
3 novembre 2024

The Speak Easy is a game for learning French idiomatic expressions. The puzzles were published in the FUSAC magazine for 25 years before being compiled […]

12.00 €

90+ Ways You Know You’re Becoming French

Books
30 octobre 2024

This little book that fits in your hand was developed from the article « 20 Ways You Know You’re Becoming French » by long time Paris resident […]

Lisa

Bicycle visibility

Speak Easy: Siamese Twin Words

Laughter in France

Recycle, Please don’t just throw it in the garbage

French Culture Quiz

The great white birds of France

The Power of a Postcard – make an impact

Happy 80th birthday Smokey Bear

Do you know this rabbit? Serge the RATP Mascot

Vintage & Classic Murder Mystery

Annonces

Learn French and English idiomatic expressions

90+ Ways You Know You’re Becoming French

BILL & ROSA's BOOK ROOM