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Say « Fromage », A Speak Easy

Say Fromage !

As long as 7,000 years ago, cheese was being made in northern Europe — albeit in a simple and functional form, a new study reports. And cheese has been part of the language for as long. There are so many French expressions involving fromage, pain and vin that we decided to do a Speak Easy on the subject. We hope you will enjoy it and come back saying cheese and hungry for more (or maybe even buy the book!).

But why do we "Say cheese" when taking photos? It goes back to Texas in the 1940s as a sure way to get someone to smile for a photo. Read more here! Plus here's our article on French cheese where you'll learn how to choose, cut and serve, plus the etymologies of fromage and cheesemonger.

For this Speak Easy puzzle Match the French phrase or expression with the English. The Speak Easy Puzzle was a popular feature in the FUSAC magazine for more than 25 years. Readers liked them so much th…

English language press in France in an Exhibition

Exhibition: Language Matters

Why this exhibition ?

Did you know that the French National Library holds almost 6,000 English-language periodicals (including your beloved FUSAC) that have been published in France since the Revolution? Such a large figure may come as a surprise, since these are but too rarely dealt with in the history of the French press. The titles which are displayed in this exhibition come under the banner of a marginal category, that of the foreign, in this case, English language press. It is defined as periodicals or newspapers written in languages other than the national language(s) – whether de facto or de jure.

Exhibiting the wealth of the English language press in France Digitalisation operations that were launched in the 2000s in many libraries throughout the world have brought to light this global foreign-language press heritage. Its wealth is beyond imagination. Foreign-lan…

The French keys to the kingdom

Bonjour, madame. Excusez-moi de vous déranger. Then I went on to ask the lady in the press kiosk if she knew how to get to the street I was looking for. Wow! Talk about a miserable human being! (Miserable, by the way, is a faux ami, usually used in French to mean only “destitute”, i.e., financially “miserable”; the French translation of the English “miserable” is simply [très] malheureux, triste.) The look on her face was a combination of horror (at being disturbed), heartache (What had happened to her?!) and hatred (of the world in general). And yet, I had used all three magic words/expressions. The ones you’re chided by cross-cultural coaches for not using, and thus not getting what you need and want in France. The ones you’re real proud of yourself for having learned, as witness your success in getting what you need and want in a capital city notorious for its commercial iciness. So, “Sorry, lady! I gave you all I have,” I said to myself, realizing that if these th…

A tongue-in-cheek look at the French Education System

If you have children in France, there’s a good chance that you might possess at least the stirrings of the beginnings of a stab at understanding it. Then again, you might not. If you don’t have children in France, there’s a mega-chance that your quest for grasping it will prove even more futile than your search for a short line at La Poste. No, we refer not to The Meaning of Life. We refer to…..the French education-system. So, here is a very incomplete (in the interest of space), extremely simplified (in the battle against cerebral overload) exploration of pedagogy as known and--sometimes not--loved in France and beyond. Which brings us to our first point: the “beyond” part. The French system of elementary, middle and high schools not only graces Gallic soil but also extends throughout the world in what is recognized as a unique offering that accommodates the needs of French expats and follows the same curricula, administers the same tests and delivers the same degrees as …

Bring France Home

Now here's a great idea! A shop dedicated to products MADE IN FRANCE, that are easy to take home - where ever home may be. There's more than food, you'll find jewelry, decorative items, kid's stuff, clothes and it is all packable in a suitcase or shipable. Very easy. Authentic too! Who had this great idea? Bring France Home was created in 2017 by two good friends, Mathilde & Nathalie, who use to work together in a place that made external hard drives. Mathilde did innovation and marketing (ah ha!) and Nathalie did human resources (oh ho!). Together they had an entrepreneurial idea (cocorico!). Despite working on boring hard disks, Mathilde is a born entrepreneur. She founded UGAL to accompany small companies in numeric communication and is now using her own ideas. She loves to travel and meet new people, is a great cook and makes especially good jams which we hope to find soon in her shop. She also has a handsome cat named Jean-Luc who is learning English from the nei…

An elegant souvenir from the Paris Mint

An elegant souvenir of Paris from the Paris Mint

The Paris Mint has souvenirs made in France of precious metals. What a more elegant souvenir of Paris or France than a pendant or a coin to keep forever. Expanding the Treasures of Paris series and following on the heals of coins bearing the Palais Garnier and Institut de France in 2016, la Monnaie de Paris, as it is called in French, is adding two new coins to the Treasures of Paris series in 2017. This series is distinctive in the use of gold and silver together on the coins – a bit like a 2€ coin, but even prettier. What's more is the first new design for 2017 celebrates, once again, Franco-American friendship which is particularly appropriate for this year as we commemorate the beginning of the participation of American soldiers in France in WWI. The nearly pure silver coin shows the replica of Statue of Liberty which is in Paris at Grenelle. The statue was a gift from French expatriates in the United States …

Paris Haiku: Paris is poetry. Paris is a poem.

"Paris is poetry. Paris is a poem. I’m probably not the first person to write these sentiments. But, I might be the first to write: “Paris is a haiku!” Around every cobbled corner is an “Aha!” moment waiting to be captured. Open your “haiku eyes” (*) and come along with me on a journey through Paris and French culture, in haiku." Anna Eklund-Cheong is a haikuist and American expatriate living in Paris. Here is a selection of her haikus capturing fleeting moments of her (and your) favorite city.

from giant clock eyes

Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh

overlook the Seine

sewing together

the raw edges of the Seine

each stitch an arched bridge

squeeze into creaky rattan bistro chairs, and stay as long as you like …

Paris novels: « Je T’Aime, Maybe » by April Lily Heise. Interview and extract

April Lily Heise is a Paris-based Canadian writer of Paris novels and romance expert. When she is not getting into romantic mischief, she writes on Paris, dating, culture and travel. Her writing has been featured in The Huffington Post, CondéNastTraveler.com, Business Insider, Frommer’s, City Secrets, DK Eyewitness, among others. She is the author of two novelized memories on her romantic misadventures in Paris Je T'Aime, Me Neither and its sequel, Je T’Aime… Maybe? She also shares original things to do in Paris, dating tips and travel features on her blog www.jetaimemeneither.com. FUSAC asked her where she got her inspiration for her Paris novels. Are the novels based on your personal experience? I like to call my books novelized memoirs, the stories are all based on reality but are told in a lively storybook fashion, like modern-day fairy tales. Though like modern love... there are often complications and the road can be rocky towards a happy or not so happy ending. …

FUSAC in the press – By Inspirelle

FUSAC Packs 28 Years of Paris Know How into Books for Expats For years, newcomers to Paris have known that the acronym FUSAC is one of the first words to learn when adapting to their new environment. Transferring to Paris? Seek out FUSAC’s ads for apartment rentals or find great used furniture sales. Leaving? Sell off your household goods quickly by posting an ad. Job searches, advice, it’s all been there for the past 28 years. And, what’s so incredibly impressive about FUSAC is that it is founded and entirely run by a devoted couple, Lisa and John Vanden Bos, with their assistant Caroline. Many of us at INSPIRELLE can remember picking up our free copy of the FUSAC magazine at one of the English-speaking bookstores or shops in Paris. Today, FUSAC is available exclusively online, and its owners have packed all their knowledge and experience with expats into three books: 90+ Ways You Know You’re Becoming French, Speak Easy Puzzles (volume 3) and, most recently, the FUSAC Free G…

How to get to the Paris airports?

How to get to the Paris airports? Going away is always fun ! However, going to the Paris airports can be a lot less fun … It’s always difficult to choose how to get there since there are so many options : bus, metro/RER, taxi…Here are all your best options so that you can easily choose according to your budget, how much time you have, etc. There are 2 main Paris airports – Orly and CDG (Charles De Gaulle) / Roissy so first make sure you know which one you’re going to ! Be careful if you ask someone for directions to get to Charles De Gaulle as you'll have to be a bit more specific... indeed if you ask for Charles de Gaulle some people may send you to Les Champs Elysées thinking you want to go "Charles de Gaulle Etoile metro station" which is on line 1 / RER C by the Arc de Triomphe!! Most Parisians refer to the Paris airport as "Roissy" which is the name of the town is in, so ask them how to get to "Roissy Charles de Gaulle". Confusing! For general Paris airports informa…

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