Interview: authors of 90+ Ways You Know You’re Becoming French

FUSAC: You two created 90+ Ways You Know You’re Becoming French, a very popular book that grew out of Shari’s article on the same subject. You have since received, read, listened to, overheard, gathered “becoming French” examples from countless non-native Francophiles, including residents of France, would-be residents, tourists, language teachers, students wishing never to leave, culture mavens and many people who have battled it out with each other in our comments section as to who has racked up more Becoming French badges of honor. But wait! What about YOU? You’ve both been here since the 1980s. It’s Turn the Tables Time! What are several ways that YOU know YOU’ve “become French”? (Or not?)

HAVE NOT BECOME...

Shari Leslie Segall: They say that one’s “formative years” end at the age of two--that after merely twenty-four short months on this earthly orb, you already are who you’re gonna be. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that, since my father …

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France Expat memoirs

Thinking of moving to France or just want a laugh? France Expat memoirs are good for both. Learn from those who have gone before you and have lived through the trials and jubilations of expat life in France. You can learn from their mistakes and enjoy their anecdotes "right from the horse's mouth". Or just commiserate! There are a lot of  English-speaking expats living in France, and many have written memoirs. Doing this is easier than ever now with self-publishing options. The currently trending France Expat memoirs have been around for a long time beginning its upward climb as a genre with the still wonderful A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle published in 1989. French License by Joe Start Another book about adapting to life in France, but this time from the perspective of the Paris suburbs and through the trial of getting a driver's license. In fact the whole book is one long road trip. We are so relieved when after 262 pages, 10 years or mille bornes Joe finally gets his F…
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Jim’s Paris Kiosk

Jim's Paris Kiosk Jim Howarth, the only Englishman amongst the 409 kiosquiers in Paris, was born in Nottingham and has been in Paris since the mid 70s. He carries 1500 titles from the French dailies to specialized magazine press, including titles in English such as the British newspapers, Time, Newsweek, Vogue and of course FUSAC's LOOFE.  The best selling items are the gossip magazines also TV, satire and news weeklies. Cultural history magazines come and go too. Back in 2009 when we first met Jim his kiosk was one of the larger Paris Kiosk spaces on the streets of Paris when open onto the square in front of it. This gave plenty of browsing room for customers. In 2017 his spot was selected to be the guinea pig for the prototype of the new modern (and controversial) kiosk brought out by the city of Paris with a budget of 52.4 million euros. The new structure brings better insulation and keeps the weather out. There is also a closet for Jim's personal items and the display…
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ABCs of life in France – Q to Z

The ABCs of life in France

In my 33rd year in Paris, here is an ABCs of life in France (the French call that an abécédaire, from the Latin abecedarium, which gave us the English rarely-used-outside-of-academia “abecedary,” which is sometimes employed to denote not only the document containing the alphabetic list but also the teacher or learner of the contents of the document, who can likewise be referred to as an “abecedarian”) of random fascinating facts and figures about France and Paris that for the most part are inhaled, absorbed, stumbled upon during decades of presence as opposed to learned in lectures, browsed in books, witnessed on websites. In other words, to know this stuff, ya gotta be here: ABCs of life in France Part 1 Letters A to H - Here's the link ABCs of life in France Part 2 Letters I to P - Here's the link ABCs of life in France Part 3 Letters Q to Z - Here's the link is for Queen: Or, if you will, king, prin…
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John Vanden Bos de FUSAC, le Boulonnais du mois!

John Vanden Bos de FUSAC, le Boulonnais du mois! (Paru dans Boulogne Magazine mars-avril 2018) John Vanden Bos, l'éditeur qui rendait service au Tout-Paris anglophone Qui ne se souvient pas de FUSAC? Dans les années 90 et 2000, ce magazine de petites annonces était disponible un peu partout dans la capitale, comme feu Paris Paname. La particularité de FUSAC, c'est qu'il s'adressait à tous les anglophones de la capitale, principalement des expats et des étudiants, mais aussi à des francophones désireux d'améliorer leur maîtrise de la langue de Shakespeare. C'est la Génération FUSAC. Aujourd'hui, FUSAC n'existe plus qu'en ligne. Son papa étant voisin, nous l' avons rencontré. Retour sur une formidable aventure et les nombreux défis qu'a dû affronter John Vanden Bos, le Boulonnais du mois. John Vanden Bos, vous êtes le Boulonnais (d'adoption, nos lecteurs l'auront compris) qui a fondé FUSAC, le magazine des petites annonces pour anglophones de Paris et sa région. Les hab…
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ABCs of life in France – I to P

The ABCs of life in France In my 33rd year in Paris, here is an ABCs of life in France (the French call that an abécédaire, from the Latin abecedarium, which gave us the English rarely-used-outside-of-academia “abecedary,” which is sometimes employed to denote not only the document containing the alphabetic list but also the teacher or learner of the contents of the document, who can likewise be referred to as an “abecedarian”) of random fascinating facts and figures about France and Paris that for the most part are inhaled, absorbed, stumbled upon during decades of presence as opposed to learned in lectures, browsed in books, witnessed on websites. In other words, to know this stuff, ya gotta be here: ABCs of life in France Part 1 Letters A to H - Here's the link ABCs of life in France Part 2 Letters I to P - Here's the link ABCs of life in France Part 3 Letters Q to Z - Here's the link is two-for-the-price-of-one  Intellectuals/Ideas: They really do still ex…
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ABCs of life in France – A to H

The ABCs of life in France In my 33rd year in Paris, here is an ABCs of life in France (the French call that an abécédaire, from the Latin abecedarium, which gave us the English rarely-used-outside-of-academia “abecedary,” which is sometimes employed to denote not only the document containing the alphabetic list but also the teacher or learner of the contents of the document, who can likewise be referred to as an “abecedarian”) of random fascinating facts and figures about France and Paris that for the most part are inhaled, absorbed, stumbled upon during decades of presence as opposed to learned in lectures, browsed in books, witnessed on websites. In other words, to know this stuff, ya gotta be here: ABCs of life in France Part 1 Letters A to H - Here's the link ABCs of life in France Part 2 Letters I to P - Here's the link ABCs of life in France Part 3 Letters Q to Z - Here's the link is for Army: Not only are the French not patriotic, they find patriotism …
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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…
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