Saturday, May 29, 2010

Visiting Eiffel Tower

Hi Y'all!



Check out very useful info regarding visiting the Eiffel Tower on 2010.

You can buy tix online! It's better to do that to save you the trouble. Hehe.


All sources are taken from:

http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Kiss as Hello in France (Faire La Bise)

Salut Les Amis!

The situation: You’re invited to an apero, a casual cocktail gathering among friends often held in private homes. It’s the French equivalent of happy hour. You’re expected to make the rounds upon arriving, going from person to person, whether you know them or not, and greeting each individual with the appropriate number of kisses on the cheek.

Despite the amorous reputation of the French, there’s nothing romantic implied. “Kissing means only that you are in a certain circumstance, it doesn’t mean you have a special relationship,” Toulouse native Eric Viala, 34, explains.





How to kiss: The French air kiss - ala “Mmmmwah, dahling” - is more of a stereotype than an actuality. Still, you’ll want to avoid planting your lips firmly on anyone’s cheeks unless you know the person quite well.

In general, gently touching your cheek to your recipient’s while pursing your lips and making a kissing sound does the trick. There’s no rule as to which cheek should get the initial kiss, but people often start the kissing to the right. The occasional embarrassing moment—when you’re forced to change your trajectory halfway through to avoid wayward lips—is inevitable.



How many kisses: It depends on the region, so observe the people around you and follow suit. In the southern city of Toulouse, for example, two kisses is the norm, while in some Parisian suburbs you’ll be expected to give four and in the agricultural departement of Aveyron it’s three.

Who to kiss: Among the 20- and 30-something generation it’s pretty much expected to kiss hello, even when meeting friends of friends for the first time.

Who not to kiss: When greeting elderly people for the first time it isn’t always appropriate to faire la bise and you can avoid a potentially embarrassing situation by simply shaking hands. French women faire la bise with other women and between the sexes, but if you see two men kissing one another hello or goodbye it usually means that they are very close friends or haven’t seen each other for some time. As a rule, foreign men should stick to handshakes when forming relationships with French men and go with the flow as the relationship grows.

When to kiss everybody: At New Year’s parties the kisses flow like vin rouge in France, with everyone getting in on the cheek swapping. Depending on the size of the soiree you attend, your head will be spinning from more than just the champagne when you bid adieu.

When to have a sense of humor: As a foreigner, there’s a fair chance the French people you meet will proffer a hand instead of a cheek as many are aware that other cultures don’t necessarily faire la bise. “One time, after being introduced as an Australian, I got in position to be kissed but it didn’t happen,” said Jane Elliot, 29, with a laugh. As in all unfamiliar situations, awkward moments come with the territory when traveling abroad, but the French are an understanding bunch and as long as you take your cue from what’s happening around you, you’re sure to make an enlightened impression.

copied this article from
http://www.worldhum.com/features/how-to/kiss_hello_in_france/





A few quick rules:

* In small social settings, you fait la bise with everyone when you arrive. As subsequent people arrive, they will do so as well.

* In large social settings, you don’t have to circle the whole party doling out air kisses (easy, Tiger). Just prepare to do it when you greet individuals or are introduced to new people.

* In business settings, the handshake generally reigns supreme. Once you know your colleagues well, the bise may come into play. (Use your discretion).

Sunday, May 16, 2010

FOOD of the French

Salut!

Here's a liste of famouse french foode. that will all know noh? but NONg! it iz ze frensh wo giv to us. yah?


Famous French Food:


Baguette - This is a variety of bread with a crispy crust. Baguettes form to be a major feature of French breakfast.





Blanquette de veau - This is a famous French veal dish. This contains veal meat combined with aromatic vegetables.



Chocolate Mousse - The chocolate mousse although commonly available all over the world is actually a famous French food item. This is a very delicious dessert made from egg and cream.




Madeleine- The madeleine is a traditional cake of France. These are very small shaped cakes which have a shell like appearance.




Éclair - The Éclair is a long and thin shaped delicious pastry with a cream filling and loads of icing.




Choucroute garnie - The chocolate garnie consists of sausages and salted meats often combined with potatoes.




Crêpe- This is a pancake that is made from wheat flour.

Bouillabaisse- The Bouillabaisse is a traditional fish stew that is prepared with different kinds of cooked fish. A variety of herbs and spices are used to add flavor to the same.

Gougère- This is a pastry that is made along with cheese. In the English language, these are known as cheese puffs.

Cassoulet- This famous French food originated in the southwest area of France. Its main ingredients are meat combined with pork skin and white beans.

Ratatouille- This is a traditional vegetable dish. The complete name remains to be ratatouille niçoise and it consists of stewed vegetables. Ratatouille is generally served as a side dish but it can be served as a complete dish in its own as well. This dish is generally prepared in the summer season with the help of fresh vegetables.

Quiche Lorraine- A quiche simply means a baked dish that consists of a combination of eggs and milk in a pastry crust. This kind of an egg pie is prepared with other ingredients as well.

Tarte flambée- This dish is a speciality of the Alsatian region in France. It is made of thin bread dough which is topped with onions, bacons and some amount of fresh cream.


anyway, i got tired of searching for new images. lol. so, just check em out.
the general description is here anyway.


Salut!
Chesca

Monday, May 10, 2010

Frenchy Phrases

Bonjour Tout le monde!

it's time to learn wittle bit-o french!

here are some basic phrases that would be very useful, if you want to be polite, or a snob. hehe.



"Do you speak English?"
"Parlez-vous anglais?"
(par-lay voo zon-glay)



"Excuse me/sorry"
"Excusez-moi"
(ex-koo-zay mwah)


"Hello"
"Salut"
(sah-loo)


"Please"
"S'il vous plaît"
(seel voo play)





"You get on my nerves"
"Tu me peles le jonc"
(tu me pel - e le zhonc)



"Do it yourself."
"Faites-le vous-même"
(fay - teh le voo mehm)


"Stop bothering me!"
"Parle à mon cul, ma tête est malade"
(parl a mon cul, ma teht eh ma - lahd)


"I'd help you, but I don't like you."

"Je vous aurais bien aide, mais je ne vous aime pas."
(zhe voo zaw - ray bien ai - de may zhe ne voo zaim - e pah)



Hope you learned something new today!
(if you want to know how to CURSE, PM moi!)

Salut!
Chesca

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

May is France

Bienvenue!

your cool-com queen is back.. well, i've been back for a while now, but am still catching up on everything.. (work and play).
anyhoo... it's MAY! (sorry we skipped April.. )

we have chosen..FRANCE!!



why?

to pay homage to the biggest cultural event this season!
the Cannes Film Festival!




The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival de Cannes; Occitan: Festenal de Canas), founded in 1946, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious film festivals. The private festival is held annually (usually in May) at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, in the resort town of Cannes, in the south of France.

The 63rd edition takes place from 12 May to 23 May 2010. The President of the Jury is to be American film director Tim Burton.


Who will take the Palm d'Or or the Golden Palm this year? hmmm??


Not only that, the Roland Garros happens on May as well!! (most popularly known as the French Open, one of the most coveted grandslams in Tennis).

Anyway, for those who've been to France, please do tell me! I'll give you author rights to post on our culcom blog... for those who haven't

Join the free tour around france
http://www.paris-26-gigapixels.com/index-en.html


(link care of ate mae).


Salut!
Chesca