Thursday, June 29, 2006

A few Nice Words



Please, pretty please ... with sugar on top?


For my trip to Ville de Nice I was briefed that s'il vous plaît or je voudrais
wasn't going to cut it. It wasn't, literally, "nice" - or rather niçois, enough.

In order to get my salade niçoise with a smile, I'd have to go beyond demanding: Je voudrais une salade niçoise.

to politely asking for:
Puis-je avoir une salade niçoise?
Est-ce que je peux avoir une salade niçoise?


And if I wanted some some tap water I'd have to be extra polite and
ask with sugar on top: Est-ce que je pourrais avoir une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît.

If you want bottled water- just ask politely specifiying the brand: Est-ce que je peux avoir une Pellegrino?


s'il vous plaît please (formal)
s'il te plaît please (familiar)

je voudrais... I would like...

Puis-je avoir une salade niçoise?
Est-ce que je peux avoir une salade niçoise?

both mean: Can I have a salad niçoise?


Est-ce que je pourrais avoir une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît.

Could I have a carafe of water, please?

La photo: salade niçoise (11,60 €) et fleuers de courgettes (14,50 €) at L'Authentic: 18 bis, rue Biscarra à Nice. The most I paid for a salade niçoise but it was also the best I tasted out of four! Juin 2006

Friday, June 16, 2006

La frénésie



La frénésie de la coupe du monde de football


Here is my very own World Cup Soccer Frenzy, "en français" via les liens:

A partir d'aujourd'hui jusqu'àu samedi 22 juin
Today until Saturday, June 22

You can bid on France's golden football on auction at eBay.fr
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17932

and since the first of this month you can support Reporters without Borders
by also buying the book "100 photos de foot pour la liberté de la presse"
“Football : 100 photos for press freedom”
http://www.rsf.org/print.php3?id_article=17931

Tout sur la coupe du monde 2006 All about World Cup 2006
en français:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coupe_du_monde_de_football_de_2006

in English http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_FIFA_World_Cup

Le vocabulaire en français et en anglais Vocabulary in French and English
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/dglf/animations/foot.htm
http://french.about.com/library/vocab/sports/bl_foot.htm

Le football en France Soccer in France
Literally all "about" soccer in France and two reviews of the book Football in France
http://worldsoccer.about.com/cs/historyandstats/a/fffoverview.htm
http://www.frenchlinks.org.uk/footpage.html
http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/sportandleisure/0,,1060292,00.html

Les performances de la France jusqu'à present...
France's performance so far...

http://www.eurosport.com/football/worldcup/2006/mc_vid26572.shtm
http://france.worldcupblog.org/

Tout sur le football bresilien en francais, anglais et portuguais
All about Brazilian soccer in French, Portuguese and English
Well, the Brazilians are the defending champions so...
http://www.sambafoot.com/fr/


drive your friends nuts- listen, memorize and repeat, repeat, repeat!!!




La photo: la couverture de l’album "100 photos de foot pour la liberté de la presse"

Friday, June 09, 2006

Reine des limonades


When I think of having a French drink- it's usually champagne that comes to mind. But when my thirst hits me in Manufactum, a store that's still in love with the quality goods of the good old days, I'm not picky. Luckily, I don't have to settle for less than the queen of lemonades.

My first glance at the bottles had me erroneously reading rien instead of reine mistaking the
queen for the "Nothing of Lemonades". Ouais- my thirst was definitely getting the better of me. I obey my thirst and grab two bottles: original lemon flavor and mandarine.

La Mortuacienne was created by Marcel Alcide Rième in 1921 in the French Jura where it's still being produced today. I'm curious to have a sip of something that's lasted this long. Both drinks are made of carbonated mineral water, sugar and citric acid. The mandarin flavor has color additives.


My first sip is "pur sucre" and reminds me of lollipops- especially the mandarin. There's no sugary aftertaste though. My thirst is quenched but I'm thinking la mortuacienne could use a little cîroc. But that's another taste test.



Ouais (marque l'accord) uh-huh (when you agree)

la mandarine mandarin

pur sucre pure sugar


La photo: Les boissons de Morteau, trouvé en Allemagne. En Juin, 2006.