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Harriet Welty Rochefort is an author, speaker, freelance journalist, former professor of journalism at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) and longtime resident of France.
It is hard to find inspiration in the north of France in late winter. It ‘s cold; the skies are grey and it snows for 24 hours straight, without ever turning into the beautiful winters of my childhood. But nothing overcomes the winter blahs and blues quite like a nice warm muffin. A [...]
January through March is often the hardest time of year, expatriate or not. The hubbub that surrounded the end-of-the-year holidays has long since died down, and while the days are starting to get longer, this doesn’t help much when all it does is allow you to better see the trash and debris that the [...]
The thing I really miss about Halloween is the trick-or-treating. As a kid in the US, you look forward all year to dressing up so you can collect, count, hoard and then hide or spit on your candy so older sibling doesn’t steal it from you. As an adult, you keep fond memories [...]
This article written by longtime contributor Rebecca Grossberg was originally published on the MultiLingual Living website, dedicated to helping parents raising children in more than one language and culture to find inspiration, tools, advice, wisdom and support!
Bilingual Storytime: What Is It? How Do I Do It? [...]
After almost 18 years in Paris, the conclusion is that my level of French ‘sucks.’ Last night at the Parler Parlor French-English Conversation Group that I co-founded more than 14 years ago with Marie-Elisabeth Crochard Fasanella Fitère (yep, married a few times), it [...]
Having to stick to a special diet isn’t necessarily easy anywhere, but in France it’s downright difficult. Let me explain: France is a foodie society. When you go to a restaurant here, you are entering the chef’s domain. Second guessing his or her decisions concerning the menu is a huge faux pas…you just don’t [...]
When asked about their primary concerns regarding life abroad, most expatriates cite their children’s education as one of their top priorities.
In the 2010 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) study, organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the French education system was ranked [...]
It’s been three years since the Republic of France and I parted ways. There are things I miss about my former home (chocolat chaud and people-watching at Le Régent, for example), and things I don’t. Frankly, I’m not missing kissing. Or as the French call it, faire la bise.
The first time I moved [...]
I’ve often talked about my feelings of internal conflict as a result of my choices. The life of an expat is inherently ridden with conflicting emotions — a passion for the foreign, exotic, unfamiliar and a wistful longing for home or what used to be perceived as home.
In September, I was transitioning between [...]
According to my 8th grade (quatrième in France) English teacher, speaking British English was the rule in her classroom. Color became colour, truck became lorry, French fries became chips and “but in America that’s how we say it” was the worst possible excuse you could give.
Here’s my story. I grew up in Minnesota [...]
When my husband and I decided to escape a boring retirement by moving from Charleston to the French countryside, I was excited, yet panicked when it came to the thought of cooking . While I adore French food, I wasn’t ready to give up my southern cuisine when it came to home cooking. How would [...]
I’d like to make one thing clear. The seemingly newfound obsession with cupcakes is not a trend. In fact, the passion for cupcakes has existed long before Carrie Bradshaw popularized the childhood indulgence on Sex and the City with her unabashed love for NYC’s Magnolia Bakery. I’ve been [...]
Beach season is finally here! For those of you who haven’t yet amassed your pile of summer beach reading material, we’ve compiled a list of great reads for Americans in France. Whether you prefer fun “chick lit” or something a little more substantial, you’re sure to find the perfect companion to take along while you [...]
«La madelaine de Proust » has become a rather fairly common expression in the French language. It refers to a passage in Mr. Marcel Proust’s, seven-volume novel, A la recherche du temps perdu, or In Search of Lost Time, also translated as Remembrance [...]
