How to Apply for French Nationality Part Five – Congrats You’re French but What Now?
For 18 long months I waited. Waited to see my name up in lights. Then, at 1am on the morning of the 15th of November my friend Gemma called me to tell me my name was in the JO. I was finally French. It was…
4 Reasons to Spend Christmas in France
The Winter Holiday Season is finally upon us! And although this year will be rather different, I can’t wait to share my Christmas traditions with you. This is not my first French rodeo. After ten years in France this will actually be the third Christmas I…
5 French Films to Watch During the Second Lockdown
Thanks to the Frenchman’s father, I have always been encouraged to watch French films and listen to French music. Over the years, he has very kindly taught me the who’s who of French actors and musicians. My beau-père is a fountain of knowledge when it…
Joanna Bate – An artist à decouvrir!
Joanna divides her time as much as possible between living in Woodford and France and has done two local art exhibitions. She is mainly self taught and has a HND in Retail Design from the University of the Arts London. A happy fault in a project,…
5 Things I’m Going to Miss About Being in Confinement
When Macron announced the lock-down on the 17th March, I didn’t think we would still be here on the 10th of May. At the beginning, it was really hard, even if we knew that staying home was the right thing to do. Getting used to…
Kodawari Ramen – Visit Japan, without ever leaving Paris!
When I first heard about Kodawari Ramen, I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing. Had someone really opened a restaurant that was a replica of the famous Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo? The answer was yes
10 Ways to Stay Sane in Confinement
We will be so grateful when we visit places, when we taste new dishes and hear new languages. And we will love stronger, hug harder and be more grateful than ever before for our freedom, friends and families. We took even the smallest of things…
The French You Don’t Learn at School – The Verlan Episode
Do you remember when you were a child and you used to make up your own language that your parents couldn’t understand? Maybe you used words in the wrong context, or deliberately reversed the order of words to confuse any eavesdropping adults. Whatever you did,…
An Evening With Le Cheese Geek
Anyone who knows me, even a little, knows how much I love cheese. Even before I lived in France, my love affair with cheese had already begun. It was just, well, a bit limited. I’d mostly eaten English cheddar, English stilton and a variety of…
How to Apply for French Nationality Part Four – The Interview
Five long months later and I finally arrived at the not so pearly gates of the Val de Marne prefecture, ready to face the last step of the nationality process. After weeks of revising and repeating the President’s of the 5th Republic in order, it…
