Living in a National Capital: the Perks and Drawbacks of Ottawa [Part 1 – Working]
One million people chose Ottawa as their home. So, what are the perks and drawbacks of living in a national capital, like Ottawa?
Monthly Archives: August, 2015
Amidst General Indifference
People were walking around him as if he was street furniture. “He can’t stay here!” I sighed to myself.
The Potluck Minefield
I wish the world didn’t assume that French were gastronomic demigods.
Every Life Happens
Looking back, it’s probably a good thing the Jehovah’s Witnesses didn’t knock at the door during that period of my life—I would have ended up in a cult. That’s how desperate I was to find not myself per se, but the meaning of life.
The Dog Days of Summer
It’s hot. Like, really hot. Like shit-I-had-no-idea-Canada-could-be-so-hot hot. We are experiencing a heat wave and Dairy Queen is making millions of dollars.
6 Unique French Words and Expressions
Whether you are looking to expand your vocabulary or get some insight into the French psyche, here are six unique words and expressions for you to use… or not.
This is Rubbish
On garbage night, as I stroll around the neighborhood, I can’t help but silently judge people. Oh come on, I can’t possibly be the only person who eyes the pile of garbage placed at the curb in front of each home and make stupid assumption about it, can I?
Sailing Trips Along the French Coastline
Could there be anything more appealing than a week or two spent relaxing on a…
10 Noticeable Small Differences
I’ve been flying from the old world to the new continent and back for over ten years now, and I know what to expect—at this point, neither France nor Canada is particularly exotic to me. Yet, there are still a few small things that stand out right after landing!
Leaving, Flying, Arriving
There is no way to ease these early-morning departures; I didn’t even try to get a full night’s sleep. What do I need to be rested and alert for, anyway?
Don’t Lick Your Computer Screen
While we are flying from the old world to the new continent, enjoy some bread…
People of Nantes – Summer 2015 [4]
Half of Nantes’ small businesses are closed for the entire month of August (les vacances!) and the summer sales period is over, anyway.
Cultural Snapshot: 4 Things Found in Nantes [5]
Here is another installment of the “things found in Nantes” series, with the latest pictures! Today, an old grocery store, “paradise”, wine and a bad word play.
Postcards of Nantes
I always tell Feng he is lucky that I’m from a sizable city and not Trifouillis-les-Oies (a French euphemism for “out in the sticks”).
Written on Walls
The walls aren’t on holidays. Sometime graffiti and political stickers make sense… and sometime, they don’t!
Cultural Snapshot: 4 Things Found in Nantes [4]
Here is another installment of the “things found in Nantes” series, with the latest pictures! Today, broken glass, Bécassine, souvenirs and a funny street name.
Putting Food on the Table
Once you sort through the mess, you need to go to the one and only small supermarket—a Unico—is a two-kilometre walk from home. Uphill, of course.
At Least, the Ocean is Polite
It takes my eyes a second or two to get used to the darkness. Inside the bakery, the blinds are closed and I’ve just walked the two-kilometre-long road along the beach under the midday sun.
Low Tide, High Tide
All along the coast of Brittany, the difference between low tide and high tide is pretty amazing.
Cookies Heaven
“Fifty euro worth of cookies? Are you crazy?” I thought. A pack costs about €1.15 at the supermarket. Fancier cookies are slightly more expensive, but still, we are talking less than €3. And then we stepped inside, and I understood.
Loiterers
In addition to locals and tourists, there are roughly four kinds of people who hang out in the streets of Nantes: homeless people, street artists, beggars from Eastern Europe and “guys with dogs”.