Missing Paris...

There are times, in quiet spaces of busy days, when my mind goes back to Paris. A longing for it; like you would long for company, an old friend, an old love.

There are some thoughts and memories of Paris that immediately make me smile. And other times, music will remind me of Paris and a sad longing comes over me, because I am not there. Lately, that music has been The Words soundtrack. Each time I listen to it, it gets better and before it even gets to the second song, I am back in the 16th Arrondissement, walking across Paris, and I feel that chill in the air, and that feeling of being home. 

My husband is a CPA, so we don't travel during tax season, but anytime after April 15th is fair game for adventure taking. This year, April 16th will find me on a plane headed to Maui, but even in the midst of planning other trips, I am thinking about when I can get to Paris again.

In those moments I am missing Paris, there is melancholy and longing, but also a feeling of being lucky~~Lucky enough to have had the opportunity to fall in love, over and over again, with the City of Love.

Today, it rained all day. The house was quiet. I put on that CD and spent some time enjoying my memories of Paris. To allow music to take you back to a journey; to allow a city to have a piece of your heart...that is inspired living.





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Win a new Cookbook Collection for 2013 Giveaway!

I joined up with 7 of my favorite bloggers and we put together this amazing collection of our favorite cookbooks that are going to one lucky winner!  And when I say amazing, I mean A-MAZ-ING! Nine cookbooks, over $200 in value! One of my favorite cookbooks, and the one I have added to this lovely collection is Mastering the Art of French Cooking, 50th Anniversary Edition  by Julia Child .This is considered the French Cooking Bible and with good reason, it is thorough, accessible and the recipes are delicious.

In addition to this one, The lucky winner will also win...from

Fresh Eggs Daily Blog is sharing Macaroons: 30 Recipes for Perfect Bite-size Treats  

Brighton Park Blog is sharing La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for an Inspired Life

Mad Mad Me  is sharing Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006  

Tikkido Blog is sharing 50 Easy Party Cakes  

1840 Farm is sharing Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets   

The Slow Roasted Italian is sharing The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs  

Blessed Beyond a Doubt is sharing Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (Fix-It and Forget-It Series)  

and

Mindfully Frugal Mom is sharing Weelicious: 140 Fast, Fresh, and Easy Recipes  

That's NINE amazing favorite cookbooks in all. there are 18 ways to enter, with several "easy entries". Good luck, and maybe someone from our Katie's Language Cafe community will be the winner! The giveaway ends Jan 31 at 11:59pm.

Lots of love and inspiration to you! ~~Katie

p.s. If the RAFFLECOPTER entry box widget does not show up, just refresh your screen. (Depending on what browser you use, If you are getting a "read more" prompt at the end of the post, then click that for it to load.) Sign in with your name/address or via facebook prompt and get your 18 entries!


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The MERCI Method Part three: Explore the Culture

                                                     Me, in a favorite Paris cafe, Nov 2011

When learning a foreign language, we shouldn't learn it in a vacuum, meaning we need to learn it in a context of the country(ies) it is spoken. If we are learning French, then it is important to expand our study and learn about the French culture as well.

This can have many benefits and is a necessity. For example, take French greetings. We can learn "bonjour", but this will leave us ill prepared for our first greeting with a French speaker if we don't also know that depending on the relationship between us, and the region they are from, that simple "Bonjour" might be spoken with one, two or even three kisses on each cheek!

When learning a new language, it is beneficial to think of it as a journey (even if you don't leave your home country). While I have been lucky to visit the countries of which I am learning their language (France and Italy), I also use the following to expand my knowledge of the culture and customs, even when I am in my home, here in the United States...

1. Books: including but not limited to: fiction set in that country, non-fiction (particularly history), cookbooks, and Art/Museum Books

2. Movies: including but not limited to: movies set in that country, movies that are from that country and spoken in the foreign language we are learning, and documentaries. (It's a great time to go see Les Mis!)

3. Cooking/Restaurants: learn the cuisine of the language/culture you are studying, try things you haven't tried (escargot, perhaps?), try a French wine...

4.  Seek out native speakers: Ask them about greetings, customs, and traditions that might not be listed in your text or language books.

5. Maps. You may be surprised for me to list this one; but it is one of my favorites on this list. Different types of Maps help you to see how/where areas are related to others and gives perspective. (Remember how Peter Jackson opens Lord of the Rings with Bilbo's hand drawn maps of the locations of the movie...it gave perspective.)

6. Music. Invest in a few CDs of music from that region. One (at least) instrumental and one (at least) sang in that language. Lately, my favorite French CD is the soundtrack to the movie Amelie .

7. Be open-minded. Learning a language and about a culture, can change you~~ just as traveling can; and for the better. (I don't think it is a coincidence that after I started learning French, I started dressing more fashionably!)

To read the first two posts in my MERCI method of language acquisition series, Introduction and Master the Vocabulary,  click HERE.