When I first moved to France, one of the biggest shocks to the system was Christmas. It was suddenly so understated, elegant and didn’t even start until late November. It was a world away from the all-out glitzy blitz from October onwards in the UK. It seemed that I could forget crackers, mince pies, carol…
Category: Culture Difference
English Copywriter in Paris: positively negative
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about understanding French and the French. And ever since I’ve been mulling over the whole idea of French unenthusiasm, its whens and its whys. I’ve slowly come to the conclusion that it is more a question of positive negativity. Sounds bizarre? Yes, it’s a little head spinning especially…
English Copywriter in Paris: understanding the Rentrée
Definition Rentrée, Nom féminin : Reprise des activités après des vacances This can be loosely translated as the ‘going back’ after the summer holidays. Yet the concept doesn’t exist in the same way in Anglo-Saxon countries. The equivalent of ‘back to school’ is far more limited. La rentrée encompasses a way of life and a…
English Copywriter in Paris: making Rentrée resolutions
The rentrée is well and truly with us. There’s no escape. It’s back to school, work and routine. Gone are the long lazy summer days of July and August. Yet, as well as being all about ‘returning’, the rentrée is also a new start or beginning. Aside from holidays, the French love nothing better than…
English Copywriter in Paris: English on the Way
I recently spent a lush green week walking along the Camino de Santiago (St. James’ Way) in Northern Spain. We crossed paths with an exciting linguistic and cultural hotpot of walkers from all over the world. No, this isn’t just an excuse to boast about my latest holiday. There is a linguistic point to this…
English Copywriter in Paris: getting the right accent
Accents may at first seem unimportant, even superficial. After all, it’s what you say that matters and not the way you say it. Umm…there may be more to it than that, certainly if Eliza’s experience is anything to go by. For me, one of the refreshing things about speaking another language is escaping the usual…
English Copywriter in Paris: one sunny bobo afternoon
The sun is shining. Hooray! With very hardworking intentions, I headed over to the picnicker-lined Canal St Martin in the east of Paris. I wanted to check out the new freelancing haven Café Craft, before setting down to a spot of work al fresco. It was tough, but I finally got pen to paper. Yes,…
English Copywriter in Paris: living in limbo
Living in foreign country is a fabulous and enriching experience. As a Brit who’s been living in Paris for the last 5 years, I can safely say that you learn a lot about yourself, another culture and also (more surprisingly) about your own country. As I toppled off the train at Gare du Nord with…
English Copywriter in Paris: obsessions and observations about New Year in France
2015 has well and truly landed. The 1st of January has been and gone under a sprinkling of champagne bubbles and the cold, wet reality of January is here to stay. I could use the first post of 2015 to talk about my many resolutions, my good intentions to write in this blog more regularly…
English Copywriter in Paris: the little French details
The title of my recent post about the solitude of freelancing may have (misleadingly) seemed a little negative, so I thought I’d clear up any confusion with a more cheerful topic to start to the almost spring-like month of March. I’ve already touched on some of the big cultural differences between France and the UK,…