Pénélope Bagieu, who goes by the alias of Pénélope Jolicoeur, writes an illustrated blog called Ma vie est tout à fait fascinante(My life is completely fascinating). Each entry is a slice from her life and she writes and draws about situations that most women around her age can relate to.
At only 25, she's had her darling illustrations published in dozens of publications. She is really talented! Check out her stuff.
I saw this the other day... it's doing the rounds on YouTube and around the world wide web... It's a clever and funny 'save the date' video for the wedding of Jeff and Erin. It's a bit cheesy but expertly edited. I think it's cute and very clever!
I had a read of their website. They're an American couple but now live in Sydney, Australia (my hometown).
Here's an extract from Erin's bio:
Once back in California, she pursued a Master's in Higher Education Administration from the Claremont Graduate University. Still feeling the bite of the travel bug, Erin came very close to going to Thailand or China to teach English for a year, but instead, she convinced Jeff to travel overseas with her to Australia.
Today, Erin works at Macquarie University in Sydney as a Study Abroad Adviser for Australian students who want to go on exchange around the world.
I couldn't help but think what an awesome job she has!! They seem like a sweet couple and I wish them all the best.
I think I've admitted before that I just love reading stories of how couples got together in the first place... the more long-winded the better! I love reading relationship stories...
I came across this blog 365 days in Paris by 24 yo Leonora Epstein. She talks about trying to find love in the city of light. There are some interesting and funny bits in there although I admit, reading it, she does show her age.
This song is so beautiful and it is so sad because this young, talented French singer died just before his 24th birthday due to cystic fibrosis. Read more on Wikipedia : Grégory Lemarchal
Mon ange
by Grégory Lemarchal Album: Je deviens moi
Tout me revient
Tout me ramène
Tout me retient
Tout me rappelle
A ton corps et à tes mains
A tes mots et à ton parfum
All returns to me
All is brought back to me
All retains me
All recalls me
With your body and with your hands
With your words and with your perfume
Tout se rejoint
Et tout m'entraîne
Tout me détient
Le tout sans chaîne
Et à tes gestes et à tes yeux
A tes silences et à tes voeux
Tu es mon ange béni des dieux
All joins each other
And all leads me
All holds me
The whole without a chain
And with your gestures and with your eyes
With your silences and with your wishes
You are my blessed angel of the gods
Le jour où tu es tombé du ciel
Tout m'a semblé plus léger
Et je me sens pousser des ailes
Accroché à tes baisers
The day when you fell from the sky
All seemed lighter to me
And I feel like pushing some wings
Hanging to your kisses
Tout me destine
Tout me soulève
Tout me dessine
Et tout m'élève
A tes lèvres, à tes désirs
A tes rêves et à tes soupirs
All intends to me
All raises me
All draws me
And all raises me
With your lips, with your desires
With your dreams and with your sighs
Tout me rapproche
Tout me connecte
Et tout m'accroche
Car je délecte
Ta poésie à même ta peau
Tes jeux d'esprits si délicieux
Tu es mon ange béni des dieux
All brings me closer
All connects me
And all hangs around me
Because I delight in
Your poetry to even your skin
Your games of the mind so delicious
You are my blessed angel of the gods
Le jour où tu es tombé du ciel
L'amour a changé ma vie
Tu es mon ange providentiel
Je t'aimerai jour et nuit
The day when you fell from the sky;
Love changed my life
You are my providential angel
I will love you day and night
Le jour où tu es tombé du ciel
J'ai enfin compris qui j'étais
Tu es mon ange providentiel
Celle dont j'ai toujours rêvé
The day when you fell from the sky
I finally understood who I was
You are my providential angel
That of which I always dreamed
Mon ange est tombé du ciel
Le monde enfin se révèle
Tout m'a semblé plus léger
J'ai trouvé ma vérité
My angel fell from the sky
The world finally appears
All seemed lighter to me
I found my truth
Comme envoyé par le ciel
Touché par tes baisers de miel
Enfin libéré
Prêt à tout te donner
As sent by the sky
Touched by your honey kisses
Finally released
Ready with all to give you
Je remercierai le ciel
A chaque lever du soleil
De t'avoir mis dans mes bras
Moi qui n'attendait que toi
I will thank the sky
With each rising of the sun
To have you in my arms
I who only waited for you
Comme envoyé par le ciel
Tous les matins m'émerveillent
Mon bel ange depuis que tu es là
As sent by the sky
Every morning fills me with wonder
My beautiful angel since you are there
I went to a party the other day and there was a great mix of people. I love that Sydney is so multi-cultural! There were people with backgrounds from all different countries around the world. I got to practise French! Over the course of the night it suddenly occured to me that I know far more people that can speak 3 languages than 2.
Definitely, the second language you learn will be the hardest and it becomes much easier after that. I've had so many people tell me "le français n'est pas facile".. Depending on my mood, sometimes I agree, but sometimes I disagree, "mais si, c'est facile!" and they look at me incredulously.
I fully believe that by thinking positively and visualising a positive outcome, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain!
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Different topic but didn't want to start a new post...
Another thing I've noticed from my French class is that most people appear to be good spellers. I think being a good speller and being good at foreign language learning goes hand in hand because if you don't care about or can't even understand your own language, how can you expect to learn another? I have always been a good speller (which is also interesting considering my parents are not native-English speakers) and I think part of that is because I'm a perfectionist. I have to know everything and I have to do it 'right'. If I don't know the spelling of a word, I'll look it up and check. I won't guess. But if I did guess I usually got it right, sometimes I just 'knew'. Also, I remember when we learnt all the rules in primary school. Most people I went to school with didn't care, didn't pay attention and therefore didn't remember the rules but I remembered them all...
I think the reason so many people make mistakes in their own language or a second language is because they were never corrected early on (either by themselves, or by a teacher or by a parent). My opinion is that if you are not corrected early on, you are more likely to carry that mistake throughout the rest of your life and the longer it goes on for, the harder it is to correct so it's better to catch the mistakes early on!
