FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

 
What do this dog and I have in common? We were both fragile, yet trusting, passengers over the weekend. Read on, in today's story column. (And thanks to Bernard, a photographer, and his dog "Pixelle" for allowing me to take their photo after I introduced myself to the two in a mountaintop café.)

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The fun way to learn French

    : (newbie) driving with an experienced driver
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 (Booklist) Blogger Espinasse has taken a step backward in the evolution of media by converting selected contents of her Web log into a book. Her popular blog covers a different French word each day for an English-speaking audience. Espinasse's "definitions" come from her everyday experiences, particularly those provoked by her children's frequent delight at their mother's mistakes, misuses, and mispronunciation of words. Order this book.

You should have seen the pride in our eyes—the fierté on our faces! There we were, my 14-year-old and I—Max in the driver's siège and me, shaking, to his right. It wasn't fear that had me trembling, it was the shaky ride and the newbie driver by my side!

As our family car came coughing down the country lane, my husband, who was in the grape field, pruning, looked up. Were we insane?

With Jean-Marc still staring, a sourire now stretching across his face, the crazy train passed and I, inside, reached over my son and honked the horn, in pride. "This," cried the klaxon, "is the day a driver was born!"

The back wheels all but lifted off the ground as our car came to a hasty halt just a few feet from the front gate. With that, the driver casually stepped out, only to pick up his heels, jump up and down, and shout!

Ça y est. Jaaaai connnnnduiiiiiiiit!

***
Post note: After Max was already in the house (probably bragging to his sister) I slowly unhooked my seat-belt and clambered, like a crab, out of the car. Once the ground settled, I took a moment to memorize a milestone of my own and a song by Elton John brought the treasured souvenir home.

I'm still standing....

Le Coin Commentaires
Have your say about the French word of the day, or comment on the story.

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• Pronounce it perfectly in French: essential for travelers!
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French Vocabulary & Sound File
Listen to my friend, Rachel, pronounce these French words: Download MP3 or Download Wav

la fierté = pride
le siège = seat
un sourire = smile
le klaxon = horn
Ça y est! = That's it!
J'ai conduit! = I drove!

~~~~~~~~~~~Gifts & More~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
French film: My Father's Glory

French cuisine: Fleur De Sel De Camargue French Sea Salt

French games: Mille Bornes: First published in 1962, Mille Bornes (pronounced "meel born," French for "milestones") is an auto racing card game whose object, for each team of two players, is to be the first to complete a series of 1,000-mile trips.

Rosetta Stone French Level 1, 2, & 3

Fluenz French 1+2

Name This Photo

 

Another character I met in the mountains. Name this photo, or this one, below.