FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

J'aimerais acheter une machine à coudre. Les tissus importés sont trés beau. (is the adjective masc.[beau] because tissu [fabrique] is masc. ? merci, gail

Have a great vacation Kristin! I am enjoying my time at the beach!

I thought that this story may have taken the path of a recent misunderstanding that my 17 year old daughter encountered. She and I were shopping (really just looking and escaping the heat) a few chic dress shops in Nantucket. Dresses were in the thousand dollar range. We were dressed in light sun-dresses and flip-flops but hey - it was hot outside. In one shop I over-heard the clerk or shop-owner say "Hello" to my daughter who was across the room from me. My daughter answered "Hello". The clerk then said "We're not hiring." My daughter immediately came to me and wanted to leave. I instead took another course of action. I made her stay to try on a few of those pricey items. Whose to say we couldn't afford them --- someday? :o)

Awww. Smokey needs more surgery (I assume that "shee roo roo gee" means surgery). Personally. I like his war wound. Are you still having to treat it though?

Oh - I also wanted to say that I - a francophile/bibliophile - had purchased that Kindle just before heading to our vacation in Nantucket. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It's my new friend! With just 2 clicks ON THE DEVICE ITSELF, I can purchase Kindle editions of books AND read a newspaper AND take notes.

I'm known for lugging several books and misc. reading material with me at all times - especially for a day at the beach. It was wonderful to simply carry my towel, sunscreen and my Kindle.

Thanks, Kristin. I hadn't thought it was something I'd like until I look into it from your FWAD blog.

This took me back to my maternal grandfather's shop - The Donaldsons. He was a couturier until his eightieth birthday. It was a magical shop with everything - walls, and wicker - painted pale aqua. I recognized the massive scissors, the bolts of fabric and the button jars I'd played with as a young child. There were the big black sewing machines and the welcoming women working at them. There too, the tea pot was always on, with the cold tea used to water a massive jade plant. Thanks for the chance to travel back to that oh so welcoming place for a few moments.

Your story certainly kept my interest. I wanted to go in and investigate. Can't wait to see what happens next.
Smokey looks handsome even with his scar. He looks like a rogue; maybe it could be a battle scar like a canine warrior (my imagination got carried away there).
Keep up the writing - great story.

Quelle est la traduction pour
- réparations
- retouches
- création
- couture
- anecdotes...
???????
Aidez-moi s'il vous plait!

Hi Kristin,

I would love to hear more of the story, but it would be more interesting and improve our French more to see it in French and in English.

I also love the fact that you have books to buy; but would love to be able to buy books in French.

Thanks for doing this. It is great.

Maureen

Hi Rive,
Hoping this will be of some help:
- réparations = repairs
- retouches = alterations
- création = designing clothes
- couture = sewing / dressmaking
- anecdotes... = anecdotes, (Kristin's newsletters often tell us about “une anecdote”

definition of anecdote:
→ short account of an interesting, curious or humorous incident.
→ short account of a particular incident or event of an interesting or amusing nature, often biographical.

---------------------------

To Maria Cochrane: About Can I help you?

According to where you are and what you need
*For example,in a shop, the assistant may ask:
-> Vous désirez?

*at a reception desk:
-> Je peux vous aider?
------------------------

-> renseigner = to give information
-> un renseignement = a piece of information

-> demander un renseignement = to ask for some information
-> donner/fournir un renseignement = to give some information

So, at a Tourist office, a train station, ... or here, in this particular case when someone wants to know a bit more, you may be asked:
-> Vous voulez un renseignement?
-> Je peux vous renseigner?
-> Je peux vous aider?

Someone may offer you some information about what you are looking for:
-> Je peux vous renseigner si vous voulez. Qu'aimeriez-vous savoir? (= What would you like to know?)

Enjoyed the beginning of the story. I look forward to the next chapter!

Dear Kristin,

I love your story! I am absolutely enchanted by the setting. It is curious and completely grabbed my attention, like so many of the surprises lurking in little French shop windows. The sprinkling of French is perfect, and your readers answered any questions I had about renseigner v. aider. Thank you and please continue!-Mary Catherine

Oui, oui,je veux plus! Very intrigued!

Oh, had a vacation day in my area today. We went whale watching and saw two blues and then the humpbacks put on a show. No less than 40 breaches (up close), one who decided to send messages with dozens of tail smacks on the water and a couple who did side fin waves and smacks....it was so much fun.

Karen, touché! for having your daughter try on those dresses :-) And, oui pour shee roo roo gee (la chirurgie)

Heather, loved the color and details of your grandfather's shop -- and thanks for "bolt" of fabric. This will be a useful term for the story...

Thank you Ginger et Compagnie for wanting to read more of this story, which came to me in a dream just hours before writing it. I almost balked (how to write a story about an accidental seamstress when one knows nothing about sewing? But who am I to question the muse?)

Hannah, thanks for the correction - so helpful!

Newforest, merci for answering Rive's and Maria's questions (sorry Rive, I needed to finish the vocab section...) + for the excellent examples and definitions!

Auntie Pat: enjoyed the "bright light of the Singer... giving her face a glow" !

Joie, Smokey is too skinny. We'll see if his Aunt Cécile (for he and Braise will stay with Jean-Marc's sister...) can help fatten him up! And, dog sitter? We'll have to talk! (P.S.: sounds like a lovely "day at the beach" with the waving whales :-)

***
Merci encore for these encouraging comments and for your interest in reading more of this story! I hope to bring you another episode of "Chez Janine". Perhaps we can visit her shop from time to time?

Thanks too, Susan and friends, for the "happy vacation" wishes! Regular programming of word a day will resume on August 17th.... Between then and now, I'll try to update the story, or simply check-in and say "salut!"

One more resource for French language help on-line:

http://french.about.com/?nl=1

This has been helpful to me, good basic beginner info, and the host has a recent update on her travels around France.

Re-read "le premier épisode" of this story, and realised Kristin didn't have time to add a few words in her French Vocab List.
Apart from the ones I translated /explained in an earlier post, here are a few more:

--> Une pastille = pastille, lozenge
-> a little sweet, round and flat
-> in medicine, it is a tablet you suck to get rid of a sore throat like for ex "Les Pastilles Valda", or to solve a digestion problem -> "les pastilles à la menthe" are excellent. The "Pastilles Vichy" (not round but octogonal...) are very famous!

-> in fabric design, "une pastille" is a large round spot - "un pois" (= pea) being smaller. "Un tissu à pois" = a polka dot fabric

--> la vitrine = shop window

--> une couturière = dressmaker
Un couturier has his own "Maison de couture", designs (very expensive) clothes, creates his own collections & influences fashion.

--> un escalier en colimaçon
- un escalier = staircase, stairs
- un colimaçon is an old word for “un escargot” = a snail
(by the way, “une limace” = a slug)
--> un escalier en colimaçon*** = a spiral staircase
http://www.elitespiralstairs.co.uk/prodpics/pic9_1.jpg
http://www.fadparis.com/ancien-escalier-colimacon-en-chene/p13738-fr.html

--> un sac à dos = rucksack / backpack

---------------
kristin, I was so pleased to see the top photo again. I immediately loved it when I saw it first in Cinéma Vérité (Paris in June, Part 2) ... so, it was great to see it inspired you to create a 'similar shop' for your story! The spiral staircase will lead us where? As for the bells attached to the top of the door, they might have sounded like cow bells to you, but were they really that big? I wonder.

Looking forward to "le second épisode"!
Bonnes vacances!

Salut Newforest,

Great pictures of the circular stairs!

Here’s another interesting website. These circular stairs have quite a story to tell.

http://www.funtripslive.com/santa_fe/miracle_staircase/staircase.htm

I’ve been in this church and seen these stairs. They are amazing.

Kristin,

You had the sentence "Savez-vous opérer une machine à coudre?" in today's story with the translation "Do you know how to operate a sewing machine?".

I believe that the sentence should be "Savez-vous comment d'opérer une machine à coudre?" I am not a native speaker so you might check my suggested French sentence.

"Savez-vous opérer une machine à coudre" the correct sentence is -> "Savez-vous faire marcher (or utiliser or fonctionner) une machine à coudre?"

"Cherche Quelqu'un pour le mois d'Août" correct -> "Cherche quelqu'un pour le mois d'août" Why the uppercase letters in the middle of the sentence?

Je viens de découvrir un blog bien sympathique :-)).

Christa from France

Your "Chez Janine" reminded me of my mother's sewing room. For a child, MOther's sewing room was a delicious place to loiter at my mother's feet as she worked. The tiny tools and the brilliant fabrics and threads were a playroom to us; we stayed as busy as he old Singer hummed and surged as she sewed. I have not thought about the sewing room in a long while. Thanks.

I just discovered your blog recently. It is a lovely spot to visit a few mornings a week.

I can barely wait to hear the next part of your story. Bonnes Vacances!