We are not expecting the word "terrorism" to be attached to France, in no way.
The French know "la joie de vivre", they beautify the buildings and their cakes in great detail, they attract the greatest number of tourists who want to breathe their romantic air.
Yet this Monday, on a train from Brussels to Paris, things were going to take an unexpected turn.
I'm not going to talk about the facts (though the videos found here will tell you everything you need to know). I'd like to talk about the French spirit, because this is what you are here to experience and understand deeper.
A poor man armed beyond imagination wants to feed himself, and the victims he chooses are the travellers on a train going to Paris. 3 Americans, a Brit and a Frenchman, without thinking more than "Let's go!" halt him and minimize what could have been a tragedy.
The three Americans, Alek, Anthony and Spencer, were at the right time in the right place: looking for better phone connection, they ended up with the highest honour that country has: La Légion d'Honneur for doing something and not sitting back.
You'd think that these two nations couldn't be any closer, but here they are, after a surreal and emotional moment, they have each other's back.
Charlie Hebdo couldn't miss the opportunity to show it too, and brings a smile on France's beautiful face.
Charlie Hebdo
Here it is, in all its splendor, the French spirit, the way it bubbles like the champagne, whether it's the 14th of July or this week's close call: same intensity in different colors.
Subtle and layered, the French humor is different from the American, yet these two cultures have so much in common, starting from the 40% of the vocabulary that they share.
Americans dream to be a little French, and the French want to borrow a little more nonchalance from across the ocean. Gustave Eiffel is no stranger to the Statue of Liberty - thus making the symbols of these two cultures a little more related than one would think.
No wonder most people I meet who want to learn French are from the US - maybe they are secretly trying to compensate for how much English Paris is speaking these days.
Now it is your turn!
Tell us in the comments below, what are your thoughts?
À la prochaine,
Llyane
Don't ever give up on your dream to become bilingual - the world needs your enthusiasm when you go to Paris and fully enjoy it!
Want to learn more about the French spirit and jump on the fast track?
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Llyane Stanfield is a Parisian French language coach, and founder of the J’Ouellette® French Method – an organic method using techniques that are employed by the world’s finest linguists. She travels between Toronto, New York and Paris, while teaching French via Skype in more than 15 countries. She is French language coach for busy traveling professionals, and has produced an unprecedented Intensive Program and French Pronunciation Master Class, as well as other visual and teaching materials. She now spends a large proportion of her time in Paris, where she also organizes an annual Immersion Retreat. Her unique methods produce a quantum leap in confidence and pronunciation, and a short session with her is the perfect start to brush up your French (whatever your level!) at the start of your Paris trip.
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