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The bittersweet truth about the 2022 presidential election

Last Sunday, Macron’s reelection was welcomed with overwhelming joy by the democratic world. Enthusiastic posts and tweets coming from abroad flooded social media. Yet, while it is tremendously good news for Europe, the presidential election left a bittersweet taste in France. Fending off Marine Le Pen is only a won battle, but the war on populism and the far-right threat is far from over. Macron’s victory isn’t a landslide one, and it might not be durable in terms of long-term effects. This incertitude comes mainly from three aspects concluding the deciding runoff. Despite losing the election, Marine Le Pen scored 41.5%, compared to 33.9% in 2017. The percentage doesn’t necessarily reflect Le Pen’s growing popularity, but it is a sign of increasing sympathy for far-right and eurosceptic parties. And as such, this result may be a worrying harbinger of a possible dangerous shift in the future. Similarly, as Macron won…

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French Wine Guide: Tips For Beginners

France is proud of its specialties, and without doubt, they are not to be missed as they are everywhere. Moving to one of the major wine-making countries in the world is probably the best motivation to get to know wine which is a staple there. However, despite its growing popularity, many people don’t feel confident about going beyond casual drinking with friends on weekends. And even when they do, they often have a false impression they don’t belong with other wine lovers. If you are ready to take your wine experience to the next level and don’t know where to start, here are some useful tips for beginners. Source: Bridget Jones’s Diary Trust your taste buds There are many rules about drinking wine, but none of them is as important as trusting your taste. And yet many people starting their wine journey feel embarrassed about expressing their opinions, fearing they…

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Emily in Paris Round Two – An Honest Review

‘Emily in Paris’ is back, and watching season 2 of the enormously popular Netflix show is quite a celebration for almost any foreigner who lives in Paris. Obviously, as one should expect, it’s an absolute cringefest, but what a guilty pleasure at the same time. It goes without saying I could not help but dwell on the series’ continuation and jot down a few remarks, resulting in this honest review. Let’s discuss season 2, shall we? (Source: Netflix) On depicting France Paris is nothing but beautiful. Only the most popular and chic restaurants, bars, and clubs, located mainly in Montmartre, Marais, or Boulevard St Germain, get the spotlight, but more on that later. To make things more interesting, Emily leaves the city twice. Aside from visiting Camille’s mansion located in Champagne, known from the previous season, Emily goes south to St. Tropez, where she stays in a lavish hotel, dines…

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French Wine Guide: Champagne

Champagne is probably the most famous French wine. Many people who have little to no knowledge about wines certainly know champagne is a symbol of luxury. Every movie showcasing rich people must contain at least one bottle of champagne. Yet, when you think of December in France, champagne is, next to Bûche de Noël, a staple and an indispensable part of Christmas, not to mention New Year’s Eve. Now, of course, not every champagne is delicious, but this little guide will help you pick the right one for ’tis the season to get bubbly. Source: Bollinger About the wine Champagne is a sparkling wine from the Champagne region in the northeast of France. Without a doubt, its status comes partly from the fact it can be produced exclusively there and according to methods precisely defined by the law. It includes the traditional method (méthode traditionnelle) of sparkling wine production. It’s…

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I went to the French ER and this is what I learned

When it comes to accidents, I’m like a magnet. Luckily, I haven’t died so far, but these mishaps usually seem bad enough to land me in emergency rooms. At a Halloween party, during the long weekend, I jumped so high, I hit my head against a mezzanine. And then, due to a continuous headache and a weird concave bump, I decided that going to the hospital for a check-up would be a wise thing to do. Since I’m not yet that familiar with the healthcare system, I started asking friends for advice. All of them, with no exceptions, suggested that I should make an appointment because this is how it works in France. Of course, it would mean that first, I need to make an appointment with a GP, who would let me schedule another appointment for an eventual check-up. Given that head injuries aren’t a joke, I could picture…

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The funniest French Instagram accounts to follow

Many people think that living in Paris is a dream. They aren’t mistaken, but it’s absolutely not like in the media. When you live in the city of lights long enough, at some point, “Emily in Paris” stuff just doesn’t hit the spot anymore, so you start craving something humorous and more relatable. Or maybe you are just curious if the legends are true. Any reason is a good reason to explore these funny instagram accounts that perfectly sum up the perks of livin’ la vida loca in France. Source: Yugnat999 Yugnat999 When it comes to covering the overall experience of living in France, there is probably nobody who does it better than Yugnat999. For those who don’t already know, the enigmatic nickname is basically a reversed version of his name Tanguy and the number 666. And behind this witty name hides the French pioneer of meme posting. It’s hard not to…

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French Wine Guide: Sauvignon Blanc

A heatwave has struck Paris, and obviously, wine lovers are looking for the perfect wine that would match current hot weather. While red wine is usually a no-go for scorchers, not every white wine fits either. In this episode of French Wine Guide, we’d like to tell you about Sauvignon Blanc which is always the right choice when temperatures get high. About the wine Sauvignon Blanc is known for its freshness. Famous for the racy, acidic aroma that reminds of freshly cut grass and very fruity and herbal taste. Originally from France, Sauvignon Blanc can be found almost everywhere in the world. It has made its way to many places and grows in New Zealand, Chile, California (USA), Italy, Australia, Moldova, and other countries. Depending on where it’s cultivated, its smell, as well as the flavor, can vary. In colder regions like France, Sauvignon Blanc smells more like grass and…

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Tech Tuesday – SpaceHey

Do you remember your first social media experience? Or those afternoons after classes when you couldn’t wait to customize your MySpace profile with glittery gifs and update the top 8? Do you miss the 2000s vibe? With SpaceHey, you can bring it back from the dead! Via: @ doyoulovethe2000s Back in its heyday, MySpace was the Facebook of the 2000s, gathering over 100 million users. For many teenagers around the world, it was the first and generational experience. Unfortunately, due to Facebook’s growing popularity and MySpace’s inability to adapt, the latter lost its previous glory and users who favored Mark Zuckerberg’s platform. Despite bad marketing strategies that led MySpace to its end, good memories have remained. Via: @ doyoulovethe2000s For many people, MySpace was like an alternative reality where they could express themselves freely. It was a hub of back-then alt-scene, including popular models like Hannah Beth or Raquel Reed.…

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French Wine Guide: Beaujolais

In France, every year, the New Beaujolais Festival (Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau) takes place on the third Thursday of November. The celebration marks the day when Beaujolais Nouveau is finally ready to be sold and consumed. Unfortunately, this year, due to the pandemic, we are not able to celebrate it at bars and restaurants. Nevertheless, there is no reason one should not celebrate at home. Let us introduce you to Beaujolais that proudly open our French Wine Guide! Via: Destination Food About the wine Beaujolais is a light, red wine that comes from the region of the same name, located south of the Mâconnais area. Made from the Gamay grapes, the wine is highly acidic but lower on the tannic spectrum. Beaujolais usually has red fruit flavors (cherry, raspberry, cranberry), but you can also find less typical flavors like mushroom, forest floor, smoke, violet, baker’s yeast, banana, or even bubblegum. It is worth…

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“Emily in Paris” through the eyes of real Parisians

Emily in Paris” has taken the internet by storm. This new TV Show coming from Netflix depicts the story of an American girl who moves from Chicago to Paris. The result is as follows: the French are outraged for how the show pictures them, and the foreigners living in Paris complain about how inaccurate it is. As part of the latter group who have encountered the same struggles as Emily, we couldn’t let the discussion slip without our reaction. Is it really that bad? Or maybe it’s somewhat right? Let’s take a look at this widely commented Netflix show through the eyes of real-life Emilys. Photo via: Netflix Emily’s apartment (verdict: 50% true) There are two things about Emily’s apartment. Let’s set the record straight and say that real chambres de bonne don’t look like that. More accurate would be a 15 square-meter apartment with a shower inside and a toilet in…

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