Avec Quel Accent Parlez-Vous Français? (With what accent do you speak French?)

Photo by Erica Simone Your taste of life in Paris and France ParlerParis.com Wednesday, June 1, 2011 • Paris, France Dear Parler Paris Reader, Someone loaned me the HBO series, "Tremé," which, if you haven't seen it, takes place in a part of New Orleans more formally known as the "Faubourg Tremé" (pronounced treh-may). If you know New Orleans, it's the area bordered by Esplanade Avenue to the north, North Rampart Street to the east, St. Louis Street to the south and North Broad Street to the west. In early New Orleans, it was the neighborhood of "free people of color" and remains the center of the city's African-American and Créole communities as well as the home of the city's best musicians. Watching the program has brought me back to my New Orleans roots. It struck me that both the lingo and accents of the characters would be difficult for others to understand -- or so it seems to my New Orleans trained ears -- a city that can claim at least 15 different accents. The program does a good job of illustrating many of them, all in one episode, with a cornucopia of the kinds of people one finds in such a profoundly cultured American city. My own New Orleans accent is founded on the "Irish Channel" dialect -- an accent that sounds like Brooklynese thanks to the Irish who settled in both places during the 1860s. It's no wonder I am often mistaken for a New Yorker, even though at heart I'm really more a "Southern Belle." Real New Yorkers tend to hear the Southern 'drawl' while others hear the "Noo Yawk tawk" -- it's always fascinated me how the ear can detect such nuances. In the French-English conversation group,Parler Parlor, which I co-coordinate and participate in a few times a week, one can hear dozens of different accents, in both French and English, thanks to the many origins of the participants. It's one of the benefits, actually, as it helps tune your ear to a variety of different pronunciations. Last night, there was quite a bit of conversation devoted to this subject, the Anglophones admitting that their ears might not be tuned well enough to hear the difference between a French person from the north vs the south or a Parisian. And the French admitted to having a hard time discerning the difference between a Texan and a Californian, much less and Englishman from a Scot. Language is a constant challenge living in a place that communicates in a language different from you own native language -- particularly French. It's one of the most difficult to master. Learning the words, the grammar and the phraseology is one thing. Tackling the accents is already yet another complication, but it's unavoidable. After almost 17 years surrounded by Francophones, I admit that my own level of French is appalling (considering the number of years practicing) and my accent is pathetically American. The moment I say one word, and only one word, they know immediately that not only is the accent not native, but American. Two weeks ago when I boarded an Air France flight from Nice and said nothing more than "Bonjour" to the flight attendant, she responded with "Hello, welcome aboard," to which I asked with surprise, "Just one word gives me away?" And we both had a chuckle knowing how true it is. In the cafés and restaurants, with just that one word, they hand me an English language menu. It can be so depressing! I 'threw in the towel' long ago and gave into never speaking French well much less with a proper accent. The French claim it's "charmant" (charming) much like we think of their French accent in English is so sexy, so why make a big effort to change it? No matter how many times I practice saying "serrurerie" (try it -- it's the toughest!), the Rs end up way to far down the throat to sound French as I spit and gurgle it out. Even when I spell "PAY-A-EHR-ELL-UH-EHR" for "parler," they never seem to hear the R and think it's an L like in Chinese. Oy! The bottom line: does any of this stop having a great life in the "Ville de Lumière" (City of Light)? Absolument, pas! A la prochaine... Adrian Leeds Editor, Parler Paris Share this article with a friend... Respond to Adrian P.S. Participation in Parler Parlor is easy! We meet three times a week, but you can come whenever you like! The first time is free, so there's nothing to lose by trying it except an hour-and-a-half of your time! Visit parlerparlor.com for more information. Share|

iPhone, iPad, and iParis Insider Dining and Other Tracks

Café du Palais, Place Palais de Justice, Nice

Parler Paris Nouvellettre^®
Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Monday, February 28, 2011 • Paris, France

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Dear Parler Paris Reader,

Last Wednesday in Nice, as you might recall, the day started out with breakfast on the Place Palais de Justice, watching the Niçois go about their daily affairs. (Read last week's Parler Paris here.)

Funny coincidence...because the apartment I found and on which I made an offer that was accepted before I left the Riviera on Thursday evening is, in fact, on the Place Palais de Justice! Little did I know that the dark green doorway next to the "Café du Palais" where I had a "café crème" and "tartine" before setting out to visit properties will become my little Riviera home-away-from home.

If you follow French Property Insider, then you are already up-to-date about how I went about searching and finding this jewel of an apartment and how I broke out in a middle-of-the-night anxiety attack over the fears of embarking on a property adventure in a strange place far away from home (isn't that exactly what every one of our clients goes through when they make the decision to buy a property in France?). (Catch up, if you like, and read all about it at French Property Insider/ and be sure to subscribe to FPI -- it's free!)

The two-room 35-square-meter apartment with views on the Place and the Clock Tower of the Palais Rusca already has a name: "Le Palais du Soleil!" The wheels are in motion to sign the "Compromis de Vente" (pre-sale agreement), and another trip to Nice is planned with our Interior Architect, Martine di Matteo, to develop the new floor plan and begin the renovation process. You are sure to hear more about this adventure as time goes on (and the fears subside).

I returned from Nice a few pounds heavier, thanks to the "Socca," the pastas and the fabulous dining -- at such local Niçois restaurants as the tiny "La Merenda," one short block from the Place (4, rue Raoul Bosio, with no phone -- so, stop by to make your reservation!) run by Dominique le Stanc, the former chef at the Negresco Hotel, and "La Petite Maison" (11, Rue Saint François de Paule), just one more block away run by Nicole Rubi, who was presented this past June with the insignia of "Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur" by the Mayor of Nice for her gastronomic style.

It's a good thing that the Nice apartment, as does my Paris apartment, has three flights of stairs to help keep a foodie such as myself 'slim and trim.' When we moved to Paris, the cooking at home began to wane as the dining out became more routine. With about 5000 restaurants in the City of Light, there was no shortage of new culinary delights to experience. Over the years, the refrigerator became emptier as the list of restaurants grew longer. And with a limited budget, finding inexpensive ways of satisfying the dining out habit became a priority.

In 1996, the list of restaurants that began just for friends became the first for sale online electronic restaurant guide to Paris with 50 such dining spots and a personal description of why each was worth a trip. It grew over time, of course, and naturally changed as I discovered new and better restaurants that one could count on for a great meal at a less-than-great price -- the kind of restaurant you expect from Paris: French, hearty, satisfying, classic, non-touristed, affordable, friendly...,etc. It was not such a sacrifice to dine out every day to get to know them!

Every year I have kept a record of the dining out on a spreadsheet that tracks where, when and how much was spent. Last year's report was just completed at about the same time that an article appeared titled "Where Do NYC Foodies Spend Their Dough?" -- noting that "the top 10% of New York's restaurant fiends spend $27,000 eating out?!"

Why am I not surprised!? According to the article about New Yorkers, "the top 10% of restaurant spenders drop an average of $2,247 every month eating out and the median is a whopping $447." That equates to $26,964 for the top 10% and $5,364 a year for the average diner.

Well, I've got them beat, but nowhere near the top 10% -- because remember, I learned how to eat out on the cheap (not to mention well)! According to my spreadsheet, in 2010, I had 346 meals in restaurants (6.7 per week) at an average cost of $28.31 (bet the New Yorkers can't beat that!) for a total of $9,794.50 for the year.

Sure, that's a healthy budget, but keep in mind that the grocery bills consist of toilet paper and cleaning products and that fresh food purchases are never wasted! And most importantly is the ability to enjoy what the City of Light has to offer in gastronomy, one of its main attributes. No visit to Paris should end without great dining memories. Wouldn't you agree?

The restaurant guide has taken many names and many forms over the years, having been published by three different publishers, including myself. Now it's in the newest and most exciting version ever, thanks to www.TapBooks.org and the world of electronic publishing as applications for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, plus digital formats for the Kindle and iBookstore!

Under the new name of "Adrian Leeds Top 100 Cheap Insider Paris Restaurants," it proves that you don’t need to be rich to dine well –
you just need to be in the know! Imagine having a choice of my favorite good-value restaurants at the touch of your iPhone or iPad? How simple is that!?

TapBooks is a new venture by Paris colleague and author, Karen Henrich, of La Nuit Blanche Tours (www.nuitblanchetours.com)..."a global lounge for people who are on the move." Her own guide, "Practical Paris," promises to save you money, time and hassle and get the most out of your stay in Paris.

These guides are just the beginning for TapBooks!...and for you lovers of France who want more insider information, so be sure to keep an eye out on what's in store at TapBooks by subscribing to the blog.

In addition to TapBooks, International Living has just launched its newest version of "France: The Owner's Manual," edited and updated by Schuyler Hoffman and myself -- a comprehensive guide and the only reference book you need on your proverbial shelf to turn your dream of moving to France into reality.

We're living it. You can, too. Just take our insider advice and find out for yourself...electronically!

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. To learn about all three guides and to place your orders now visit: Adrian Leeds Marketplace

P.P.S. Take note of two important events:

March 8th when Kathleen Spivak speaks about "How to Write Well and Get Published" at Parler Paris Après-Midi! Visit parlerparis/apresmidi for more information...

And March 12th when Parler Parlor celebrates its 13th Anniversary with cake and special discounts when you sign up. Visit parlerparlor for more information...

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A Niçois Adventure

Apartment in Nice

Parler Paris Nouvellettre^®
Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Monday, February 21, 2011 • Paris, France

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Dear Parler Paris Reader,

As I write this I'm on route to Nice for four glorious days along the Riviera. The primary objective is to search for a suitable apartment to purchase for myself – a vacation home, a rental property, an investment and a foundation for helping others do the same on the blue coast. Fortunately, the timing is ideal as it happens to also be Carnival season in Nice – an annual event that seems to be the world's best kept secret.

Nice is nice, as they say. It reminds me of many places I've called home in the past: Los Angeles for the sea, the palm trees, the moderate climate and the opulence; New Orleans for the multi-cultural flavor, the corruption, the port (and all the spirit that seamen bring with them) and the architecture in the Old Town that isn't quite the same as the French Quarter (Spanish), but has a similar ambiance.

Vieux Nice is where I want to be. I actually like the hint of seediness – not so 'white bread' as a place more pristine, where many levels of life take place both behind closed doors and on the surface. Vieux Nice is gentrifying...fast...and that means property there will escalate in value as new owners pour their creative talents and money into old dilapidated houses. Vieux Nice will never not be that, and since property investment is based on that old saying, “location, location, location,” that's where I believe one's money is best spent.

Many vacationers may prefer apartments on the Promenade des Anglais with a sea view (for obvious reasons), but sea view for me is just a boring expanse of blue during the day and black at night. I prefer having life just outside the door and a more urban landscape, especially in Nice where the houses are of many colors, balconies are dripping with plants and the squares are bustling with people and activity.

There is much to discover and learn. Although I've been to Nice many times, it will take an extended expanse of time living there to really learn the personalities of the various neighborhoods, the web of streets and traffic patterns, the idiosyncrasies of the culture and the nature of the inhabitants. The expectation is of course, is that it's very, very different from Paris – as different from Paris as Los Angeles is from New York. There is no rivalry between them as there is no comparison, both offering totally different lifestyles.

I fully expect doing business in Nice to be a lot less straightforward than in Paris and trusting new-found colleagues will take time and due diligence. An old friend and colleague is performing the search for me – I've enlisted her just as our clients hire us to perform the search and find the property, in advance of arrival. If I get lucky enough to find the perfect “pied-à-terre” this week (with a balcony, a view, lots of sun and no higher than three flights up without a lift), there will be a scramble to put financing into place.

My approach is exactly what I DON'T preach to our own property clients – which is to get the financing in place in advance of a search, which is the only smart thing to do. Of course, I don't actually expect to find the perfect property this first go-round and in the meantime I am organizing the documents for the loan application using 2010 tax returns and the latest financial picture. The hope is to get another “equity release” loan so that the property can be financed 100% – or close, with as little 'out-of-pocket' investment as possible. The lender I have in mind has already loaned me four times for four properties, each of which have increased in value and therefore may afford a fifth equity release. Appraisals of each of the properties will be necessary to come to that conclusion.

Rental income from two of the properties has paid the mortgages along the way and with that kind of history of success, the lender is open to working with me again. When I asked for the first mortgage in 2000 on the apartment that is my primary residence, this particular lender took a risk with me while another lender wouldn't. The agent who approved the loan is in an even higher position with the bank now and we have remained friends and colleagues to this day.

For the three-night stay, I've rented an apartment in Vieux Nice from a Canadian chef who lives in Nice. This afternoon I'll visit the tourist office where a package of information and tickets to some of the Carnival events await us. Tomorrow we have an excursion by train up into the mountains planned, just for the beautiful scenery and a little R and R, then Wednesday is designated for apartment visits. By then, you'll get a detailed report on my findings – of the apartment, the city, Carnival and whatever tales are to be told.

Thursday's French Property Insider will undoubtedly delve into the property findings from Wednesday, so if you're interested and are not already subscribed, you may do so by visiting French Property Insider.

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. The photos are of the view from the apartment – on the fourth floor (European) on one of Nice's narrowest streets, rue de Jésus, but it's the apartment across the street that suits my taste most!

P.P.S. How would you like your next stay in Paris be just a few steps from the world's greatest collection of impressionist masterpieces? Just around the corner from the magnificent Musée d'Orsay is our newest luxury vacation apartment – La Maison d'Orsay! Another beautifully designed and equipped “pied-à-terre” by Interior Architect Martine di Matteo, La Maison d'Orsay is the perfect oasis after hours in the museum...or anywhere else in Paris for that matter! Visit
La Maison d'Orsay for more information.

Why is France such a good place to live?

Bretagne Dear Parler Paris Reader, The question is: Why is France such a great place to live? It's the question that must be answered between now and noon today. We have the task of writing a short script for a two-to-three minute video that will be recorded this afternoon at one of Paris' prettiest spots – the Place des Vosges. The script is to tell about life in France, how many years I've lived here and why it's so loveable. It's an interesting exercise to reflect on that question and express it in a way to which you can relate. It was 1979 when I first arrived in France, traveling by car from Brussels while touring Europe with my boyfriend (not-yet-husband). Driving into Paris was an adventure in itself, but not disorderly or complicated as we later discovered driving in Rome. On a street near the Louvre our little Volkswagen had a flat tire that a dog (or maybe even a human) pissed on, making it lots of 'fun' to change. We stayed in an old hotel in the Latin Quarter that had a large bathroom with a bidet that provided lots of jokes. It was August, but it was so cold and rainy that I had to buy a coat. Lots of restaurants were closed for the vacation period and the streets were flooded with tourists. That was our introduction to Paris and France. Still, we wanted to go no further, even though we had many more weeks of traveling Europe in the plans. I can vividly recall picking up an International Herald Tribune and perusing the ads for apartments for rent. The Latin Quarter became home for eight days and Paris stole our hearts. I never wanted to leave. So, what was it that got so quickly under our skins? Maybe it was the sheer beauty of the architecture. Or the soft sexy French language. The stylish fashions in the shop windows and on the wispy little chic “Parisiennes” turned our eyes. The little bistrots smelled yummy when you entered and the food was rich and hearty. Doggy poop littered the sidewalks, but the little perpetrators walked their masters and we found ourselves dining next to one as if he belonged at the table just like us people. The charm oozed out of the pores not only from the city, but from the lush landscape of the countryside we whizzed past in our little excuse for a car. It was France. There just wasn't anything quite like it. England was pure and natural (boiled beef), Holland flat as a pancake, Belgium dull but tasty (mussels in Brussels), Italy wild and anarchistic, Switzerland too pristine for words, Greece bright and blue, but France...France was elegant in every sense of the word. The milk cows grazing on dark green grass in Normandy...the gray stone cottages in the Auvergne...the lavender fields in Provence...the deep blue of the Mediterranean coast...and the opulent villas of the Riviera...it was all France. There was nothing not to love. So, this still doesn't answer the question: Why is France such a great place to live? At the time, it wasn't a life – just a visit to a place with an inexplicable attraction. We wanted to know if it was skin deep or a more profound sentiment, so there was only solution after years of being the perpetual tourists: we had to live in France to find out for ourselves and so we moved here. That was 16.5 years ago and while we had one year in our minds, one year just wasn't enough. Nor was two, nor ten. The exploration is never-ending as it takes a lifetime to get to know La France Profonde and all I have is a half a lifetime in which to do it. Of course, there are many challenges along the way. Life in France isn't 'easy' -- but it's rich and rewarding. The French don't simplify things -- they complicate them. What you see is not what you get -- it's what must be read between the lines that tells the true story. Speaking French is a tongue-twisting exercise for an old dog like me and dealing with the bureaucracy not part of my American heritage. If you're looking for a bargain, France isn't the place where you will find cheap labor (willing servants), but the quality of life is high for every citizen making it a fair trade-off. Monday I'm heading down to the Riviera for sun and surf, the Nice Carnivale and to look at apartments for a new home-away-from-home that will ultimately provide a kind of retirement spot on the Côte d'Azur. It's the antidote to Gray Paree during the long winter season with a more relaxed lifestyle. And yes, it's still very much France. Would I consider leaving France? I can't imagine it. It will take a crowbar to get me out of this place...but I still haven't answered the question, right? Why is France such a great place to live? What's your answer? A la prochaine... Adrian Leeds Editor, Parler Paris Share this article with a friend... Respond to Adrian P.S. The video will be used to add an interactive element to International Living's France Owner's Manual. The Manual is a written guide to living in France published for many years that over the course of the past several years, staff member Schuyler Hoffman and I have edited and to which we have both contributed. To purchase the France Owner's Manual, click here.