French waters ahead ~ LENA SINGLA

No, sadly, this is not a post of my vacations in France, tasting la vie en rose. This September I started going to class for french and I wanted to write a little bit about it. Just to remember how it is to start something new like this.

When we start learning a new skill it’s always a bit uncomfortable. We don’t even want to tell the world that we are beginners, because we know we are making many mistakes, and that… well, we are still quite bad at it. And so we won’t be sharing our new learnings until we feel more confident, more decent (at least, this is my case!). Anyway, there are still good things about being a first-timer or beginner that deserve some appreciation.

Firstly, we’ll never be again so illiterate – or bad- at it as right now. And when starting out, there’s a sea of newness to navigate and so many discoveries to make… We’ll never see it all with the same eyes. And probably we’ll never be so out of water again. What’s most interesting is how in the beginning you have a different perspective, it feels easier to be curious and look for “clues”, things that you could remember from long ago, from a movie, from a book, a story, a trip… And I think we loose a bit of that kind of perspective when we’ve been studying (or practicing) something for a while. The novelty wears off.

But then, it’s also really cool to start imbuing yourself into something new, not only with the language but also with the culture; it’s something very rich and interesting. I’m not a stranger to France, as I’ve been there more times than in any other country but their culture, language, etc. haven’t been in my (quotidian) life much, if any.

So today I’ll be sharing a bit about what I’ve been watching when starting my journey of learning french (further than the few hours I did in high school). Because first impressions are unrepeatable. And one day I may rewatch some of this and get a new experience (hopefully, thanks to a greater understanding of the language).

So I’ve been watching Netflix in french, of course. And the best way to do so is with a plugin to have subtitles both in English and French. Yes, I do get lost often, trying to read everything in french but having to rush to read the english translation… and missing the whole sentence altogether. But it’s fun. And you can always pause and go back if you missed something of utmost importance.

Also, if you have no interest in the language, you can still watch them just with english subtitles.. even translated if that’s you thing. Sometimes it’s refreshing to consume different media to what we are used to, portraying different cultures, characters, places… Think changing New York for Paris, still cool ;).

MOVIES in french

Wingwomen

An exceptional movie, an action movie, where strangely, it’s not all about a man. So refreshing.

To each, her own A movie a bit older, but with also a feminist and different view on relationships and life in France.

SERIES

I’m all into lightweight comedy and feel-good series, so I chose similar ones in french and they didn’t disappoint.

Huge in France This one is actually not in french, but you’ll here the french accent in american english. It was quite funny, even if a bit different from what we are used to, with irony and certain criticism of the modern society, well-made and worth the time. Also, it’s quite short so don’t worry, it will not be too much of one thing.

Off the hook The problems of women in their thirties today, with a less than healthy relationship to phones. Funny and cozy.

The hook up plan A group of women ( I think also in their thirties) and the different paths they explore while staying friends and building relationships. It starts when they get too involved in trying to help one of them to forget her ex. Fun, entertaining, you’ll get hooked.

Family business How a family that used to have a butchery get into the business of cannabis, and how all things that go well also go not so well. Humorous and less foreseeable.

The Parisian agency I like to watch this show, in french with french subtitles, to improve my listening ability. There’s vocabulary to learn and some natural dialogues and … Well, you know how these reality shows are. It’s no the most engaging show for me but it’s ok while eating some day alone.

TO FOLLOW

Here a few creators that have been in my radar for a while. The thing with algorithms is you start with one but soon there will start popping up a lot of similar ones all around.