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You Toucan Go Birding in Panama

You Toucan Go Birding in Panama

I used to think birding was ridiculous. Tramping around all day with a big camera and binoculars to find small flying creatures whose goal is to stay unseen? Then I tried it. In Panama. This is not as strange as it seems, or least, no stranger than choosing Panama for...

Voyage to the Heart of Paname

Voyage to the Heart of Paname

When a French person tells you’re they’re going to “Paname,” they don’t mean the country. For reasons that are in dispute, Paname is a slang word for Paris. While Charlie and I didn’t travel to Panama-the-country by mistake, we enjoyed seeking out the many French...

Guest Post: A Forgotten French Cultural Icon

Guest Post: A Forgotten French Cultural Icon

When preparing for my French citizenship interview, I had to learn all the major symbols of the Republic. La Marseillaise. Marianne and the Phrygian cap. The Gallic Rooster. One could even throw in the Fleur-de-lis. Or the Eiffel Tower. No matter which list I studied,...

The Long Tail of World War II

The Long Tail of World War II

I’ve written before about how Paris is filled with war memorials, especially for World War II. I was reminded recently that stories also bring that war home to Europeans. At a time when horrible violence is rising anew on this side of the planet, war memories have...

My Triumphal Return to Paris

My Triumphal Return to Paris

France is buzzing during the fall rentrée. King Charles and Queen Camilla spent two days in Paris in a blur of ceremony and bonhomie. The Rugby World Cup is being played everywhere. It’s Fashion Week. Museums are busting with popular exhibitions, and Pope Francis was...

Normally, Nothing is Lost in Translation

Normally, Nothing is Lost in Translation

“Every sensible and rigorous theory of language shows that a perfect translation is an impossible dream. In spite of this, people translate.” – Umberto Eco, “Experiences in Translation” Now, they tell us, AI will take over translation from people. Tourists in Paris...

Composting the American Way

Composting the American Way

Is compost about birth or is it about death? This is just one of the questions I have been pondering as I try to adapt to the American way of compost. In Paris, composting your food waste has recently gotten very easy. You put it in a little brown container, walk to...

Dreaming in Italian

Dreaming in Italian

To learn a language, you need to learn the culture of the country. I’ve certainly found that to be true with French and France. But when I decided to learn Italian, it all seemed rather intimidating. Unlike in France, Italian cuisine, dialects, traditions and...

  
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