Archive for 'Fun'

Bande dessinée (BD, in short) is something you see a lot in French places where books are sold. It’s very popular, and it’s not just for kids. It’s a bit like a comic book, but without the superheroes. If your French is a bit rusty, it’s a fun (and easy) way to read a “book”.

Tintin – Created by Hergé, Tintin is a young Belgian (not French!) reporter, always escorted in his travels by his dog Milou and the Capitaine Haddock. He is a great traveller who has visited, among other countries, the Congo, China, Tibet, Peru, and even walked on the Moon!

Astérix – The series, created by Uderzo and Goscinny, first appeared in 1959. It follows the exploits of a village of indomitable Gauls as they resist Roman occupation. They do so by means of a magic potion, brewed by their druid, which gives the recipient superhuman strength. The protagonist, the titular character Asterix, along with his friend Obelix, have various adventures, and the series is one of the most popular Franco-Belgian comics in the world.

Gaston Lagaffe – Gaston (in English) is a comic strip created in 1957 by the Belgian cartoonist André Franquin in the comic strip magazine, Spirou. The series focuses on the every-day life of Gaston Lagaffe (whose surname means “the blunder”), a lazy and accident-prone office junior.

Lucky Luke – Lucky Luke is a Belgian comics series created by Belgian cartoonist Maurice De Bevere, better known as Morris, and for one period, written by René Goscinny. Set in the American Old West, it stars the titular character, Lucky Luke, the cowboy known to “draw faster than his shadow”. About half of the series’ adventures have been translated into English.

Les Schtroumpf – The Smurf (in English) is a tiny, blue-skinned humanoid creature in white clothing, created by Peyo, and followed by his numerous peers who look just like him, with an elderly leader who wears red clothing and has a white beard, called Papa Smurf. The characters proved to be a huge success, and the first independent Smurf stories appeared in Spirou in 1959.

Boule et Bill – The series, created by Jean Roba relates the homely adventures of a seven-year-old boy Boule and his dog Bill, a Cocker Spaniel, as well as that of Boule’s mother and father, and Caroline the turtle. Bill, while slightly anthropomorphised, basically acts as a normal dog, and the whole series places comical adventures in the realistic setting of a normal family in a normal town, with normal lives.

Which French comics have your read? Which is your favourite? Tell us in the comments below.

Contact VoulezVouloz !!

If you’d like to learn more about our Private or small group French lessons for children, then contact us or call us on 0448 271 392. We have expert French tutors available in SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, CANBERRA and BRISBANE!

Enter our Mother’s Day competition

Don’t forget, Mother’s Day is on the 12^th May this year, and now is your chance to surprise your mum with something special.

VoulezVouloz has partnered with one of Sydney’s best French restaurants Sel et Poivre, to offer this fantastic Mother’s Day prize!

What does mum win?

You and your lovely mum can enjoy a delicious brunch for two (on Mother’s Day itself), at Sel et Poivre, and then follow it with a French lesson for two (on any day you choose in May).

How to enter

To enter the competition just visit our Facebook page and tell us what you love most about your mum.

The winner will be announced on the 9^th of May.

Terms and conditions

• Only one entry per person.
• Entries close at 3pm AEST on the 9^th of May and will be announced at 5pm on the 9^th of May.
• The judge’s decision is final.
• The prize cannot be exchanged for cash.
• Total value: brunch $50, lesson $77.

Did you know that the 1^st of May is a public holiday in France?

It’s called la “fête du travail”, tout simplement because it celebrates the date when the work day was officially reduced from 10 to 8h in France (in 1919). However it didn’t become a paid non-work day before the end of World War II, in 1947.

But that is not all. On the 1^st of May, traditionally French people like to give some “muguet” to their friends and families. Le muguet is the exquisite little white bell-shaped flower known in English as Lilly of the Valley. The Latin connoisseurs would have immediately identified it as convallaria maialis.

It’s been estimated that close to 50 millions ‘brins de muguet’ (muguet stems) will be sold in France on the first of May this year, bringing in an impressive 100 million Euros! It is the only day of the year when the French legislation tolerates to see individuals selling the flower in the streets without paying taxes. But be warned, the rules are strict. For example the stall must usually be set up at least 40m away from all the flower shops. And the legislation is not that straight forward: each township writes its own directives around the sale of muguet.

If the public holiday tradition is relatively recent, the giving of muguet on the 1^st of May is much older. t Charles IX made this custom official in 1561.

After receiving muguet as a gift, he started giving it to the Ladies of his court as a symbol of good luck. This is what we call a ‘porte-bonheur’ in French, something that is supposed to bring you luck.

Both customs became combined when l’Eglantine rouge, symbol of the left wing was replaced by the muguet at the beginning of the 20^th century. This acted as a reminder of the socialist’s victory in reducing the length of the working day.

So don’t forget to grab yourself a bunch of muguet when you visit France next on the 1^st of May

Contact VoulezVouloz !!

If you’d like to learn more about our Private or small group French lessons for children, then contact us or call us on 0448 271 392. We have expert French tutors available in SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, CANBERRA and BRISBANE!

In English we love our animal idioms. Someone can be ‘blind as a bat’, a ‘snake in the grass’ or as ‘mad as a cow’.

But did you know that the French love their animal expressions too?

When it’s freezing cold we say “Il fait un froid de canard” (=It is a duck’s cold) and if goose bumps appear, we call them  “la chair de poule” (=hen’s flesh).

To say “pigs might fly” we prefer using “quand les poules auront des dents” (=when hens will grow teeth).

We also have « C’est du pipi de chat » (this is cat wee) to talk about a drink with no fflavour or strength.

To refer to someone who is unreasonably stubborn we use the expression “Tête de mule” (=donkey’s head).

When we fail to turn up to a planned catch up or rendez-vous we use the expression « poser un lapin » (= to leave a rabbit).

If we turn up somewhere and nobody’s there, then we’ll use the expression “il n’y a pas un chat” (=there is not one cat).

While we’re trying to extract some information out of someone, then we will “tirer les vers du nez” (=pull the worms out of the nose).

If we’re starving hungry we might say we have a “une faim de loup” (= a wolf’s hunger).

Feeling a little down? Then you must “avoir le cafard” (= to have the cockroach).

If you are starting to feel pins and needles, then you’ll talk about “avoir des fourmis” (=to have ants).

How do you talk about someone with an impressive memory? Simply saying they have a “Mémoire d’elephant » (= an elephant’s memory).

Is your favourite French tutor quizzing you on some French expressions and despite your hard work you can’t remember? If you really don’t know the answer, your tutor might ask if you want to “donner ta langue au chat” (=give your tongue to the cat).

Now it’s your turn to give your fabulous tutor a hard time. If you can’t read their writing because it is oh soooooo small? Tell them they have “une écriture en pattes de mouche » (=a fly’s legs writing).

Last but not least, before you start learning, your French might not be top-notch and you might « parler français comme une vache espagnole » (=to speak French like a Spanish cow)… but don’t worry, this won’t last J especially if you choose a fantastic VoulezVouloz tutor!

This post was written for by our lovely French tutor lovely Delphine who teaches French on the Central Coast of NSW.  Merci Delphine!

Check out the rest of our tutors

Contact VoulezVouloz !!

If you’d like to learn more about our Private or small group French lessons for children, then contact us or call us on 0448 271 392. We have expert French tutors available in SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, CANBERRA and BRISBANE!

It’s time to release your inner Parisian

We’re delighted to be involved in Le Style’s L’heure du Thé event this year. This chic French Afternoon tea fundraiser event is in support of the national Breast Cancer foundation where you can enjoy an indulgent buffet-style afternoon tea in the luxury surroundings of the Sofitel Melbourne.

Sip on sparkling white wine on arrival, enjoy delicious rich gâteaux & pâtisseries, ribbon sandwiches, hot & cold mini pots, fontaine à chocolat, Madame Flavour teas, a cocktail bar and more.

On top of this there’s French entertainment, prizes for the best-dressed and you’ll take home a goody bag (including VoulezVouloz magnets!)

• Quoi? L’heure du Thé event
• Quand? 16th June (Sun) 1-6pm
  Tea sessions: 1-3pm and 4-6pm
• Ou? Sofi’s Lounge Level 1. Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, Melbourne
•  C’est combien? First 50 Early bird tickets special: $80 only
  Standard tickets: $100

So release your inner Parisan and be sure to book your tickets! 

Contact VoulezVouloz !!

If you’d like to learn more about our Private or small group French lessons for children, then contact us or call us on 0448 271 392. We have expert French tutors available in SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, CANBERRA and BRISBANE!