Author: THE HOBBLEDEHOY

Michael Stevenson, aka Dai Bando, Johnny Foreigner, Monsieur Pas De Merde, is a blogger of French and British culture. His blogs "Pas De Merde" and "The Hobbledehoy" have been called "marvelous" by some, and "meh" by others.

Watch this remarkable confrontation between Aussie over global warming

Spoken French — How to pronounce the French R

Do you still struggle to pronounce the “R” sound in French? It can be tricky! Learn the correct pronunciation… and whether it even matters. 💾 Read, save and/or print the full written lesson here (free): https://www.commeunefrancaise.com/blo… 🎓 Join Géraldine’s Everyday French crash course (free): https://www.commeunefrancaise.com/wel…

Iconic Paris bookshop asks for help amid virus losses

Shakespeare & Co., the iconic Paris bookstore that published James Joyce’s “Ulysses” in 1922, is appealing to readers for support after pandemic-linked losses and France’s spring coronavirus lockdown put the future of the Left Bank institution in doubt.

The English-language bookshop on the Seine River sent an email to customers last week to inform them that it was facing “hard times” and to encourage them to buy a book. Paris entered a fresh lockdown on Oct. 30 that saw all non-essential stores shuttered for the second time in seven months.

“We’ve been [down] 80% since the first confinement in March, so at this point we’ve used all our savings,” Sylvia Whitman, daughter of the late proprietor George Whitman, said.

Since sending the email appeal, Whitman says she has been “overwhelmed” by the offers of help Shakespeare & Co. has received. There have been a record 5,000 online orders in one week, compared with around 100 in a normal week — representing a 50-fold increase. Continue reading “Iconic Paris bookshop asks for help amid virus losses” →

Church bells in Paris, Fireworks in London, as Biden win celebrated abroad

 

In countries across the globe, people reported fireworks and cheering after President-elect Joe Biden was named the winner of the 2020 election on Saturday. 

Locals in the United Kingdom, where many had leftover fireworks from Guy Fawkes Night this week, reported fireworks going off in London. There were videos of fireworks in Edinburgh, Scotland, and reports of celebrations in Germany.

NBC, CNN, ABC and The Associated Press all called the race for Biden shortly before 11:30 a.m. EST Saturday.

Though cities are celebrating, President Trump has not accepted the race call.

Trump issued a statement minutes after numerous news outlets declared Biden the winner of the presidential race claiming that networks were helping the former vice president “falsely” pose as the winner and promising to fight the results in court.

Source: Fireworks in London, Edinburgh as Biden win celebrated abroad | TheHill