Parler Comme un Politicien

 Today's post is a 'shaggy dog' story with much meandering. I was in the 16th arr./Passy dragging poor Peter's Paris around to patisseries

 And lunette shops - not at all his usual route since he's into history and architecture. I fell deeply in love with these red glasses(240€). Peter quickly reminded me I would look like...

 French presidential candidate, Eva Joly of the Green party if I got them.

 Which brings me round to how to improve your Fr. I read somewhere listening to French politiciens can have language benefits. They must enunciate and speak slowly so everyone can understand them. If you're lucky, when tuning into Fr2 News, you'll hear a slew of candidates enunciating endlessly. They even provide subtitles!

 Elaine Scholino provides another source of French bla bla bla with her article on TV talk shows in the Times. The French take “le talk show” very seriously. The clash of ideas has been part of France’s national identity for centuries, and the intellectual — almost anyone with an air of gravitas and the confidence to opine on any subject in three points — enjoys a special status in society and a place of prominence on television. Days before France’s presidential election, the country has gone into talk overload, with both serious debates and silly posturing.

 Her link to 'In The Air'/Dans l'Air will provide you with an hours worth of election bla bla to keep your Fr brain stimulated

 Drawing from Dico des Betises
Or finally exhausted with all the bavarder/blab blab blab

 Time to return to the more interesting subject of glasses/lunettes and dogs.
Last October at Cote Vue, 97 rue du bac, on impulse I bought 2 pair of adorb round glasses in scarlette and tortoise for a mere 50€. I felt quite pleased with myself but I never wore the tortoise pair. I wondered if I might exchange them for another red pair. The reputation of the French regarding store returns and exchanges preceeds them and it's not good. Just read David Lebovitz and you'll get it.

  Cote Vue could not have be nicer about the exchange, even though I was 5 months late (!) Walking down rue du Bac I felt like I'd climbed Mount Everest. I happened to look in the latest issue of Elle, saw these round sunglasses and made a rdash back to the shop to have a copycat made. Yahoo

 Two major victories in one day surely deserves one madeleine from Patisserie des Reves just next door.

 The same little guard dog was out on rue du Bac comme d'habitude.

 Did you know you can get protective sunglasses (Doggles) for your pet at Chacabo 17 boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, 75003

 Back to the election - in today's Washington Post there's a fun story on the stylish changes the French candidates are putting themselves through with pointers from various Parisian fashion experts. A pair of red specs couldn't hurt M. Sarkozy IMHO.

 Getting back to immersing yourself in Fr, it seems the best route is to drink Alice's potion and get very small.

Here's a touching story by American mom in Paris, Paige Bradley Frost of how her bilingual tots speak better French than she does. Some clever enterpreneur should open a 'Maternelle'/nursery school for us grownups. Sign me up!