Small talks - French with Anne

In this episode, I speak about the crucial question that most of my students ask me at the end of their training which is: how do I maintain my skills? My answer is always the same: invest time and be kind and patient to yourself. But, of course, I also recommend a few applications which I find very useful. Here are the links below: https://lingua.com/fr https://mauril.ca/fr https://fr.duolingo.co...

In this episode, I talk about the recent months with the passing of my step son William at the age of 14. I share how difficult it has been to find a new balance in our lives and what it took and still takes us to get through this difficult time. I also talk about our Christmas and how we celebrated it as well as our upcoming to Costa Rica where we will be spending Easter there. We will be landing...

In this episode, I share my thoughts about being a mum off two teenagers and how difficult it can be to let go of them in order for them to gain their independence. I talk about "trouver sa place" which translates as finding your place in life.

In this episode ,I tell you all about my latest trip to Colombia with Bill. We had not planned to go there originally but on our search for a destination, Cartagena caught our attention. Being there was amazing! We loved it! From the people, the culture, the food and the music, everything was amazing.

In this episode, I talk about our trip to Punta Cana with the kids. It was for our family moon and what can I say? It was absolutely wonderful: from the beach, the weather to the excursion and the hotel. And most importantly, our kids. Spending time was just a delight and we realized how precious those times are. We already knew it but it was even more special this time around.

In this episode, I talk about the new addition to our already chaotic family but what an addition! Snoopy is our new puppy and we are so grateful for him. He became part of our family thanks to one of my students, Caroline, who entered a competition with a breeder of Aussidoodle to win a puppy for her daughter. When speaking to me about it, I realized that it would be great to make that plunge and...

In this episode, I talk about our wedding day. I explain why it was a long process to get everything ready (sourcing caterer, venue, wasters, decor, dresses, suits, wedding cake). I also mention how the kids helped with cleaning all the cutlery that we used for the wedding dinner. I also thank Cassy and Lee for providing a wonderful Italian meal along with a special thanks to the team of waiters w...

In this episode, I talk about our summer 2024 where many things happen at the same time so juggling was a skill we developed: moving places, getting married and adopting a puppy. The moral of the story: nothing is perfect but when you follow your heart, it makes it right.

In this episode, I talk about how important my family and friends are to me and how despite being far away from them, I think of them every day. I also explain how excited I am to see them in August for our big event and how I will help them organise their trip to Quebec by setting up a WhatsApp to share places to visit and things to do while they are vacationing.

In this episode, I talk about the moments of happiness I have had since my last episode: - our game nights with Laila and Ricardo, Ian and June and our Italian caterers and friends now, Cassy and Lee. - my beef bourguignon - our renovations with the help of Jesus - Mother's day - and finally, my new students: Marie-Amandine, Daira and Sara

In this episode, I talk about the brunch we were invited to on Sunday at our Polish friends, Kris and Aga. As usual, they welcomed us with open arms. They prepared a traditional Polish Easter lunch: a soup to start with, sausages and boiled eggs and many desserts including a cheesecake, a chocolate tart and a Panetonne. We discussed our traditions around Easter and also shared recommendations for...

In this episode, I talk about Valentine's day and the legends behind it. I also talk about the French expressions related to love and how the world celebrates it. Enjoy and Happy Valentine's to everybody!

In this episode, I talk about career week at my son's school. It is a week where parents are invited to talk about their profession. Etienne asked me to participate in it and I was glad to do it. The students and the teacher, Miss Antonia, were so welcoming. They asked great questions. Later this year, I explain how I will help Etienne's teacher organise the graduation party for his class...

In this episode, I wish everybody a happy new year! I resume what we did as a family for Christmas and our New Year holidays. I also explain why we have been busy lately with our upcoming wedding and how much our kids participated in the planning. I also explained how 2024 started off with new students and new challenges. Happy listening!

In this episode, I talk about Will, my step son who just celebrated his 12th birthday. I talk about the person he is and all the ordeals he had to go through in the last three years due to his drug resistant epilepsy. I speak about his new school and his Paralympic club that he attends every Saturday. I praise him for being so brave and kind, and for teaching us every day two important things: pos...

In this episode, I explain why this week was so good. Great temperatures! Wonderful colours of the leaves! Fall is finally here. Let's cheer to the wonderful colours around us but also to the great seasonal products we will have for a Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends.

In this episode, I share my thoughts about the transition from primary school to secondary schools for Etienne. I also talk about the admission tests to get into a private school in Quebec when your child is in 6th grade. I also ask people to give me some advice to make my kids' lunch boxes more varied as I tend to run out of ideas when it comes to preparing lunches.

In this episode, I talk about my latest trip to France and the reasons why this time, it was a very special holiday. I mention the places I have visited this summer and the people who came with me on this trip. Among the places I mention, here are a few that might catch your attention if you plan a visit in Limousin: - château de Marzac - gouffre de Proumeyssac - Brantôme Happy Summer everybody!

In this episode, I talk about the differences between French humour and British humour. I mention the humorists that I love watching on different platforms and the reasons why I like them so much. Here is a list of my favorite comedians: Florence Foresti Michael McIntyre Loic Suberville Paul Taylor As we celebrate Canada Day this weekend, let's take time to laugh harder than usual.

In this episode, I speak about a new idea that I have had for our family! Saturday is our game night! We get together with our neighbours who are originally from Brazil and we play games with the kids. It takes place at either their place or ours and we eat finger food. Here is the list of games we usually play: 1. Geo guesser 2. Heads up 3. Time's up 4. Boggle It is something that we, as pare...

In this episode, I talk about the joy of reading. Since finishing my biggest contract to date with the government, I have taken a week off where I rediscovered the joy of reading. During that time, I caught up on the book Surrender retracing Bono's life (the U2 lead singer). I also started reading the book from the NPR journalist, Mary Louise Kelly: It goes so fast . It was offered to me by th...

In this episode, I revisit the highlights of the last few months: my trip to Banff with Bill, my weekend in Ottawa with the kids and the launch of my website. I would like to include some links here for the places I visited in Banff as I thought they were awesome and could be useful for anyone wanting to visit Banff. I also would like to share with you the website of Julien, my website designer, w...

In this episode, I interview my nephew, Quentin. He opens up about his hobbies, especially sports and his energetic personality.  

In this episode, I sit down with Julie who is my niece. She has just turned 16 and she explains how she spends her summer vacation and her school year ahead. She also speaks about the special bond she has with her dog, raven and what she does to train her to obey. At the end of the extract, she tells us about the way she views life and how important it is to embrace whichever opportunity life brin...

In this new episode, I sit down with my mum during our holidays together to discuss her retirement. She explains how she fills her time with different hobbies like painting, gardening and walking with her walking group. She also tells us about her plan with my father to open a bed and breakfast in the fall. The link for their holiday rental will appear below.