Have you ever thought about how hair defines our identity?

If you think about it, hair is one of the first things we see in an individual. We can judge a person by the hair, and that person can project an image/a perception by the choice of the hairstyle, hair color, hair length, haircut, or hair texture. Our identity, who we are, may therefore be expressed through our hair. 

While hair is an influential part of identity for many people, nonetheless it does not solely define who we are—it serves as a versatile tool for storytelling, cultural and social identity, emotional connection (who has not had a bad hair day, or being afflicted by hair loss), and self-expression. 

Hair can alter our self-esteem and our well-being. It is a complex matter, not to be taken for granted! 

Interesting facts about hair: (info collected from AI)

• Black hair is the most common color, while read is the rarest. 
• Hair can store information about substances that have been in the bloodstream, making it useful in forensic analysis.
• Hair is primarily made of keratin, a protein also found in nails and teeth. It contains various elements, including sulfur, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon, with trace amounts of gold in babies' hair.
• Hair grows faster in warm weather due to increased blood circulation. Asian hair grows the fastest, at about 1.4 cm per month, followed by Caucasian hair at 1.2 cm, and African hair at 0.9 cm.
• Hair has significant cultural and historical importance, symbolizing status, beauty, and identity across various societies. For example, in ancient Egypt, hair was associated with power and fertility

Did Marie-Antoinette's hair turn white before her execution? Is there a Marie-Antoinette syndrome? 

Watch the video to find out!

Olympic Games- Paris 2024- Léon Marchand breaks his world record and wins his 4th gold medal

Have you been watching the Summer Olympic Games in Paris 2024? I will be remiss not to mention the magnificent gymnast Simone Biles who has won seven gold medals, a silver one, and a bronze. For sure the most decorated gymnast in history. 

https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/simone-biles-boot-injury-calf-paris-olympics

However, have you been watching the men swimmers? If so, I am sure that you have seen the French swimmer Léon Marchand. He is 22 years old, and he is from Toulouse. But did you know that he goes to Arizona State University? And do you know who is coach is? The legendary Michael Phelps! Watch Phelps presenting Marchand with the gold medal for the men's 400 meters individual medley. 

La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias- Valencia, Spain

Have you seen the HBO series West World? If you have, then you are familiar with the futuristic architecture from the City of the Arts and the Sciences in Valencia, Spain. Designed by the famous architect, Santiago Calatrava, this original modern oasis in the middle of the city has much to offer: a museum, an aquarium, sculptures, Imax films, and so much more! 

Check it out and be amazed at this innovative architectural design!

 

Westworld's Season 3 Film Locations in Real Life (harpersbazaar.com)

Show of lights

Below is a show of lights at the Cathédrale St-André in Bordeaux. The show is called Luminiscence and it aims to enhance the cathedral's architecture, as well as to retrace its history through lights accompanied by music. Check the video below to see for yourselves. 

Receta de la tarta de Santiago/Spanish Almond Cake Recipe

Hoy os pongo la receta de la tarta de Santiago. Es una de mis favoritas. No tiene gluten y además es un postre muy tradicional de la provincia de Galicia. Esta tarta se puede comer todo el año, pero se sirve en particular el 25 de julio que es el día de la festividad de Santiago. Todos habréis oído hablar del Camino de Santiago, ¿no? Son rutas que iniciaron los peregrinos durante la edad media hacia la tumba de Santiago, situada en Santiago de Compostela, en Galicia, al Noroeste de España. El Camino empieza en los pirineos franceses y termina en Santiago de Compostela. ¿Os animáis a hacer la tarta o a emprender el Camino? ¿Quizás las dos cosas?

https://www.hogarmania.com/cocina/recetas/postres/tarta-santiago-14332.html

Today, I leave you the recipe for the Spanish almond cake. It is one of my favorites. It is gluten free, and it is a traditional dessert from the province of Galicia. This cake may be eaten all year; however it is served specifically on July 25th to celebrate Santiago's day (St. James' day). I am sure that you have heard about the Camino de Santiago, right? The Camino are routes walked by pilgrims during the Middle Ages who were going towards Santiago's tomb, in Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia (Northwest of Spain). The Camino starts in the French Pyrenees and ends in Santiago de Compostela. Are you ready to make the Spanish almond cake, or would you rather do the Camino? Maybe both?

https://spanish sabores.com/tarta-de-santiago-recipe-spanish-almond-cake/

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NPSDnpFxNY4/VbEEyeBN2XI/AAAAAAAADGk/Dz09X1-Ec0s/s1600/Tartasantiago10.jpg

La boxeuse amoureuse by Arthur H

Meet Marie-Agnès Gillot. If you like contemporary dance and classical ballet, I believe that you are going to enjoy this video. Arthur H's voice is deep and mysterious, like the dancer herself. 

Marie-Agnès was "une étoile" (a star) at the Paris Opera Ballet. She has retired from the Opera Ballet, and she is now a choreographer and a ballet teacher. She is so graceful and elegant. So resilient and strong. She had to overcome many obstacles to rise and shine as une étoile. Marie-Agnès is an inspiration. 

Read her short bio here:  Marie-Agnès Gillot: "I like dance more than anyone" - Teller Report

By popular demand from my Spanish students! Rosario: Te lo Digo Todo

I am posting this song because several students have told me that they love this song! (It is upbeat for sure and the choreography is beautiful). I use extra credit in my classes and one of the songs I assign is this one (if you have taken my SPAN 201 class, then, you might have heard and seen this video for extra credit points!) 

In this case, I asked my students to identify the direct and indirect object pronouns and explain their placement in the sentences taken from the song: 

"No te digo nada y te lo digo todo". (I do not tell you anything and I tell you everything). 

"No te sirve de nada" (It does not help you). 

No sé cómo hacerlo (I do not know how to do it).

Do you want to test your Spanish? Could you identify the direct/indirect objects and explain their placement in the sentences?  

Olympic Champions 2022! French Figure Skaters Papadakis and Cizeron

Do you enjoy figure skating? (patinage artistique) If so, on February 2022, at the Olympic games in Beijing, the French duo Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron won their first gold medal for ice dance.

Watch one of their most stunning performances, Made to Love (a song by John Legend), for which they were choreographed by Axelle Munezero, where they incorporated Waacking movements (a queer dance form born in L.A.) to their performance. Absolument magnifique! Et bravo pour cette médaille d'or si bien méritée! (Bravo for that gold medal so well-deserved!)

Francophone singer: Angèle- "Ta Reine"

This song is a remix and it is totally addictive! The title of the song is "Ta Reine" (Your Queen). Angèle is a singer from Belgium who has written and produced two albums. She is one of the biggest Francophone pop stars today. "Bruxelles je t'aime" is one of her most famous singles, although the one I am posting today is one of my favorites.

[Chorus] https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-angele-ta-reine-english-translation-lyrics

But you would like her to be your queen tonight
Even if two queens, it's not too accepted
But you would like her to be your queen tonight
You don't care about kings, it's not what you like 

If you like French songs... check this one out!

If you like French songs, you must check this one by Alexia Gredy: Vertigo. It is melodious, soft, and you will not be able to stop listening to it! Was it the case? Let me know how you like it (or not)!

Prado Museum and Flamenco: perfect combination of art

To celebrate the International Day of Flamenco, the Asociación Nacional de Tablaos Flamenco of Spain, under the direction of the artist Antonio Najarro, created this video at the Prado Museum in Madrid. The video ends highlighting the famous Velázquez's painting, Las Meninas. Check out this beautiful video!

Benefits of being bilingual/beneficios de ser bilingue/bénéfices d'être bilingue

Being bilingual -or trilingual, or a polyglot (speaking many languages)- has many advantages. Not just social advantages such as being able to communicate with other cultures, being more competitive in our global markets, but also personal advantages, linked to cognitive and emotional skills. Indeed, bilingual brains make neurological connections that could delay the onset of cognitive decline, such as dementia and even Alzheimer's. Check the article in the link below to know more about the benefits of being bilingual: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160811-the-amazing-benefits-of-being-bilingual

¿A qué esperas para aprender español? Qu'est-ce que tu attends pour apprendre le français? What are you waiting to learn French or Spanish?

La casa de papel, Temporada 5 (Money Heist, Season 5) is coming!!!

Yes! That's right, if you have been watching La casa de papel since its beginning, the new season will be released September 3rd, 2021 on Netflix. Do you want to watch the trailer? Here it is: Trailer Casa de papel, Temporada 5. Did you know that it is the most watched non-English series on Netflix? Why? I have read that one of the reasons is because the main characters resist the system and go against it. They also outsmart it. In this case, the robbers are not stealing money, they are printing money, like capitalistic governments do which is called "liquidity injections" to increase money supply to encourage lending and investing. The robbers symbolize the helpers of the poor when they throw money at the masses from the sky. In addition, the characters are tied and love each other. They are a team and will do anything to save one another. Of course there is also betrayal! The dialogues are vey powerful too and the plot very smart. 

Here is one of my favorite quotes: "La cura del dolor es la distancia" (Berlin) (The cure for pain is distance).

The information I have written above comes from this blog. 

Here is a picture of the trailer from Season 5: 

Crazy (Fous) about Emma Peters!

The French singer is 24 years old and her song Fous is a big success. Listen to her song and decide if you too are crazy about her music! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWwPR_JqWGE

Fous means crazy but could also mean "I do not care" as "je m'en fous". In an interview, she explained that when in the song she wrote  "cherche pas à leur plaire ("do not try to please them"), she was thinking about writing and composing a song without caring about the results. 

Here are the lyrics of Fous translated into English: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/fous-crazy.html

Have you watched Lupin yet?

If you have not, I highly recommend it! If you are taking French, it is great practice for your listening skills; if not, maybe you will be inspired to take French soon! Use the subtitles and enjoy the show. It is going to keep you on your toes! https://www.netflix.com/title/80994082