Interviewees on the streets of Paris protest the banning of the burqa in public places in France and offer their perspectives on this controversial issue.

Test your French knowledge and see if you can do better than the native speakers answering these questions. You might be surprised!

Just how did Jean-Marc get the money for that beautiful car and those fancy ski trips? The answer involves a roundabout trek to the open outcry auction market of the French stock exchange (“la Bourse”). So could we say that Wall Street too resembles a “playground for grownups”?

Not only does Jean-Marc have a totally sweet ride, he also gets to ski on some of the coolest slopes in France. Lucky guy!

Tarte flambée is a specialty of the Alsace region of France that resembles a pizza. Typically made with crème fraîche, onions, and bacon, the traditional tarte flambée has also undergone many variations. Flam’s, a restaurant franchise based in Strasbourg, has dedicated itself to perfecting this Alsatian delicacy.

These brief interviews on the streets of Lille were conducted in order to test the waters of the tricky dispute over the banning of burqa-wearing in public.

Arlette Grosskost, UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) representative and member of the Parliamentary task force on the burqa in France, advocates a law aiming to ban the wearing of the full-body veil in public. What’s your take on this controversial issue? Is it a question of women’s rights? Of religious freedom? Are arguments against the burqa perhaps another type of veil—to cover up underlying racism?

Saxophonist Alex Terrier talks about how he came to be a jazz musician and shares some photos. Come take a glimpse inside the life of this gifted artist.

Melissa is truly multi-talented. You’ve heard her sing and watched her clever, creative music videos. Did you know she also has a role in the mega blockbuster From Paris with Love, with John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers? We’re starstruck!

How many singers do you know who could pull off a dress made of origami? Melissa sparkles in renowned director Olivier Dahan’s rock opera full of glitter, color, costumes, and music that shines just as brightly.

Melissa Mars talks about her third album, À la recherche de l’amour perdu, and the making of the video for her hit single "Love Machine."

This Parisian poetry fair sees poets young and old, from all walks of life. Perhaps poetry is, as one attendee says, a link extended across space, time, and people.

Did you know there are 55,000 different kinds of beer? And more than 5,400 of those are German? You can find quite a few of these at Le Village de la Bière, a shop in popular French city Strasbourg. How long would it take to sample them all…?

Mozart fans, take note: Go in through the back door of the Vichy Opera House to see Jérôme Deschamps and his talented crew’s reimaginings of the famous composer’s works. Don’t worry—all the tunes are still pure Wolfgang.

We’re all a part of this big, happy family that is humanity. Now if only we could get our “universal citizen” passports…

Hélène and Célia tell us about their musical influences, origins, and inspiration. When they encountered prejudice about Africa and Africans upon coming back to France, Les Nubians used music to paint a truer picture of African culture.

Meet Les Nubians, two singer-songwriter sisters who grew up in both Paris and Chad and whose music has been nominated for several awards, including a Grammy (and not just in the World Music category, thank you very much). We know we’re big fans!

Lionel shows us that sometimes there are better things to do than stay all day in an office building to pay rent for an apartment we can’t even spend time in. (And yes, the word “travail” really is related to the word “torture.”) Remember, the revolution starts with you!

Tired of stuffy old grammar exercises in text books? Come along with Lionel and learn something about the use of gender in French. This one’s fun, we promise — and no boring rules to memorize!

Bertrand Pierre was inspired by Victor Hugo, and Victor Hugo was inspired by his very active love life. As it turns out, Hugo’s little love poems make for great song lyrics.

Men, women, love: Charles-Baptiste tells us what’s special (and what’s universal) about his love life in New York, and lets us in on the secret to his success. You have to get your hands dirty!

Hear from Henri, the youngest member of our favorite French team, in the last of our Central Park interviews.

How long would you like to spend driving a race car around a track? An hour? Two? How about twenty-four? In the third in our series of Central Park interviews, we hear from a Le Mans native about the famous 24 heures du Mans.

We’re back in Central Park! This time, French teens Barbara and Lorraine discuss politics, including the recent controversial Contrat Première Embauche and President Nicolas Sarkozy. (Love him or leave him? The girls don’t quite agree…)