Sophie and Patrice always have a lot to talk about, from the latest political news to their favorite pastries. Listen in on their animated conversations about their life in Paris.
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
France
Sophie and Patrice discuss the meaning of expressions involving colors, such as vert de rage and une peur bleue. They have their own theories about their origins.
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
France
We live in tumultuous times, but Patrice and Sophie are optimistic, excited even, about the changes that are happening around the world. They're referring specifically to the yellow vests movement (les gilets jaunes), a populist movement that began in France in 2018.
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
France
Paris is experiencing a population decline, partly due to short-term rentals and extreme commuting. Executives are able to live far out in the provinces while still working in Paris.
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
France
Patrice and Sophie are at Porte des Lilas in Paris, where some new athletic spaces have recently been added. Among other things, you can now bring your racket and ball to play ping pong for free.
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
France
Patrice and Sophie have a conversation about the French language. They agree that French people speak too fast for the average learner, and abbreviations and contractions make it even more difficult to understand. Patrice has a few theories as to why Parisians in particular speak so fast.
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
France
Sophie and Patrice are trying to recover from the Christmas festivities and can't stand the sight of foie gras, turkey, or Yule logs... They consider doing away with the Christmas tradition of big feasts altogether and escaping to the tropics instead.
Difficulty:
Advanced
France Parisian
Patrice et Sophie enjoy their small balcony. Even though they live in Paris, they have their little haven of peace where they can grow plants and even small trees, and it's also a great place to sit outside to relax.
Difficulty:
Advanced
France
Sophie and Patrice discuss the pollution problem in Paris. Although efforts have been made to keep cars out of the city center, there's still much to improve. Cars still clog the freeways outside Paris.
Difficulty:
Advanced
France
Patrice and Sophie have a conversation in one of the many little parks that dot the Paris landscape.
Difficulty:
Advanced
France
Sophie is upset because someone stole her cell phone. It's not just the loss of her phone that makes her mad but the real inconvenience of losing all her contact information. Patrice has a few good suggestions for her.
Difficulty:
Advanced
France
Sophie and Patrice have different breakfast habits. Patrice only has a cup of coffee for breakfast, whereas Sophie doesn't drink coffee at all.
Difficulty:
Advanced
France
Sophie loves plants so much that she isn't averse to snipping a cutting or two from a public garden. Her interest in plants comes from her grandmother, who spent endless hours tending to her plants and even climbed trees at 95 years old!
Difficulty:
Advanced
France
In the Porte des Lilas neighborhood, Sophie and Patrice discuss a relatively new form of transportation in Paris: the tram. It's clean and green, though according to Sophie, it could use a bit more charm. Still, it's a great way to get around Paris.
Difficulty:
Advanced
France
Sophie explains in greater detail how she makes lamps out of old jam jars. She has some blue ones that make great night-lights, and some brighter ones that are perfect for reading.
Difficulty:
Advanced
France
Sophie explains her hobby to Patrice. She makes fun lamps out of vintage American canning jars to which she applies a cold plating solution to make them look aged.
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