My friend Robert

Two exams down, only 6 to go!

I wasn't allowed to use anything other than a pen for today's exam (Compte Rendu - listening to an audio clip and then writing a summary).

However, in my spare time I have been getting better acquainted with Le Robert.

Now when I talk to friends from back home who did immersion and I talked about tutoyer-ing and vousvoyer-ing, they don't know what I'm talking about sometimes. Tutoyer and vousvoyer are the verbs for calling someone ''tu'' or ''vous'' respectively. And it's a big issue and very nuanced: vousvoyer anyone older than you but don't vousvoyer a friend or they'll think you don't like them. Coworkers are complicated. I usually tutoyer my boss because he is kind of a chilled out hippie. Complicated stuff though.

So here's another great word: zozoter. Zozoter is an informal word for zézayer. Zézayer means to pronounce the French soft J (as in, je) as a z (example: ze veux). There are two words for doing this! French really is a rich language.

Another one that I like is coq-à-l'âne, which is a passage from one subject to another unrelated subject without any transition. A direct translation of this would be rooster-to-donkey, or cock-to-ass.

I am going to finish watching The Life of Émile Zola, winner of Best Picture in the 1937 Oscars. Before I saw this movie I had no idea that Le Figaro used to be published in English in the 19th century. I am certain that this movie will help me succeed on my Art History exam. I also intend to watch Madame Bovary and Les Enfants du Paradis if I have enough time.