What do you think of when you hear the word “wellness?” In the U.S., words like smoothies, yoga, and jogging usually come to mind. Most people know that wellness activities like these can make us feel better, and even happier,…
When I first moved to Greece for a summer, I was surprised by how slow everything moved. There were the grandparents meandering through the town’s small square, the little waves that slowly pushed against the walls of the port, and…
The words a language uses can tell you a lot about its cultural and societal values. And language can evolve over time, taking on new meanings and growing organically to embrace challenges. That’s especially true of the ways in which…
Before I even started writing this article, I asked my mom if she had any ideas for some easy Greek recipes, and before I knew it she’d stacked five Greek cookbooks one on top of the other next to my…
Our world is changing at breathtaking speeds. Amidst a backdrop of progress, development and connectivity, we also find retreat on a global scale; retreat to one’s community, habits and common identity. A humanity that is connected unlike ever before requires…
If you’ve watched any home renovation show, you’ve probably heard of French doors, a pair of doors usually made with glass. Well ‘French doors’ isn’t the only phrase in the English language that uses the word “French” in them, whether…
Alicia Wrenn from HIAS and Sunil Varghese from IRAP help correct some misconceptions about refugees In honor of Refugee Week and World Refugee Day, we thought we’d reach out to two of our partners in the refugee community to learn…
If you’ve studied French from a textbook you most likely won’t learn the words chelou, reup, ripou, or reuch. This is because they’re all in the form of a certain slang called verlan that reverses the syllables of words. Chelou…
Ça va, which is pronounced like “sah vah,” is a common phrase heard in day-to-day French speech. Ça va literally translates to “it goes,” but it is used in a variety of situations. The most common way you’ll hear ça…
When you hear the word “mademoiselle,” the words “French,” “Paris,” and maybe even “Coco Chanel,” a very famous mademoiselle, might pop into your head. But if you ask a French person about “mademoiselle” they’ll most likely think, “interdit” (prohibited) and…
I don’t know about anyone else, but ever since I started spending more time at home it seems like there are million little things to do around the house like, DIY projects I never had the energy for, decluttering my…
Last month I shared a few Greek words I learned during weekly phone calls with my yiayia, some of which didn’t have an exact translation into English. It got me thinking about what words I used in French that couldn’t…
