Welcome to the Lemond Language Blog!!!!

We thought that a blog would be a fun way to keep you in the loop about the Anglophone community in Paris and let you know what's up with your favorite English trainers :)

So far you can read a few movie reviews, get the details about a New York based theatre company that will be doing a show in the Paris area, hear about shows, restaurants and get a laugh at a political cartoon.

We plan to update the blog at least once per week and we hope that YOU will leave comments! It's easy to do, just click on "comments" at the bottom of a post.

We hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to leave comments, requests and suggestions!!

Kristina's Movie Review Corner - Juno

I saw the movie "Juno" and was pleasantly surprised. The movie is quirky and off-beat, a little bit in the vein of "Little Miss Sunshine" (another really fun movie!) It tells the story of Juno, a 16 year-old girl living in Minnesota, who accidentally gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. The soundtrack is full of sweet, folk/indie tunes and the cast is made up of lots of fun and memorable characters. It's well written and it even won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Not bad! "Juno" is light-hearted and fun...if you are in the mood for something deep and profound, then this might not be your movie, but if you want something touching and entertaining, then I definitely recommend it!

Welcome to Nowhere (bullet hole road) - New York Theatre in the Paris region!!

A friend of mine is the managing director of a theatre company in New York City called Temporary Distoration. This company is bringing their highly acclaimed show, Welcome to Nowhere (bullet hole road) to the EXIT Festival in Creteil April 1 - 5.

"NY Theatre" reviewed the show and said:
A captivating, hypnotic, and mesmerizing work of art, easily one of the best plays I've seen this year....I've never seen anything like this on the stage. Sure, I've seen plays that utilize non-linear storytelling, mixed- and multi-media. I've also seen works that act more as installation pieces than conventional "plays" before. But I've never seen something that employs all these methods that is so compelling, so haunting, so thoroughly absorbing. I loved this show. - nytheatre.com

ABOUT THE SHOW:
Part road movie, part fractured memory, part love story...Welcome to Nowhere (bullet hole road) is a hybrid of theater and cinema. During the performance, a constant stream of video is projected above the cast. In scenes of prolonged stillness, silence and impassivity, doppelgangers of the characters we meet onstage navigate a hyper-real cinematic landscape as if lost in a dream, creating parallel narratives that echo, reflect and refract each moment of the play.

A daring performance about memory and identity. Welcome to Nowhere captures beautifully the psychic haziness it takes on as a major theme. - Village Voice

The video sequences in Welcome to Nowhere are so beautifully shot they put most major films to shame. - Off Off Blogway

Primary Madness

I thought this was a pretty funny political cartoon. Sometimes there is only a very fine line between politics and entertainment/sports!

Quarterlife....

Have you heard about this show? Here is the trailer:

"Quarterlife" is an American online series and soical network created by Marshal Herskovitz and Edward Zwick (creators of the TV series "My So-Called Life" starring a young Claire Danes). The show is about six twenty-something artists, coming of age in the digital generation. It was announced on November 17, 2007, that NBC had acquired the rights to air "Quarterlife" on broadcast television in early 2008, after the episodes have been broadcast on the Internet.

The quarterlife sights says:

"What is quarterlife ?
It's a site that was built for you - your creativity, passion, and aspiration. It's a place to be creative, share your work with like-minded people - and make sense of your world... whatever that means. Because on some level, we're all on the same path...

The quarterlife series follows a group of friends in their 20s as they pursue their dreams and experience the bitter and sweet of life."

It's free to watch the show online...maybe you'd like to test your listening comprehension skills!

Breakfast in America - Restaurant

"Breakfast in America is famous for, well, breakfast, of course!

But we're also known for being one of the best places in Paris for burgers! Our philosophy is to provide an alternative to fast food by serving fresh, quality dishes with larger portions -- and all with a special dash of TLC!"

A special dash of TLC...Tender Loving Care...just what a good meal needs! That is what it says on the Breakfast in America website. There are two Paris locations for you to have "breakfast anytime" or grab a burger and slurp down a banana milkshake (yum!).

17, rue des Ecoles in the 5th arr. or in the marais at 4 rue Malher.

Kristina's Movie Review Corner - Into the Wild

I saw the movie "Into the Wild" a few weeks ago. It's based on a true story and it's something of a legend in the US so I wasn't sure if I really wanted to go... I felt like, "I already know the story, so what's the point?" I ended up going to the movie anyway and I am so glad I did....it was excellent!

The sound track is great, the shots of the great wide American open spaces are truly breath-taking and the story is very interesting. It's about a young man who travels all across the US and ultimately reaches Alaska where he lives off the land. You see him burn all of his money and give up most of his worldly possessions. He meets many different people along the way and it is interesting to see how he impacts their lives.

One thing I especially liked about the movie is that it doesn't idolize the main character; he isn't put up on a pedestal as The Perfect Man, but instead the film leaves lots of gray area for you to make up your own mind and form your own opinions about his choices and adventures.

I really recommend this movie. However be prepared to want to get out of town afterwards! It really makes you feel like going out and enjoying nature for a while. I ended up walking home from Place de Clichy after the movie, because I just couldn't bear to get into the metro!!