It's a time honoured tradition in Washington, DC. We like to drink. We like politics... so every election cycle, whether it's the primaries or the general, local bars come up with politically-themed cocktails. If you're like me and less than thrilled with your options this year (not that I can vote anyway), I'm sure you can use a stiff drink, or five, with a cheesy name poking fun at the candidates. I love it, especially when an awesome French restaurant gets involved. Bastille is one of my favourite French restaurant in the city... well, technically it's not in the city but right outside in Alexandria, VA. It's definitely worth a metro ride to Braddock Road though, and that's saying a lot ...
Politics
French State Dinner: 1996 versus 2014 menu
So the last time a French president was honoured with a State Dinner was back in 1996 at the invitation of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Here is what the menu looked like 18 years ago: Lemon Thyme Lobster with Roasted Eggplant Soup Rack of Lamb with Winter Fruit and Pecans Sweet potato puree, root vegetables Tarragon Huckleberry Sauce Layered Artichoke, Leek and Herbed Cheese with Green and Endives, Balsamic Dressing Apple and Cherry Sherbet Pyramid with Apple Brandy Sauce Peanut Butter Truffles, White Almond Bark Chocolate Fudge The wines paired with the dinner were all from California: Beringer Viognier 1994 (CA) Zaca Mesa Syrah 1993 (CA) Roderer Estates, l'Hermitage 1990 (CA) The highlight of ...
Mr. Smith Hollande Goes to Washington
J - 1. In less than 24 hours, French president François Hollande will land in the United States for a whirlwind 3 day official state visit. It's a big deal. While you may remember Nicolas Sarkozy eating some half smokes at Ben's Chili Bowl back in 2010, that was not, in fact, a state visit but an official visit. Ah protocol ;-) The last State Visit from a French president dates back to the Clinton days: François Hollande is expected to get a super-red carpet treatment while he is here, starting with a quick trip aboard Air Force One to visit Monticello and culminating in a black tie State Dinner at the White House. Unlike Jacques Chirac and François Mitterand before him, François Hollande ...
Help Welcome Hollande to the White House
The White House is offering you a chance to help say "Bienvenue" to French president François Hollande when he lands on the South lawn ahead of France's official State Visit next week. A State Visit that we all know by now he will be attending stag ;-) This is a pretty neat opportunity for social media users. I myself had the opportunity to attend one of the White House's first TweetUp a few years ago during the holiday season and it was a great experience. Though, it didn't involve my own president, so this would be considerably better...The morning arrival ceremony will be pretty lavish and include a review of troops. It will be followed by a panel discussion with Administration ...
The White House Says Cheese (Virtual Cheese)
Have a question about cheese? You're in luck: tomorrow, the White House is hosting its first (Virtual) Big Block of Cheese Day, inspired by Andrew Jackson ... and the West Wing. And while one could think this would just be a way for the White House to get in the mood to host the (newly single) French president who's coming to town in a few weeks, the Virtual Big Block of Cheese Day actually has very little to do with cheese. Womp, womp. According to the White House statement, the original "Big Block of Cheese Day opened the doors of the White House to thousands of citizens to interact with cabinet members and White House staff – and carve off a slice of the four foot by two foot thick ...
The Audacity of hope Europe 1
Did you catch this colourful quarter page advertisement on page A9 of the Washington Post today? It certainly caught my attention as I was trying to read about the situation in the Ukraine. Perhaps of course because I work in the advertising industry now and pay closer attentions to ads. And perhaps of course because I know that Europe 1 is a French news radio station... So what's a French radio station doing advertising in Washington DC's newspaper? Courting the francophone audience that could tune in online? Not really... Officially Europe 1 is trying to score an interview with the American president. But really, the cheeky ad that plays on the usual American clichés of France ...
Inside Out/11M Project in D.C.
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France is back (sort of) on the cover of The Economist
You develop a thick skin when you're an expat, regardless of where you're from and where you end up living. I learned that early. 15 year olds aren't kind to one-another and they can be downright cruel, sometimes without meaning to be, to a foreign exchange student who barely understand their southern accents and is dealing with culture shock. But guess what, pundits and american politicians are even worse. You should have heard some of the atrocious stuff I heard when I moved to Washington, D.C. It was 2003, the heydays of the Freedom Fries, and NOT a good time to be French in the United States. Things are better now, though making fun of the French is never going to go away, especially in ...
Moi Président de la République…
... j'ouvrirais les jardins du palais de l'Elysée*. It was a gorgeous, yet cold, fall day in Paris. A perfect day for the French presidential palace to open its ornate wrought-iron gate (topped with a golden French rooster, cocorico please!) to the public for the first Elysée gardens open house tour of the year. Starting with today, visitors will be able to stroll the green grass of the palais every last Sunday of the month. That's better than the bi-annual White House Garden Tour, though there's no kitchen garden at l'Elysée... I must say, Francois Hollande's new policy to open the 18th-century Elysée Palace gardens to the public every last Sunday of the month (they were ...
Well played, Charlotte.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK4QypS6bxE?rel=0&w=560&h=315] Pardon my Southern slang, I'm here in Tampa for the Republican National Convention and everyone else staying in my hotel is from Arkansas... but y'all know by now I'm sure that I'm a huge cat lady. I love cat videos (hello, who doesn't) and the Democratic National Convention just won a few points with me by releasing this cat-astic video featuring Fernando, a cute orange feline. It's like they knew I've been enjoying Tampa a little bit too much and wanted to remind me that Charlotte's got a lot too ;-) Well played Charlotte. Well, played. ...
