Ceci n'est pas une endive

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Cross country, across cultures.

18
May2009

Quand la pub joue avec les stéréotypes culturels

Cet après-midi, en buvant mon café, j'ai feuilleté le dernier numéro de Géo sur l'Islande. Comme souvent quand je lis un magazine, je me suis arrêtée sur certaines pubs et notamment sur une publicité pour un réfrigérateur Bosch. Je suppose que ce sont les mots "américain" et "allemand" qui ont attiré mon attention. J'ai parlé ailleurs des stéréotypes et de l'intérêt qu'il y avait à en avoir. Cette pub fait appel, selon moi, à plusieurs stéréotypes, impliquant trois... Lire la suite

summary in English

I found it funny to find an ad in the last Géo issue, which appealed to the stereotypes that French people have about Americans and Germans. An intercultural ad if there was ever any. The ad is for an American-style refrigerator and the tagline reads "tall, cold and ecologist. No doubt, this American is German".

about the world. Par notafish. no comment no trackback

28
Apr2009

Peau neuve

Bon, voilà enfin un billet en français, qui est le jumeau, ou presque, du précédent en anglais. Aujourd'hui est à marquer d'une pierre blanche, puisque c'est le jour où d'une part, ce blog fait peau neuve, grâce à ma copine Kozlika qui a développé le beau thème qui habille maintenant ce blog. L'un des changements majeurs qu'apporte ce thème est la possibilité qu'il me donne, un peu comme le fait Stephanie sur son blog , de mettre pour chaque billet un résumé en anglais (ou en français, selon la... Lire la suite

summary in English

This post exists also in English :)

the other words. Par notafish. no comment no trackback

28
Apr2009

New skin

This is going to be the only post I am ever going write again in French, because it marks quite a change in this blog. My friend Kozlika worked on a (beautiful) new theme for this blog, which you now can see if you come by. One of the major improvements of this theme is that it will allow, along the lines of what Stephanie does on her blog, for a French (or English, depending on the post) summary of the post I write. While the way we've done it here is not yet the best way, it actually serves... Lire la suite

résumé en français

Pour une fois, ce billet va être écrit en français aussi :)

the other words. Par notafish. no comment no trackback

28
Jan2009

Choosing a Name: The Last Name

Now, the first part of this was a long time ago. It was about the First Name. Here comes the story of the Last Name, prompted by the fact that I got my daughter's German passport a few weeks ago. You'd think that having chosen the first name, we'd be done. But no. Even the last name is a culturally tainted venture, which bears in itself much more trouble than one would think, and not only cultural trouble. Most of our societies are rather patriarcal. You get the name of your father. Even the... Lire la suite

résumé en français

Choisir un nom de famille pour son enfant. Il fut un temps où la chose était plutôt simple, mais la loi et les mouvements migratoires font de ce qui pourrait être une aventure simple un parcours du combattant. Entre le double nom et les doubles tirets, donner un nom de famille à notre fille aura été une vraie gageure.

everyday life. Par notafish. 5 comments no trackback

10
Dec2008

Wikimedia Fundraiser: Donating Close to Home

Ever since I have been working within Wikimedia, I have tried to understand what the best way to conduct a fundraising was. I mean, what are the tools and definitions people need in order to give and feel safe that they have given in a way that is close to them? For the first time this year, there is some testing being done on what works and what doesn't, which you can follow on the Wikimedia blog. However, as far as I'm aware, these tests are only done on the English version of Wikipedia, and... Lire la suite

wiki world. Par notafish. one comment no trackback

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All tags

communication(s)

Pourquoi les français ne parlent pas de langues étrangères

25/05/2009 - Il y a de cela quelques mois, j'ai commis un billet tentant d'expliquer pourquoi les français ne parlent pas de langues étrangères. Ma théorie est que le français est une langue… Lire la suite

the other words

Why the Accent Is so Important

13/07/2010 - You may know, or may not know, that we just had a son. He's now almost 7 weeks old and we took him to Wikimania in Poland. For that purpose, we had a passport made. You may… Lire la suite

somewhere else

I Am More French Here Than in France

26/05/2009 - While skimming through it again, this note in Nancy Adler's book hit me with a few thoughts. Executives are more national abroad than they would be at home. I am always wondering… Lire la suite

everyday life

Job Hunting: How Culturally Unconventional Can You Be?

01/06/2009 - I've always wondered if I could find a job in Germany. Not so much because of my competence or lack thereof, but rather about whether I could, or couldn't, conform to the German… Lire la suite

wiki world

Wikimedia Fundraiser: Donating Close to Home

10/12/2008 - Ever since I have been working within Wikimedia, I have tried to understand what the best way to conduct a fundraising was. I mean, what are the tools and definitions people need… Lire la suite

on my way

About "Ceci n'est pas une endive"

16/11/2007 - This blog has been turning in my head for quite a long time, actually ever since I gave a presentation at Wikimania last year in Taipei, about cultural differences. The name is a… Lire la suite

when you're a stranger

Tell Me How You Eat I Will Tell You Who You Are

07/09/2009 - I just read an extremely interesting blogpost on a parallel drawn between how Americans and Japanese dine and what this means in the workplace. The whole table manners thing has… Lire la suite

about the world

Quand la pub joue avec les stéréotypes culturels

18/05/2009 - Cet après-midi, en buvant mon café, j'ai feuilleté le dernier numéro de Géo sur l'Islande. Comme souvent quand je lis un magazine, je me suis arrêtée sur certaines pubs et… Lire la suite

Focus

Why the French Don't Speak Any Other Language

Now here is a commonplace. I believe I have heard this a million times. The French are terrible, they won't ever speak to you in English or any other language and if you address… Lire la suite

04/10/2008 communication(s)

Addressing an International Audience

Last Friday, I attended the Going Solo conference in Lausanne, a one-day conference for freelancers. I was very impressed with the quality of the speakers and of course, I tried… Lire la suite

19/05/2008 communication(s)

About "Ceci n'est pas une endive"

This blog has been turning in my head for quite a long time, actually ever since I gave a presentation at Wikimania last year in Taipei, about cultural differences. The name is a… Lire la suite

16/11/2007 on my way