LE BILINGUE
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School news: Chinese club interview p 3
Food recommendation opinion piece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4 5
culture and entertainment:
An analysis of Taylor Swift's Mirrorball p 6 7
Video Game Monthly p 8 10
Halloween crosswords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 11 12
Introvert or extrovert quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 13 14
selection of timely articles:
New York to Paris p 15 16
Spooky science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 17
Les cocottes ! Pionnières des réseaux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 18 19
The Star of Levallois Perret P 20
recipes:
Cinnamon roll mug cake recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.21
Franzi’s Apricot Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 22
Creative works :
La Sieste Poem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . p. 23 24
Halloween short story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 25
Dearreaders,Cherslecteurs,
Overthelastfewweeks,andindeedsincetheoverturningofRoevWadeandthe ensuingconsequences,wehaveseenmanygroupsandevencountriespushforbetter protectionofabortionlawsandwomen'srights,withtheexampleofFrance,where thereisdiscussionofputtingtherighttoabortionintheconstitution.Butwomenare notlimitingthemselvestolegaldiscussions.
EnIran,laquestiondudroitdesfemmesestdevenuunconflitd'envergure,dontles manifestantsontamplementfaitentendreleurdésarroifacesauxnormesplusque discordantaveclapositiondel'Iranentantquemembredelacommissiondel'ONU surlestatusdesfemmes.Cesmanifestationsnousrappellentatousetatoutequerien n'estjouéd'avanceetquemêmedanslescirconstanceslesplusdifficiles,notrevoixet notreexpressionpeuventfaireunedifference.
Linkedtothisideaofchangeisthequestionofthegrowingfeelingthatelectorshave in butnotlimitedto theUnitedStatesthattheirvotedoesnotmatterorthatthere willbenochange.Thematterisespeciallycrucialinamidtermyear.Weask ourselves,isn'tvotingpartofadutyyouhavetosocietyatlarge?Isitjustifyiablethat somecountrieshavemandatoryparticipation?Suchtroublingtimesareleadingusto questionoursocietiesandtheirstructuresinmorewaysthanone.
Endépitde,ouplutôtacausedetoutcela,cetteannéenousavonsl'ambitiondevous apporterplusdenouvellesquivousconcernentetquiimportentavotrecommunauté carnous réalisonsl'importancedecertainssujetspourvousmêmesile New York Times ou Le Monde lesoublisauprofitdesujetspluslarges.Nousvivonsdansun mondequichangeetquisubitdegrandstroublespolitiquesencemomentetla jeunessed'aujourd'huiaundevoirdesesentirimpliquéedanssacommunauté.En pensantacelanousvoudrionsremercierlanouvelleequipedeLeBilinguede s'engangaerdanscetteavantureavecnousetnousesperronsquevousapprecierez leurtravail.
Nousvoussouhaitonsunetrèsbonnelecture!
Sincerely, TheeditorialteamofLeBilingue
Togrowpeople'sinterestintheChineselanguageandcultureandmake theirlearningexperienceeasier.
Weproposehands-onactivitiestomakelearningChinesefunand interesting.Previously,wedidaworkshoponcalligraphy,Chinese riddles,gamesandsongs!Wealsotrytotalkwithourclubmembersin Chinesetohelpthempracticetheirlisteningandspeakingskills.
Hi!I’mYixuanQ,presidentofthe ChineseclubandI’mcurrentlyin 2nde I love cats and have one namedRay
I was born in Beijing and my parentsandIcametoFrancewhen Iwas8IchoseLatinintheschool becauseIspeak/read/writeChinese fluently, and now I thank my parents for forcing me to write ChinesewhenIfirstcamehere, otherwise I would've likely forgotten AlthoughI’vecometo considerParisasasecondhome, we never lost touch with our Chineseroots Irealizedthatthe happinessofChinesefestivalslike thenewyearcomesfrombeing with my family and I’m always very happy when I go back to Chinatoseemygrandparentsand cousins I haven’t been back to Chinaforquitesometimebecause ofCovidbutinthemeantime,I’d lovetosharemyChineseheritage withyou!
Iwasn’tinitiallythepresidentofChineseClub,althoughIwasoneofits founders.Thepreviouspresident,JadeJ,isnowinTerminalesoI’m succeedingher.Ibelievethatthemoreunderstandingyouhaveofany culture,thelessprejudicesyoucarry.SinceI’mChinese,Ilovesharing ChinesecultureandhelpingpeopleontheirChinesejourney:it’sahard languageafterall!
It’sfree,wehavefood,thepeoplerunningtheclubarenice,Idon’tsee whynot.Onamoreseriousnote,it’sagreatwaytopracticetheChinese languageandlearnaboutChineseculturewithnativespeakers.
Everyone!WeevenhaveafewmemberswhodoLatinintheschool. YourChineseleveldoesn’tmatter,aslongasyou’reinterested,you’re welcomeintheclub.
.
AcoolandfunclubwhereyoulearnaboutinterestingChineseculture andpracticeChinesewithnativespeakers.
TheChineseClubisafantasticopportunityforyoutoimmerseyourselfintoChineseculture.Ihighly recommendattendingtheirfunandengagingsessionsonFridays(WeekA)at5.15atK12.Youcan checkouttheirwebsiteusingthislink!https://sites.google.com/ejm.org/chineseclub/home
Weareexcitedtointroduceanewsectionofthestudentnewspaper…foodrecommendations!We thoughtitwouldbefuntoshareafewofourfavoriteplacestoeatlunchnearschool,andhopefully helpoutanyofyoulookingfornewplacestocheckout!Ifyoudecidetoeatatanyoftheplaces we’vementioned,makesuretosendusphotosandtelluswhatyouthoughtofthem!Also,we’dlove tohearsomeofyourrecommendations. We’llbesuretoincludetheminfutureeditions….So,whatareyourfavoritelunchspots?Letusknow onInstagram @lebilingue!
Thesong"Mirrorball"isfrommusicsensationTaylorSwift's2020Folklorealbum,whichshe wonaGrammyfor.Taylorisknownforhersongwritingandtheintricatestoriessheweaves throughherlyrics.Thus,let'sdivedeeperintohersongMirrorball.
Verse 1
Iwantyoutoknow
I'mamirrorball
I'll show you every version of yourself tonight
I'llgetyououtonthefloor
Shimmeringbeautiful
AndwhenIbreakit'sinamillionpieces
Chorus “Hush
Whennooneisaround,mydear
You'llfindmeonmytallesttiptoes
Spinninginmyhighestheels,love Shiningjustforyou Hush
Iknowtheysaidtheendisnear ButI'mstillonmytallesttiptoes Spinninginmyhighestheels,love Shiningjustforyou
Verse 2
Iwantyoutoknow
I'mamirrorball
Icanchangeeverythingaboutmetofitin
Youarenotliketheregulars
Themasqueraderevelers
Drunkastheywatchmyshatterededges glisten
Taylor Swift starts her song by identifying herself as a mirror ball / disco ball. The purpose of a mirror ball in a party is to entertain the dancers and to shine light around the room to create a happy and vibrant environment. Taylor swift is a world famous artist, and has entertained millions of people all over the world, hence her allusion to the mirrorball. But being a superstar doesn't hide the fact that she still has emotions and is vulnerable to hate, etc. Hence, this weakness can easily crumble onto her, and hurt her. A mirrorball is also an extremely delicate object, which could be a metaphor about how although she seems confident and untouchable, she is inherently fragile.
In the chorus, Taylor Swift states that she shines her best when she is alone, no one is around. Though it could also reference how a person can easily lose themselves in the “dance”, excitement of fame.
In this second verse, Taylor Swift explains how she is able to change herself around different people. In order to fit in, she breaks herself more, to find a “piece” of her that is fit to be in the specific group of people. People meet new versions of her, as she breaks and breaks, while they just watch her “glisten”.
Chorus
“Hush
Whennooneisaround,mydear
You'llfindmeonmytallesttiptoes
Spinninginmyhighestheels,love Shiningjustforyou
Hush
Iknowtheysaidtheendisnear ButI'mstillonmytallesttiptoes Spinninginmyhighestheels,love Shiningjustforyou
Bridge
Andtheycalledoffthecircus Burnedthediscodown Whentheysenthomethehorses Andtherodeoclowns
I'mstillonthattightrope I'mstilltryingeverythingtogetyoulaughingat me
I'mstillabelieverbutIdon'tknowwhy I'veneverbeenanatural AlIdoistry,try,try I'mstillonthattrapeze I'mstilltryingeverything Tokeepyoulookingatme
Ending
BecauseI'mamirrorball
I'mamirrorball
I'llshowyoueveryversionofyourself
Tonight
Again, she explains how she shines her best when no one is watching, when she can be her true self.
FromDepositphotos
In the bridge she reminisces on her old albums and songs, in which she used to change her personality. Taylor explains how she could go to extreme lengths just to entertain her audience. But now her act has been turned off. She is still on that “tightrope” she is trying to entertain us, but at the same time she is now able to express herself truly. She has never been a naturally entertaining person, she has to break herself down, and build herself back up to shine bright and keep the people in the “dance” entertained. Now she is trying just as much but by revealing the truth, her true colors.
Here, Taylor Swift concludes by saying that though now she is truly herself, by breaking and twisting herself so much when she was young, she is now scared by it. She still is a mirror ball, and she still reflects all her different personalities.
Overall,thissongisanincrediblemasterpiece,writtenbythelyricalgeniusofTaylorswift.We cantakeoutofthissongthatweshouldalwaystrytobetruthfulandourselves,aswellasuse ourtraumaorpastexperiencesasastrength,insteadofaweightthatbringsusdown.In addition,thissongisalsoawarningthatfameisnotalwaysasitseemstobe,andlotsofartists arestrugglingwithhate,stress,orevenanxietyanddepression.Sospreadloveinsteadofhate, becauseeveryoneisvulnerable!
Alwaysrememberthatyouareenoughjustthewayyouare,anddeservetobehappy!
Hi!I’mheretoconvinceyoutospendallofyourmoneyonvideogames.That’sonlymostlyajoke,asI plantopresentsomeofthegamesI’vebeenplayingrecentlyandwhythey’reawesome.Evenifyoudon’t playgames,Irecommendstayingtunedtoseeifanythingpiquesyourinterest.Sincethisisthefirst iterationofthisarticle,I’mgoingtoaddalotofoldergamestothelisttoo.Asforhowthisisgoingto work,theorderofthegameswillbearbitrary,butIwilladdimportantinformationlikethegenre(s)and difficultyofthegame(bothtolearnandplay)atthetopofeachsegment.
Ithinkthatvideogamescanappealtoanybody,butthatdoesn’tmeanthateverygamewillappealto everybody.Mywritingwillbeabsolutelybiased(that’sthepointofaneditorial,no?)andIdon’twant anyonetobuyagamethattheywon’tenjoy.Pleasethinkhardbeforebuyinganything,especiallyagame mentionedinaschoolmagazine.Withthatbeingsaid,let’sjumpin.
Ok,juststartingoff,ifyoudon’tthinkspace,rockets,or planesarecool,thisgameisn’tforyou.
NowthatI’vepushedawaythree-quartersoftheaudience, let’stalkaboutthegameitself.KerbalSpaceProgramisa game where you launch little green people (the titular Kerbals)intospaceondeathtr- ahem -rocketsofyourown design.Thatonitsownmaynotsoundlikethepinnacleof fun,butKSPmakesupforitwithitstwoprimaryelements: explosionsandKerbals.Youdon’tevenhavetoleavethe atmosphere to enjoy youself, just blowing up random contraptions,buildingbomberplanes,andstrappingasmany rockets to that chair as possible can become hours of playtime.
Simulation Sandbox Engineering, physics Explosions
Genres: Learning Difficulty: Youthoughtthiswas agame?Welcometo school(9/10)
KSPisadecidedlysingleplayerexperience,butthatdoesn’t meanitcan’tbeenjoyedwithfriends.Fromracingtothe Mun(theKerbalequivalentoftheMoon)tothededicated multiplayermod(completewithtonsofjank),it’sjustas much,ifnotmore,funwithfriends.
Ifyou’reinterested,I’drecommendcheckingoutyoutubers likeMattLowne,BradleyWhistance,andScottManleyto getafeelforwhatthegameislike.Itcomeswithan extremelysteeplearningcurve,butnothingbeatsthatfeeling oftouchingdownontheMunforthefirsttime.
Ifyouhaveexperiencewithvideogames,you’re readingthisarticlerightnowwonderinghowIhave anopiniononagameasexpansiveasHollowKnight withonly14hours.TothatIsay:14hoursisallIneed tohaveanopinion.Forthosewhoarewondering,no, Ihaven’tfinishedthegame.Thiskindofgame,inall honesty,isn’treallyforme.But,andIsaythiswith absoluteconfidence,IthinkthatHollowKnightisone ofthebestmetroidvaniatitlesoutthere.Infact,itis thetoptitleformetroidvaniaonSteam,beatingout theOrigames,DeadCells,andStarWarsJedi:Fallen Order.
IthinkthatHollowKnightcanappealtoalmost anyone who’s willing to give it some time. The atmosphereandvisualsofthegamearebeautifultoo. Thecombatisdifficultbutextremelyrewardingonce yougetthehangofit,andthebossesalwaysprovidea challenge.Thegamedoesn’tstopafteryoubeatit either,asrandomizerrunsandspeedrunsaresuper prevalent.
Ifyou’rewillingtobepatientandlookingforagame withalittlebitofeverything,HollowKnightisa greatchoice.
Hunt:Showdownisagritty,semi-realisticmultiplayer gamesetsometimeinthefabledwildwestperiod. Youareahunter,taskedwithkillingoneoffour abominationsthatliveinthispartoftheLouisiana Bayou.Thecatch?Thereareupto15otherhuntersall prowlingthemapaswell,butthereareonly4bounties togoaround.
So what is Hunt’s gameplay like? In a word, terrifying.TheBayouisoftendarkorfoggy,making yourelyonyoursenseofhearingforidentifying threats.Andthesounddesigninthisgameismasterful. Theadrenalinerushofhearingabulletwhizbyyour ear and thunk into the tree in front of you is unparalleled. I’ve literally jumped out of my seat multipletimeswhileplaying.
Huntisalsoaverystrategicgame.Mostgunsare slow-firingboltorleveractionrifles,andthefew semi-automatic guns often have low accuracy or range.Theinternaldebateofwhentoattackorretreat, aimfortheheadorjustgetashotoff,canbethe differencebetweenlifeanddeath.Anddeathismore thanjustaresetinHunt.Yourhunterbuildsupskills asyousurviveinthebayou,butiftheydie,that’sitfor them.Thathunter,theirequipment,andtheirskills,all getdeleted.Thispermadeathjustaddsmoreintensity tocombatasyouactuallylearntovalueyourhunter’s life.
Theatmosphere
gunplay
alsotop-quality.If you like simulators or tactical titles, I absolutely recommendHunt:Showdown.
Ifyou’rehere,thanksforreadingallthewaythroughthisIhopethatI’veshownyousomethingthathascaught yourattention,oratleastencouragedyoutolookfurtherintovideogames.Themagicofthismediumisthatyou canexploreinteractiveworldsbeyondwhatispossiblethroughanyothermethod,andIhopeI’vegivenyouataste ofthat.Toroundoutthissegment,I’vedevisedasmalllittlegamecalled“MatchtheReview”.I’llgiveyouthree Steamreviews,andit’syourjobtomatchthemtothegamesI’vesharedwithyoutodayGoodluck!
“I cannot describe how magically the visual style, non linear map, combat, ost, and lore come together to make one of the most immersive and lovely worlds to explore in any game ever.”
“I've done more engineering in 3 months playing [this game] than in 20 years of career as an engineer.” Codexus
“YEEHAW!” Borbs
I would rather work alone than in a group
A)Agree B)Disagree
C)Itdepends
My favorite movie genre is A)Drama B)Action C)Comedy
My go-to small talk prompt at school is A)"I'msotired" B)"Whatdidyoudothisweekend?" C)"Didyoudothehomework??"
My favorite season is A)Winter/Autumn B)Summer C)Spring
I would rather rewatch a TV show than start a new one
A)Agree
B)Disagree C)Itdepends
I would rather live in A)Tokyo B)NYC C)Amsterdam
My favorite dessert is A)Cookies B)Cake C)Icecream
My preferred form of communication is A)Textingonsocialmediaapps B)Videochatting C)TextingonWhatsapp/iMessage
My favorite apps are A)Netflix/Pinterest B)Instagram/Snapchat C)TikTok/Youtube
On a typical school night I go to sleep at around A)10pm B)Past1am C)12am
On an airplane I go for the A)Windowseat B)Aisleseat C)Idon'tcaremucheitherway
My favorite animals are A)Cats B)Dogs C)Horses
After a long week I need time alone A)Agree B)Disagree C)Itdepends
You’reanintrovert!Asmuchasyouenjoyagoodconversation,peoplecan drainyouandattheendoftheweekyou’dratherrechargebyyourself.
You’reanextrovert!Youlovebeingaroundotherpeople,goingout,and havingagoodtime.Youalwaysspeakyourmindandloveaddingto conversations.Attheendofalongday,youneedtotalkitoutwithyour friends.
You’reanambivert!Youlovetalkingtoothersbutyoualsothoroughlyenjoy timealone.Youhavealottosaybutyoudon’thavetobetheloudestonein the conversation to enjoy it. You oscillate between introversion and extroversion,butalmostalwaysendupsomewhereinthemiddle.
AllstickersbyCanva
”Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it ” Confucius
Thisyearforthethirdtime,myfamilyis spendingtheyearinParis.Thepreviousyears were2009-10whenIwas3,and2013-14whenI was7.AlthoughIspeakFrenchfluentlyfrommy previousvisits,IamenrolledintheIBprogram in EJM. This was so the curriculum would remaincloselyalignedtotheoneofmyschoolin New York. One of the differences between NYCandParisissports,whichisanareathatI’m verymuchinterestedin.Inparticular,Iwilltalk aboutmyexperiencesinParisinvolvingbaseball, judo,andultimatefrisbee.
Asyoumightalreadyknow,baseballisnotthat commoninFrance.Whenweoriginallylooked intobaseballleaguesaroundtheParisarea,the onlyteamwecouldfindwasthePUC(Paris UniversityClub)baseballteam,situatedinthe BoisdeVincennes.WhileIwasexcitedformy firstpracticesandgames,theseasonhasturned out to be disappointing for several reasons. Firstly,thepracticeswerepoorlyattended,which leftmesometimespracticingwithonlyoneor twootherplayers.Secondly,Ihaveonlybeen abletoplay6inningstotalandhavereceiveda totaloftwoat-bats.Ithinkthishasbeenbecause Ijoinedtheteaminthemiddleoftheirseason.
Inthelateinningsofmysecondgame,the coachesputmeinrightfield.Forthosewho don’tknow,thecoacheswillstickaplayerin rightfieldsothathehastheleastchanceof screwingup.Nevertheless,thefirstpitchofthat inningwasalinedrivehitdirectlyatme,whichI caught.Stillridingthathighacoupleminutes later, I would strike out on 4 pitches. Unfortunatelythiswouldbeoneofmyonly opportunitiesbeforetheendoftheseason,soI’m hopingthatthestartofnextseasonwillgobetter forme.
NotonlydoIenjoyplayingbaseball,Ialso supportandlikewatchingbaseball,inparticular theNewYorkMets,myfavoriteteamsince 2015. This year they had one of their best regular-seasons ever, won 100 games, and qualifiedfortheplayoffsforthefirsttimesince 2016.Asthedateoftheplayoffscreptcloser,I realizedthatifIwantedtowatchtheMetsplay theirplayoffgames,Iwouldhavetomakesome sleep-related sacrifices. For Game 1 of their series,firstpitchtimewassetfor1a.m.Paris time.SomysisterandIwokeupat12:30a.m., turnedonthegame,andwatchedNewYorkget blownoutforthreehours.Afteranotherdefeat, theMetshadbeeneliminatedinoneweekend. All that supporting and sleep-sacrifice from acrosstheworldjusttogeteliminatedearly.
Mysportsplayingisnotjustrestrictedtothe baseballdiamond,asIdojudoandplayultimate frisbeeaswell.Iamabeginnerinjudo,having pickeditupagainafternottrainingsince2018.I take lessons every Monday, and am slowly startingtocomealongafterforgettingmany movesandcombinations.MyfriendYanirisalso partoftheclass,butheisabrownbeltandhas flipped me on many occasions. A couple of weeksago,hechallengedmetofighthim,and thenproceededtoflipmeontomybackarounda dozentimesforthenext5minutes.Safetosay,I willnotbefightinghimuntilIcanbegintohold myown.
Forultimatefrisbee,IpracticewiththeU-20 PUCteam,andplaypick-upeverySundaywith myfather.OneofthegreatestthrillsIgetwhen playing sports is when we connect for touchdowns.Inarecentpick-upgame,wewere playingourlastpointandIjustcaughtthedisc
around20feetfromtheendzone.Immediately whenIcamedownwiththefrisbee,Ihadmy eyeslockedinonmyfather.Hewaswide-open, cuttingacrosstheend-zone,soIthrewhima goodenoughbackhandthatwascaughtforthe scoreandthewin.Wewerebothsmilingafter thatplaybecauseheknewthattherewasonly onepersonthatIwaslookingatthroughoutthe entireplay,nomatterifhewaswide-openor double-teamed.
My transition from NYC to Paris has been challengingbutproductiveinmanyareassuchas friendshipsandschool.However,sportsisunique as it provides an opportunity to create new friendships,havefun,andprovideadistraction frommyschoolwork.Acouplemonthsin,andI ampleasedwiththeadjustmentsthatIhavebeen abletomake,andthechangesIwillbeableto makemovingforward.
Awaking in New York Curtains forcing their will against the wind, children sleep, exchanging dreams with seraphim. The city drags itself awake on subway straps; and I, an alarm, awake as a rumor of war, lie stretching into dawn, unasked and unheeded.
Maya Angelou
JustintimeforHalloween,threephysicists havebeenawardedtheNobelprizeforproving that science is, contrary to Einstein’s belief, spooky.
Inthe18thcentury,Newtonbelievedthata scientificcalculationcoulddeterminethefuture withcertainty.Ifheknewthepositionand velocityofanobjectatagiventime,andthe forces acting on that object, Newton's laws wouldtellyouhowitwouldbeatanytimein thefuture.
Sincethediscoveryofsubatomicphysics,in which Newton's laws don’t work, many physicistssuchasBohr,Planck,Heisenburg, Schrodinger,andEinsteinhavetriedtocreate a handbook to explain and predict the happeningsinthisnewrealm.Thishandbookis calledQuantumphysics,anditnolongertalks indefinitetermsaboutthefuture–ittalksabout theprobabilityofthingshappening.
Einstein, although he agreed with the mathematics behind these ideas, couldn’t comprehendtheirimplications,andconcluded thatquantumwasa“temporaryfix”.Becauseof this,he,Bohrandateamofphysicistsattempted tofindanexamplewhichwouldprovethe
Theory wrong. They did many thought experiments,andconcludedthatoneofthe moreoutlandishpredictionswouldundermine quantumtheorybecauseitcouldnotlogically becorrect.
ThisstrangepredictionwascalledQuantum entanglementanditimplieditwaspossibleto travelfasterthanthespeedoflight,meaning thathistheoryofrelativitywaspotentially erroneous.Heacknowledgedthis,andsaid thatifentanglementwerepossible,itwould be“spookyactionatadistance”.
JohnStewartBell,aphysicistfromNorthern Ireland,in1964,thoughtupawayoftesting “spookyaction”butlackedthetechnologyto doso.Thisyear’sNobelprizeforphysicshas beenawardedtotheinternationalteammade up of John Clauser (USA) , Alain Aspect (France)andAntonZeilinger(Austria),who havenowconductedtheexperimentstoprove that,evenwhenseparatedbyagreatdistance, anactionononeparticleinstantaneouslyhas thesameeffectonitsentangledtwin.
JustafewweeksbeforeHalloweenthesethree physicistshavewonnearly€1Mforproving thatscienceis,indeed,spooky.
Un mois, un personnage ! Les cocottes, ces instagrameuses militantes avant l’heure !
Un après-midi pluvieux d’octobre, entre deuxrévisions,vouspassezunpeudetemps surInstagram.Vousfaitesdéfilerlesphotos: lapremière,unecitrouille;laseconde,duthé dans un mug sorcière; la troisième, des fantômesenpapieraccrochésàunefenêtre. Pasdedoutepossible,Halloweenestbienlà :lesinfluenceurssontlàpourvouslerappeler ! Pourtant, bien avant l’essor des réseaux sociaux,d’autrespersonnagescélèbresavaient déjàapprisàjouerdeleurimage,àsemettre en scène pour vendre : Les cocottes, ou demi-mondaines!Cesfemmesdumonde, qui, au XIXème, réussirent à prendre le contrôle de leur image, pour devenir maîtressesdeleurvie,àuneépoqueoùles femmesn’avaientpasdedroits.
Ainsi, certains noms sont restés dans l’histoire,comme«labelleOtero»,Lianede Pougy,ouEmilienned’Alençon.Synonymes d’extravagance,maisaussid’émancipationet deliberté.Peuàpeu,elless’imposentsurla scène mondaine, deviennent des éléments incontournables.En1898,FélixMesguich immortaliselenumérodedansedelabelle Otero, et la propulse première star de l’histoire du cinéma. Sa réputation ainsi acquisel’amèneraàseproduireàNewYork, Moscou,ouencoreBerlin.Lejeudel’image estlancé:ilfautvoir,etêtrevu!Léopoldroi deBelgique,ÉdouardVIIroid’Angleterre, AristideBrian,ouencorelesfrèresGoncourt, tous se battent pour la compagnie des cocottes,pourêtreaperçuavecelles.
Affiche de la belle Otero, pour les folies bergères.
En 1873, l’arrivée de la carte postale marque, elle aussi, un tournant. Les cocottessefontphotographier,etleurs visagescirculentdanstoutel’Europe.Les cartesdevisite,qu’ellesdistribuentpour faireleurpublicité,rappellentétrangement lesdescriptionssurlesréseauxmodernes. Unemarquedefabrique,pourmarquerles esprits.Conscientesdupouvoirconféré parleurimage,ellesl’utilisentafindese libérer. Il s’agit d’ une forme d’émancipationdescorps,uneprisede pouvoirsurleurconditionentantque femme.
Elles deviennent ainsi les premières célébrités,etleurimageserépanden mêmetempsquel’essordelapresse. Leurmodedevieparfoistapageur,leur émancipation, fascine monsieur et madametoutlemonde.Lesmarquesles courtisent,cherchentàleurfaireessayer leursproduits.Celanevousrappelle-t-il rien?Ehoui,lesencartspublicitairessur les pages du réseau à l’appareil multicoloren’ontrieninventé!
Leurinfluenceleurpermetd’agir,de soutenir les talents naissants. Ainsi, Gabrielle Chanel vend ses premières créations, grâce à la publicité d’Emilienne d’Alençon pour ses canotiers.LaPaïvaquant-à-ellesoutient EugèneDelacroix.Cesfemmesontde l’influence,unemarged’action!
Votrealarmevibre,etvousrelevezlatête:déjà uneheurequevousêtessurlesréseaux!Et vousavezDSTsamedimatin,ilesttempsdese remettreàréviser!Pourtant,laprochainefois quevousverrezpasserunephotodechatdans un déguisement de chauve souris, vous pourrezvousrappelerquetoutprisracineavec descartespostales!
OnpourraitainsifinirsurlesmotsdeValtesse delaBigne:«Ilfautaimerpeuoubeaucoup, suivant sa nature, mais vite, pendant un instant,commeonaimelechantd'unoiseau quiparleàvotreâmeetdontlesouvenir s'éteintavecladernièrenote,commeonaime lesteintesempourpréesdusoleil,aumoment oùildisparaîtàl'horizon».
"A women with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman."
Melinda Gates
Amere20-minutesubwayridefromthe centerofParis,inasmallresidentialsuburb, unbeknownsttomany,playsoneofthe mosthypedplayersinbasketball’shistory. There have been many great French basketballplayers,fromRudyGobertto TonyParker,butneverhasonereceivedso muchattentionandbeensohighlyrated. Beyondhisincrediblesize(heis7ft2),his unbelievable ball skills, agility and composureareallremarkable.Combined, allthesefactorsmakeVictorWembanyama exceptional.Allwhofollowbasketballand manymoretrytoseehimplaylivebefore, asiswidelypresaged,hegoesnumber1in thenextNBAdraftandmovestotheUS. The stadium is sold out and there is a weeks-longwaitinglisttoobtainhisofficial jersey.Thisweekend,wewenttoseehim play.
Aswegotclosetothearena,wecouldfeel howspecialthisnightwas.Peoplefilledthe sidewalks around the stadium, and their excitementwastangible.Fromthemoment I set foot inside the arena, the crowd’s fervor could be felt, as people crowded alongtherailtocatchaglimpseofthe Frenchphenom’straining.Asthegame began,the2000orsospectatorspackedinto thesmallneighborhoodarenaroaredhim oneverytimehetookashotormadeapass. Buttheexcitementwasnotcontainedto thisusuallysleepyneighborhood.Indeed, journalists from around the world were packedintoapresssectionunaccustomedto thatactivity.Acrossthecourtfromalocal class, renowned actor Michael Douglas watchedonasthewhizkiddazzledboth thecrowdanddefenders,whocouldnot follow his swift changes of direction, breathtakingdribblesandpinpointshots.
AsIwatchedhimdominatetheopposingteamwithsuchease,itwasnowonderwhythebasketball worldwasobsessedwithhim.Onlyminutesafterhehadperformedthem,videosofhisunrealblocks andoneleggedthree-pointerwerealreadybeingmarveledatacrosstheAtlanticandthroughoutthe world.Fornow,the18-year-oldFrenchmanstillplaysforasmall,localteam,buthisexploitshave alreadygonearoundtheglobeandtakenoverthebiggestofstages.
”YouAnnaH
1/4cupall-purposeflour
1Tbspbrownsugar
1/4tspbakingpowder
1/8tspsalt
1/8tspcinnamon
1/2Tbspbutter,melted 2Tbspmilk
CinnamonButterSwirl
1/2Tbspbutter,melted
1tspbrownsugar
1/2tspcinnamon
Icing(optional,butI'dratherhaveit:p)
1Tbsppowderedsugar
1/2tspmilk
Let’s get cooking !
Inamug,stirtogetherthedryingredientsforthemugcakebatter. Addthemeltedbutterandmilkandstiruntilathickbatterforms.
Inaseparatesmallbowlormug,meltthebutterforthecinnamonbutterswirl(about15 secondsinthemicrowave).
Stirthebrownsugarandcinnamonintothemeltedbutter. Drizzlethecinnamonbutterswirloverthemugcakebatter,thengentlyfoldthem togetheruntilthey’reabouthalfmixed.
Microwavethemugcakefor45to55seconds. Letthemugcakecoolfor1-2minutes. Whilethemugcakeiscooling,stirtogetherthepowderedsugarandmilkfortheicing. Drizzletheicingoverthemugcakeandenjoywhileitisstillwarm!
½ cup/225g butter (take out of the fridge15minutesbeforeusing)
½cup/200ggranulatedsugar
1tsp/2glemonzest
2eggyolks
3eggwhites
1cup/120gAll-PurposeorT55-T65 flour
1tsp/6gsalt
¼tsp/1.25gBakingsoda
1lb/450gapricotjam
Finelychoppedpecans,ifdesired
Let's Cook!
Preheatovento350ºF/175ºC. Mixtogetherbutter,lemonzest,andeggyolksuntilfullycombined.Youcandothisbyhand, withahandmixer,orinastandmixer.
Siftinflour,salt,andbakingsoda,thenmixuntilfullyincorporated. Pressdoughintoagreased9x12in./approximately23x33cmpan.Thedoughmayseemlikeit won’tcoverthepan,butitwill!Justpressthedoughevenlyintoathinlayer. Spreadtheapricotjaminathinlayeroverthedough.
Beattheeggwhitesuntilsoftpeaksform,andifdesired,foldinpecans,thenspreadevenly overthejam.
Bakefor45minutes,letitcool,thencutintostrips. Bonappétit!
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©SuccessionH.Matisse
Crédit photographique : © Philippe Migeat - Centre Pompidou,MNAM-CCI/Dist. RMN-GP
Réf.image:4N94836
Diffusion image : l'Agence PhotodelaRMN
Shesatcalmlyinthecornerofthelarge,emptycafé,thebeepsandhonksoftheloudcity farawaybehindherback.Shehadbagsunderhereyes,atornyellowhatandalargegreen coatengulfingherthatcouldhideanythingshewished.Theradiatorgavenosolaceasit weaklyblewwarmairtowardsher.Thebrightlightsoftheautomatilluminatedtheroom, andyetherfaceremainedintheshadow.
Thebaristakeptglancingatthepeculiarwoman,whatwasshedoingheresolateatnight? Theymadeeyecontactforasecond.Thebaristaofferedawarm,weaksmile.Herface remained cold. Her dead eyes revealed nothing of the murder she had commited approximately34minutesearlier.
Herthoughtswandered,floatingfrommemorytomemory.Theteawhichhadoncebeen warm,grewcoldafterthetimeshespentsittingandstaringintospace.Shefinallyfellupon theeventsofthedirtynight,herhatredtowardstheevilmanthattookawayeverything fromher,finallysatiated.Thedaysofbeingcheated,beingplayedwithlikesomeragged dollofarecklessmercilesschild.Thewayshewasusedtotellastoryofliesandmistrust thatputherworstnightmareincontrolofherlife.Hehadmadeherfeelguilty,terrible aboutherself.Hehadmadepromisestofixheralreadystrugglinglife.Shehadputhertrust inhim,hopingitwouldleadtohappiness.Insteadhehadchewedherup,andspitherout likearottenfruitthathadlostitsripeness.
Itwasafterhebecameincharge,aftershehadhelpedhimgettothepositionofpower, whenherhorrorstorybegan.Shebecamehis,andonlyhis.Anyofherobjectionswere silenced.
Thecountlessnightsofbeating,cominghomeinthedark,bruisedandbroken.Herwill shatteredintoathousandpieces.Herhatredforhimgrewlikeastormbrewing,atiger waitinginthebushestostrike.Everyday,hiswordscuthertoshreds,madeherbleed. Perhapsthiswaswhyitwassoeasytopickuptheknife.Perhapsthiswaswhyitwasso easytosneakupbehindhim,andmakeridofhimasfastaspossible,whyshedidn’tmind themuffledscreamsandstrugglingunderherarms,whyshedidn’tmindtheslickwarm bloodonherhands.Itwaseasy,almosttooeasytowalkaway,intothecoldnightfroma rottingbodylyingbehindher.
Now,15blocksawayfromhernightmare,shelookedatthebarista,andsmiled.Hereyes revealednothing.