Search This Blog

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Giboulées de mars - time to go back to work.


It's interesting and amusing to compare sayings in different languages and traditional approaches to such natural events as the weather. In English we have March winds and April showers, in French they have giboulées de mars which can also, apparently occur in April. How very French!


Giboulées are heavy downpours, often associated with hail, whereas "April showers" conjures up something more refreshing and lighter perhaps. Anyway, both English and French have a phrase which warns against being overly previous with the discarding of ones winter garb ie "ne'er cast a clout till May be out" and "en avril, ne te découvre pas d’un fil. En mai, fais ce qu’il te plait". Seems as if the weather is supposed to be a month ahead in France then...well for a lot of France anyway but certainly not as far north as Lille! I've only just ventured my over-wintered fuchsias and geraniums from the outhouse and keep a keen weather-eye on the overnight temperatures.


Longer days, warmer temperatures and thoughts turn to picking up some more paid work. Here's a link to my mini work site where all my details can be found including a link to my CV. Any thoughts???? Click here.