Author Archives: JJS

The week that was – 32/2025

Posted on August 10, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 Quiet… Too quiet? As planned, it was a quiet week. Some say too quiet. Those people are probably adrenaline junkies who can’t survive without bungee jumping before breakfast. Personally, I found it exactly what the doctor ordered—if the doctor … Continue reading →

Posted in life in France, Personal projects, Weekly recap | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Μασσαλία / Massalia

Posted on August 8, 2025 by JJS

🇫🇷 Tous les chemins mènent à Marseille, oh fan de chichourle ! Bon, c’est vrai, je suis né à Paris, dans un quartier bien propret du 8ᵉ… mais ça, mon ami, c’est juste pour la carte d’identité. En vrai, j’ai … Continue reading →

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Pardi, qu’es aquò ?!

Posted on August 7, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 This post is only available in French, because honestly, I don’t think it can be translated — it’s basically one big play on words with a baguette in hand. 🇫🇷 L’autre jour, voilà que notre chère amie anglaise Julia … Continue reading →

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De feu, d’avions et de plumes

Posted on August 6, 2025 by JJS

🇫🇷 Aujourd’hui, c’est un drôle de jour. Pas un jour comme les autres. Un jour où le soleil tape comme s’il voulait tout cramer — et il faut croire qu’il a réussi : à quelques kilomètres d’ici, un feu gigantesque … Continue reading →

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Confessions of a diet Mojito monk

Posted on August 4, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 As I sit poolside this Monday morning under a sun that clearly thinks it’s auditioning for the role of “Giant Cosmic Hairdryer,” one thing is clear: I need a drink. Not that kind of drink — don’t panic, I’m … Continue reading →

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Mediterranean melodrama

Posted on July 30, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 Or why TV weather reports are losing the plot When I was a kid growing up in suburban western Paris, summer meant one thing: escape. And escape we did—to the south of France, like clockwork. First, of course, came … Continue reading →

Posted in Nostalgia, Seasonal reflections, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The calm after the storm

Posted on July 28, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 (Also known as grandkids going home) July 2025 – Somewhere between nostalgic and shell-shocked So. The whirlwind is nearly over. The house, which recently resembled a toy shop after a minor explosion, is about to fall eerily silent again. … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

🇪🇺 Unacceptable 🇪🇺

Posted on July 28, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 I have lost all confidence in Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership as President of the European Commission. Her inability or unwillingness to stand up to figures like Donald Trump has undermined the EU’s credibility on the world stage. Rather … Continue reading →

Posted in European Union, Opinion, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Régime sévère, moral d’acier… et pastis aux abonnés absents

Posted on July 21, 2025 by JJS

🇫🇷 Et voilà, ça fait déjà trois semaines que je me suis lancé dans cette aventure un peu folle (certains diraient héroïque) : celle de retrouver la ligne, la vraie, celle d’avant les bons petits plats, les apéros, et la … Continue reading →

Posted in Diet & Nutrition, Lifestyle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Last night in Singapore (sort of)

Posted on July 20, 2025 by JJS

🇬🇧 How a TV program, a couch and a craving led to a Southeast Asian daydream 🥟 Last night, somewhere between the news and a late-night yogurt I didn’t need, I found myself watching a French TV program about Singapore. … Continue reading →

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