Child's Challenge

If Julia Child famous chef, author and television host was alive today she would have turned 100.  While you may not be able to picture the Julie Child, you might be able to pick out the red and white cover of her infamous cook book:  Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Alternatively, you could be more familiar with the Julie and Julia movie and project  where we learn more about Julia through Julie, a young woman who aims to cook her way through the French Cookbook. 

There are two things that really stand out about Julia Child's life:

1. to get in the kitchen to try something new, and to share good food and the pleasures of the table
2. to remember you are never to old to try something new

Julia Child wrote, “This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”  Those are some great words to live by!  Now, you do not need to get on a plane and master a cuisine.  You do not even need to get on a plane.   You simply need to try something new for 30 days.  Matt Cutts shares in his TED talk how to un-stick yourself when you are feeling trapped, unmotivated and looking for a new lease in life.  Is there something you have always put on the back burner - maybe it is learning to swim, knit or to take up running again.  The TED talk is listed below.  Alternatively, should you wish to watch something a bit more lighthearted you might like to watch Julie and Julia to celebrate century since Child's birth.

So, get out there:  try something new for 30 days.  Capture the learning in a blog, like Julie -you maybe utterly surprised where life takes you, just like Julia Child.  

Bon Appetit! 

Learning Languages Opens Doors

We are very lucky as English-speakers that our native language is widely understood in business and travel. So if you can “get by” with one language why should you learn a second? Check out the following list of why you should learn a second (or third) language.(taken from http://www.vistawide.com/languages/why_languages.htm)



10 Resons to Learn A Second Language

1. To increase global understanding

2. To improve employment potential

3. To increase native language ability

4. To sharpen cognitive and life skills

5. To improve chances of entry into college or graduate school

6. To appreciate international literature, music, and film

7. To make travel more feasible and enjoyable

8. To expand study abroad options

9. To increase understanding of oneself and one's own culture

10. To make lifelong friends

One of the many reasons I love to have French as a second language:

Language is more than words, it is a culture, a relationship and an identity. I had always struggled with the notion of Quebec proposing separation from the rest of Canada – I could not understand why they would make such a radical proposition. In learning French, I was able to begin to understand the Quebecois struggle with maintaining their language and culture and their place in the francophone world community.

 DID YOU KNOW?

We call dried grapes raisins. Explorers actually brought grapes from France back to their home countries by boat, but because it took so long to get home, the grapes dried up. When the dried grapes were presented to the home country, they were presented as “raisins,” the French word for grapes. Cool, eh?

 Why not study a second language as part of your gap year?