Yearly Archives: 2013

I was born in Chatillon-sur-Seine, where the river that eventually flows through Paris is no wider than my kitchen! It is a smallish town, in a very rural and satisfyingly French part of the country. Other than the quiet cul-de-sac I grew up on, I only have vague memories of the rest of the town, but I am sure it still feels, looks and smells quintessentially French.

You know the feeling: take a good look and a deep sniff. You could not be anywhere else but in France. In the same way that particular cinnamon ‘taste’ in the air tells you you’ve landed in America or that the spices in the air let you know you’ve arrived in Hong Kong.

I’ve been thinking of going back to Chatillon, for old time’s sake, and GoogleEarthing it does bring back memories of endless hours spent outside with all the neighbourhood kids playing silly games and eating our goûter in the field at the end of the road, watching the small aircraft taking flight.

But don’t get me started on childhood memories, or you’ll hear terrifying stories of church robbers and games of marbles in the churchyard. Don’t ask…

Welcome to my kitchen!

Well, well, well, I’m a blogger… Now, for the ones who know me, this might be a bit scary, but I hope that you, dear ALK friends, will find some of my musings amusing.

So please, do come aboard this rambling train of thoughts, as I fear this will not be the ordered, sophisticated medium I had in mind before starting it. Never mind, we cannot all be Prousts, Hugos or Flauberts…

However, I am sure that through this blog, you will learn very quickly what Arnaud’s Language Kitchen is all about, as I will make sure to share it all with you. I aim to keep you entertained, give you an insight into what makes me tick, and most of all to give you an idea of what it will be like to come to my kitchen for a few lessons, a chat and a piece of cake. So I do hope I can convince you take the plunge and book yourself onto one of my courses. Oh, and do bring a friend or two!

Happy reading.