Le Bilingue 2022 12 December

LE BILINGUE

EcoleJeannineManuelParis’studentnewspaper

Photo by: Rose M

Table of contents

School news:

EJM's orchestre at the EJM Gala p 3 - 4

Aerospace Club Ad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5

Culture and entertainment:

An analysis of Taylor Swift's "You're On Your Own, Kid" . . . . . . . p. 6 -7

An analysis of Bikini Kill's RIP p 8-9

Video Game Monthly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 10 - 11

Christmas Movie Recommendations . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 12

Christmas Trivia p 13

New Years Traditions p 14

Selection of timely articles:

Le Dilemme de Kyrie Irving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 15

True Crime: Christmas Edition p 16-17

Un Mois, Un personnage! p 18-19

Recipes:

Almond Crescent Cookies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 20

Creative works :

A Christmas horror story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 21-22

Letter from the editors

Dearreaders,Cherslecteurs,

Wearesurethatmanyofyouhavebeenwatchingthe22ndFifaWorldCupthatishostedbyQatar thisyear.Qatarhasbeenunderfireforitsviolationsofhumanrights,includingitscriminalisationof theLGBTQ+,alackofwomen'srights,andexploitationofmigrantworkers.Manymigrant workersandtheirfamiliesaredemandingcompensationfromQatarauthoritiesforthisabuse, including an estimated 6500 unexplained deaths, which occurred during the World Cup's preparation.

Néanmoins, bienquetoutcequiprécèdesoitvrai,ilenvademêmepourlaRussie,l'hôtedela dernièreCoupeduMonde,etlaChine,quiaaccueillilesrécentsJeuxOlympiquesd'hiver. Cependant, est-il justifiable d'ignorer les violations manifestes des droits humains au Qatar simplementparcequed'autrespaysontcommislamêmechose?

Qatar'sgovernmenthascalledthisscrutiny"slander",andthat"Qatarhasbeenthetargetofan unprecedentedcampaignthatnootherhostcountryhassuffered."Isitworththinkingabout whethertherootreasonQatar,thefirstmiddleeasternandsecondAsiancountrythathashostedthe WorldCup,couldbeunderlyingracismandprejudiceagainstIslamiccountries?Qatarisno differentfromDubaiorotherMuslimcountriesintermsofitsstandonLGBTQ+persons.

Ilestextrêmementpuissantetémouvantquemêmelorsd'unévénementsportif,lesjoueursde footballeux-mêmesutilisentlascènedelaCoupeduMondepours'exprimercontreleQataret mêmecontreleurproprepays.Parexemple,lesjoueursIraniensontorganiséunemanifestation silencieuseensolidaritéaveclesmanifestantsquiprotestaientcontrelesviolationsdesdroitshumains dansleurproprepays.L'équipedefootballallemandes'estégalementcouvertelabouchelorsd'une photod'équipepourprotestercontreleprojetdelaFIFAdepénaliserlesjoueursportantunbrassard arc-en-ciel.

Asthenewgenerationofleadersandindividuals,itisofcourseimportantforustoexpressour opinionsonissuesthatmattertous,howeverthiseventremindsusallofthedifferentperspectivesto takeintoaccountinanyeventsandtheimportanceofgettinginformed,andthisisexactlywhatwe aimtohelpyoudo.Itisonthisnotethatwewouldliketowisheveryoneawonderfulbreakand HappyHolidays.Nousvoussouhaitonsunetrèsbonnelecture!

Sincerely, TheeditorialteamofLeBilingue

EJM's Orchestre at the EJM Gala

- Isabelle C

Onthe15thofOctober,theJeannineManuel FoundationhostedEJM’sGalaattheMusée D'Orsay.Therewereanumberofinteresting performances,oneofwhichbeinganOrchestra made up entirely of EJM students, myself included.WeplayedBizet’sL'Arlesienneand Ravel’sBolero,whicharefamouspiecesby Frenchcomposers.

There were musicians from all classes and levels, each with different and conflicting schedules,makingitdifficultfortheorganising teamofteachers-MrsBarton,MrsDouglas andMrsMotyTran-tofindtheperfecttimes forrehearsals.Thiswaseasedbytheheadsand teachersallowingstudentstomisslessonsto participateinrehearsals.

“Every practice session leading to the performancewasamazing,Ireallyhadalotof funandenjoyedsharingmusicwithsomany othermusicians,”saysEunbiH,oneofthe violinistsintheorchestra.Shehasbeenplaying

the violin since she was 8, and she also participatedinthe“MozartatHome”project ledbyMrMiczkain2021.

The organising team shared that they observed an incredible progress in the musicians’performancessincethefirstday. “Theyallworkedhardfromthestartbutit wasveryobviousthatthemoretheweeks went on, the more confident everyone became.Wenoticedstudentsfromthesame instrumentgroupsbecomingpalsandlooking afteroneanotherovertheweeks,itwaslovely tosee.Thegroupasawholeseemedvery enthusiastic about playing with other kids fromschoolandweregenuinelyexcitedto play the music selected. [..] We enjoyed workingwithallthestudentsintheorchestra and were very impressed by the talent, dedicationandenthusiasmthatwasshown.

PicturecreditstotheJeannineManuelFoundation

There were a lot of changes during the preparationandthisiscommonwitheventsbut [themusicians]weresoflexibleandadaptable.”

PaulG,whohasbeenplayingflutefor10years, describedtheexperienceas“enriching”ashewas abletoplaywithotherstudents,andperformin thebeautifulMuseeD’Orsay.Besidesplayingin theOrchestra,Paulalsoplayed2piecesofmusic with Harpist Miya T in the “Galerie des Impressionnistes”ofthemuseum,wheretheduo playedforgroupsof10people.

Thisexperiencehascementedmyopinionthat EJMisawonderfullydiverseplace,eveninthe arts.However,Ithinkthattheschool’smusical environmentcandefinitelybeexpanded.Eunbi believesthat“[thisis]necessaryandalsodesired byalotofstudentshere.Wenowknowthat thereareenoughtalentedandengagedmusicians atourschooltoformaproperorchestra,soifwe couldcreateapermanentorchestraatourschool, thatwouldbeamazing!”

WhenaskedwhatEJMcandotocultivatethe talent of its students, Paul said, “We could organiseconcertsmuchmoreoften!Thiswould helpraisefunds forthefoundation, givethe opportunitytostudentstoplayinfrontofan audience,andofferconcertstoparents,school staff,teachersandotherstudents.Also,wehave thechancetohaveaverygoodtheatreinthe school,anditwouldbenicetoorganisemusical eventsinit!”

Onbehalfofallthemusicians,poets,andallother performingstudents,Iwouldliketothank:the EJMfoundation,MrsDouglas,MrsBarton,Mrs Moty Tran, Mr Tokley, Mrs Reynaud, Mr Miczka,GuillaumeandPauline.Thiswouldnot havebeenpossiblewithoutyou!

PicturecreditstotheJeannineManuelFoundation

An Analysis of Taylor Swift's "You're On Your Own Kid"

- Aya M

WelcometothemonthlyTaylorswiftsonganalysis!TodayI'llbeanalyzing“You'reOnYourOwn, Kid”,fromTaylor’snewAlbum Midnights.

Midnights isTaylorSwift’stenthstudioalbum,releasedonOctober21,2022.Itisaconceptalbum regardingnocturnalcontemplation,writtenandproducedbyTaylorSwiftandJackAntonoff.“You’re OnYourOwn,Kid''isthealbum’s5thsong,aspotnotoriousforholdingaparticularlypersonalsong, withvulnerablerevelationsaboutSwift'spast,mostofthetimereflectingacertainrelationshipon emotion.

Verse 1: Summerwentaway

Still,theyearningstays Iplayitcoolwiththebestofthem Iwaitpatiently He'sgonnanoticeme It'sokay,we'rethebestoffriends Anyway

Verse 2: Ihearitinyourvoice

You'resmokingwithyourboys Itouchmyphoneasifit'syourface Ididn'tchoosethistown Idreamofgettingout There'sjustonewhocouldmakemestay Allmydays

Chorus:

Fromsprinklersplashestofireplaceashes

Iwaitedagestoseeyouthere Isearchthepartyofbetterbodies

Justtolearnthatyounevercared

You'reonyourown,kid Youalwayshavebeen

In this first verse of the song, Taylor sings about a crush she’s had over the summer that is still lingering on her, even as the seasons change. She is still waiting for that person to notice her, and as the sings: “we’re the best of friends'”, she alludes to the lines from her song “You are in love '' in her 1989 album. I believe this song retraces her journey as a world famous star, and she links the lyrics to each one of her albums, and talks about her life as a young adolescent.

Here, she expresses a longing for deeper connections, and for more time with the person she is in love with. This part could be linked to her Album Evermore, and her song “Mirrorball”, in which she longs to be herself and be able to create connections with people, deeper than a fan-star relationship. In the second part, Taylor Swift says that she wants to get out of her hometown, which could correlate to her young self leaving Reading, Pennsylvania, to go to the city with her family in search of a record label. Though, she admits that one person would have made her stay, which could have been her crush at the time.

This Chorus part is particularly relevant when talking about the links between her eras. “From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes” could represent the change from her debut album to her Fearless era. This Chorus part also shows how she learned that the one she loved never cared about her, and that she had to learn to overcome it and start anew.

This is the famous part of the song, where Taylor repeats extensively that we are, as she is on her own, we have to grow up ourselves and learn about the world. We must do it with no help, experiences and growth must be made by you, and you only.

Iseethegreatescape

Solong,DaisyMay

Ipickedthepetals,helovesmenot Somethingdifferentbloomed Writinginmyroom

Iplaymysongsintheparkinglot I'llrunaway

Chorus:

Fromsprinklersplashestofireplaceashes

Icalledataxitotakemethere Isearchthepartyofbetterbodies

Justtolearnthatmydreamsaren'trare You'reonyourown,kid Youalwayshavebeen

Fromsprinklersplashestofireplaceashes

Igavemyblood,sweat,andtearsforthis Ihostedpartiesandstarvedmybody LikeI'dbesavedbyaperfectkiss Thejokesweren'tfunny,Itookthemoney Myfriendsfromhomedon'tknowwhattosay Ilookedaroundinablood-soakedgown AndIsawsomethingtheycan'ttakeaway

Bridge

'Causetherewerepagesturnedwiththebridges burned

Everythingyouloseisastepyoutake Somakethefriendshipbracelets Takethemomentandtasteit You'vegotnoreasontobeafraid You'reonyourown,kid Yeah,youcanfacethis You'reonyourown,kid Youalwayshavebeen

Here, Taylor Swift explains how she was finally able to “escape” her hometown, and accept the fact that the one she loved didn’t care about her. Indeed, it connotes the start of her music career, as she sings “writing in my room” and plays her songs in public. She also finishes this verse by saying that she will run away. This could regard the crush she’s had or her past life in Pennsylvania.

Again here is another very pungent and powerful chorus. In this passage, she again mentions the different eras but also mentions her past eating disorder. On the show Miss Americana, Taylor once talked about her body image issues, and how she would stop eating to lose weight. This phrase: “I searched the party of better bodies”, is very powerful in conveying the feeling of not fitting in and trying to change our appearance in order to feel better about ourselves and each other’s expectations about us.

Finally the bridge of the song is again very relevant when talking about how “You’re on your own, kid” is representative of Taylor’s journey through the years and Eras. "From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes" represents Taylor's debut album to her Fearless era, while "I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this" is representative of Taylor's Speak Now and Red eras. "I hosted parties and starved my body" showcases Taylor's 1989 era, where she threw infamous parties at her Rhode Island mansion. Moreover, the lyrics "The jokes weren't funny, I took the money" reflect the Reputation era while "I looked around in a blood-soaked gown / And I saw something they can't take away" is from her album Lover. Finally, the lyrics "'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned" indicate Folklore and Evermore. Here, Taylor Swift also explains that we should enjoy every moment of life and make friends wherever we go, “taste” the beauty of life, because there are “no reasons to be afraid”.

Ibelievethatthroughthissong,Taylorswiftistryingtoshowcaseanoverviewofhercareer,ofher successesandfailures.She’sshowingheraudiencethatfame,althoughrewarding,isn'taseasyastheycan imagine.Overall,weSwiftieshopethatthroughthissong,sheisalludingtothebeginningofawholenew chapterofherlifeandcareer.Asmostofusknow,Taylorhasrecentlybeenre-recordingherpastalbums, likeFearless(Taylor’sversion)album,orRed(Taylor’sversion).Thiscouldfurtheremphasizeonthisidea ofgoingbacktooldchaptersandmakingthemanew.Wecantakeawaymanythingsfromthissong. Humanshavesuchatendencytolookbackattheirlife,especiallytheiryouth,androlltheireyes,feelingas ifthey’vewastedsomuchtimebeingpreoccupiedwitheventsinsignificantinhindsight.WhatTayloris sayinghereisthatyoudon'tneedtoliveyourlifeparanoidaboutwhetherwhatyou'redoingis contributingtosomeultimategoal.She'ssayingalltheeventsthatfeellikesetbacksordistractionsatthe timearethethingsthatgetustowhereweneedtobe.Wearetaughtthatthereisnofearofbeingalone,as that'showyou'llalwaysbe.Andyouwillbefine,becauseallyouneedisyourselftofacetheworld.

R.I.P. ,Bikini Kill, song analysis

- Laia B

Theyearis1990.YouliveinOlympia,Washington.YournameisKathleenHannaandyou’vejust returnedfromseeingthepunk-rockbandBabesinToylandlive.Whynotstartabandyourself?Thus, BikiniKillwasborn,pioneeringtheriotgrrrlmovementandleavingalastingimpactongrrrlsworldwide.

Theirheart-wrenchingsongR.I.P.showsamorevulnerablesidetothisusuallypunkrock,“man-hating”, fiercegroup.Thesongmanagestobedeeplysaddeningwhilestayingtruetothepunkrockgenre.When wethinkofasadsong,ourmindstendtogotoindieorfolkartists,likePhoebeBridgersorElliotSmith, butKathleenHannamanagestomakeuscrywithoutstrayingfromherrockroots.Inthesong,she discussestheheartbreaksheexperiencesafterafriendofhersdiesfromanAIDS-relatedillnessinanutterly devastatingmanner.

Verse 1:

Ican'tsayeverythingaboutit

Injustonesinglesong

Ican'tputhowIfeelinapackage

Tosellitbacktoeveryone

Chorus: Butwait There'sanotherboygenius Who'sf***inggone

Verse 2:

Ihopethefoodtastesbetterinheaven

Iknowthere'slotsofradqueerboysupthere

Ihopethateverytimetheytalktoyou Theyknowthatthey'reluckytobeyourfriend

Chorus: 'Causelook

There'sanotherboygenius

Who'sf***inggone

Bridge:

AndIwouldn'tbesof***ingmad

Sof***ingp*ssedoff

Ifitwasn'tsof***ingwrong

It'sallf***ingwrong

It'snotfair

It'snotfair

It'snotfair

It'snotfair

From the beginning, we deeply understand Hanna’s heartbreak. She finds herself unable to put her thoughts into words, unable to express her grief, unable to show her feelings to the people and world around her.

She starts this first chorus off with the interjection “but wait”, articulating the real and powerful disbelief and shock she is going through. These “boy genius[es]” are a complete loss to society, and through the use of this phrase to qualify her deceased loved ones, she references the huge cultural impact gay men (and transfemmes) had, an impact that often goes unmentioned and forgotten. Furthermore, the use of a curse word in the third line illustrates just how great her pain is.

At this point in the song, Hanna begins to accept the fact that her friend has died. She contemplates the life he now has in heaven, and mentions how many others have unjustly died the same way.

In the song’s second chorus, the message stays the same. However, by using “‘Cause look” to start the verse, she is trying to get the people around her, society, and even the government, to notice and care about her queer friends dying directly due to societal and governmental neglect.

Here, Kathleen Hanna is screaming and shouting for her life. She is experiencing unbridled anger and pain, breaking down. The repetition of the phrase “It’s not fair”, alludes to a small child throwing a tantrum, conveying this idea of total emotional shutdown.

Bridge:

Butnoonesaidlifewaseasy

Yeahbutnoonesaid Noonesaidthatnothing’ssupposedtohappen,right?

No,noonetoldmeanything

Topreparemeforfuckingthis

Chorus: There'sanotherboygenius Who'sf***ggone

Outro: Don'ttellmeitdon'tmatter Don'ttellmeitdon'tmatter Don'ttellmeI'vehadthreedaystogetoverit Itwon'tgoaway Itjustwon'tgoaway

In the first part of this verse, she tries to reassure herself, but this reassurance swiftly turns into another breakdown.

There is no introductory line for this final chorus. She has somewhat accepted it, she is no longer in this state of confusion and disbelief and can finally focus on her pure anger and rage.

In the final verse of this song, Kathleen Hannah breaks down: the voice cracks, the screams, the tears we can almost hear; all of which shatter the listener’s heart. We can picture her in her room yelling at a wall, going through deep grief and melancholy in a way she had clearly not dealt with before. Her built-up feelings have led to this explosion of emotion.

Bikini Kill,fromwegow.com

SomesaythatthesongisaboutKurtCobain,butIwholeheartedlydisagree.Thesongisclearlyand indisputably about the plethora of gay men close to the band members being lost because of the government’sreluctancetoprovideaidtothequeercommunity.

Allinall,thissongisnotonlyheartbreaking,butalsoextraordinarilyrawandnude.BikiniKillisnotonlya veryfeministband,butalsoaveryqueerband.Theymentiontheirqueernessandloveforwomenin numeroussongs,notablyin‘RebelGirl’and,arguably,in‘ForTammyRae’.This,andknowingthehelp lesbiansprovidedduringtheAIDScrisis,makesthesongevenmoremelancholic.Someevensuggestthat, here,R.I.P.standfor“restinp*ssedoffed-ness”,furtherpushingthatpoliticalstatementBikiniKillandriot grrrlbands,ingeneral,strivetomakethroughtheirsongs.

Ifyouhaven’talreadylistenedtoBikiniKill,particularlythissong,Icannoturgeyouenoughtoopenthe musicstreamingappofyourchoiceandsearchthemupimmediately.Ifyou’reunfamiliarwiththeriotgrrrl genreyou’reinforarealtreat!

Video Games Monthly

- Ev A

Welcomeagaintoyourmonthlydoseofvideogames,whereIdon’thaveaproblemwiththeamountoftimeI spend“researching”.Thismonth,I’vecuratedtwogamestosharewithyou.Botharealittleonthesmallside, buttheyhavededicatedcommunitiesandaresupportedbytheirdevelopers.Unfortunately,Ihadtotonedown thenumberofgamesabitbecauseatthisrateI’llrunthroughmysteamlibraryinaboutayear.IntheHoliday spiritofthisissue,thetwogamesmentionedareoneswithprominentwinterevents.Asalways,thisarticlewill beheavilybiasedandweightedtowardswhatIenjoyaboutthegames,somakesuretodoyourownresearch beforebuyinganyofthesegames.

1.

SATISFACTORY

We’re starting off with another niche game as normal.ThismonthwehaveSatisfactory,anearly accessreleasefromCoffeeStainstudios.Withthe amount of buggy, incomplete, and cash-grabby releasesthatshowupinearlyaccess,I’dunderstandif you have some reservations about this game. However,CoffeeStainhasbeenverygoodabout using this method to its full potential with Satisfactory. Not only have there been regular updates,butmuchofthecontentreleasedhasbeen directly requested by the community. The developmenthasalsobeenverytransparent,with clearmilestonesfromthedevelopers.

Butenoughabouttheteam,whatisthegamelike?In Satisfactoryyouplayasapioneer:a(possiblyrobotic) characterdroppedontoaworldwiththegoalof assembling some kind of project. Being in early access,themajorityofthestoryislosttous,butthe coregameplayloopissatisfactory.Itrevolvesaround makingincreasinglycomplexpartswiththelimited resourcesthatyouhaveontheplanet.Thegamealso presentsotherproblemsthroughtheterrain,necessity ofpower,andbeautifulscenerythatyoujustdon’t wanttodestroy.Thegamereallysellsthefeelingofa diverse alien world. The beautiful biomes make exploration and exploitation that much more rewarding. If you are willing to sacrifice perfectionism(orputinthehourstomakeitwork), Satisfactoryisagreatgame.

TRACKMANIA 2020

Genres: -RacingMultiplayer

Playing Difficulty: Hardbutnot impossible (5/10)

Hardware Requirements: Not toobad (3/10)

Trackmania2020isamultiplayerracinggamemadebyUbisoftNadeo(aFrench-basedstudio,funnily enough).Thoughyoumaynothaveheardofit,thegameisthemostrecentreleaseinaseriesofgames datingbackto2003.Thisgameharborsasmallbutdedicatedplayerbasewhoareconstantlyfindingnew waystopushthegametoitslimits.Nadeo’srareno-fixespolicycombinedwiththegame’sunique deterministicphysicsenginecreateslatentbugswaitingtobediscoveredandusedbytheplayers.Crazy strategiessuchasnosebugs(landingthecaronitsnosewhiledriftingandholdingadirectiontorapidlyturn) andspeedslides(slightlydriftingthecarresultinginamiscalculationthataddsspeed)havealreadybeenput intouse.InTrackmania,battlesarefoughtoverhundredthsofasecond.

Tothecasualplayerthough,noneofthisisveryapplicable.Thegameprovides25trackseveryseason(literal season,notthebattlepasskind)toplaythrough.Globalleaderboardsarekeptoneverytrack,butjust improvingyourtimetoreachauthormedalsisagreattime.Therearetonsofuser-madetracksaswell, whichareeasilybuildableusingthein-gameeditor.YoumightbewonderingwherethemultiplayeraspectI mentionedis.Itcomesintwomaingamemodes:royaleandmultiplayer.Royaleputsteamsofthreeplayers throughastagedtrialofsimilarmaps,knockingoutoneteameachrounduntilonlyoneteamisleftstanding. Rankedusesthesameteamsystem,butyouplayononeoftheseasonalmapsinabestof13format.

Thebestpartaboutallofthis?Thegameisfree!Ifyouhavethetime,Idefinitelyrecommendgiving Trackmania2020atry.

Christmas Movie Recommendations

- Clementine S & Eleni T

Home Alone

HomeAlone,acomicholidayclassic,wasreleasedin1990. DirectedbyChrisColumbus,themovierevolvesarounda youngboy,Kevin,whoisaccidentallylefthomealone whenhisfamilyleaveforaholidaytriptoParis.However, thestorytakesanunexpectedturnwhentworobbers attempttobreakintothehouse,thinkingthatthehouseis empty,andKevinmustdefenditbyhimself.Playedby MacaulayCulkin,Kevinisaslycharacterwho,combined withCatherineO’Hara’sroleofKavin’smum,makefora hilariousmother-sonduo.Afunnymovie,perfectforan enjoyablefamilymovienight.

Werecommendthisfor:familieswithyoungchildren, peoplewholikecomedy.

Love Actually

Love Actually, directed by Richard Curtis, was released in 2003. This holiday romantic-comedy follows8couplesinLondonastheynavigateand struggle with their different relationships and dynamics.BillNighy’shilariousroleasthewasheduprockandrollstar,alongwithHughGrant’sroleas charmingPrimeMinister,andLiamNeeson’sroleas afathertryingtodealwiththedifficultiesofraising hissononhisown,alongwithmanyotherroleswith actorslikeEmmaThompson,AlanRickman,Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, and Laura Linney (don’t forgetMr.Bean’sbriefcameo!)makesthisatruly enjoyablemovie.There’saperfectbalanceofcomedy andromance,sothere’ssomethinginitforeveryone!

Werecommendthisfor:familieswitholderchildren, peoplewholikecomedyand/orromance.

The Ultimate Christmas Trivia

- Luisa G

To celebrate the lead up to Christmas, we have put together a list of tricky Christmas questions which only a true Christmas fan will be able to answer. If you get 10+ questions right, then you are a real Christmas enthusiast. The answers are at the bottom of the page for you to check when you are done.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!!

WhatdonaughtychildrenreceivefromSantaClausonChristmas?

Inthesong“12DaysOfChristmas”whatwasgivenonthe5thday?

WhatChristmascarolwasinitiallycreatedforThanksgiving?

Whatdoreindeerseatinordertofly?

WhatareChristmastreesalsoknownas?

Whatisthebest-sellingChristmassongofalltime?

Whatisthebest-knownChristmasballet?

WhobannedChristmasinBritainundertheCommonwealth?

WhatUSpresidentrefusedtogetaChristmastreeinthewhitehouse becauseofenvironmentalconcerns?

WhatbeveragecompanypopularizedSantaClausinadvertising?

WheredidtheChristmastreetraditionbegin?

Whatreindeerisnamedafterthemascotofanotherholiday?

HowmanyghostsvisitedScroogein‘AChristmasCarol’?

WhatChristmasplanthasbeenbelievedtobepoisonous?

Whichreindeer’snamemeansThunderinGerman?

erodoehT ,tlevesooR acoC ,aloC ,ynamreG ,dipuC ,4 ,eoteltsiM rennoD

etihW ,samtsirhC ehT ,rekcarctuN revilO ,llewmorC

,laoc 5 nedlog ,sgnir elgniJ ,slleb ,storrac ,seerT-eluY

New Years Traditions

- Isabella S

Whetheryou'rerelievedtoseethebackoftheoldoneorsimplyhappytostartanewone,you'llnodoubt wanttocelebrateNewYear'sEve.Howyoudothiswilldifferdependingonwhereyouareintheworld asthebellschimeatmidnighton31stDecember.HerewetakealookatsomeinterestingNewYear's facts,andsomeofthemostspectacular,orinsomecases,weirdest,NewYear'straditionsfromacrossthe globe.

Beginning to end

ThePacificislandofTongaisthefirstplaceon earth to celebrate New Year's Eve. Tongans generallycelebrateNewYear'sEvewithchurch, familyandfood.Tongansareknownfortheir enthusiastic singing, which resonates out of churches at sunset and midnight New Year services.Aftertravellingrightaroundtheworld, theNewYeareventuallycomesfullcircleandthe uninhabitedislandsofHowlandandBaker,near theUnitedStates,arethelastplacesonearthto hearmidnightstrike.Youwon'tbepartyingthere onNewYear'sEve,though,astheislands'only inhabitantsareseabirds,dolphinsandreeffish.

Spain

InSpain,it'straditionaltoeat12grapesinquick succession-oneoneachstrokeoftheclockat midnight.Eachgraperepresentsgoodluckforone monthofthecomingyear(aslongasyoudon't chokeonthem!)

Greece

Greekshanganonionontheirfrontdoorasa symbolofrebirthintheNewYear.OnNewYear's Day,Greekchildrenexperiencethepleasureoftheir parentstappingthemontheheadwiththeonionto wakethemup.

Denmark

TheDaneshaveamoreboisterousmethodof bestowinggoodluckononeanotherfortheyear ahead.TheywelcometheNewYearbythrowingold platesandglassesagainstthefrontdoorsoffamilyand friendstobanishbadspirits.Theyalsojumpoffchairs inunisonto«leap»intoJanuary.

United States

OneofthemosticonicNewYear'sEve traditionsistheballdropatmidnightin Times Square, New York. Millions of AmericansgatheraroundtheirTVsetsto watchtheballdescend,whilstthousandsof NewYorkersandvisitorshuddletogetherin freezingTimesSquaretowitnessitfirsthand.

France

Lastbutdefinitelynotleast,France'sNew Year's Eve celebrations unsurprisingly revolve around fine food and drink. Althoughtherearesomeregionalvariations, NewYear'sEvestapledishesincludefoie gras,oysters,smokedsalmonandcaviar.All thisrichfoodiswasheddownwithgenerous servingsofchampagneanddancedawayto thesoundofloudmusic,fireworksandthe honkingofhorns.Thecustomofbeingas loudaspossibleprobablyoriginatesfromthe oldbeliefthatnoisescaresawaydemonsand badspiritsaswepassintoanewyear.

Wherever and however you will be celebratingNewYear’sEve,Ihopethathave averyhappyone.BonneAnnée!

Le Dilemme de Kyrie Irving

- Jacob G

Le27d’Octobre,KyrieIrving,meneurdesBrooklynNets,asoutenuunfilmantisémitismeetl’aposté sursoncompteTwitter.Immédiatement,laplupartdesgensétaitenragécontreluietnepouvaitpas comprendre comment quelqu’un avec un tel pouvoir d’influence avait pris une décision pareille. Finalement,aprèsdelonguesdiscussionsaveclaNBAetlepropriétairedesBrooklynNets,Irvingaété suspendupendantaumoins5matchs.IlpourrarevenirauxNetsseulementquandils’excusera. Durantlesjourssuivants,ilaparlédevantlesmédiasplusieursfoispourtenterd'expliquersesactions. «Jeprendslaresponsabilitédecequej’aiécrit.Jenevoulaisfairedemalàpersonne,c’estpasmoiquiai crééledocumentaire…Jenepeuxpasêtreantisémitesijesaisd'oùjeviens.» C’estlàoùlasituationsecomplique.Danssesinterviews,iladéclarénepasêtreantisémite,etvouloir rappeleràtoutlemondequecen’estpasluiquiavaitcréécedocumentaire,qu’ilcontenaitd’informations fasuses.Alorssicequ’ilditsonsesvraisopinions,pourquoia-t-ilprislerisquedemettrecettevidéosur sonTwitter?Ildoitprendredemeilleuresdécisionsetconnaître lesconséquencesdessesactions.Ilest clairqu’ilestmaléduquésurcesujet,etilestimportantqu’ilenapprennepluspourquecessituationsne seproduisentplus.

Cecin’estpaslapremièrefoisqueKyrieIrvingaditoufaitdesactionsquiontagitébeaucoupdegens. L’annéedernière,lesÉtats-Unisétaientenpleinepandémiedecoronavirus.DepuisAvrilde2020,cevirus avaittuépresque1milliond'américains,etavaitforcélesgensàporterdesmasquesetresterchezeux. Maisaprèsquelquesmois,unvaccinavaitétéfabriquépourlecombattre.Leseulproblème,c'étaitles «anti-vax»quipensaientquelevirusn’étaitpasréellementdangereuxetquelegouvernementvoulaitjuste trouverunmoyendelescontrôler;KyrieIrvingenfaisaitpartie.QuandlasaisondeNBAàcommencéen Octobre,LavilledeNewYorkavaitunmandatquiobligeaittouteslespersonnesquitravaillaientàse fairevacciner.CesrèglesétaientaussiapplicablesauxcélébritésetathlètescommeIrving.MaisKyrieà décidéd’ignorercesrègles,endisant:«Cecin’estpasunedécisionpolitique,ouunequiestenrelation avecleNBAoumonéquipe.C’estàproposdemavie,etdecequej'aichoisidefaire.»

Jecomprendsquecesoitsonproprechoixetqu’ilaitledroitdes’exprimer, maissesactionsmeparaissenttrèsinjustescarellespeuventaffecterde nombreusespersonnes.Irvingignorecomplètementlesstatistiquesetlascience quiprouventquelevirusesttrèsdangereux,etquelevaccinestnotremeilleur espoirpourlecombattre.Endisantqu’iln’allaitpasprendrecevaccin(ilnel’a toujourspaspris),ilseprésentecommeunepersonneégoïste,quelqu'unqui n’atoujourspascomprislesconséquencesdesesactions.

Cetarticlen’étaitpasécritpourdéshonorerles talentsdebasketdeKyrieIrving,pourêtrehonnête, cestalentssontprobablementlaseuleraisonpour laquelleilestencoreenNBA.Jel’aiécritpour montrerqu’ilestunhommecomplexe,quelqu'un quiàplusieursreprisesadécidédediredeschoses nonéduquées;cettefoisilsemblequ’ilsoitallétrop loin.

Christmas true crime

- Eva K

TheSantawhoTriedtoStealChristmas

It’snoononthe23rdofDecember,1927.AtallmandressedasSantaClauswalksintotheFirst NationalBankinCisco,Texas.Hereceivesamerry“Hello,Santa.”fromthecashier,butcontinues pastthem,silent.Thecashiercallsoutagain,“Hello,Santa!”butgetsnoresponse.Suddenly,another manrunsin,brandishingapistol,andthebuilding’sjollyatmospherevanishes.

MarshallRatliffwasanex-conwholivedinCiscobeforebeingtrackeddownandimprisonedfora bankrobbery.HewasparoledjustweeksbeforetheattemptedChristmasheist,andenlistedHenry Helms,RobertHill,andLouisDavistohelphimpullthisoff.Ratliffknewthathewouldbe recognizedthesecondheretiredtoCisco,anditbeingsoclosetoChristmas,hethoughtSantaClaus wouldbetheperfectcover.Theyhadlittletonoplanbeyondhowtoenterthebank,assuming nothingcouldpossiblygowrong.

Thedayof,thegroupdroppedRatliffafewblocksfromthebank,andhestrolleddownthestreet, smilinghappilyatthechildrenhepassed.

Hillwasthefirstmantoenter,gunintheair,afterRatliff.HelmsandDavisquicklyfollowed,waving identicalpistolsaroundtheroom.Ratliffpushedthroughaswingingdoor,pastthecashier'sdesk,went intothecashier'scage,openedadrawerunderthecounter,andremovedapistolfromthatlocation, stuffingitunderhisredSantasuit.Now,fourmenwerearmed,including"SantaClaus".“Santa" orderedtheassistantcashiertoopenthesafe,andbeganstuffingmoneyandbondsintoasackhehad hiddenbeneathhiscostume.Whiletheotherscoveredthecustomersandemployees,hegrabbed moneyfromthetellersandforcedonetoopenthevault.

Unawarethatarobberywastakingplace,bankcustomerMrs.B.P.Blassengameandher6-year-old daughterFrancesenteredthebuildinginsearchofSanta.Assoonasshesawthedanger,Mrs. Blassengameranthroughthebank'sbookkeepingdepartmentwithherdaughterinbehind,shouting "Theyarerobbingthebank!"assheheadedforthealleywaydoor.

Quicklyunlockingthedoor,shethrewherchildintothealleywhilescreamingathertogo,and despitethethieves'assurancesthattheywouldfire,shemanagedtofleeherself.Assheracedtheone blocktocityhallandthepolicestation,screamingforhelp,sheinformedCisco'smayorandthe majorityofthelocalpopulaceabouttheheist,aswellasChiefofPoliceG.E.“Bit”Bedford.Bedford arrivedonthescenewithariotgunandgaveorderstoofficersR.T.RediesandGeorgeCarmichaelto blockthebank'sbackdoor.OfficerCarmichaelsetupshopneartheintersectionofasecondalleythat ranbehindthebankandcrossedthefirst,whilethechiefpositionedhimselfnearthealleythatran besidethebankandopenedatthebank'sfront.

Inside,Santafilledhissackwithcashfromthevaultandpreparedtoleave,thinkingtherobberywas asuccess.Atthatmoment,Hillspottedanofficeroutsideandshotthroughthewindow.Thiswas answeredwithseveralgunshots,andHillfiredintotheceilingtoshowtheywerearmed.Thatwas whenthefrenzybegan.Bedfordandanotherofficerdirectedcrossfireatoneoftherobbers,whohad agunineachfist.Heshotback,andafusilladeofgunfirebegan.Asbulletssprayedeverywhere, citizensthathadgottenwordoftherobberyrushedtothehardwarestoretobuypistolsandriflesto aidthepolice.Theyopenedfire,andariflebulletstruckoneofthefugitivesinthearmand"spun himaround."Abulletalsostruckacashierinthejaw,andanotherstruckabankcustomerintheleg.

Everyoneinsidethebankwasdraggedoutthedoorbythecriminalsastheymadetheirwaytotheir bluevehicle.Astheyfledintothealley,someofthesecaptiveswereinjured.Themajorityofthe citizensmanagedtoflee,buttherobbersheldtwolittlegirls,LaverneComer(12)andEmmaMay Robertson(10),hostage.Thefourenteredthealleyandproceededtotheirgetawaycarusingthe girlsashumanshields.Hundredsofshotswerefiredduringtheshootout,leavingBedfordand officerGeorgeCarmichaelmortallywounded,butoneofficerremainedunharmed,andpursuedthe fugitivesonfoot,beforeeventuallygettingpickedupbyacivilian.

Thefourrobbersrealizedtheywerealmostoutofgasastheystartedtheirgetawaywhiledriving southonAvenueDwiththeirhostages.Theyhadforgottentofillthetankearlier.Oneoftheirtires wasdestroyedbyashotfromlawenforcementwhiletheywerebeingpursuedbythemobasthey approachedthetown'sperimeter.Thebanditsstormedoutofthecar,commandeeringapassing vehicle.Inthemidstofshooting,therobbersmovedthestolengoods,hostages,andinjured companiontothenewautomobile.Onlyafterswitchingtothenextgetawaycardidtheyfindthat theywereunabletostartthevehiclebecausethedriverhadcunninglyremovedthekeysfromthe ignitionwhenorderedtostop.Panicked,theytransferredeverythingbacktothefirstcar,however Davislostconsciousness,sotheylefthimbehind.

Geniusesthattheywere,theydidn’trealizeuntilawhilelaterthattheyhadleftthebagfullofmoney inthecarwithhim.ThemobfoundDavisandthemoneyandtemporarilygaveupthechase,and moneywasreturnedtothebank.Theyhadstolen$12,400incashand$150,000inbonds.

ThesurvivingrobbersspedbacktoAvenueDandveeredontoadirtroad,howevertheovergrowth soonbecameunfitfordriving,andthemencontinuedonfoot.Theystoleasecondvehicle,andwere abletohideoutallnight,buthadnothingtoeatbutorangesandwereallweakfromtheirinjuries andthebelow-freezingweather.Thetrejowasambushedthenextmorning,andtherewasacar chasethatledintoanoilfield,wheretherewasadramaticshootout.PoliceChiefBradfordfiredat thethreefugitives,nowescapingonfoot,andonefell.Heshottwicemore,hittingthetwoother men,butbothofthemroseagainandcontinuedon.

RatliffwastheonethatwashitandfelltothegroundwhileHelmsandHill,althoughwounded, escapedintothewoods,whichofferedidealconcealment.Ratliffwasreportedlya"walkingarsenal", bearingnofewerthansixgunshotwoundsandsixpistolswhencaptured,includingtheonehetook fromthebank."Santa"hadbeencaught.

Elizabeth Garrud, suffragette et reine du jujitsu !

- Camille B

Un mois, un personnage ! Elizabeth Garrud, suffragette et reine du jujitsu !

Royaume-Uni,1918.Lepremierconflitmondial, de4ans,vientdeseterminer.Danslesruesen liessedeLondres,lespassantscélèbrentlavictoire desmembresdel’Entente;parmieux,desfemmes. Pourtant,lesourireauxlèvres,c’estuneseconde victoirequ’ellescélèbrenttoutaussifièrement: celle de l’égalité ! En novembre 1918, au Royaume-Unis,ellesobtiennentofficiellementle droit de vote, à compter de leurs 30 ans, rejoignantainsilepanthéondepaystelsquela Nouvelle-Zélande ou la Finlande qui l’avaient déjàacté.

Si,cejour-là,lessuffragettes,commeonnomme les féministes de cette époque, se dressent fièrement,victorieusesfaceàunpaysquiafinipar embrasserla“marcheduprogrès”,cenefutpas toujourslecas.

En1897,MillicentFawcett,néeAldeburg,fille d’unrichehommed'affaireslondonien,alorsâgée de20ans,fondelaNationalUnionofwomen’s SuffrageSocieties.Lebutdel’organisationest alorsdepromouvoirledroitdevotepourles femmes,enemployantdesmoyenspacifistes.En 1903, la lutte prend un tournant lorsque EmmelinePankhurstfondelaWSPU(Women’s SocialandPoliticalUnion),dontlesmembressont rapidementrenommées“suffragettes”parlapresse. Cesfemmesdéfilent,manifestentdanslarue,etse fontremarquer.Rapidement,desmarchesquise voulaientpacifistessontsourced’arrestations,etde combatsentrepoliceetmanifestants.

C’estalorsqu'ElisabethGarrudcommenceàjouer unrôlemajeur.Néeen1872,aupaysdeGalles,elle semarieen1892,avecEdouardGarrud,professeur degymnastique.En1899,lecoupleestundes premiersàêtreinitiéàl’artdujujitsuparleseul professeurd’Europeàl’époque,EdwardWilliam Barton-Wright. Symboled’émancipation,etdeliberté,Elizabeth fît denombreusesconventionsquiincombaientàune femmemariéedel’airEdwardienne.En1907,elle estlaprotagonisted’uncourtmétrage,produitparle studio Pathé “Jiu jitsu Downs the footpad”; et commenceàdonnerdescoursd’artmartialaux femmesetauxenfants.

À partir de 1908, elle s’engage dans la cause suffragiste,etcommenceàfairecourspourle«club suffragetted’auto-défense»,réservéauxmilitantes. En1913,sonimplicationdanslalutteaugmente encore,lorsque,enréponseaudécretdit«duchatet delasouris»dugouvernementAcquish,elleforme unbataillonditdes«BodyGuard»,afind’empêcher l’emprisonnementdesleadeusesdumouvement.

ImagebyIstock

Ainsi,en4ansplusd’unecentained’arrestations serontévitées.Parailleurs,ens’imposantentant que combattantes, les suffragettes offrent une nouvelledimensionàleurdiscours,montrant qu’ellessontaussicapablesqueleshommesde fairepreuvedeviolence,etdedétermination.La vision du grand public change, leurs revendicationssontdenouveaumédiatisées.Leur voixporteplusloinquejamais,carellesbrisent les codes. Dans les journaux, un glissement soupèrent:“d’hystérique”,onfiniparparlerde “revendicatrice”, avant de voir le terme “féministe”s’imposer.Avecl’arrivéedelaguerre, lamontéeenpuissancedecesfemmesapparaît plusquejamaiscommetémoindel’évolutionde lamarchedumonde.Letravailsedémocratise, lorsqu’ilfautremplacerleshommespartisau fronts,etlegouvernementcomprendqu’avecdes cheffes politiques prêtes à défendre et revendiquercoûtequecoûteleurliberté,ilsera impossibledecomplètementlesrenvoyerdans leursfoyers.

C’estainsique,le21novembre1918,quelquesjoursaprès unecirculaireministérielle,ledroitdevotedesfemmes entredanslaloibritannique.

EnFrance,ilfaudraattendrejusqu'en1944,soitpresque trenteansplustard,pourquecesoitlecas.

ImagebyIstock

Almond Crescent Cookies

Ingredients

1cup/225gunsaltedbutter

1cup/200gsugar

1egg

1cupcoarselyground/veryfinelychopped

almonds(toastingthealmondsbeforehand isn’tnecessary,butaddsaniceflavorto thecookies)

2cups/120gflour

1tsp/4gbakingpowder

1teaspoon/4.3gvanilla Vanillasugar

Let’s get cooking !

To prepare the vanilla sugar: 1. 2 3. 4.

Sliceavanillabeaninhalflengthwiseandscrapeouttheseeds Rubtheseedsintothesugaruntilfullyincorporated *Irecommendusing1vanillabeanper2cups/400gsugar.Sugarshouldbestoredinan airtightcontainerwiththeemptyvanillabeanpod.Ialsorecommendmakingthisin advance sothatthevanillaflavorcanbetterinfuseintothesugar,butitwillbetastyeitherway:)

make the cookies:

Preheatovento350ºF/175ºC

Creambutterandsugaruntillightandfluffy,thenaddeggandbeatuntilfully incorporated

Addbakingpowderandvanilla,mixuntilcombined Addalmonds,mixuntilfullycombined Graduallyaddflour(doughwillbesoft,butshouldstillberollable.Youwillmostlikely havetorefrigeratefor10-15mins)

Rollintocrescentshapesandplaceonparchment-linedsheetpans,leavingafew centimetersbetweeneachcookie,astheyspread Bakeforaround15mins,untilapale-goldcolor Letcoolcompletely,thencoatinvanillasugar Thesearegreatwithteaandcoffee,andmakegreatholidaygifts!

DearSanta,

A Christmas horror Story - Ilya

A WORK OF FICTION

R

Inlightofthefactthatit’snearlyChristmas,IwantedtoremindyouthatIshouldbeonyournicelistthis year.Thingshavebeenhardforme.IunderstandwhyyoumaythinkthatIdeservetobeonyournaughty list,however,Ithinkthat’sjustnotfair.LookatallthegoodthingsI’vedonethisyear!EarlyinJanuary,ifI hadgottenthatpaintballgunthatIaskedyoufor,Iwouldn'thaveeveruseditonanyotherkids.Notone childwouldhavefeltthewrathofmypaintexplodingontotheirunknowingfaces.ExceptforJames.But hewouldhavedeservedit.Imean,heprobablywouldhaveaskedmetoprovetohimIcouldhithim.SoI wouldhave,butyouunderstanddon’tyou.

Anyways,Ididn’tstealoncethisyear.I’vechanged,Iknow!Believeme,Ihavelearnedthevalueofbeing honestandnevertakingwhatisn’trightfullymine.I’veevenstartedtoreturnthingsthatIstole,likethe knifefromthefancycookingstore,eventhoughnoonehadevennoticedthatitwasgone.Ialsopaidback allofthemoneyIowedmyfriendThomas,heseemedreallyhappytobeabletouseitalltobuymenew shoes!(Ohyeah,Iwon’tbeneedingnewshoesthisyear.)Overthesummer,Ilearnedhowtomake cookieswhichweresogood!Thesmellofthechocolatefilledeveryone’slungs,Iknowit.Theywereso deliciouslycrispyontheoutsideandyetchewyandmeltyontheinside.I’llbemakingsomeforwhenyou comedownmychimney,youknowit.I’llmakeyouevenfatterthanyoualreadyare!Whichisquite impressiveifyouaskme.

Now,onthesubjectofschoolIknowsomethingshavechanged.Iadmit,IamnotproudofwhatIhave doneinclass.Butinallfairness,it’sallMr.Jackson’sfault!Letmeexplain.Mynewhomeroomteacherthis yearisMr.Jackson.Healsoteachesmath.Onourveryfirstdayofschool,havingalreadydecidedto becomeabetterstudent,Iwasbehavingcompletelyperfectlybyallstandards.WhenIraisedmyhandto askhimaquestion,hesilencedmeandtoldmetoputmyhanddownbecausewewereinthemiddleof therollcall.ButSanta,Isweartoyou,weweren’t!I’lladmit,hewascallingoutnames,butonlybecausehe wassostupidhecouldn’trememberanyone’s.Soyes,naturallyIgotangry.Istoodupthrowingmydesk forwardsandithitthekidinfrontofme.Hestartedcryingeventhoughitclearlywasjustasmallbruise startingtogrowonhishead.WhenMr.Jacksonstartedcomingtowardsme,Iscreamedathimandtold himtostayaway.IgotoutmyknifethatIstole,andpointedittowardshim.

Ok,maybeIdidkeeptheknifefromthefancycookingstore,butlikeIsaid,noonesawmeswipeitoff theshelf.MrJacksongotscared.Icouldseeitinhiseyes,thebloodvesselsstartedtobulgeoutlikeina horrorfilm.ThekidsaroundmestartedtoscreamandIshoutedatthemalltoshutup.Iyelledtothem sayingthatMr.Jacksonwasgoingtohurtusandthathewasanevilman.I’msuchakindandheartfelt person,theotherkidsreallyloveme,youcouldtelltheyfeltsafer,thankstomybravery.ItoldJamesto closethedoortotheclassroomsincehewasclosesttoit,andhedidsowithouthesitation,knowingthathe couldtrustme.Theawkward,almostscaredsmileonhisfacetoldmethatIhadhisloyalty.Itookastep closertowardsMr.Jacksonwithmyknifeclenchedinmyhand.Hedidn’tdeservetostandthereandlook atme.Iralliedmyclassmatesoncemore,orderingthemtogatheraroundhimsothathehadnowhereto escapeto.Throughouttheentiretimewhiletheotherkidsstartedtosurroundhim,Ikeptmyeyesonthe man.Hewasscared,butalsosmart.Theripplesonhisforeheadtoldmehewascalculatingawaytoget outoftheroom.Beforehisplancouldbecompletedinhismind,Istartledhimbysteppingclosetohim andyelling:“WhatdidSantagiveyoulastChristmas?!”.

Theguywasconfused,Icouldtell.Theidiot.SoIrepeatedmyquestion.MyangerrosetoaheightIhad neverfeltbefore.Icouldseethereflectionofmyeyeswithinhis,andseetheflamesbellowinginsideof them.Iwaskindofproudofmyauthorityinfrontofsuchaweakling.Youknowwherethisisgoing. Youknowwhatheansweredwith.Ofcourseyouknow,youseeeverything,you’retheonewhogave himhisChristmaswish!HechuckledafterIrepeatedmyselfandaskedifIwouldputdowntheknifeifhe toldmewhatIaskedfor.Ihadtoknowwhatyougavehim.Ihadtoknowwhatsuchameagerman deservedtowakeuptoonChristmasmorningunderneaththeChristmasTree.Heanswered,almost jokingly,“Igotapaintballgun.”

Howcouldyou?HowdidhedeserveitmorethanIdid?Howcouldyouevercomparehimtomeand mykindnessandfallforhistrickstothinkhemeritssuchawonderfulgift?It’sUNFAIR!Iscreamedat him.Justthen,theidiotlaunchedhimselfatmethinkinghehadoverpoweredmywitthroughemotional manipulation.Buthehadn’t.I’masturdykid.Ashejumpedtowardsme,Iheldoutmyknifeandit disappearedintohisstomach.Hedeservedit.Andyouwerewrong.Heforcedmetodoit,Isweartoyou, it’snotmyfaultthathecollapsedtothefloorclutchinghisabdomen.

Yourjudgmentwasofflasttime.SoI’maskingyoukindlynottojudgemetooquickly.IpromiseI deservetobeonyournicelist.Iamtellingyou,now,sothatyoudon’tmakeanothermistake.Honestly, justforwritingthisletter,Ideservetobeonthenicelist.SoyoudoputmeonitandI’llhavecookies waitinginthelivingroomjustforyou,deal?Andmaybe,I’llstayuptoseeyou,sowecanhaveatalk, youandI.Iappreciateyou,Santa,Ireallydo.

From, YourBiggestFan 70RueduThéâtre75015

Isabelle C

Aya M Anna H Camila V Adele C Sinchana R Rose M Camille B Clementine S Eva K Eleni T Ev A Ilya R Isabella S Jacob G Laia B Luisa G

A SPECIAL

THANKS TO Ms. Stathopulos, and of course all of the students who contributed to this issue with their work

WITH US! issuu.com/lebilingue bloglebilingue.wordpress.com @lebilingue studentjournalism@ejm.org