geography

now i know geography is a struggle for some; it used to be for me, too. back in high school, before i had really started to travel, it was incredibly hard for me to place foreign-sounding places on a map, especially cities i couldn't even pronounce. after spending four years studying african history, i've learned how to get past the initial confusion of unfamiliar words, and am currently working on remembering not only how they're pronounced, but where they are placed on a map.

how good are you??

AFRICA:

can you name all 59 countries in africa? and/or their capital cities (marked with a red dot)?


NORTH AMERICA:

how about north america? there are only four countries/capitals this time.


SOUTH AMERICA:
there are fifteen to be found in south america.


CENTRAL AMERICA & THE CARRIBEAN:
central america & the carribean is a bit more difficult with all of its island nations. there are 38 total to find, although some of them don't have capital cities.


ASIA:
this map of asia, including northern, western, central & eastern asia, has 43 countries/capitals to find.


MIDDLE EAST:
can you name the 30 countries that make up the middle east?




AFRICA:
1 Malawi (Lilongwe)
2 Chad (N'Djamena)
3 Angola (Luanda)
4 Equitorial Guinea (Malabo)
5 Madeira Islands [PORT] (Funchal)
6 South Africa (Legislative: Cape Town, Judicial: Bloemfontein, Executive: Pretoria)
7 Mauritania (Nouakchott)
8 [Republic of the] Congo (Brazzaville)
9 Mauritius (Port Louis)
10 Egypt (Cairo)
11 Algeria (Algiers)
12 Botswana (Gaborone)
13 Côte D'Ivoire [Ivory Coast] (Current: Yamoussoukro, De Facto: Abidjan)
14 Saint Helena [UK] (Jamestown)
15 Uganda (Kampala)
16 Comoros Islands (Moroni)
17 Mayotte [FR] (Mamoudzou)
18 Morocco (Rabat)
19 Guinea (Conakry)
20 Rwanda (Kigali)
21 Madagascar (Antananarivo)
22 Sierra Leone (Freetown)
23 Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
24 Niger (Niamey)
25 Zambia (Lusaka)
26 Kenya (Nairobi)
27 Cape Verde (Praia)
28 Ghana (Accra)
29 Eritrea (Asmara)
30 Liberia (Monrovia)
31 Burundi (Bujumbura)
32 Canary Islands [SP] (On the island of Gran Canaria: Las Palmas, on the island of Tenerife: Santa Cruz)
33 Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou)
34 Gabon (Libreville)
35 Somalia (Mogadishu)
36 Réunion [FR] (Saint-Denis)
37 Benin (Porto-Novo)
38 Tanzania (Dodoma)
39 Lesotho (Maseru)
40 Mali (Bamako)
41 Togo (Lomé)
42 Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa)
43 Seychelles Islands (Victoria)
44 Guinea Bissau (Bissau)
45 Sudan (Khartoum)
46 Mozambique (Maputo)
47 Tunisia (Tunis)
48 Western Sahara (El Aaiún)
49 Cameroon (Yaoundé)
50 Namibia (Windhoek)
51 Sénégal (Dakar)
52 Central African Republic (Bangui)
53 São Tomé & Príncipe (São Tomé)
54 Libya (Tripoli)
55 Djibouti (Djibouti)
56 Swaziland (Mbabane)
57 The Gambia (Banjul)
58 Zimbabwe (Harare)
59 Nigeria (Abuja)


NORTH AMERICA:
1 Greenland (Nuuk)
2 Mexico (Mexico City)
3 Canada (Ottowa)
4 The United States of America (Washington D.C.)


SOUTH AMERICA:
1 Argentina (Buenos Aires)
2 Colombia (Bogota)
3 Peru (Lima)
4 Suriname (Paramaribo)
5 Brazil (Brasilia)
6 Uruguay (Montevideo)
7 Bolivia (La Paz; Sucre)
8 Falkland Islands (Port Stanley)
9 Paraguay (Asuncion)
10 Venezuela (Caracas)
11 Guyana (Georgetown)
12 South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands (Grytviken)
13 Ecuador (Quito)
14 French Guiana (Cayenne)
15 Chile (Santiago)

CENTRAL AMERICA & THE CARRIBEAN:
1 Honduras (Tegucigalpa)
2 Puerto Rico (San Juan)
3 Saint Kitts & Nevis (Basseterre)
4 Guatemala (Guatemala City)
5 Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo)
6 Saint Martin
7 Monserrat (Plymouth: de jure; Brades: de facto)
8 Barbados (Bridgetown)
9 Nicaragua (Managua)
10 Cuba (Havana)
11 Aruba (Oranjestad)
12 Saint Lucia (Castries)
13 Costa Rica (San José)
14 Bahamas (Nassau)
15 British Virgin Islands (Road Town)
16 Tobago (Scarborough)
17 Barbuda (Codrington)
18 La Tortuga
19 US Virgin Islands (Charlotte Amalie)
20 Haiti (Port-au-Prince)
21 Belize (Belmopan)
22 Guadeloupe (Basse-terre)
23 Anguilla (The Valley)
24 Margarita (La Asuncion)
25 El Salvador (San Salvador)
26 Jamaica (Kingston)
27 Bermuda (Hamilton)
28 Martinique (Fort-de-France)
29 Cayman Islands (George Town)
30 Antigua (Saint John's)
31 Bonaire (Kralendijk)
32 Trinidad (Port of Spain)
33 Dominica (Roseau)
34 Saint Vincent & The Grenadines (Kingstown)
35 Curaçao (Willemstad)
36 Grenada (Saint George's)
37 Mexico (Mexico City)
38 Panama (Panama City)


ASIA:
1 Bangladesh (Dhaka)
2 Laos (Vientiane)
3 Azerbaijan (Baku)
4 North Korea (Pyongyang)
5 Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek)
6 Armenia (Yerevan)
7 Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
8 Japan (Tokyo)
9 Sri Lanka (Colombo; Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte)
10 United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)
11 Iran (Tehran)
12 India (New Delhi)
13 Mongolia (Ulan Bator)
14 Vietnam (Hanoi)
15 Uzbekistan (Tashkent)
16 Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)
17 Kazakhstan (Astana)
18 Nepal (Kathmandu)
19 Iraq (Baghdad)
20 Burma/Myanmar (Rangoon; Naypyidan)
21 Russia (Moscow)
22 South Korea (Seoul)
23 Bhutan (Thimpu)
24 Turkmenistan (Ashgabat)
25 Tajikistan (Dushanbe)
26 Thailand (Bangkok)
27 Yemen (Sanaa)
28 Pakistan (Islamabad)
29 Bahrain (Manama)
30 Cambodia (Phnom Penh)
31 East Timor (Dili)
32 Oman(Muscat)
33 Brunei (Bandar Seri Begawan)
34 Philippines (Manila)
35 Georgia (Tbilisi)
36 Afghanistan (Kabul)
37 Taiwan (Taipei)
38 Indonesia (Jakarta)
39 Qatar (Doha)
40 Kuwait (Kuwait City)
41 Maldives (Malé)
42 Singapore (Singapore)
43 China (Beijing)



MIDDLE EAST:
1 United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)
2 Georgia (Tbilisi)
3 Lebanon (Beirut)
4 Iran (Tehran)
5 Jordan (Amman)
6 Azerbaijan (Baku)
7 Tajikistan (Dushanbe)
8 West Bank (Ramallah)
9 Gaza Strip (Gaza)
10 Uzbekistan (Tashkent)
11 Israel (Jerusalem)
12 Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)
13 Turkey (Ankara)
14 Turkmenistan (Ashgabat)
15 Qatar (Doha)
16 Pakistan (Islamabad)
17 Armenia (Yerevan)
18 Syria (Damascus)
19 Kazakhstan (Astana)
20 Afghanistan (Kabul)
21 Iraq (Baghdad)
22 Oman (Muscat)
23 China (Beijing)
24 Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek)
25 Russia (Moscow)
26 Bahrain (Manama)
27 Yemen (Sanaa)
28 India (New Delhi)
29 Cyprus (Nicosia)
30 Kuwait (Kuwait City)

vocabulary

one of my alternate tasks was to expand my vocabulary.
for other languages, most of this will probably come from reading books.

the definitions in french have been looked up by hand in a real dictionary (omg!), le dictionnaire universel. in learning languages i have always found that learning the definition of the word in the same language is best, but i have provided english, too, for those of you who don't speak french & might want to learn! the english translations are thanks to www.wordreference.com, which is my favorite translation site for many reasons.

if anyone else out there wants to join in, feel free!


french:

à l'écart (loc) dans un lieu écarté, isolé [apart, at a distance, isolated]

au saut du lit (loc) au sortir du lit [get out of bed]

abasourdi (adj) qui rend sourd; frappé de stupeur [bewildered, dumbfounded, stunned, dazed, astounded, flabbergasted]

s'abattre (v pr) tomber brutalement [break over, beat down on, storm]

abonder (v) être ou exister en très grande quantité [abound, be plentiful]

aborder (v) arriver à un endroit, commencer à parler de quelque chose [tackle, approach, address]

ADN (acide désoxyribonucléique) (nm) l'information génétique [DNA]

accoutrement (nm) habillement étrange ou grotesque [getup (clothes)]

s'affaisser (v pr) plier, baisser de niveau sous l'effet d'un poids, d'une pression [subside, sag, collapse]

agacé(e) (adj) ennervé, irrité, impatienté [annoyed, irritated]

ahuri(e) (adj) frappé de stupeur, hébété [dazed, stunned, stupified, flabbergasted]

anneau (nm) ce qui a une forme circulaire [ring, link]

apprêter (v) préparer [get ready, dress]

assourdissant(e) (adj) qui cause une surdité passagère à quelqu'un [deafening]

atténué(e) (adj) moins fort [diminished, faded, lessened, decreased]

s'avérer (v pr) se révéler, apparaître [prove true, come true, turn out]

averse (nf) pluie soudaine et abondante [shower, downpour]

avide (adj) qui désire ardemment se procurer quelque chose; cupide [greedy, avid for, eager for]

badin(e) (adj) enjoué, plaisant [bantering, playful, light-hearted]

balbutier (v) articuler les mots avec difficulté ou hesitation; bredouiller [mumble, stammer, babble]

baliverne (nf) propos frivole, sornette [nonsense, balderdash]

béquille (nf) support passant sous l'aisselle et muni d'une poignée pour aider un infirme à marcher [crutch, kickstand]

besace (nf) sac à deux poches, avec une ouverture au milieu [pouch]

betterave (nf) plante cultivée pour sa racine charnue, de forte taille [beet]

bond (nm) saut brusque [leap, bound]

bondé(e) (adj) rempli de gens [packed, crowded]

borborygme (nm) gargouillement intestinal; paroles incompréhensibles [rumbling, gurgling]

bougre de (loc) espèce de [piece of]

brailler (v) parler, crier, chanter trop fort [yell, bawl]

brebis (nf) mouton femelle [ewe]

bredouiller (v) parler de maière précipitée et confuse [mumble, bumble, mutter]

brisé(e) (adj) cassé, rompu [broken, shattered]

broyer (v) réduire en poudre ou en pâte, écraser [grind, crush]

bruissement (nm) bruit confus et continu [rustle, whirring]

cadran (nm) surface graduée sur laquelle se déplace l'aguille d'un appareil de mesure [face (clock), dial]

calembredaine (nf) propos denué de bon sens [??]

cancan (nm) bavardage malveillant [gossip]

canotier (nm) chapeau de paille à bords et à fond plats [boater hat]

carrelage (nm) surface pavée avec des vitres [tiled floor]

casse-croûte (nm) repas léger que prennent les ouvriers au cours de leur travail [quick lunch]

cellule (nf) le plus petit élément organisé de tout être vivant [cell, unit]

la cellule souche (nf) la cellule aui peut donner naissance à plusieurs populations cellulaires [stem cell, progenitor cell]

cintre (nm) support pour les vêtements [clothes hanger]

cloué(e) (adj) fixe [nailed down, pinned down, attached]

cogner (v) frapper fort à coups répétés [knock, bang on, pound]

couche (nf) substance étalée; épaisseur de terreau; strate homogène de terrains sédementaire; protection absorbante pour nourrissons; classe, catégorie sociale [layer, coat; diaper; class, sector]

courroucé(e) (adj) en colère [irate]

crasse (nf) saleté qui s'amasse [grime, filth, dirt]

crasseux/se (adj) couvert de crasse [filthy, grimy, dingy]

crépiter (v) produire une suite de bruits secs [crackle, sizzle, spatter]

crin (nm) poils longs et rêches [hair, bristle]

crinière (nf) crins du cou de quelques animaux (lion); chevelure abondante [mane, head of hair]

crispé(e) (a) contracté [clenched, tensed up, contorted]

cuivre (nm) metal usuel de couleur rouge [copper, brass]

se dandiner (v pr) balancer son corps d'un mouvement réulier et rhythmé [waddle]

déballer (v) retirer de son emballage; (argot: parler ex. "déballe!" = "dit-moi") [unpack, unwrap]

décacheter (v) ouvrir ce qui est cacheté [unseal, tear open]

dédaigneux/se (adj) qui montre du méprie, orgueil [disdainful, scornful]

défoncé(e) (adj) brisé, crevé en enfonçant [broken down, smashed]

dégarnir (v) retirer ce qui garnit [thin out, take the trimmings off, become sparse, be cleared out]

dénicher (v) trouver, découvrir; ôter du nid [dig out, track down, unearth]

dossard (nm) morceau de tissu que portent les participants d'une compétition sportive par-dessus leur tenue, sur lequel est inscrit dans le dos, et souvent sur la poitrine, leur numéro d'ordre ou d'identification [number worn by an athlete]

ébouriffer (v) rebrousser en désordre les cheveux [toussle, ruffle (hair)]

échevelé(e) (adj) dont la chevelure est en désordre [tousled, disheveled]

s'éclaircir (v pr) rendre plus clair [clear, fade, get lighter, become clearer]

s'écrouler (v pr) tomber en s'affaissant, de toute sa masse et avec fracas [collapse, crumble, devastate, demolish]

écume (nf) mousse blanchâtre se formant à la surface d'une liquide [foam, froth]

édenté(e) (adj) qui a perdu ses dents [toothless]

effaré(e) (adj) stupéfié [aghast, alarmed]

efflanqué(e) (adj) maigre et sec [emaciated]

effraction (nf) bris/fracture de clotûre ou serrure [breaking and entering]

effondré(e) (adj) écroulé, soudain anéanti [brought down, collapsed]

s'éffondrer (v pr) s'ecrouler, être soudain anéanti [collapse, crumble, fall]

égaré(e) (adj) détourné du bon chemin; perdu momentanément [astray, mislaid, misplaced]

s'égosiller (v pr) crier longtemps très fort [shout oneself hoarse, yell]

embroché(e) (adj) transpercé avec une arme pointue [skewered]

embruns (nmpl) bruine formée par les vagues qui se brisent [ocean spray]

empêcher (v) entraver (gêner) quelqu'un dans son action, ses projets; mettre un obstacle à quelque chose [prevent, stop, inhibit]

engloutir (v) faire disparaître, absorber [engulf, swallow up, devour, gobble up, wolf down, squander]

enjamber (v) franchir (passer un obstacle) en faisant un pas par dessus [to step over (an obstacle)]

esquimau (nm) glace fichée sur un batonnet comme une sucette [ice cream bar]

étendre (v) allonger; déployer en surface [stretch, spread out, extend]

étouffé(e) (adj) gêné, eteint, arrêté (la respiration par asphyxie) [muffled, choked, suppressed, stifled, smothered]

être dans de beaux draps (exp) être dans une situation embarrassante [be in deep water, be in a sticky situation, be in a pickle]

étreinte (nf) action de presser quelqu'un dans ses bras [embrace, grip, squeeze]

étrenner (v) faire usage le premier ou pour la première fois [use/try/wear for the first time]

éventrer (v) blesser en ouvrant le ventre; déchirer, défoncer [disembowel, gore, rip open]

faire volte-face (v) action de se retourner pour faire face [turn around, about face, flip flop]

faribole (nf) propos frivole [nonsense]

se faufiler (v pr) se glisser adroitement [slip out, creep out]

fêler (v) couper, crevasser, craqueler un objet cassant sans que les morceaux se disjoignent [crack]

fichu (adj) mauvais, détestable, désagréable [rotten, dreadful, damned, lousy]

figer (v) rendre solide un liquide gras par le froid [freeze, congeal]

flambant (a) qui brûle d'un feu vif [blazing, burning]
flambant neuf (loc) [brand new, spanking new]

flancher (v) céder, faiblir [lose one's nerves, crack, chicken out, give out]

foire (nf) grand marché public qui se tient à dates regulières [fair, exhibition, market]

foisonnement (nm) fait de abonder ou pulluler [abondance, multitude, proliferation, expansion]

foraine (adj) relatif aux foires [fairground]

fouet (nm) corde ou lanières de cuir attachés au bout d'un manche pour frapper [whip, scourge]

fouetter (v) donner des coups de fouet; congéler, frapper [whip, flog, thrash, beat]

fouiller (v) explorer soigneusement pour trouver quelque chose [search, frisk, scour]

frac (nm) habit de cérémonie [tailcoat]

fracas (nm) bruit très violent [crash, roar, din]

fredonner (v) chanter à mi-voix sans ouvrir la bouche [hum]

frémir (v) trembler d'émotion [quiver, tremble, shudder]

frénésie (nf) exhaltation violente [frenzy]

frétiller (v) s'agiter de petits mouvements vifs [wriggle, wag]

friandise (nf) sucrerie ou pâtisserie délicate [candy, sweets, delicacy]

froissé(e) (adj) choqué, par manque de délicatesse [rumpled, wrinkled, crumpled]

fuite (nf) l'action de s'éloigner rapidement pour échapper à un danger [flight, escape, evasion]

gâcher (v) abimer, gâter (endommager, corrompre, pourrir, alterer, troubler) [waste, spoil]

geignard (adj) qui se plait sans cesse [whiny]

glapir (v) émmetre des jappements aïgus et répétés (renard, jeunes chiens); crier, chanter d'une voix aigre [yap, bark, shriek, snap out]

se glisser (v pr) se déplacer d'un mouvement [wedge in, slide in]

glousser (v) crier (poule); rire en mettant des petits cris [cluck; chuckle, chortle]

gond (nm) pièce métallique autour de laquelle tourne une porte ou fenêtre [hinge]

gorgée (nf) quantité de liquide avalée en une seule fois [sip, gulp]

gresiller (v) crépiter légèrement [sizzle, crackle]

griffonner (v) écrire peu lisiblement [scrawl, scribble, scratch]

grinçant(e) (adj) qui produit par frottement un bruit strident et désagréable [scathing, caustic, nasty]

grincheux/se (adj) grognon, ronchon [cranky, grumpy, grouchy]

grognement (nm) grondement de protestation [grunt, growel]

grommeler (v) murmurer entre ses dents [grumble, mutter]

grondement (nm) bruit sourd et prolongé [roar, angry murmur, rumble]

guenille (nf) vêtement déchiré [rag]

en guise de (loc) au lieu de [by way of, instead of]

hâter (v) accélérer, rendre plus rapide; (v pr) se dépêcher de [hasten, hurry, rush]

heurter (v) rencontrer rudement [collide with, clash, bump into]

hirsute (adj) ébouriffé, échevelé [dishevelled, unkempt, shaggy, unshaven]

hocher (v) remuer (bouger) la tête [nod or shake one's head]

houlette (nf) bâton de berger [shepard's crook]

inlassablement (av) sans se lasser [tirelessly, endlessly]

jaillir (v) sortir impetueusement; se manifester soudain [gush out, flow, shoot up, squirt, spurt, shine forth (light)]

jugeote (nf) bon sens [common sense]

juteux/se (adj) qui rend beaucoup de jus [juicy]

se lasser (v pr) fatiguer, ennuyer [grow tired, grow bored of]

limace (nf) mollusque gastropode terrestre sans coquille; personne lente, molle [slug]

lueur (nf) lumière faible ou passagèrée [gleam, glow, glimmer]

luisant(e) (adj) qui émet ou reflet le lumière [shining, glistening, gleaming]

mâchon (nm) restaurant simple; casse-croûte [snack]

malmené(e) (adj) traité avec rudesse en paroles ou en actes [mistreated, manhandled]

manège (nm) attraction foraine dans laquelle les animaux figurés ou des vehicules divers tournent autour d'un axe centrale [merry-go-round]

se mirer (v pr) se refléter, voir son image reflétée [see oneself]

monceau (nm) tas/amas important [pile]

mordoré(e) (adj) d'un brun chaud, a reflets dorés [golden brown, bronze]

morne (adj) empreint d'une sombre tristesse [gloomy, glum, dreary, doleful, dismal, lackluster, bleak]

morula (nf) premier stade de développement de l'embryon, résultat de la segmentation de l'oeuf [??]

narquois(e) (adj) goguenard, moqueur [mocking, contemptuous]

navré(e) (adj) désole [terribly sorry, heartbroken]

nouer (v) faire un noeud [tie, tie up, knot]

noueux (adj) qui a des noeuds ou des nodosités [knobby, knobbly, gnarled, gnarly, nubby]

noyau (nm) partie centrale, dure, de certains fruits; partie centrale, plus dense que quelque chose; (bio) partie centrale d'une cellule [pit; core; nucleus]

olibrius (nm) personnage ridicule [customer (derogatory)]

or (conj) sert à introduire les phrases d'un récit, d'un discours [and yet]

d'ores et déjà (loc) dés maintenant [already]

paroi (nf) surface interne ou latérale de quelque chose; cloison séparant deux pièces; versant montagneux abrupt [wall; inner surface; rock face]

pelage (nm) poils d'un mammifère [coat, fur]

pelote (nf) boule formée de fils [ball (of thread/yarn/wool)]

pénombre (nf) lumière faible et douce [half-light, shadowy or feeble light]

percuter (v) frapper, heurter violemment [hit, crash into, collide]

pétard (nm) série de brèves détonations [firecracker]

pianoter (v) tapoter avec les doigts sur un objet [drum (with fingers)]

pleurnicher (v) pleurer sans raison précise [whimper, whine, fret, fuss, snivel]

potin (nm) commérage, cancan [gossip]

propret (adj) coquet, simple et propre [neat]

pulluler (v) être en abondance [proliferate]

queue-de-pie (nm) habit de cérémonie à longues barques [tailcoat]

quiconque (pr rel) qui que ce soit, toute personne qui [whoever, anyone who]
quiconque (pr indéf) n'importe qui [anyone, anybody]

rafistoler (v) reparer sans grand soin [patch up, fix]

raide (adj) tendu, rigide, qui ne plie pas, sans souplesse [stiff, rigid]

ramper (v) progresser par ondulation du corps (animaux dépourvus de membres) [crawl, creep]

rapace (nm) oiseaux carnivore [raptor, bird of prey]

rapetisser (v) rendre plus petit [shrink, shrivel, diminish]

râpeux/se (adj) rugueux [rough]

rauque (adj) rude, âpre (voix) [husky, hoarse, raucously]

se raviser (v pr) changer d'avis [think better of, change one's mind]

se recroqueviller (v pr) se replier en séchant, se retracter [cower]

se redresser (v pr) remettre dans une position verticale [sit up]

renifler (v) respirer par le nez avec bruit [sniff]

répliquer (v) répondre vivement [retaliate, respond]

résigné(e) (adj) qui a renoncé à lutter [resigned]

rétrécir (v) devenir plus étroit [narrow, shrink]

retrousser (v) ramener vers le haut [hike up (skirt), roll up (sleeves)]

réverbère (nm) appareil d'éclairage de la voie publique [street lamp]

ricaner (v) rire à demi, avec une intention moqueuse [snigger, giggle]

rongé(e) (adj) détruite par une action lente, progressive [eroded, gnawed at]

ruche (nf) habitation des abeilles [beehive]

ruisselant(e) (adj) qui coule en filets d'eau [dripping, streaming]

sacristie (nf) salle, attenante à une église, où on range les objets du culte [sacristy, vestry]

scarabée (nm) coléoptère (genre d'insect) aux élytres (ailes rigides) coloriés [beetle]

scintiller (v) briller d'un éclat irrégulier et tremblotant; briller en jetant des éclats de lumière [sparkle, twinkle, glisten]

scruter (v) examiner très attentivement [scan, scrutinize, examine]

semer (v fam) se débarrasser de quelqu'un en lui faissant compagnie [shake off someone]

serrure (nf) dispositif qui permet de bloquer en position fermée au moyen d'une clé [keyhole, lock]

songer (v) penser, envisager, projeter [think of something, muse]

sornette (nf) propos frivole, bagatille, bêtise [trifle, foolish thing]

sot/te (adj) sans intelligence ni jugement [silly, inane]

sottise (nf) parole ou action sotte [silly remark, rubbish, silliness, foolishness]

souche (nf) partie d'une arbre (bas du tronc et racines) qui reste en terre après l'abattage; personne dont descend une famille; origine, source de quelque chose [stump]

subir (v) supporter ce qui est imposé [be subjected to, put up with suffer, undergo]

suraïgu(e) (adj) très vif, intense, d'une fréquence élévée [very high-pitched, acute, piercing]

en sursaut (loc) avec une soudaineté brutale [with a start]

sur ses talons (loc) très près [on one's heels]

tâche (nf) ouvrage qui doit être exécuté dans un temps donné [task, job]

tambouriner (v) frapper sur quelque chose à coups répétés [hammer on, drum on]

tapage (nm) bruit accompagné de désordre [din, racket, furor, hype, uproar]

se tasser (v pr) s'affaisser sur soi-même, se serrer les uns contre les autres [shrink, squash up]

têtard (nm) larve des batraciens (amphibiens) [tadpole]

tignasse (nf) chevelure touffue, mal peignée [shock of hair, mop of hair]

tire-d'aile (adv) très rapidement [hurriedly, in a flurry of wings]

traînant(e) (adj) qui tire derrière soi en faisant glisser [shuffling, dragging, loitering]

trébucher (v) faire un faux pas, perdre l'équilibre [stumble, trip]

tremper (v) mouiller completement [soak, dip, dunk]

troupeau (nm) troupe d'animaux domestique de même espèce, élevés ensemble [herd, flock]

trousseau de clés (nm) clés réunies par un anneau [ring of keys, bunch]

urne (nf) vase qui contient les cendres d'un mort [urn]

vacarme (nm) tapage tumulte [din, racket, hullabaloo]

vasistas (nm) petite ouverture dans une porte ou fenêtre munie d'un vantail [fanlight]

verrouillé(e) (adj) bloqué, barré [latched, bolted]

volant (nm) organe circulaire qui permet de diriger une voiture [steering wheel]

en vouloir quelqu'un (v) avoir de la rancune (ressentiment profond) contre lui [bear a grudge, hold something against someone]

project zero

I am prone to making lists; of groceries, of goals, of things to do around the house. They help me stay focused, they remind me of what's crucial in my life, and the act of writing them down somehow makes them more important, more concrete. And of course, last but certainly not least, is the intense pleasure derived once the task is completed and I get to check or cross it off the list...

I came across Day Zero on a random blog the other day and was intrigued. I had just written a list of life goals in my journal, things I want to work on and work towards, and I was struck by how many people had been inspired to do the same. The idea is to set yourself a number of specific tasks to be completed, 101 tasks to be exact, and to complete them in just under three years, 1001 days.


Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.


I did some good soul-searching, trying to figure out what changes I want to make, what I want to strive for in the next few years, what specific actions will shape my character for the better. I officially started my quest yesterday, July 6, 2009 and will officially finish 1001 days later on Monday, April 2, 2012, just before the rest of my family will (hopefully) be coming to France for the summer to celebrate my mother's 50th birthday.

The goals are meant to be challenging but realistic. They are meant to help push me out of my comfort zone, to try new activities, expand my knowledge and circle of friends. And lucky for you, I will be blogging much more often in order to document my accomplishments. The 101 tasks will be to the right of my entries, and I will update daily with my progress.

I greatly appreciate the love and support I receive from all of you on a regular basis and would greatly appreciate your support with this endeavor as well! Wish me luck!!!


the official list, to be completed on monday, april 2, 2012:


HEALTH / BEAUTY
1 complete "40 days to personal revolution"
2 go to a yoga retreat
3 get certified as a yoga instructor
4 start & end each day with meditation
5 get a massage every month
6 drink 64oz. of water every day for six months
7 complete a ten-day fast
8 chop all my hair off

THINGS TO LEARN
9 learn spanish (well enough to travel in spanish-speaking countries & only communicate in spanish)
10 learn every region of france & its capital city
11 learn every department of france & its capital city
12 learn to place every country on a map
13 learn the capital city of every country
14 learn how to develop my own film
15 learn how to rock climb
16 learn a martial art
17 buy an eisel and learn how to paint
18 really learn how to play the guitar
19 learn to recognize ten main constellations in the sky

ACTIVITIES / RECREATION
20 start the divine beings project
21 run a half marathon
22 run a marathon
23 take a dance class
24 finish knitting the patchwork quilt
25 knit a sweater
26 go kayaking/canoeing
27 jump off a waterfall
28 find or create a group that slacklines regularly/recreationally
29 be in a play
30 go skinny dipping
31 ride in a hot air balloon
32 see the tour de france live
33 go to the opera
34 see a concert of an artist i've never heard of
35 go to a rugby match
36 sing karaoke
37 sleep under the stars
38 throw a potluck
39 make my own paper
40 unplug for the weekend (don't use any electricity)
41 go to a museum
42 go to an amusement park & try all the scary rides
43 do twenty puzzles

ONCE A...
44 spruce up the apartment with flowers once a month
45 go on "photo shoots" once a month
46 write at least one letter each week
47 blog once a week for 12 weeks
48 go swimming at the pool once a month for one year
49 start hosting a "game night" once a month for one year

FOR ONE MONTH
50 journal every day for one month
51 record my dreams every day for one month
52 be vegan for one month
53 no alcohol for one month
54 wake up before 8am every day for one month
55 go to bed before 10pm every night for one month

TRAVEL
56 return to taiwan
57 visit a national park in france
58 hike in the alps
59 go to italy
60 touch a new continent (africa!!)
61 go on another two week bike trip
62 have visited (not just passed through) every region in mainland france
63 visit amsterdam
64 visit vulcania

READING / WRITING / RESEARCH
65 read 52 books in 52 weeks, no cheating (half in french, a quarter non-fiction)
66 watch ten foreign films (not in english or french) in the original language
67 finish research & complete "the yoga journals"
68 read the most important works of each major religion (the tripitaka, the qur'an, the old & new testaments, the rgveda/yajurveda/samaveda/atharvaveda, the guru granth sahib/dasam granth, & the kitab-i-aqdas)
69 join a bookclub
70 research & buy a real camera
71 study phytotherapy/ayurvedic medicine/healing with plants (and plant my favs in the garden)
72 subscribe to a newspaper
73 write a short story

FOOD
74 check out cookbooks & try 1 new recipe per week for 12 weeks
75 buy produce at the famer's market at least once a month
76 go wine tasting
77 learn when fruits & veggies are in season and try to eat accordingly
78 no more meat
79 eat out at ten local restaurants
80 try a new kind of tea every month
81 try ten new foods i've never tried and/or heard of
82 make my own soy milk
83 make my own jam
84 make my own wine
85 make homemade bread
86 make my own tofu

GOOD WILL
87 volunteer & donate
88 give blood three times
89 go on "trash walks" once a month
90 donate my hair to locks for love
91 donate 100,000 grains of rice at freerice.com
92 plant a tree

LOVE
93 go on a date with rémy twice a month
94 give rémy a massage once a month
95 go on a date alone

CAREER / FINANCE
96 only accept a job that is doing something that i believe in/love/where i am making a difference
97 put aside $1000 each year and don't touch it

MISCELLANEOUS
98 make a new friend
99 calculate my carbon footprint & try to reduce it every six months
100 buy a nice guitar
101 spend five days (not necessarily consecutive) not speaking


ALTERNATES
> see a significant astronomical event
> learn ten new card tricks
> collect wild mushrooms
> make homemade pasta
> go fishing
> buy a lottery ticket
> buy a piece of artwork
> go to the sziget music festival in budapest
> go to the festival of lights in lyon
> make & fly a kite that works
> bury a time capsule
> go ice skating
> expand my vocabulary

madame coutarel

well, quite a lot has happened in only three months. let's bullet-point the main events.

-i now live in chamalières, france, in a quaint apartment with a large back yard where i've planted plenty of vegetables & can hang my laundry to dry in the summer sun. our neighbors have a modest castle complete with a moat & drawbridge & i get to wake up to see baby swans swimming around under the bridge.

we've modified the garden since this picture, but just to give you a main idea of our backyard.

the castle. if you look close you can see water, but i don't think there are any swans in this picture.

our bedroom. i'll take more apartment pictures soon & post them for you to see.

-i'm learning spanish, chinese & arabic. hopefully these will help with my travels in the future.



-oh, and how could i forget? i got married.

no ceremony (for now). just married at the city hall.

first dance (no music).

the new coutarel family.

first time back at the apartment as a married couple!!

we are now officially mr. & mrs. rémy andré coutarel. pretty frightening. i am a madame now, which makes me feel very very old.

we went on a makeshift honeymoon, which was really just riding our bikes around the region for two days, but we saw a lot of beauty in those 150km.



























for now we're settling into our life in france. i'm hoping to be able to work soon enough so we can really start saving up for our big bike trip. i miss everyone back home a lot, but life here is really good, too. i can't wait to have a big ceremony in a few years where everyone can celebrate our love together!!!

hope all is well back home! ;) love from both of us in france...