Dr. Nicole Basaraba

Assistant Professor in Digital Humanities, TCD

Nicole Basaraba

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A Canadian learning French in Belgium

I started French classes. Yeah, I finally caved. After years of vowing to never take French, I have been coerced by the question “You’re Canadian! Don’t you speak French?” and the loneliness of verbal isolation to start learning. I must be the only person, wait, the only female on this planet who does not like

“You’re from Canada! Don’t you speak French?”

Living in Belgium, where French is one of the national languages, I get this remark a lot: “you’re Canadian and you don’t speak French?” It’s quite shocking to every European I’ve come into contact with. In Belgium, there are three official languages: Flemish (60%), French (40%), and German (1%). Flemish is spoken mainly in Flanders

Ode to Coffee

Your transparent caramel colour entices me. When you touch my lips for the first time, I´m eager to devour you. I take you from mouth and inhale deeply. I smile from satisfaction with my first cup of morning coffee.

The Guessing Game

Well, firstly I let me tell you that in December 2009 I moved from my small hometown in Canada after I graduated university to a capital city in Europe. So where am I writing from you ask? Can you guess? Let me start by giving you some hints. I can tell you that, this European