un métier (may-tyay) noun, masculine
  1. job, profession, craft, trade, occupation, business

Expressions:
parler métier = to talk shop
avoir du métier = to have practical experience
"Chacun son métier et les vaches seront bien gardées" = "If each does his job, the cows will be well looked after" = (it is best to mind one’s own business)

Proverb
Si le métier n’enrichit pas, il met à l’abri du besoin.
If the job does not enrich, it shelters need.

A Day in a French Life…
On Saturday morning I rummaged through the placards* for breakfast. There, among boxes of pâtes,* riz* and organic instant purée de pommes* de terre, I found three boxes of sugar-coated "pops," "smacks" and "crunches". Deciding that I could imagine an even noisier petit déjeuner* than the cereal manufacturers, I set out to dice the loudest fruit in stock chez nous.* To the green apples I added some mute bananas and silent strawberries (synthesizing the bruit*).

Max, Jackie and I split the sweet and tart salad three ways. Twenty minutes later, Jean-Marc sat down to table; before him: a bowl of hot milk and an odd medley of left-over bread ends (now toasted).
"Maman,"* Jackie said, "Where is papa’s* fruit salad?"
(Silence and guilty looks ensued…)
"It’s okay, Jackie, I have enough here," Jean-Marc replied.
With that, my 7-year-old disappeared.

While Jean-Marc and I were going over our plans for the week-end, Jackie returned; in her hands, a small, faux gold-rimmed bowl, inside the bowl, jagged cuts of fruit. For her father, Jackie had carefully cubed a pomme verte*–leaving its skin–and sliced another banana before putting the fruit into the prettiest bowl she could reach.

"Jackie," I said, "You are so thoughtful!"
My daughter did a little twirl then changed the subject completely:

"Mon métier sera de visiter les choses– My job will be to visit things!"

Max and I seemed to be thinking the same thing, except that my ten-year-old verbalized his opinion:

"Jackie, that’s not a job–"to visit things"–and you won’t be paid for it."

After a few moments of reflection, I said:
"That’s exactly what your tante* Cécile studied– le tourisme!"*

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*References: le placard (m) = cupboard; les pâtes (fpl) = pasta; le riz (m) = rice; la purée de pommes de terre (f) = mashed potatoes; le petit déjeuner (m) = breakfast; chez nous = at our place; le bruit (m) = noise; la maman (f) = mom; le papa (m) = dad; la pomme verte (f) = green apple; la tante (f) = aunt; le tourisme (m) = tourism

Photo du Jour:

If Jackie does become a tour guide (see today’s story) perhaps she’ll start by showing off a charming village close to her home: Ampus. This photo was taken 2 years ago, when my aunt and uncle came to visit.