Les XV de France

Defying all logic, the French National Rugby Team won yesterday against the "All Blacks" of New Zealand. France fields a pretty good team, but I think lately, they aren't known for much, save their yearly scandalous calendar (look it up if your interested. Not posting that here). New Zealand, on the other hand, is probably at the top of the rugby world. Here in the United States, rugby isn't followed much, and I only learned the rules when I lived in the southwest of France, where I believe it is actually more popular than soccer. It's amazing, it manages to be more violent than American football, yet they don't wear pads! You can see various rugby-related photos from the last few weeks in Paris on Eric's Paris Daily Photo Blog.

C'est so Paris!

While I was in Paris last month, I was immediately hit by something: Parisians aren't half-bad! After having studied there, I sorta knew that French people aren't (always) that arrogant, sulking person on the street with the bad attitude. Still, I always wondered why so many of them seemed so darned full of attitude. I am happy to report that this June, however, I saw smiling, fun-loving people on the street willing to help, willing to listen to my students' bad French, and even just general cheeriness (I know!). While there, I remember thinking that there must be something in the water, or maybe they are passing out euros to the Parisian who smiles the most. Amazingly enough, I think that because of this friendliness, my students are more than excited to get back. See what happens Parisians when you don't bite the hand that feeds you?. After returning to the states I saw an article that Paris' mayor has begun a campaign to rid the world's view of that angry Parisian. Here, NPR goes to Paris for 'Tourist Day'. See also: C'est so Paris! edit: Going to France, and not sure what people are trying to tell you through their Gallic gestures? 'The Daily Telegraph' has set up a pictorial to help you out!

Helping the Community

Prior to this school year, I was a bit jealous of the Spanish section of the Foreign Language Department at my school. There was no Spanish Club, but there was a International Club and a Spanish National Honor Society. My school is pretty good at getting new teachers into the mix of things. It's kind of like in class when the teacher (am I the only one that does this?) asks for volunteers, sees none, then proceeds to thank "John" for volunteering--You know that John knows the answer, he just hasn't raised his hand! In any case, at the beginning of the year, we receive a list of organizations and their sponsors. I was shocked to see that I was the French Club sponsor! How did that happen??? Last I heard, there WAS no French Club. Fast-Forward 3 years, and we have about 20 or so members who come to meetings to watch French films (at least the ones that don't involve sex/nudity--that leaves...oh about 2), meet for dinner at La Madeleine, and just general Frenchiness. Last year, I decided that the successful students deserved to be a part of something more service and academically related. I researched and finally created La Société Honoraire de Français. I had 15 applications (3.5 GPA, B+ Avg in French, and at least in French III), and admitted them. This week, we had our first service opportunity. We went to a nearby "retirement community" to play games with the residents. I was a bit wary, because I know what I thought about the elderly when I was their age. They were a bit scary...We arrived, and found out that they had set up dominoes. Unknown to me, only one of the 10 students there knew how to play! My Grandmother taught my cousins and I how to play at a young age. She would want to play, so she would just ask us "Can you count? Ok well sit down and play!" We sit down at various tables, and I watch the residents teach my students how to play. It was great. They were all having a great time with the games. They were complaining later that the old-timers were showing them no mercy! Later, I was told that one of the male nurses speaks French, and wanted to talk to my students. We gathered around him as he introduced himself (he is from Cameroon), talked about his life there and here, and his lack of French-speakers in the area. I cannot say how proud I was when he would ask questions and they would answer him in French! Three years ago, these kids knew nothing more than Bonjour! So the residents were happy and my students were happy...I will say that besides the smell, and the old ladies who wouldn't let go of my hand, it was a success!

O! Canada

Off to Montreal for New Year's and after Christmas festivities! Will back in 2007 (unless I find something relelvant enough to blog about). Happy New Year et Bonne Année à tous!

Citation du Jour (Quote of the Day)

"Je ne suis pas d'accord avec ce que vous dites, mais je me battrai jusqu'à la mort pour que vous ayez le droit de le dire." "I do not agree with what you say, but I will fight up to death so that you have the right to say it." Voltaire From Wikipedia: François-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778), better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, essayist, deist and philosopher. Voltaire was known for his sharp wit, philosophical writings, and defense of civil liberties, including freedom of religion and the right to a fair trial. He was an outspoken supporter of social reform despite strict censorship laws in France and harsh penalties for those who broke them. A satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize Church dogma and the French institutions of his day. Voltaire is considered one of the most influential figures of his time. It's too bad many people neither wrote nor think like this anymore.

La Poesie: Part Trois

Déjeuner du Matin par Jacques Prévert (looks pretty French, doesn't he...) Il a mis le café Dans la tasse Il a mis le lait Dans la tasse de café Il a mis le sucre Dans le café au lait Avec la petite cuiller Il a tourné Il a bu le café au lait Et il a reposé la tasse Sans me parler Il a allumé Une cigarette Il a fait des ronds Avec la fumée Il a mis les cendres Dans le cendrier Sans me parler Sans me regarder Il s'est levé Il a mis Son chapeau sur sa tête Il a mis son manteau de pluie Parce qu'il pleuvait Et il est parti Sous la pluie Sans une parole Sans me regarder Et moi j'ai pris Ma tête dans ma main Et j'ai pleuré Version Anglaise: Breakfast He poured the coffee Into the cup He put the milk Into the cup of coffee He put the sugar Into the coffee with milk With a small spoon He stirred He drank the coffee And he put down the cup Without speaking to me He lighted A cigarette He made circles With the smoke He shook off the ash Into the ashtray Without speaking to me Without looking at me He got up He put A hat on his head He put on A raincoat Because it was raining And he left In the rain Without a word Without looking at me And I buried My face in my hands And I cried. UPDATE:Here is a link that has readings of many greats from French poetry. Here is a reading of Déjeuner du Matin. It's pretty haunting.

La Poesie: Part Deux

A few months ago, I posted on a French poem that encountered during an AP French Institute I attended. Here's another I will be teaching in the next few weeks. It's pretty dark, but... Demain, dès l'aube... Tomorrow, at dawn Victor Hugo Demain, dès l'aube, à l'heure où blanchit la campagne, Tomorrow, at dawn, when the countryside is white, Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m'attends. I will leave. You see, I know you are waiting for me. J'irai par la forêt, j'irai par la montagne. I will go through the forest, the the mountains. Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps. I am unable to live far from you for very long. Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées, I will walk with my eyes fixed on my thoughts, Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit, Without seeing anything outside, without hearing a sound, Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées, Alone, unknown, a bent back, crossed hands, Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit. Sad, and day will be for me as night. Je ne regarderai ni l'or du soir qui tombe, I will watch neither the gold of the night which falls, Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur, Nor the sails afar going towards Harfleur, Et quand j'arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe And when I arrive, I will put on your tomb Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur. A bouquet of green holly and flowery heath. Supposedly, this poem was written to his daughter who had committed suicide by jumping from a building.

A Prendre ou A Laisser (Deal or No Deal)

I am sure that many of you have seen this show on television. I started watching this show back in 2004 when it aired in France. The principles are the same, with only varying small details. For example, in the French version, you could win 1 cent or a sock all the way up to 1 million euro. Also, they keep the same contestants around for just about the entire season, so they get to know each other. The contestants live and eat together (drunken nights were frequently shown). It makes it much more personal when someone chooses and loses the 1 million dollar boite (box). There were many a tear shed when contestants left. America's version is much more Hollywood. Instead of 24 regular people, our silver briefcases are held by 30 beautiful models :-) In any case, the clip below shows a woman trying to make the decision of a lifetime. Even though it's in French, I am sure you non-Francophones can get the idea. French TV is so utterly over-dramatic!

France and the Turks

Since my blog is supposed to be about Francophone culture in addition to my daily trials as a classroom teacher, I should probably discuss what's going on in France right now. France and Turkey have not got along for ages. Turkey wants to enter the European Union, France does not want Turkey in the EU. This presents a problem for Turkey, because France is one of the Founding members of the EEC (European Economic Community). Last year France voted against the EU Constitution, which in so many words, would have allowed nations such as Turkey to eventually gain admission into the EU. France must pass the Constitution for it to become a legal document. Thursday, in a bid to further upset Turks, France's lower Parliament (pictured above) passed a law making it illegal to deny that Armenians suffered genocide in 1915 at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. Turkish officials reject the word genocide. This same type of law was put in place in 1990 for anyone denying the existence of concentration camps during the 2nd World War. There have actually been instances of people fined and imprisoned for the denial. France's motto since the French Revolution has been Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.(Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood). So much for the rights of all men.

Why do French Toilets Flush Up?

While I have had nothing but praise for my classes this year, things have come down just a little. Everything is going great, but my 5th period class is just a little bit more wild. It's funny...the whole "wild" thing is relative. I would have thought this class was a group of angels last year! I actually had to give 2 detentions for talking last Friday when they were just not heeding my warnings... A bit of backstory: I had to rearrange my room so that I could have a computer installed and a projector for my powerpoint notes--the portables are finally getting outfitted in week 6 of school. I have taught with these two features for the last 2 years, and it's been a bit a struggle to learn to teach without them! In any case, when they walked in today, I had a bit of a disdainful taste in my mouth,seeing as they caused me a bit of anger last week. Today, however, I had a reading assignment prepared, and they took out the book and began to read silently. I heard NO complaints that it was all in French! When the time came for popcorn reading, I had kids eagerly raising their hands, wanting to read out loud. The story was about introductions and a group of secret friends, but in every class today, we somehow got on the subject of bidets in our discussion...

Partyin' Like It's 1899!

I got this idea (I'm not very creative, so ideas have to come from somewhere...) from Postcards from Somewhere From Wikipedia: Marcel Proust (July 10, 1871 -– November 18, 1922) was a French intellectual, novelist, essayist and critic, best known as the author of In Search of Lost Time (in French A la recherche du temps perdu, also translated previously as Remembrance of Things Past), a novel based upon the literary philosophy that memory and guilt inform great writing. "The following questions were posed to Proust when he was 13, and then again when he was 20. Apparently, it was the fashion in Belle Epoque-France, to sit around drinking, asking each other all sorts of inane questions and writing the answers in a journal. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Relaxing with friends and family, and having a good glass of Johnnie Walker. What is your greatest fear? Losing someone very close to me. Which historical figure do you most identify with? W.E.B DuBois Which living person do you most admire? My Fellow Educators, Sen. Barak Obama (Il.) What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Thrift. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Pretentiousness. What is your greatest extravagance? Johnnie Walker Gold. What is your favorite journey? A good book. Which living person do you most despise? Ken Lay. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? "Like..." What is your greatest regret? Not studying harder in college. When and where were you happiest? Teaching. Which talent would you most like to have? Amazing Math Skills. What is your current state of mind? Indifferent. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I'd be more impulsive. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be? The ability to be together more. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Living in France for over a year. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? An elderly person's loss of a child. Where would you like to live? The East Coast. What is your most marked characteristic? My listening skills. What is the quality you most like in a man? Loyalty. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Personality, Kindness, Intelligence . What do you most value in your friends? The ability to talk to them about any problem. Who are your favorite writers? Salinger, Baldwin, Camus, McCourt. Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Holden Caulfield. Who are your heroes in real life? People who do awesome things, despite of their upbringing. What is it that you most dislike? Those who let their personal beliefs affect the way they treat people. How would you like to die? While dreaming of my childhood. What is your motto? Your goal is greater than your struggle, so stay strong.

Les Bleus sont en finale!

The Irish Pub where I watched the match erupted when France beat Portugal and a crying C. Ronaldo. It was pretty cool to be there watching with so many Gauls here in Dallas! Allez Les Bleus!

A History Lesson...

I've been trying to get into the World Cup. Soccer is something that I watched pretty often in France, and now that I understand the game, it pretty fun. I've been following France, the US (who didn't show up for the first match, and is now fighting for it's life), and England. I stumbled across a news story that is explains the rise in use of the traditional English flag (known as St. George's Cross). Years ago, it was used only by the far-right, but now it's becoming more mainstream. Before I moved to France, and took vacations in England and Scotland, I had no idea how the Union Jack was formed, but it turns out it's mixture of Scotland, England, Wales and N. Ireland's traditional flags (I've put the images in order--the English is above).

La Poesie

Yesterday and today I have been attending an Advanced Placement Institute, put on by the College Board. Basically, it is teaching teachers how to teach an Advanced Placement class, so that their students are prepared for the exam come May. Today we did a section on poetry, which I haven't really gotten into before. As an hommage to my new found respect for it, I have reprinted an exerpt of my favorite poem, Liberté. It is a poem written as salute to liberty during WWII. It moves (how poetic!) from images of childhood, to violence. Liberté Paul Eluard Sur mes cahiers d'écolier Sur mon pupitre et les arbres Sur le sable sur la neige J'écris ton nom On my school notebooks On my desk and the trees On the sand on the snow I write your name Sur toutes les pages lues Sur toutes les pages blanches Pierre sang papier ou cendre J'écris ton nom On all the pages read On all the blank pages Rock blood paper or ash I write your name Sur les images dorées Sur les armes des guerriers Sur la couronne des rois J'écris ton nom On the gilded images On the weapons of warriors On the crown of kings I write your name Sur la jungle et le désert Sur les nids sur les genêts Sur l'écho de mon enfance J'écris ton nom... On the jungle and the desert On the nests on the genista (a plant) On the echo of my childhood I write your name...

Le Cinema Francais

My interview for UPS is tonight at 11:45 pm. I just finished applying to Border's Books, as well. I think that this opportunity will be a much better fit for me than picking up boxes and such. Not that I'm a pansy or anything... The last two nights, I re-watched two of my favorite French movies, A Bout de Souffle and L'Auberge Espagnole. I saw both during college, and thought they were the awesome. L'Auberge I saw in Paris the first few days after I moved there, and didn't understand a word. It's the story of a French college student that moves to Spain for ayear abroad. Hilarity ensues because he moves into an apartment with people from all over the European Union. It has some wonderful views of Barcelona, as well! I think it is the poster child for the new EU that is being created. A Bout, I saw after a good friend of mine (a Radio-TV-Film major) suggested that we see it. It tells the story of a petty thief running away from the French police with his American (sometimes) girlfriend. It is probably one of the best examples of the French New Wave Cinema that became popular in the 1960s. Both are wonderful, though VERY different examples of French cinema.