Do you remember La mère Noël et le facteur?

It is time for a new episode written, as usual, by Robin, our faithful student in Martine's Tuesday morning French class and performed with our Mère Noël, Maureen.
Noël is always a very stressful period for mother Christmas ( la mère Noël) and her postman ( son facteur), Robin. They could do without the inspectors from the EU, wanting them to improve their image ( leur image de marque). How are they going to get over this new obstacle? Read below:

LES CRISES DE NOEL – SIXIEME EPISODE :
L’IMAGE DE MARQUE DE NOEL
Mère Noël : Bonjour M le Facteur.  Nous voici encore une fois !   
Le Facteur : Bonjour Mère Noël. Je suis heureux de vous revoir.  Voici une lettre quémandant de l’argent.
MN : Ça commence alors.  C’est d’un fou qui habite à Bristol.  Il veut que je lui donne de l’argent parce qu’il va descendre en rappel dans la gorge de l’Avon.
LF : Nom de dieu, il doit être dingue !   
MN : Bien sûr mais pourquoi cette mauvaise mine ?
LF : Je suis perplexe. Pourquoi est-ce que tout le monde porte des insignes avec un numéro ?
MN : Leur prof, Martine, leur a donné un exercice à faire en ligne et les numéros sont leurs notes.  Il fallait trouver des erreurs de vocabulaire.
LF : Oh ça !  J’avais l’intention de le faire mais les photos des concurrentes de Miss World ont détourné mon attention.  Oh là là, il y avait de jolies pépées !  Cette Miss Cameroun… phoarr !
MN : Ça suffit M le Facteur !  Je n’aime pas cette espèce de bavardage, merci.
LF : Pardon Chef.
MN : Ça m’inquiète que le prof, Martine, ait raté plusieurs questions parce que je l’ai engagée pour enseigner les nouveaux elfes de  Roumanie. 
LF : Au moins, elle est honnête de l’avoir avoué.  Mais, à vrai dire, chaque fois que je suis à l’atelier, les elfes sont en train de rire comme des bossus. Ce n’est pas bon pour la productivité.
MN : C’est  parce qu’ils viennent d’apprendre comment prononcer « en haut ».  Maintenant, quand quelqu’un demande où se trouve quelque chose, indifférent à la vraie réponse, ils crient « en haut ! en haut ! » Puis tout le monde rit comme des fous !  Ils échappent à tout contrôle.
LF : Je vais régler ça.  Il faut leur rappeler discrètement leur bonus.  Laissez-  moi faire.
MN : Bon, parce qu’en ce moment, il y a des problèmes plus importants. 
LF : Vraiment ?
MN : Vous souvenez-vous des inspecteurs envoyés par la Commission des communautés européennes il y a un mois ?
LF : Bien sûr : les complets très chers, les déjeuners très longs et les têtes à claques !
MN : Exactement.  Je viens de recevoir leur rapport et c’est un cauchemar. Selon ces « experts », une organisation aussi grande que la fête de Noël, devrait travailler à améliorer son image de marque pour devenir « plus appropriée au vingt-et-unième siècle ».
LF : Image de marque !  Ça me fait gerber.  Oh que c’est débile !
MN : Ils veulent que nous laissions tomber « nos idées démodées » comme la générosité et la tradition d’offrir des cadeaux.  Il faut avoir une gestion plus entrepreneuriale et chercher le profit.
LF : Incroyable !  Peut être que le temps est arrivé de jeter l’éponge ?
MN : Je n’aurais jamais cru que ce moment puisse arriver mais peut être que c’est le commencement de la fin de Noël… (elle sanglote).
LF : Courage, Chef.  N’oubliez pas que nous avons fait face aux crises dans le passé : la grève des rennes, la mort du Père Noël, la menace de la ruine financière et les étudiants perdus au triangle des Bermudes...
MN : C’est vrai mon brave ; vous avez raison.
LF : Mais nous envoyer ce rapport dans notre période de très grande activité, ce n’est pas juste, c’est impardonnable.
MN : Je leur ai expliqué ça et ils ont dit que, si nous pouvions faire une chose pour améliorer notre marque, ils seraient satisfaits pour le moment.

LF : Alors, mmm… une chose…mmm…Ecoutez. J’ai une idée.  Il faut produire un journal interne, plein de bêtises et de paroles creuses.  C’est un gaspillage d’argent et de temps mais les inspecteurs vont  beaucoup aimer ça. 
MN : Formidable !  J’ai reçu un tel magazine hier de Wessex Water, c’était de la camelote. Mais nous n’avons pas le temps pour ces bêtises.
LF : Pensez Chef….  Qui nous a aidés dans le passé ?  Le Groupe de…
MN : …Mardi Matin !  Ah, c’est doux à mon oreille. Ces gens si intelligents et doués…
LF : Si pleins de ressources…
MN : Si obligeants et prêts à aider…
LF : Et ils ne coûtent rien !
MN : Oui, ils pourraient produire un magazine en un clin d’œil.Suite la semaine prochaine....  ( Watch this space next week..)

Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath are arranging assessments now for people who want to join in January, you may like to start by doing our new test on line, for more info...

More poems!!

Lots of poems were written after Martine's students studied the song by Bernard Lavilliers, Les mains d'or. Have a look at last week's blog for more details.
Several students took some of the words of the song and wrote a poem in the shape of the kite (un cerf-volant) using some related adjectives ( des adjectifs), verbs ( des verbes) and nouns ( des noms).
Here are some examples:
Sarah wrote:

Vent

Faible, farouche,

Flâner, flatter, fouiller,

Allées,bancs, pergolas, platanes,

Frémir, frissonner, trembler

Dorées, safranées,

Feuilles

And this is what it looks like in the shape of a kite:

Helen wrote:

Acier

Fort, résistant,

Fer, usine, main d'œuvre, laminoir,

Travailler, fabriquer, se consacrer,

Fier, inoubliable,

L'anneau

De 

La 

Mémoire

And it looks like this: 

Watch this space next week as we should have our sketch between La mère Noël et le facteur!

In the meantime, don't forget, you can contact either Alliance Française de Bristol or Alliance Française de Bath to join French classes in January, for more info...

Poems!!

When the French duo, Jac&Co, came to Alliance Française de Bristol, as well as their own compositions, they played and sang some songs from Edith Piaf's repertoire as well as Charles Aznavour's and Bernard Lavilliers'. We studied in class, beforehand, the beautiful and moving song by Bernard Lavilliers, Les mains d'or ( Hands of gold) which tells the story of a steel factory worker who becomes unemployed when the steel factory shuts down. It is a very poetic song with evocative images which triggered the creativity of several students in Martine's French classes.
Anne used some of the words in the song to create her own poem, here it is:

Le Vent
Le vent
traverse les montagnes,
fait grincer les dents.

Glacial et aigre,
le vent pénètre les os,
les rend engourdis.

Il hurle,
il fait rage et siffle
contre tout dans sa course.

Pas de brise ou vents alizé,
ni bourrasque ni souffle de vent
C'est une tempête.

La tempête terrifie les animaux
ils se serrent les uns contre les autres,
les fils électriques se cassent net.

Puis, le vent s'affaiblit,
devient moins un forcing,
presque doux et caressant.

La tranquillité
prend  possession,
Le calme descend.
Anne
 
If you would like to listen to the song, here it is on YouTube: les mains d'or
If you would like to listen to some of Jac&Co' s repertoire, follow this link.
Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath are stopping their French lessons over Christmas but you can still contact them to start French in the new year: for more info...

Do you have any ideas about how to save money?

Audrey's students in her Thursday evening French class have plenty! It can be  very useful ( utile) around Christmas time ( pendant la période de Noël) when we spend so much more money than during the rest of the year!! So, here are their suggestions:

This one suggests to live in your office ( votre bureau), no more rent ( plus de loyer), no more bills ( plus de notes de chauffage ou d'électricité)  as you have heating ( du chauffage) and hot water ( de l'eau chaude) on the spot, no need for much furniture ( beaucoup de meubles) so you can sell it and make money, it is a very good way to get rich quickly!

The next one tells you about having a water meter ( un compteur à eau) and how to save water and money by using rain water ( l'eau de pluie) for the garden ( pour le jardin) and for the loo ( et les toilettes) , by having showers ( des douches)  rather than baths ( plutôt que des bains)  and sharing your shower ( partager la douche) with your boyfriend ( avec votre copain).

And the last one encourages recycling ( le recyclage): you can use wrapping up paper ( du papier cadeau) again, coloured sweet paper wrappings ( des papiers de bonbons de couleur) as sunglasses ( comme lunettes de soleil) , plastic bags ( des sacs en plastique)  instead of rubber boots ( au lieu de bottes en caoutchouc) and washing up liquid ( du liquide pour la vaisselle) rather than shampoo ( plutôt que du shampoing).

You may have more ideas!! Why not share them in the Comments box or come and join our French lessons, for more info...

Do you know how to sell French perfume in Russia?

One student in Martine's French evening class knows exactly how to proceed! Martine asked her students to present an imaginary product made in France to sell to the Russians. Here is the result:

Vendre le parfum français aux Russes

A.  “Vivez vos rêves... avec les parfums de France!”
B.  
(i)  le prix
(ii) pas nécessaire de chercher ces produits à  l'étranger: on peut trouver tout ce qu'il nous faut en Russie.
(iii) la France a toujours exagéré: ses produits n'ont rien d'extraordinaire.

C.  Mes chères dames russes, quelle chance d'être russe en ce moment! Tant de millionaires, tant de gaz, tant de gangsters...  Et vous, vous avez tout, on n'en doute pas, y compris sans doute un homme fort, votre 'ours bien-aimé'.

Mais il vous manque quelque chose, n'est-ce pas? De quoi rêvez-vous pendant ces nuits si profondes,  à  côté  de votre ours qui ronfle? Oui, il y a quelque chose qui vous échappe, vous ne pouvez pas l'expliquer.

Ne vous inquiétez plus – la France connaît le secret de vos rêves: la France qui a toujours connu ces secrets: comment goûter tous les plaisirs des sens, de la vie enfin.

On pense à la France, et on pense au savoir faire, à l'élégance, à la subtilité, à la gastronomie, aux marques de luxe... et à l'art de l'amour.

Et vous trouverez toute cette passion, toute cette vision, toute cette créativité,  dans nos parfums français.

 D.   Revivez vos rêves grâce à nos parfums... et gardez votre ours chez vous!

 PS  (pour l'ours)  Monsieur, ne cherchez pas à comprendre ce galimatias. Tout ce qui compte, c'est d'offrir nos parfums à Madame. Elle sera ravie, elle vous regardera d'un nouvel œil, et elle restera avec vous!

 OFFRE SPECIALE : 2 pour 1 – et en bouteille d'un litre, c'est encore moins cher!

I am sure you're convinced even if you are not Russian!

What about enrolling with Alliance Française de Bristol or Bath to join in the fun? You can even try our new test on line to have an idea of your level before making an appointment to see us. For more info...

Did you know that France is playing in the final of the Davis Cup this weekend, in Lille, France?

The Davis cup ( la coupe Davis) was born in 1899. Dwight Filley Davis, student at Harvard, had the idea of creating an international tennis competition to promote the game of tennis. The first competition ( le premier tournoi) took place between the USA ( les Etats Unis) and England ( l'Angleterre) . There were five matches ( cinq matchs): four singles ( quatre simples) and a double ( un double) . The winning country was to house the competition the following year.
In 1904, three more countries joined in ( trois autres pays): France, Belgium ( la Belgique) and Australia ( l'Australie), little by little more countries joined in.
In 1927, France won for the first time thanks to the musketeers ( les mousquetaires) as the players were called: Jacques Brugnon, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste. They dominated international tennis for six years, winning the Davis cup trophy, le Saladier d'Argent ( the silver bowl) six times.

In 1981 the Davis cup got its first sponsor, from then on, the players ( les joueurs) received some money. It attracted more countries to join in, 129 now take part.

Good luck to the French team ( l'équipe de France) this weekend! 

Alliance Française de Bath still has places in some of its French tuition groups and Alliance Française de Bristol is opening a new class shortly so if you think that you are too late to join a French course, you are not! For more info...

Two poems written about L'Etranger by Albert Camus

Ross took some French private lessons with Elise a little while ago and asked to read and study L'Etranger with Elise.
Ross felt like writing a couple of poems, in French, the first one is related to the death of the mother of the main character, Meursault, death which occurs at the very beginning of the book. The second one refers to his relationship with Marie, who very quickly becomes his lover, and to a Sunday evening scene back in Algiers.
Here they are:

L’Etranger : deux poèmes

Chapitre I

Aujourd’hui sa maman a rencontré la mort.
Ou peut-être hier; Meursault il a tort.
Il ne sais pas quoi dire ou faire.
Il ne veut pas ouvrir la bière.

Le jour de l’enterrement il fait chaud,
Et le soleil est très brillant.
Les vieillards regardent tous Meursault.
Ce moment devient déprimant.

Sa mère a été tuée par un chancre,
Mais Meursault ne comprenait pas.
Le chaleur pèse comme une ancre.
Les gens ne lui semblent plus qu’un tas.

Chapitre II

Marie lui demande s’il est en deuil.
Meursault répond que oui.
Elle interprète la scène comme un trompe-l’oeil,
Mais ne voit pas que tout devient jauni.

Meursault fume sa cigarette
Et regarde les passants dans le quartier.
Peu à peu la rue se déserte.
Meursault croit que rien n’a changé.  

 If you, too, would like to study French books or start learning French right from the beginning, please contact Alliance Française de Bristol or Bath, for more info...

Did you know that the duet Jac & Co is performing in Bristol next Friday?

Who are Jac & Co? Details taken from their website...

For over 27 years, virtuoso accordionist Jacques Pellarin, Jac,  has brought the sounds of the French countryside to all corners of the globe. With 8 albums and multiple international tours, he has shared his musette-inspired accordion compositions with a world-wide audience.
Jacques’ s professional career began as part of the internationally acclaimed Baikal Duo and after 18 years of classical performances, Jacques formed a quartet and an acoustic trio in order to pursue a freer interpretation of jazz and world music. In 2011, the Jacques Pellarin Quartet released the critically-acclaimed album Sup Dude and today, Jacques continues to compose, perform, and tour with his wife, Corinne, Co,  who sings —focusing now on sharing his music with a larger global audience through strategic placements and song licensing deals.

Here is what Jacques explains:
"Through my compositions, I invite the audience to discover a chameleon accordion, different from the musette clichés, offering very eclectic styles like the tango nuevo, the rumba, the son and other Latin rhythms, the milonga, the swing waltz, the sertao and the Brazilian samba, a jazz ballade, inspirations from music of the Balkans or Yiddish getting close to jazz and other surprises more classical…"

 Here is what the reviewer, Bruce Lindsay, says about Jacques' s music:
“French accordionist and composer Jacques Pellarin has the welcome ability to craft music which is technically challenging, yet immediately accessible and engaging. Pellarin is a superbly lyrical player, Pellarin's writing emphasizes catchy hooks, danceable rhythms and light, upbeat, melodies.” -- Bruce Lindsay All About Jazz

So:
"When you need to create an atmosphere of love and romance,
When you need to evoke the mood of a smoky Parisian café,
When you need to capture the sound of mystery, journeys or lost loves,
Come and listen to the music of a French accordion virtuoso !" says Jacques.

What about listening to Tzigane Party on YouTube... to get an idea what you could come and enjoy with students of Alliance Française de Bristol next Friday, for more info...

Did you know that the next cineclub in Bath is next Friday?

 The film chosen by Cécile, French teacher at Alliance Française de Bath, is called Camille redouble, a comedy with drama, by and with Noémie Lvovsky.

Redoubler at school means that you do the same year again because you did not achieve good enough results, so what does it mean here?
Camille is only sixteen and still  at school ( au lycée) when she falls in love with Eric ( elle tombe amoureuse d'Eric)  also at school.They marry later ( ils se marient plus tard) and have a child and are happy for a while. But  twenty-five years later ( vingt-cinq ans plus tard) Eric leaves Camille for a younger woman. Bitter and desperate ( amère et désespérée) Camille drinks so much at a New Year Eve's party ( le soir du jour de l'An) that she falls into an ethylic coma and she finds herself... propelled into her own past ( propulsée dans son propre passé) ! Camille is sixteen again when she wakes up the next morning, she is going to live her life again: elle redouble. Is she going to have the same life again?All will be revealed in the film.
For more info...

Here is the link to the trailer ( la bande annonce)

Our drama workshops starting soon: don't forget to enrol!!

Our popular drama wokshops will be resuming on 4th November with our dynamic and enthusiastic French tutor, Audrey.
If your French is a good GCSE standard or above and you love having fun while learning with like-minded people, this course is for you.
You'll be doing lots of role plays: being a tourist in Paris when you are actually in Marseille, going to the doctor's for a sore throat ( mal à la gorge) and not understanding why you are given suppositories ( des suppositoires) , climbing up the steps ( les marches) at the Cannes Festival to receive an award ( une récompense) for your very, very boring French film when one word is spoken every two minutes, putting together a pretend trial ( un procès)  for a well-known French actor ( who will remain nameless....), you know the one who changed his French passport.... and plenty more.

You can see some of the videos on YouTube, go to Watch our videos on our website, for more info...

There are still places available on this French drama course, but hurry up! For more info...

How playing a guitar can transform you!

Maureen, student in a French class on a Tuesday morning, describes her grandson without a guitar ( sans guitare) and with a guitar ( avec une guitare) and then again without it. The exercise was to write a portrait after studying vocabulary about appearance and personality, here is what Maureen wrote:

La guitare

Voilà un jeune homme de dix-huit ans. Mince, athlétique, fluet, son visage long et gentil, sa voix douce et mélodieuse.
Il a une guitare, une guitare lisse, brillante. Il se passionne pour cette guitare. Elle est sa copine, son âme.
Derrière cet instrument, je vois un étranger. Je vois un embryon d’Elvis Presley, qui tourne, qui bande ses muscles. Explosif, passionné, véhément, avec un message pour le monde. Paroles significatives. Bruit de vingt décibels, assourdissant.
Silence. Mon gentil petit-fils revient, il parle, voix douce et mélodieuse.
Maureen

If you too would like to write in French as well as Maureen or start from scratch, contact Alliance Française de Bristol or Bath, for more info...

The cineclub season is starting again in Bristol!

The first French film for this season is called Itinéraires ( Itineraries), at first glance it is a rather intriguing title, what kind of itineraries are we talking about? Travel ( voyage) ? Career ( carrière) ? Escape ( évasion )?
It is an action film ( un film d'action) by Christophe Otzenberger  with and Yann Trégouët, Jacques Bonnaffé, Myriam Boyer, Hélène Vincent, Céline Cuignet.
Thierry has spent a bit of time in prison. Now that he is free ( libre) he wants to lead a normal life but he happens to witness ( être témoin )  a murder ( d'un meurtre) and he is immediately considered the culprit ( le coupable).  He has no choice but to flee ( s'évader), he finds himself living a clandestine and precarious life ( une vie clandestine et précaire) …..

The cineclub is open to all students learning French with Alliance Française de Bristol but also to anyone with an interest in the French language. The film has subtitles in English.
The show is on Sunday, 19th October, 2014 at 6.30pm in The Lansdown, the entrance is free.
It is recommended to arrive early to secure a place and to get a drink in the pub before the film starts.
For more info...

Did you know that today is La journée mondiale des enseignants?

The worldwide day for teachers is organized each year by UNESCO since 1994. The aim of that day is to increase awareness of the importance and of the role of teachers.
At the moment, the world is short of 2 million teachers for the primary sector, especially in Africa.
What do you know about the French primary school system?
French children start primary school ( l'école primaire) at the age of 6 and remain there for 5 years.
The first year is called le CP ( cours préparatoire) when children learn to read and write ( lire et écrire) and then they move to le CE1 et le CE2 ( cours élémentaire première et deuxième année) and finally to le CM1 et le CM2 ( cours moyen première et deuxième année) before going to le collège for 4 years and then le lycée for 3.
School is compulsory up to the age of 16 ( jusqu'à l'âge de 16 ans).
Primary school children go to school Monday ( lundi), Tuesday ( mardi), Wednesday morning ( mercredi matin), Thursday ( jeudi) and Friday ( vendredi).
The start and the end of the school day are decided by la commune ( the local council).
The school year is divided into several breaks, two weeks in October/ November/ ( octobre/ novembre) , two weeks at Christmas ( Noël), two weeks in February/ March ( février/ mars) and two weeks in April/ May ( avril/ mai), the school year finishes early July ( début juillet) and resumes early September ( début septembre).

If you would like to find out more about French life and culture and improve your French, it is not too late to join a French class either in Bristol or in Bath. For more info...

C'est la rentrée! Back to work!

You know this feeling when it is back to the routine after a lovely holiday, life does not seem worth living! La vie ne vaut pas la peine d'être vécue! Fortunately, Cybermag has the answers for you so that you can enjoy life again!
Are you ready for some tricks against these post holiday blues? Des astuces anti-déprime.
Planifiez vos prochaines vacances: plan your next holiday.
Dépensez-vous: get rid of your energy by going to the gym, especially if you have un patron sur les talons ( a very demanding boss), you need to get rid of your frustration, se débarrasser de sa frustration.
Place à la création: become creative, faites un scrapbook ( yes it is the French word!!) with all these great holiday photos.
Faites le plein de vitamines: take plenty of vitamins. Mangez des oranges, des kiwis, du cassis ( black currants), des poivrons ( peppers), des brocolis.
Au bureau, prenez le taureau par les cornes, take the bull by the horns to sort out problems quickly, pour régler les problèmes rapidement.

If you want to read more about these very wise suggestions (!), go to the Cybermag link, for more info...

Mais surtout, commencez un cours de français! Last but not least piece of advice, join a French class with Alliance Française, either in Bristol or in Bath! For more info...

Did you know it is Les journées du patrimoine this weekend?

Jack Lang, culture minister under François Mitterrand, introduced the first journées du patrimoine thirty years ago, this concept developed right through Europe. Any building, site that is connected with history, culture, environment etc.. which is not normally open to the public, is for the weekend.
So you can visit the Elysée Palace ( le Palais de l'Elysée )  for instance or the offices of Europe 1, one of the main French radio stations but you can go to venues which are less known but really fascinating.
La prison de la Santé, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, which is closed for renovation is open this weekend:

 

The safe rooms ( les salles des coffres)  in the building of the bank La Société Générale in the 9th arrondissement in Paris are quite extraordinary as the doors of the safes are art nouveau.

 

Le musée Gaumont in Neuilly, which is a private museum, is opening its doors too,  you can discover a fantastic collection of posters, photos, theatre sets, costumes etc...

 

Our French classes are starting shortly, but you can still enrol for Bristol and for Bath, for more info...

More portraits...

Students with a good level in the French language have written some superb portraits inspired by 19th century French authors, here is what Susan wrote:
Les opposants
Le premier est un grand homme, un peu replet, avec l’air hautain, froid et orgueilleux – bien qu’il essaie de se montrer sympathique et aimable. Son visage, au teint rose pâle, est assez rond et ses joues sont un peu flasques. Ses yeux, qui sont marron, clairs et brillants, surmontent un nez peu remarquable. Sa bouche pincée émet une voix de stentor huppée.
L’autre est encore plus grand, mais pas du tout fort. On dirait qu’il est plutôt dégingandé. Ses cheveux abondants sont brun foncé, presque noirs. Ses yeux saillants, eux aussi, sont presque noirs et son regard est assez  perçant.  Il a un teint basané et un gros nez. Sa voix est nasale et il a un accent huppé, lui aussi. Il a l’air nerveux et courtois mais aussi assez aimable.
Avez-vous deviné de qui il s’agit ?
Vocabulary:
Replet: chubby
Hautain: haughty
Orgueilleux: proud
Flasque: flabby
Huppé: well to do
Dégingandé: lanky
Saillant: prominent
Basané: tanned

If you would like to learn some interesting vocabulary or start fron scratch, you can enrol with Alliance Française in Bristol or in Bath, for more info...

Grégoire Delacourt and le Prix Goncourt

Did you know that Grégoire Delacourt has been nominated with fourteen ( quatorze) other writers ( écrivains ) for Le prix Goncourt 2014 for his new book called ( qui s'appelle) On ne voyait que le bonheur ( we could only see happiness). Le prix Goncourt is one the most prestigious literary prize given out by L'académie Goncourt.
It was founded by les frères Goncourt ( the Goncourt brothers), Jules and Edmond, both writers, in 1900. The first prize was given to John-Antoine Nau, in 1903, for his novel Force ennemie which did not really bring him any fame. Since then, the prize has gone to Marcel Proust, Simone de Beauvoir, André Malraux and more recently to Michel Houellebecq and Pierre Lemaitre.

Here is what Chris, in Martine's French evening class, wrote about La liste de mes envies by Grégoire Delacourt, the book was a bestseller ( Une meilleure vente):

J'ai bien aimé <La Liste de mes envies>. La preuve pour cela est qu'en ce moment j'ai ce livre ici avec moi pendant que je suis en vacances. J'ai emporté ce livre parce que j'aimerais le relire encore une fois. 
Quand j'ai lu le livre, je n'a pas déviné la fin de l'histoire. Peut-être quand je vais le relire, j'aperçevrai des indications quant au sort de Jocelyne et Jocelyn Guerbette.
La seule chose que je n'ai pas aimé est la postface. Ici Grégoire Delacourt a l'air d'être trop satisfait de lui-même. Il écrit une liste énorme des joies que ce livre lui a donné. Il n'a aucune idée que l'histoire peut être imparfaite. A mon avis  c'est dangereux pour un auteur de croire que son écriture est complètement parfaite. Peut-être que dans la postface Grégoire Delacourt est plus publicitaire que l'auteur.
Quand même je recommande ce livre.

You can read more about the book in the post of 24th August, 2014.

We are enrolling for September French classes in Bristol and in Bath tomorrow, you don't need to make an appointment, come along, you will be assessed, free of charge, and you can enrol if you wish. For more info...

Come and join Alliance Française de Bristol for the annual pétanque tournament!

This will be the 3rd year that we invite students taking French lessons with us and their friends and anyone who wishes to join for a friendly tournoi de boules ou de pétanque.
Boules started to be played regularly at the beginning of the 20th century in La Ciotat, near Marseille.
There were three teams ( trois équipes) and the distance was between 10 and 15 meters from the thrower to the goal. The player throwing la boule ( le tireur), had to jump three times before throwing. An elderly player had rhumatism and could not jump anymore, he felt rather left out. To involve him in the game, it was suggested that he could throw with both feet together, pèd tanco in provençal or tanqués, inside a circle, and within 5 or 6 meters from the goal ( le but, which is a little wooden ball called le cochonnet). Pèd tanco gave the name la pétanque.
These explanations come from the French magazine Bien Dire.
You can read about the rules of la pétanque in last year's blog, for more info...
If you wish to take up the game, here is what the world champion of pétanque, Dylan Rocher, recommends:
A lot of concentration ( beaucoup de concentration), calm ( de calme), skill ( d'adresse) and training ( d'entraînement).
Don't worry, it won't be so demanding if you join us on Saturday, 6th September at 4.30pm, for more info...

If you wish to enrol for one of our French classes, for any level, either with Alliance française de Bristol or Bath you can come and chat to us on Saturday, 6th September as our lessons are starting soon, for more info...

Have you read La liste de mes envies par Grégoire Delacourt?

One of our French teachers read it with two of her groups. Everybody liked it, the French is not too difficult and you want to keep reading to find out what will happen. The book  is very good to encourage discussions as we can imagine lots of scenarios, speculate about what will take place and give our points of view.
Here is what Sheila has to say about the book:

 Pourquoi recommande-je ce livre?

Quand je lis ce livre, il me fait penser à beaucoup de choses de ma vie propre, en fait, il me parle.  L’écrivain, à mon avis, exprime très bien la valeur des choses de la vie de tous les jours.  Par exemple, quand Jocelyne gagne le loto, bien qu’elle fasse des listes des choses qu’elle peut acheter avec ses millions, en fin de compte, elle ne les achète pas.  Elle tient encore à sa vie, sa famille et ses relations avec son mari, Jo, bien qu’il ne soit pas si  gentil.  J’aime bien la façon avec laquelle l’écrivain me fait penser aux choses de ma vie qui sont aussi importantes pour moi.  À mon avis,  un bon livre doit avoir la puissance de faire penser la lectrice à beaucoup de choses – ses valeurs, ses convictions, etc.  La Liste de Mes Envies fait ca, pour moi.
 
I hope it may encourage you to read it in French.
We'll soon be assessing and enrolling for our French classes, look at our website for our dates: For more info...

Do you understand la météo de vos vacances?

La météo de vos vacances: the weather forecast for your holiday.
France has not had a very good Summer up to now so find below the phrases you can hear or read in the medias.
Une météo maussade: a dull weather forecast
Des températures stationnaires: temperatures which don't change
Les températures ont baissé: temperatures have gone down
Les températures remontent un peu: temperatures are going up a bit
Il fera frais: it will be fresh
Une perturbation de l'Atlantique: a disturbance from the Atlantic
De gros nuages noirs: big black clouds
Averses de pluie ou de grêle: rain or hail showers
Des rafales de vent: gusts of wind
L'anticyclone arrive par  l'ouest et repousse les nuages: high pressures arrive from the West ant push the clouds away
De belles éclaircies apparaissent: sunny spells make their appearance
C'est le soleil qui l'emporte: sunshine prevails

Une belle après-midi ensoleillée: a lovely suny afternoon.

You can learn some more vocabulary by joining one of our French courses starting in September, for more info...

but I hope that  the vocabulary on this page will help you understand the weather forecast on Météo France, link below: 

http://www.lachainemeteo.com/meteo-france/previsions-meteo-france-3.php

What is le chassé-croisé des vacanciers on the news this weekend?

Here is a key to the phrases you could hear on the radio or read on the Internet this weekend, which may have puzzled you:
Le chassé-croisé des vacanciers: the flow of departing and returning holidaymakers
Embouteillages ce samedi: traffic jams this Saturday
Un pic de 731km de bouchons: a peak of 731km ( around 500 miles) of traffic jams
Bison Futé a classé cette journée "rouge" dans le sens des départs et "orange" dans le sens des retours.
What is Bison Futé? It is the TV and radio French traffic information service symbolized by a little Native American.
So the traffic information service is saying that the traffic heading for holidays is going to be very heavy and is therefore red whereas the traffic for people coming back home is slightly less congested so is classified as orange.
Il va falloir s'armer de patience: Patience will be required.
It is interesting to see that we use militaty language in French with the verb s'armer, like in a battle!
Les automobilistes roulaient pare-choc contre pare-choc: drivers were bumpers to bumpers.
Here is what it looked like:

I hope you were not caught in them!
If you want to find out about French culture and French everyday life as well as improved your French or start from scratch, Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath are here for you. For more info....

Have you read Thérèse Desqueyroux by François Mauriac?

The students in Martine's Tuesday morning French tuition class read the book and then watch the film with Audrey Tautou in the role of Thérèse. The countryside, the houses are true to Mauriac's descriptions and create the right atmosphere for the attempted murder.

Here is a summary and commentary of the book by Helen:

Thérѐse Desqueyroux
Il m’a plu de lire Thérѐse Desqueyroux en classe. Ayant vu le film, j’ai acheté le roman mais je n’ai lu que plusieurs pages.Quand meme je voulais le lire...un jour.
Publié en 1927 le chef d’oeuvre de François Mauriac est devenu une oeuvre classique de la littérature française.
L’histoire se situe au pays landais où Thérѐse s’est mariée avec Bernard Desqueyroux un bourgeois,landais traditionnel pour qui le mariage unifie les pins des deux familles principales de la region. La vie de Thérѐse l’ennuie, elle n’aime pas son mari et essaie d’empoisonner Bernard. Le dossier contre Thérѐse au Palais de Justice est fini avec une déclaration de ‘non-lieu’.
À son retour à la maison Thérèse est devenue presque prisonniѐre. Bernard  continuait avec sa vie traditionelle et enfin à la fin du livre les deux conjoints se sont séparés....leur fille Marie restait avec son pѐre.
Les forêts de pins autour des maisons et des villages du livre me rappelle le pays landais que j’ai vu en vacances avec les bols de résine attachés aux arbres, aussi les chemins du bois où nous avons loué des  vélos. Mauriac a bien décrit le paysage et la vie des bourgeois landais dans les années entre les deux guerres mondiales. À l’époque du roman la vie moderne n’était pas arrivée au pays landais.
Mauriac décrit tout d’un ton ennuyeux, meme les personnages,les maisons, le paysage. Il donne l’impression d’une vie fastidieuse et monotone.
En lisant on attend que quelque chose se passe...que Thérѐse qui voyageait en train aprѐs sa liberation arrive enfin chez Bernard.....Mais comme le mouvement monotone du train un chapitre suit le dernier et on attend....
On peut apprécier la monotonie de la vie sans espoir de Thérѐse, grâce au style de Mauriac. Bien qu’elle ait été empoisonneuse je me trouve assez bien disposée envers Thérѐse, une victime de la vie où elle se trouvait.
Thérѐse Desqueroux est un roman trѐs bien écrit et je suis contente de l’avoir lu. J’apprécie l’art de Mauriac qui a créé de l’atmosphѐre et des personnages inoubliables.
J’ai envie de lire encore Mauriac et j’ai déjà commencé ‘La fin de la nuit’ où on retouve Thérѐse, encore à Paris, malade et troublée.
Helen

If you are interested in literature, Alliance Française de Bristol or Bath are just right for you, but whatever your level, we can offer you the right kind of tuition. For more info...

As I write this blog Le Tour de France is in Paris, going round 9 times before the final sprint on Les Champs Elysées.

This year, the French riders have shown some talent and determination and two of them will be sur le podium unless there is a fall. The French commentators are delighted to tell us that it has not happened for about 30 years.
You may be watching Le Tour, you may even ride a bike but do you know the vocabulary?
Un vélo de course: a racing bike
Un vélo tout terrain ou VTT: a mountain bike
Un vélo de route: a road bike
Un vélo d'appartement: an exercise bike
Une roue: a wheel
Un pneu: a tyre
Une chambre à air: an inner tube
Une crevaison: a puncture
Un guidon:  handlebars
Un frein: a brake
Une selle: a saddle
Une chaîne: a chain
Un dérailleur: derailleur gears
Le braquet: gear ratio
Une pédale: a pedal

 Happy cycling in France!

Here is a link with a recap of this year's Tour:
http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2014/fr/etape-21.html

No French classes this coming August with Alliance Française de Bristol or Bath, but look out for our enrolment sessions early September. For more info...

Time for apéritif...2

Last week we wrote about what kind of drink you might be offered for apéritif in France this summer. You can read about it here.
This week let's talk about the array of options for nibbles offered with it:

• Olives
• Anchois (anchovies)
• Saucisson (dried cured sausage, in thin slices, perfect with a pastis - see last week's post)
• Fromage (little cubes of emmental or comté)
• Cacahuètes (peanuts)
• Verrines: in the last ten years, these have appeared everywhere! Served in small glasses and eaten with a spoon, they are usually very colourful and like a small elaborate dish. You can find a few recipes here.

The obvious problem is that by dinner time... you're not hungry anymore! Another piece of advice; sometimes you might be invited for apéritif and not for the meal - and other times the apéro will turn into a meal!

When you come back in September, why not join one of our French lessons groups to practise and learn in a relaxed atmosphere with Alliance Française de Bristol and Bath?

Time for apéritif....

If you're going to France this summer, you will undoubtedly be offered apéritif. Also shortened to apéro, it's a drink (or series of drinks!) taken before a meal. Different ones are found in different regions. In the south of France you will be offered:

• Pastis (an aniseed transparent alcoholic drink which turns opaque when mixed with water) Sometimes it is referred to with the brand name: 51, Ricard, Pernod...
• Muscat (a sweet wine, the colour of amber)
• Panaché (shandy)

For children or if you fancy a non alcoholic beverage:

• Sirop de menthe (mint cordial, very refreshing, bright green)
• Sirop de grenadine (pomegranate cordial, bright red)
• Diabolo (this is made with cordial, usually one of the two above, but lemonade is used instead of water)
• Orangina 

Next week we'll talk about the fancy nibbles you might have with them!

What is your preferred apéritif drink? Leave a comment to tell us!

To revise very important vocabulary such as this, join one of our regular French courses in Bristol and Bath! :)

If you need to go to the doctor's in France this summer...

Some of you will have come to our French drama show last Tuesday, where poor injured men were given quite a different experience in France and in England!

On the English side, the doctor was sitting besides his patient; on the French side, the doctor was behind the desk (derrière son bureau). Even though it was a knee injury, he was asked to take all of his clothes off on the French side (déshabillez-vous) whereas on the English side the doctor was nervous about the patient taking their clothes off!

Of course the scene went on the finish with the perfect medicine on both sides. In England, it was a cup of tea (une tasse de thé) and in France, after a long prescription (une ordonnance) it was of course... un suppositoire!

To find out more about our French through drama course, or our more conventional courses to learn or revise French in Bristol and Bath, visit our website: 

http://afbristol.org.uk/

Did you know that there is a French drama show next Tuesday in Bristol?

Audrey, our French drama teacher, once again, has prepared a group of students to perform a show which they have written themselves.
You will go to the doctor's ( vous irez chez le docteur) speaking half French and half English, then to the chemist's ( à la pharmacie, ou, chez le pharmacien). Someone wakes up with a Bristolian accent and must get cured! An old lady goes to see a paediatrician... ( un pédiatre) and somebody else has become amnesic ( amnésique).
Lots of fun and laughters are guaranteed. Come and join the fun, upstairs at The Hen & Chicken, the entrance fee is only £2! For more info...
 

If you would like to see some videos of previous shows, click on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlSm4Q0AAMU

Molitor: suite...

Simon Fry gives us some more information about (la piscine) Molitor in Paris:
A new book tells the colourful story of one of the world’s most famous swimming pools.
‘Molitor Les Piscines et la Patinoire’ records the opening in 1929 of Paris’s Piscine Molitor, which featured among numerous amenities indoor and outdoor pools, the latter also operating as a wintertime ice rink ( une patinoire).

The book has been written by 87-year-old Claude Weill; a Parisian all his life, he first swam at Piscine Molitor in 1933 and has lived opposite it for the last 30 years. He attended the complex’s gymnasium up to three times weekly until its closure in 1989; since extensively demolished and rebuilt, Mr Weill and his wife were the first customers to book into the new Molitor’s hotel, staying on its first night, May 19.
The book explains how architect Robert Mallet-Stevens recommended Lucien Pollet to design Piscine Molitor. Mallet-Stevens had designed the house of Louis Barillet, a famed, contemporary stained glass artist, who was himself responsible for the art deco glasswork adorning the complex.
(Pollet designed other Parisian pools, such as Piscine Pontoise, a few hundred metres from Notre Dame, which opened in 1934.)

Fascinating photos and illustrations are dotted throughout, showing sunbathers relaxing on sand on a ‘beach’ beside the outdoor pool, motor-powered prototype snowmobiles, en masse synchronised swimming and a pulley system used to help handicapped children swim.
Coverage is given to Piscine Molitor’s 25 years of abandonment, when graffiti artists covered its surfaces with their work, a French music outfit staged a rave, 50 years of the Mini were celebrated in 2009 and Nike took over the site during the 2010 French Open. The book has a cover price of 20 euros.
For more information: www.editions-glyphe.com

Our French Summer intensive courses are now full, but start thinking about September and read about our regular French classes: For more info...

        

Have you heard of La piscine Molitor in Paris?

La piscine ( swimming pool) Molitor in Paris has a very interesting history which Simon Fry has written about just for us.
Simon Fry is a Bristol-based freelance journalist who has written for the BBC, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo, Rugby World, Blue Wings (the in-flight magazine of Finnair, the Finnish national airline,)
Venue, Folio and the Edinburgh Evening News. One of his first commissions was to review Coldplay in Paris in 2000 for the Bristol Evening Post. Website: www.simon-fry.co.uk

Making Merry at Molitor
Simon Fry
 
Swimmers are once again able to crawl and butterfly al fresco in Paris’s stylish sixteenth arrondissement following the opening of Molitor on May 19.
An 80 million euro project has seen the rebuilding of the former Piscine Molitor complex, which was opened in 1929 by Olympic gold medallist Johnny Weissmuller, following 25 years of abandonment after closure in 1989.
Weissmuller was accompanied by fellow American Olympian Aileen Riggin at the opening, and remained as lifeguard and swimming instructor for the complex’s first season before beginning a film career as Tarzan in 1932.
Another Hollywood connection came in 2012, with the filming of the novel Life of Pi. The story’s main protagonist is named Piscine Molitor Patel by his father, who wishes for his son to have a soul as clean as the waters in the complex’s indoor and outdoor pools.
Sometimes the water in its outdoor pool was frozen! Starting two years after opening, a machine was brought in at wintertime to convert the pool into an ice-rink. This used ammonia, and the practice
was discontinued in 1978 on the grounds of health and safety.
Doubtless the temperature was warmer in 1946 when Piscine Molitor was the location of the launch of the modern bikini, modelled by Michele Bernardini, a 19-year-old nude dancer from the Casino de Paris.  
The complex’s quarter-century in the wilderness saw graffiti artists ‘tag’ its exterior; when these were painted over, they broke in to paint extensively on pools and interior walls.
After almost complete demolition and reconstruction, the new Molitor (‘Piscine’ having been dropped) features the same indoor and outdoor pools, reproduced in exacting detail, plus 124-room hotel, spa, restaurant and bar.

As in its previous life, Molitor will resound to juvenile joy, with local schoolchildren using its indoor pool for three mornings weekly.Simon Fry Piscines et Patinoire in Paris
Merci Simon!
 
There are one or two places left in the July French intensive courses in Bristol so you can still join, for more info...

       

Did you know that there will be a guided walk in French, in Bristol, next Thursday?

Anne, blue badge guide and French tutor with Alliance Française de Bristol, is doing a guided walk ( une visite guidée) on 12th June, starting in front of the Hippodrome and taking students through the old centre of Bristol.
Anne has been doing guided walks around Bristol for Alliance Française students and anyone interested for the last few years and they are always very popular. Here is what Sarah has to say:
« J'ai assisté à trois des visites guidées d'Alliance Française, et elles m'ont beaucoup plu. Anne explique l'histoire et l'architecture de Bristol d'une manière si vivante, et interactive, et on apprend beaucoup de vocabulaire.   Je les recommande chaleureusement!”
The walk will start on the big public open space in front of the Hippodrome where the river Frome ( la rivière) used to run and is now covered. There will be a stop by the statue of Neptune, the walk will take students to Castle Green near the floating harbour ( le pont flottant), with its ruins ( ses ruines) of the castle ( le château) and of two churches ( deux églises). And plenty more......

It is not too late to join, for more info...

Some unusual comparisons!

Martine's Tuesday morning French class has been looking at some of these idiomatic expressions in the magazine Bien Dire. For instance:
C'est bête comme chou, meaning that it is very easy.
C'est évident comme le nez au milieu de la figure, for something which is really obvious.
Martine asked her students to use some of them to make up a story. See below what Robin came up with:

LE COMBAT IDIOMATIQUE
A – J’ai entendu dire que tu as trouvé une nouvelle amie.
B – Oui, elle est jolie comme un cœur.  Elle est blonde comme les blés

 et, en outre, elle est gaie comme un pinson 

 Vraiment, j’ai eu de la chance de la trouver.
A – Mais, c’est une vraie perle !  Est-ce que c’est la vérité – je sais bien que tu peux mentir comme tu respires…
B – Tu es quelle sorte d’ami ?
A – Est-ce que c’est la nouvelle nénette dans le service comptabilité ? 
B – Oui, c’est évident que tu l’as aperçue.
A – C’était impossible de ne pas la remarquer, elle est maquillée comme une voiture volée.
B – La vie va mieux avec un peu de couleur, non ?  Regardes-toi toi-même ; tu es ennuyeux comme la pluie !
A – Mais cette fille est bête comme ses pieds (et sa taille est 48 !)   On dit qu’elle fume comme un pompier et elle boit comme un trou.
B – Ah je comprends ce qu’il y a ici, c’est simple comme bonjour : tu es jaloux !
A – Moi !  Je ne lui ferais même pas de l’œil si elle était riche comme Crésus !
B – Non, non, non, certainement, tu es jaloux ; c’est gros comme une maison.  Et elle n’est pas bête, elle est très perspicace, elle m’a dit que je suis beau comme un dieu.  Voilà ! 
 
You may find some more comparisons if you go to the magazine Bien Dire website.
We still have a few places on our Summer intensive courses, why not contact us to see if you can join a class and learn some amusing phrases too. For more info...

Did you know that the well-known French writer, Tanguy Viel, will be in Bristol next Wednesday?

Tanguy Viel will be meeting French teachers, students of both Alliance Française de Bristol et Bath on Wednesday, 28th May at 7.30pm at Redland Park URC Meeting Rooms, 1,Redland Park, BS6 6SA . Tanguy Viel is a very respected writer of crime novels ( des polars) . 
We have been studying passages from L'absolue perfection du crime, ( Absolute Perfection of Crime) in which  the narrator and his friends in crime are preparing a burglary which will be their last and will reach perfection.....
"Ce roman impressionne d'abord par sa virtuosité et son inventivité narrative." ( This novel is impressive by its virtuosity and inventive style)   
We have also studied Paris-Brest, here the narrator tells us about his family, his chidhood and his chidhood "friend". The story keeps going backwards and forwards which makes it very gripping. "Tanguy Viel est un romancier rare par sa double maîtrise du style et de l'intrigue" .  ( Tanguy Viel is one those rare writers who can master both style and plot).

Students studying French in Bath with Véronique enjoyed an afternoon talking about Paris-Brest while tasting some delicious Paris- Brest. A Paris-Brest is a cake which was invented in the late 19th century to advertise the first cycling race: Paris-Brest-Paris.

 

Here is a link to Tanguy Viel with some videos:
http://www.babelio.com/auteur/Tanguy-Viel/2060

Why not join us next Wednesday? For more info...

Did you know that we're having our next French wine workshop in Bristol next Thursday?

Lionel, specialist on French wines and ex French teacher will take students from Alliance Française de Bristol et de Bath through a journey of discovering wines, vineyards and wine producers with a degustation. His enthusiasm and knowledge always make these evenings memorable.

This time we will taste wines from Savoie- Bugey-Jura.

There will be a:

   Bugey AC Montagnieu Méthode Traditionnelle NV – Franck Peillot

= il s’agit d’un vin pétillant du Bugey très connu et apprécié dans la région lyonnaise. ( A sparkling wine from Bugey very well-known and appreciated in the Lyon region) 

Here is a photo of Franck Peillot in his vineyard ( son vignoble) 

 Bugey AC 12 Montagnieu Mondeuse – Franck Peillot

= cépage typique de la région ( A typical grape variety of the region) 

A photo of the vineyard:

And finally the wine bottle with label: ( la bouteille de vin avec son étiquette):

If you would like to hear Lionel speaks on wines, you can watch a video taken at one of the French wine workshops, for more info...

If you wish to find out more about our activities and events, go to our website. For more info...