Letour, your screen name was still in Noves
Apr 4th, 2006, 06:35 AM
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Letour, your screen name was still in Noves
I logged on fodors at the language center in Noves and there you were the last one posted. I am on my second day refreshing my French. I will not make any review yet until I am through with the program. One important thing is, I am adjusting to life in someone's home. You cannot leave the center on your own even though you have a car. Classes and activities were planned with few free time here and there.
The weather is very nice, sunny with some strong wind. Yesterday we had very mild mistral. BTW, when I arrived Avignon, I had to find the toilettes to peel off my Cuddle Duds.
The weather is very nice, sunny with some strong wind. Yesterday we had very mild mistral. BTW, when I arrived Avignon, I had to find the toilettes to peel off my Cuddle Duds.
Apr 4th, 2006, 08:38 AM
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Salut, Georgiegirl!
Wow! I didn't know that you were going there! I definitely want to hear all about your experience!
Please dit bonjour to Magali and Colin for me! Please tell them that my daughter and I miss them!
I'm actually using a textbook that I noticed in Magali's library: It's blue and is called Grammaire Progressive du Francais, published by CLE International. It's hard to routinely study it, but it's written by French people and published in France, so I think that the frame of reference is naturally more authentic in terms of the nuaaces that it focuses upon in the lessons.
I do agree about your impression of being "stuck" there, although my daughter and I did leave in our van in the afternoons on occasion. We politely declined an outing or two and did our own exploring. But you're right. One of the English chaps and I went our for our afternoon jogs, so we covered some of the fields and perimeter roads, and that was a bit of a help.
I would say that at times I wondered if I was making progress--if not regressing, because some things that I had thought that I had understood needed some tweaking. But my daughter and I both came back after two weeks in France last summer (one week on our own in Eygalieres) speaking much more comfortably. Her French teacher noted the difference and bumped her up to honors French...
In some ways, it was the unstructured time, sitting conversing in the afternoon over cocktails that may have been the most helpful in stretching our capacity to speak French more comfortably.I hope that you have pleasant fellow students.
What room do you have? We had the purple room. My daughter loved their dog! Tell me more!
Et bon chance!
Wow! I didn't know that you were going there! I definitely want to hear all about your experience!
Please dit bonjour to Magali and Colin for me! Please tell them that my daughter and I miss them!
I'm actually using a textbook that I noticed in Magali's library: It's blue and is called Grammaire Progressive du Francais, published by CLE International. It's hard to routinely study it, but it's written by French people and published in France, so I think that the frame of reference is naturally more authentic in terms of the nuaaces that it focuses upon in the lessons.
I do agree about your impression of being "stuck" there, although my daughter and I did leave in our van in the afternoons on occasion. We politely declined an outing or two and did our own exploring. But you're right. One of the English chaps and I went our for our afternoon jogs, so we covered some of the fields and perimeter roads, and that was a bit of a help.
I would say that at times I wondered if I was making progress--if not regressing, because some things that I had thought that I had understood needed some tweaking. But my daughter and I both came back after two weeks in France last summer (one week on our own in Eygalieres) speaking much more comfortably. Her French teacher noted the difference and bumped her up to honors French...
In some ways, it was the unstructured time, sitting conversing in the afternoon over cocktails that may have been the most helpful in stretching our capacity to speak French more comfortably.I hope that you have pleasant fellow students.
What room do you have? We had the purple room. My daughter loved their dog! Tell me more!
Et bon chance!
Apr 5th, 2006, 02:58 AM
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I gave them your greetings. They remember you very well. There is another woman in the class with me. It is another approach to the study from the one in Villefranche I took 8 years ago. Both dogs are doing well. Anna is very healthy 7 months old baby. I enjoy spending time talking with the family. For dinner yersterday, Rene cooked a dish that was made with fresh things from around there. The chicken was killed that morning. Herbes collected from the garden. The hard part is smelling the food during the class. It made me hungry all the time. Will post more. It is time for lunch.
Apr 5th, 2006, 04:02 AM
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Today we did exercices again in using passe compose and imparfait in telling stories, events, etc. Later we learned about Alphonse Dedaut. She used questions and answers in telling us about him. The other lady and I took turns asking each other questions from sheets that the info was missing. If there is a blank in her sheet, I should have the answer to that blank. In doing so, we learn how to pose questions and answers.
We are taking a break now.
We are taking a break now.
Apr 5th, 2006, 08:18 AM
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gg:
Cool! Thanks for the report. Yes, my wife knit Anna a winter cap, but it sounds like the weather is warmer than here in Boston, where it's currently SNOWING! Thanks so much for conveying my best wishes to Magali and Colin, and to Rene and his wife. Rene is a great communicator!
Your lesson sounds just like ours...please tell Magali that after the program I returned home and have read most of the Lettres de Mon Moulin, and have really enjoyed them. I find his stories quite charming and still apropos. You might tell her that I also picked up a copy of one of Pagnol's trilogy on memories from his childhood in Provence, and I am now a Pagnol fiend! I've read the trilogy and have also read Jean de Florette and Manon de les Sources. (I liked the first movie much better than the second.) Staying with them and speaking to Rene helped me to appreciate even more that particular Provence region...though we found, say, Eygalieres to be much prettier than Noves--please don't tell them that!
Coco: Ca va? Tout le monde rendent une visite avec toi! Peut-etre on peut te visiter un jour. C'est weekend, nous recevons une etudiante d'exchange d'Aix en Provence. Elle serait en exchange avec ma fille. C'est chouette!
Tout a l'heure!
Cool! Thanks for the report. Yes, my wife knit Anna a winter cap, but it sounds like the weather is warmer than here in Boston, where it's currently SNOWING! Thanks so much for conveying my best wishes to Magali and Colin, and to Rene and his wife. Rene is a great communicator!
Your lesson sounds just like ours...please tell Magali that after the program I returned home and have read most of the Lettres de Mon Moulin, and have really enjoyed them. I find his stories quite charming and still apropos. You might tell her that I also picked up a copy of one of Pagnol's trilogy on memories from his childhood in Provence, and I am now a Pagnol fiend! I've read the trilogy and have also read Jean de Florette and Manon de les Sources. (I liked the first movie much better than the second.) Staying with them and speaking to Rene helped me to appreciate even more that particular Provence region...though we found, say, Eygalieres to be much prettier than Noves--please don't tell them that!
Coco: Ca va? Tout le monde rendent une visite avec toi! Peut-etre on peut te visiter un jour. C'est weekend, nous recevons une etudiante d'exchange d'Aix en Provence. Elle serait en exchange avec ma fille. C'est chouette!
Tout a l'heure!
Apr 5th, 2006, 11:30 AM
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Letour, je serais ravie de te rencontrer un jour 
Tu nous raconteras ton week end avec la petite française, n'est-ce pas?
Je ne sais plus quel est le 3ème livre de la trilogie de Pagnol, la Gloire de mon Père, le Chateau de ma Mère et...?
Moi aussi j'ai préféré Jean de Florette à Manon des Sources.
Prends tu encore des cours de Français?
gg est ce que tu dors bien là-bas? Tu n'as pas répondu à la question de letour sur la couleur de ta chambre!
A bientôt!
coco
Tu nous raconteras ton week end avec la petite française, n'est-ce pas?
Je ne sais plus quel est le 3ème livre de la trilogie de Pagnol, la Gloire de mon Père, le Chateau de ma Mère et...?
Moi aussi j'ai préféré Jean de Florette à Manon des Sources.
Prends tu encore des cours de Français?
gg est ce que tu dors bien là-bas? Tu n'as pas répondu à la question de letour sur la couleur de ta chambre!
A bientôt!
coco
Apr 5th, 2006, 11:57 AM
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My room is the one on your right before going into the wash room/internet room. It is mustard color.
Rene went back home for the night and will be back tomorrow.
Did you play game with them at night? It was fun.
We are going to Luberon tomorrow in the afternoon.
I still have problem sleeping in strange place. Since there is nothing to do here after 10pm, I go to bed reading. I get around6 hours of sleep which is better. I will make it up when I am back home.
Will report back later. Bonne nuit.
Rene went back home for the night and will be back tomorrow.
Did you play game with them at night? It was fun.
We are going to Luberon tomorrow in the afternoon.
I still have problem sleeping in strange place. Since there is nothing to do here after 10pm, I go to bed reading. I get around6 hours of sleep which is better. I will make it up when I am back home.
Will report back later. Bonne nuit.
Apr 5th, 2006, 12:23 PM
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Bonjour, CoCo et GG!
Alors, la jeune fille sera chez nous pour trois semaines; elle vient avec un groupe des etudiants francais. Moi, je fais les petits etudes en francais, et je lis les romans, mais, j'etais aux Bahamas pour huit jours le derniere semaine pour aller a la peche et je crois que j'avais oublie tout ma francais! On parle strictement en anglais avec les gens la, et apres une semaine dans un autre payee, je dois recommencer le francais, alors! J'avais tombe!
GG: I think that I may have preferred the purple to the mustard! Zut, alors! Sorry that you're having some trouble sleeping. I think that we managed okay there, but you didn't feel like you could necessarily just wander around in somnambulance either! I think one night I actually snuck out by the wash area and used the computer. Perhaps you could try that, but it might not help you sleep. Your having just one other scholar there might make it a bit too limited, perhaps. It was fun being a student with my daughter, and observing how she interacted with and befriended what was otherwise an adult assemblage.
Alors, dors bien, gg.
Et toi aussi, CoCo!
letour
Alors, la jeune fille sera chez nous pour trois semaines; elle vient avec un groupe des etudiants francais. Moi, je fais les petits etudes en francais, et je lis les romans, mais, j'etais aux Bahamas pour huit jours le derniere semaine pour aller a la peche et je crois que j'avais oublie tout ma francais! On parle strictement en anglais avec les gens la, et apres une semaine dans un autre payee, je dois recommencer le francais, alors! J'avais tombe!
GG: I think that I may have preferred the purple to the mustard! Zut, alors! Sorry that you're having some trouble sleeping. I think that we managed okay there, but you didn't feel like you could necessarily just wander around in somnambulance either! I think one night I actually snuck out by the wash area and used the computer. Perhaps you could try that, but it might not help you sleep. Your having just one other scholar there might make it a bit too limited, perhaps. It was fun being a student with my daughter, and observing how she interacted with and befriended what was otherwise an adult assemblage.
Alors, dors bien, gg.
Et toi aussi, CoCo!
letour
Apr 7th, 2006, 05:33 AM
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Last day in Noves for gg, it went very fast!
We were together driving around Dijon just a week ago... (that is why gg got the mustard room!)
Are you fluent now gg? ;-)
Keep in touch for the rest of your trip! (another thread?)
Bon voyage!
coco
We were together driving around Dijon just a week ago... (that is why gg got the mustard room!)
Are you fluent now gg? ;-)
Keep in touch for the rest of your trip! (another thread?)
Bon voyage!
coco
Apr 7th, 2006, 07:41 AM
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letour, les adolescentes françaises aiment la mode et la musique 
principalement et peut être la lecture...
elle ne vient que pour un week end? c'est trop court!
gg m'a téléphonée depuis la gare quand elle attendait son train pour Villefranche.
Elle va loger à l'hôtel Patricia
http://hotel-patricia.riviera.fr/
Je me demande quelle chambre elle va avoir...
Elle m'a dit qu'elle écrira un trip report à son retour chez elle.
wait and see...
principalement et peut être la lecture...elle ne vient que pour un week end? c'est trop court!
gg m'a téléphonée depuis la gare quand elle attendait son train pour Villefranche.
Elle va loger à l'hôtel Patricia
http://hotel-patricia.riviera.fr/
Je me demande quelle chambre elle va avoir...
Elle m'a dit qu'elle écrira un trip report à son retour chez elle.
wait and see...
Apr 7th, 2006, 08:40 AM
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CoCo:
Mais non, elle visite pour trois semaines! Elle dit a ma fille qu'elle voudrait manger tous les bonnes repas aux Etats Unis, comme les "hamburgers!" C'est fou!
Alors, elle voudrait regarder les films americains aussi...On sera tres occupe!
letour
Mais non, elle visite pour trois semaines! Elle dit a ma fille qu'elle voudrait manger tous les bonnes repas aux Etats Unis, comme les "hamburgers!" C'est fou!
Alors, elle voudrait regarder les films americains aussi...On sera tres occupe!
letour
Apr 10th, 2006, 05:52 AM
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CoCo:
La jeune fille est formidable! Elle est tres gentille, intelligente est sympathetique.
Elle nous a donne des petits cadeaux. C'etait tres gentille. Elle a deja essaye peanut butter, (elle prefer nutella!) et cream cheese et bagels (tres bons!)
On a mange ce matin un grand petit dejeuner: les oeufs, bacon (?), et jus d'orange. Elle aimait bien le "big breakfast!"
Bon journee!
letour
La jeune fille est formidable! Elle est tres gentille, intelligente est sympathetique.
Elle nous a donne des petits cadeaux. C'etait tres gentille. Elle a deja essaye peanut butter, (elle prefer nutella!) et cream cheese et bagels (tres bons!)
On a mange ce matin un grand petit dejeuner: les oeufs, bacon (?), et jus d'orange. Elle aimait bien le "big breakfast!"
Bon journee!
letour
