July 5, 2010
Bonjour mes amis,
I'm off tomorrow for another adventure in France with friends and family! For those who can't get to Paris this summer, there is a series of mystery novels that take place in Paris written by Cara Black. The mysteries take place in different neighborhoods in Paris and are quite detailed about the particular culture of each. Cara Black also includes a neighborhood map. I just finished reading Murder in Clichy and purchased a couple of more Cara Black novels for my trip. The books are written in English and contain many references to the French way of life plus a few French phrases scattered throughout.
Have a wonderful summer. Hope to see you in the fall at the Moonstruck Conversation Group or at PCC Sylvania.
A bientot,
Giselle
April 3, 2010
There is a new Verb Blurb
March 29, 2010
I am loving teaching Second Year French at Portland Community College. Large classes full of enthusiastic students make for great classroom energy, fun, learning, and excitement. As usual, students teach me about popular culture and how truly “dorky” I am with computers while I teach them French irregular verbs and object pronouns. Hey, how did I become the oldest one in the room?
Several private students enhance my teaching schedule with their devotion to learning the French language. One unexpected student, young French Parisian requested English grammar lessons. In my twenties, I taught English as a Second Language at “Speak Easy Language Center” in Los Angeles. So pourquoi pas maintenant?
After finding the right materials, I found it rewarding and educational to do my teaching in reverso. The lessons taught 99% in English with the occasional explanation in French helped the student understand and use English grammar correctly. The student helped me understand how French speakers truly do struggle with our pesky “h” s and irregular past participles.
Predictably, I spent a lot of time this winter keeping up with Maggy, our new puppy. Pictures of Maggy are still up on the web site, www.sayitinfrench.com Living with Maggy, I alternate between exclaiming “Oh, how cute!” followed almost immediately by “Oh, no!” as I discover she chewed up the remote for the second time.
One event with Maggy stands out this past winter and surprisingly contains a French twist.
“Le Spay”
Thursday February 25, 2010, I dreaded this day. Under the knife for poor little puppy Maggy. It didn’t help that the vet tech kept referring to the procedure as Maggy’s hysterectomy while rattling off the long list of pre and post operative care instructions. It also didn’t help that while trying to explain in English the meaning of spaying to the student from France, he blurted out, “Oh, la sterilisation.”
My memories of our first beagle Lizzy’s spaying over fifteen years ago remain vague. I remember asking for anesthesia light and a bikini cut and, consequently, getting a funny look from the vet. However, there was no long list of pre and post care edicts; no annoying cone to wear for ten days. No big deal and a speedy recovery for Lizzy.
Our new vet tends to be super cautious or maybe the rules of spaying changed since 1995. First, I needed to take Maggy to meet her surgeon. It’s important to develop a good canine surgeon relationship in spaying situations. “Bonjour”, the surgeon greeted me upon entering the office. I figured he must have spotted the Say It In French sign on the side of my car. He then began to speak to me for twenty minutes about his impressive French ancestry which included THE ROTHSCHILDS So why is he working in this pet care clinic? He explained his immediate side of the family came from the poor side of THE ROTHSCHILDS. Who knew such a side existed?
So one might assume that the vet Rothschild might speak French. Sadly, only a few words, but he did reassure me that every December he attends the gala Alliance Francaise holiday party in New York and one year danced with the guest of honor, the celebrated actress, Catherine Deneuve. With all this heady French name dropping, I began to forget why we had come to the vet’s. What about Maggy and her “sterilisation”? The surgeon checked her and proclaimed her fit for “le spay.” He highly recommended five days of pain killers, a cone, and, most importantly, sedatives for her go-go, lick-lick, jump-jump, go-go, lick-lick personality. Of course, I couldn’t leave without my traditional request for anesthesia light and the bikini cut (perhaps for the French Riviera I added). Certainement, the surgeon agreed.
February 25, 2010 arrived. “Le spay” went fine, and the surgeon Rothschild even spoke a little French to Maggy. However, he expressed concern that Maggy might have a tendency to dominate people. Apparently, she did not comply fully with pre-spay protocol. Therefore, he recommended I practice “Le Flip”. Qu’est-ce que c’est? You turn the dog over on her back while she is in your arms. You look her in the eye and say in your most authoritative voice “I am the mommy. You are the dog.” Do this three times a day for two weeks and the dog will know forever who is” le boss”. D’accord – if only I could physically flip Mlle Squirmy Maggy over.
The vet also recommended three post “le spay” visits which seemed excessive but came included in the “le spay package”. During the first post “le spay” check, I began to suspect that our vet had become afflicted with a bad case of “le coup de foudre” (love at first sight) for Maggy. He called over the weekend to know how she felt and during the next two “le spay” checks, he proclaimed “This is my beagle” when Maggy licked his face. Wait a minute. I thought she was my beagle. Finally, the day arrived when Maggy’s cone and stitches came off. We have not seen the vet in over a month. I am sure he is nursing a broken heart.
On a final note, my husband Bill who drives for Tri-Met ran into Tri-Met General Manager Fred Hansen who will retire when his contract ends in June. They talked about what Fred Hansen would do next. Bill suggested taking French lessons and gave him my card. Fred Hansen said he had studied foreign languages in colleges and was currently reviving his French by listening to Cds.
So maybe Mr. Hansen will show up at our Moonstruck Café French Conversation Group, the first and third Mondays of the month or maybe not. De toute facon, I certainly hope you will. For further details about the group, consult the web site.
Merci beaucoup for your support. I sincerely appreciate it.
Heureux Printemps!
Amicalement,
Giselle
December 20, 2009
There is a new Verb Blurb
December 13, 2009
Adorable Slipper Thief Invades Say It In French Director’s Home
On the night of November 7, 2009, a small tricolored beagle puppy captivated my heart and allowed me another chance to love a dog, the same breed as our beloved Lizzy, whom we lost in September. I thought to wait until spring to consider even getting another dog but found life without dog rather sad. The French have an expression “ Une maison sans animaux est triste.” This time the awesome responsibility of choosing a beagle puppy fell to me. In the Oregonian, we found beagle puppies for sale in Dallas, Oregon. The Dallas breeder turned out to be a sixteen year old high school student who bred beagle puppies for his Future Farmers of America project. The night we visited, one puppy in particular appealed to me, and we took her home.
For two days, I wracked my brain, already tired, from being a new mother for a name. Nothing, absolutely nothing. The puppy came with a strong personality, proud and confident. I needed a name with a little oomph. In desperation, I called my son Michael for help. His friend Shalena saw the puppy through the magic of Skype and decided she looked like a Maggy. I practiced the name for a day. It suited her. We gave her Lizzy’s middle name, Anne, as family tradition and spelled Maggy with “y” to honor Lizzy.
Maggy is high energy. Bill and I are exhausted but exhilarated to have a new little love. Maggy is not just happy to see you, she is ecstatic. Nothing seems to frighten her or faze her. She can jump over 26” baby gates with a single bound, slip in and out of rooms unnoticed, and wrap her sharp little teeth around your favorite possessions in a flash. When she finally stops moving for a moment and sits quietly, we are awed by her beauty. Yes, we are head over paws in love again with another dog!
I speak French to Maggy because as you know the younger you start a second language, the easier it is to learn. For those of you still wanting to work on your French, I offer the French Conversation Class this winter term which meets the first and third Monday of the month 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. at Moonstruck Chocolate Café in Beaverton Town Square. Further details and pictures of Maggy are on the web site www.sayitinfrench.com.
Two photos from Giselle's Beverton Sister City's Trip to France this summer - translating for the mayors of Cluses and Beaverton and hanging out with one member of the city council of Cluses
Giselle and Bénedicte municipal councillor, Cluses City Hall.
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Mayor Denny Doyle of Beaverton and Mayor Jean-Claude Léger of Cluses exchanging gifts. Giselle doing simultaneous translation for both mayors. |
IWinter term I will be teaching French 202 at PCC Tu/Th,; one class at 9 A.M. and a second at 6:30 P.M. I am also studying Arabic with a private teacher from Egypt who speaks little English. Arabic is really tough. I now feel my French students’ pain more acutely as I struggle to master a new language.
As we transition to 2010, I wish you all a happy holiday season and a very Bonne Annee. May good health be yours. May you find yourself surrounded by love and keep up your French in ways that suit you best.
Thank you as always for your support.
Amicalement,
Giselle
