Yurtdışında Yaşam

After an earlier post in which I commented on the lack of open green space in the immediate vicinity, I received the suggestion that I check out the Parc Buttes-Chaumont (thanks, Kimberly!).

It’s not on a direct métro route from here, and I mostly avoid trips that entail two or more transfers, as this one does. But then I looked at the map of the bus system, and saw that the number 60 bus goes from three blocks away right to the Parc. So I packed myself a little picnic lunch and went to check it out.

It is indeed a lovely park. And it was such a lovely day that it was full of families (and their dogs) and newly married couples getting their pictures taken. I wandered around and about for an hour before sitting down to enjoy my lunch (which I refused to share with an importunate dog); followed by another hour or so of wandering.

The number 60 bus actually goes all the way to Père Lachaise cemetary, so I continued my trip out that way.

Rather than post individual pictures for the day’s dual excursion here, I’m putting up a little slideshow (this will open in a new window).

Well, I’m two weeks into my classes. I’d forgotten how much work being a student is! I’m just glad that I don’t have to be concerned about grades.

The business French (Français des Affaires) course is particularly serious. The professor, Mme Sainlos, is very geared toward making sure that we can pass the DFA1 exam offered in at the end of the term. The DFA (Diplôme de Français des Affaires) is offered by the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris to certify French fluency. The written exam has two main components: writing letters and writing résumés (which in the case of business French means summaries), and so our Tuesday meetings are mostly given over to résumés, while on Thursdays we work on letters. The oral exam similarly has two main components: providing an oral summary in French of an article written in our native language and mounting an argument for (or against) an idea presented in an article written in French. And so part of our course work will also include such presentations. Next Thursday (yes, already), it’ll be my turn to argue. I have an article entitled "Le tourism s’invente de nouveaux guides" ("Tourism invents new guides"). I’m charged with outlining the advantages and limits of this new approach and advancing my own opinion.

We also have work in small groups: in groups of two or three, we’re researching different French companies and will be presenting our findings to the class. I’m working with one other student on Air France; our rough outline includes the history of Air France, their alliance with other airlines, objectives, activities, and balance sheet.

And while all of this is going on, we’re learning French business vocabulary, which is particularly tricky, since some fairly simple words have very specific meanings when they’re used in a business context. And of course those very specific meanings are not addressed in our little pocket dictionaries.

Unlike the general French course, most of the 12 of us are non-Americans with French spouses. Only three of us are Americans.

This morning was the first meeting for the general French class. There are 15 students, 14 women and a lone guy. 10 are American students, 3 are women of different nationalities married to French men, there’s one student from China, and then there’s me.

The professor kept stressing that, since we meet for only six hours a week, we can’t do anything too in depth. I dunno: six hours seems like plenty to me!

This morning, I took my placement exam and registered for the Institut de Langue et de Culture Françaises program at the Institut Catholique de Paris. I scored better on the oral part than the written (much to my surprise), and came out solidly intermediate.

I’m signed up for 18 hours of classes: 6 hours of general French, 6 of business French, and 3 hours each for written and oral French. The business French class is officially slightly advanced for me. The advisor who was helping me plan my program actually found the professor to discuss whether or not I should be allowed to enroll. After looking over my written test and discussing my background with the advisor, the professor gave her okay after making me drop the history course I had wanted and extracting a promise that I would work very hard.

Most of my classes are in the late afternoon, Tuesday through Friday, from 2 to 5, although the general French classes are Monday & Tuesday, from 10 to 1. Classes start Monday, so I’ll have to enjoy these last few days of complete liberty while I can!

I have to admit that I was a little spoiled in Oakland: anytime I got restless, I could out and walk around Lake Merritt. I have yet to find a comparable walk here: there just doesn’t seem to be much greenery within a reasonable walking distance. (And in truth, if I had lived almost anywhere else in the Bay Area, I’d likely have had the same problem there.)

The best I’ve come up with so far as an alternate destination for those times when I need to get out and stretch my legs is to climb up to Montmartre. It has occurred to me that Paris is much better looking from ground level than it is from on high:

Since I’m heading up there anyway, I’ve started getting into the habit of timing my trip for early evening and attending Vespers and/or evening Mass at Sacré Cœur. The result is that I’ve effectively abandoned my original parish of Notre Dame de Clignancourt.