So it's a new year: 2012! - I've made a few changes already. The most important one is my French course. While I enjoyed the people on my course and Madame Demaret's forays into Japanese, Roman and Persian culture as well as hearing about Charlemagne, I felt that I wasn't making progress fast enough. I investigated a number of courses over the Christmas break and eventually enrolled in the University of Liege French course for those who wish to study at the University of Liege. The course is every weekday morning but I'm only able to go M,W and F as I still need to help out at Lucie D.
I felt bad telling Madame D that I was leaving but even worse saying good-bye to the class. They felt like kindred spirits in that we had all been foreigners in Belgium trying to learn the language at one point or another. Many of them had also shared some of their life stories with us.
However, I am enjoying the new course - there are only 14 students as opposed to 30+ and although the majority are in their 20s, there are others in their 30s also. I am without a doubt the granny of the class but I'm okay with that. There are a mixture of nationalities: Sicilian, Portuguese, several Turks, 2 guys from Africa, a German, several South Americans (Brazilian, Venezuelan), Spanish and Chinese. They are friendly and the teacher Aline - no 'Madame' here is very good. The pace is a lot faster. Interestingly, we have our class clown - this time it is Victor from Venezuela. He plays football for one of the local clubs. He often repeats things after the teacher and asks questions that have already been answered. His phone often rings in class and he is often late. However, you can't help but like him - he's very engaging. Overall, though, the class is quite serious. The course is expensive and the aim of most of the students is to be able to go to the University of Liege as a full-time student.
I am also taking a diction course at the Academie Gretry on the Outremeuse. Pierre Maes, a French teacher at Lucie Dejardin suggested it to me. It is a bit challenging but I'm enjoying the tongue twisters e.g. Suzy suches des suchetes - or Suzy sucks suckers. My first activity was to take a news article and write it from a witness point of view and give my opinion of it and then learn the three versions off by heart - all in French remember! So far so good.
Now that Pierre has gone to NZ for a year with his family (he's living in Wellington but I've invited him and his family to stay in the October holidays), I'm having to get up very early - 5.45am - not really a morning person.(Previously, Pierre usually took me to school M-Th) However, it was my choice to stay in Embourg so that's how it is and actually it's only twice a week as I start a little later on the other days.
On a lighter note in terms of changes - my hair keeps getting shorter every time I go to the hairdresser's. It was also getting more and more orange - I was the veritable 'orange roughy' after my penultimate appointment, so last time I took pictures with me.
According to the coiffeur, Gregory, I looked good in orange and he was rather loathe to change but I was steadfast. He gave in on the colour but then he asked me if I wanted 'un or deux centimetres off the length - I replied 'un' but in my opinion, he took trois!
Until next time...Bisous
I felt bad telling Madame D that I was leaving but even worse saying good-bye to the class. They felt like kindred spirits in that we had all been foreigners in Belgium trying to learn the language at one point or another. Many of them had also shared some of their life stories with us.
However, I am enjoying the new course - there are only 14 students as opposed to 30+ and although the majority are in their 20s, there are others in their 30s also. I am without a doubt the granny of the class but I'm okay with that. There are a mixture of nationalities: Sicilian, Portuguese, several Turks, 2 guys from Africa, a German, several South Americans (Brazilian, Venezuelan), Spanish and Chinese. They are friendly and the teacher Aline - no 'Madame' here is very good. The pace is a lot faster. Interestingly, we have our class clown - this time it is Victor from Venezuela. He plays football for one of the local clubs. He often repeats things after the teacher and asks questions that have already been answered. His phone often rings in class and he is often late. However, you can't help but like him - he's very engaging. Overall, though, the class is quite serious. The course is expensive and the aim of most of the students is to be able to go to the University of Liege as a full-time student.
I am also taking a diction course at the Academie Gretry on the Outremeuse. Pierre Maes, a French teacher at Lucie Dejardin suggested it to me. It is a bit challenging but I'm enjoying the tongue twisters e.g. Suzy suches des suchetes - or Suzy sucks suckers. My first activity was to take a news article and write it from a witness point of view and give my opinion of it and then learn the three versions off by heart - all in French remember! So far so good.
Now that Pierre has gone to NZ for a year with his family (he's living in Wellington but I've invited him and his family to stay in the October holidays), I'm having to get up very early - 5.45am - not really a morning person.(Previously, Pierre usually took me to school M-Th) However, it was my choice to stay in Embourg so that's how it is and actually it's only twice a week as I start a little later on the other days.
On a lighter note in terms of changes - my hair keeps getting shorter every time I go to the hairdresser's. It was also getting more and more orange - I was the veritable 'orange roughy' after my penultimate appointment, so last time I took pictures with me.
 |
| A veritable orange roughy! |
According to the coiffeur, Gregory, I looked good in orange and he was rather loathe to change but I was steadfast. He gave in on the colour but then he asked me if I wanted 'un or deux centimetres off the length - I replied 'un' but in my opinion, he took trois!
Until next time...Bisous
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