We started the week with a celebration of the Fourth of
July. Of course, it isn’t a holiday here in France. But every year there is a
small celebration at the American Monument in the Cours Dajot. This year, it
happens that an American ship is in port for an exchange with the French navy.
There are over 2,000 American sailors and marines in town, so the celebration
was a bit more extensive.
There were groups representing the French navy, the
American navy, the American marines and French veterans. And of course, we were
there.
There was a presentation of memorial floral wreaths by each
group. Tasline represented us. She stood with an American colonel, the
sub-prefect of Finistère, the mayor and an American consul.
At the end of the ceremony, the stagiaires sang the
Marseilles, which is the French national anthem. Anna Charboneau sang the
Star-Spangled Banner solo to complete the ceremony. It was very moving.
Tuesday was sports in the afternoon, as usual. However, we
were in a new gym that is literally walking distance from our lunch cafeteria.
We had been to this place in 2017, but it is an entirely new building. One room
has mirrors for practicing our dance for the spectacle. The other room is huge,
open and well-lit with goals on each end. And naturally, there were some
invented games.
We even have access to an outdoor track and a rugby field.
Tuesday’s optional was l’escalade – rock wall climbing. Don’t
worry, it was very safe. We went to a place called Climb-Up in a building called
Ateliers des Cappucins. The building is an old ship build factory that has been
converted into an enormous community center.
There are a couple of cafés and bookstores. There’s a
library and a meditation room, and of course, Climb-Up. And there is a ton of wide-open
space. On any given day, you can see kids playing soccer, riding scooters,
roller-blading and skate boarding. On the weekends, it is a loud raucous space.
Just outside the entrance to Climb-Up, Napoleon’s original
skiff is on display.
Even I suited up for rock wall climbing. Lucy wasn’t into
wearing other people’s shoes; Nineth was thrilled when I told her she could
check out the bookstores; for some reason Corentin and Jane were avid
spectators.
I gave it a go about four or five times and never made it
more than four feet above the mats. I gave it up when I landed on my bad knee. But
some of are kids really took to it. We started to call Emily “Spiderman.” Anna
Charbie made it to the top of at least four different runs. Dominic was awesome.
Ely had to have glue on his palms. Abigail was awesome. Brooklyn was
everywhere. I’m sure I’ve left people out, but I hope I’ve included them in the
photos.
It was just a great experience!
Wednesday was a regular day, if we have such a thing. I’m
sure that at home, these kids rush out of school the moment the bell rings.
Here in Brest, we have to tell them to leave. I guess that’s a good thing.
Thursday we were again at Gymnase Foch (named for a WWII
general from Brest). Anna Charbie went outside and practiced her shotput. There
was some badminton and some volleyball. But pretty quickly the game to play was
Lou-Garrou – not a sport at all, but the game Corentin played with them on the bus.
They even got me to play.
With 24 people playing the game, it takes a while. So, we
went about 30 minutes over.
But then we sent everyone on their way, because they had to
get home, get something to eat before we went for Breton dancing. This is a traditional
form of dancing unique to this area. Jean-Paul, one of our onsite coordinators
and Fabienne, one of host moms are very into it. They practice every week and
do festivals a couple of times a month.
It is so much fun for everyone. My bad knee has kept me
from participating (that and two left feet). But I promised Fabienne that I
would try this year. I made it through three dances. But all of the students
loved it. As you’ll see from the photos and videos, it was a great time!
Friday was a bit subdued. Vigorous dancing until 10pm will
do that to even the youngest among us. We also had to be quiet during our
afternoon activities as a driving exam was being administered in one of the
rooms we usually use.
With everything we’ve been doing, we’ve hardly thought
about “senior” portraits. However, I did photograph four students and one
today. I’m hoping I can get together with the others who want them on Tuesday, Wednesday
or Thursday. It will be virtually impossible to do them in Paris.
Of course, I’ll make tons of pictures of them. But, they
won’t be portrait quality.
As of today, I have surpassed 1,900 images of the students
that I have created. I’m sure Brooklyn has more than I do.
I have set up a Google Drive folder for all of my photos. I
will set up a folder for each of our stagiaires within that folder. It is my
sincere hope that each student will share their photos with everyone else on
that site. (My school gives each teacher a ton of space on Google, and they only
use a small percentage of it. So, I have been told to take as much space as I
want.)
In the past, I give everyone a couple of weeks to upload
their images. Then I create a Shutterfly album that anyone can download. I’ve
even had students take my basic album and personalize it. I enjoy doing it,
because the kids create images I would never be able to.
I’ll include the link in the very last blog post that I do the
day after we arrive.
Tasline probably didn't know that everyone would be looking at her. But she can handle it.
Offering the wreath.
Exchange of the wreaths.
Anna C is amazing.
After singing the Marseilles.
This the sour-préfect (like a county judge, only military, and the Mayor. (He doesn't usually come to things like this.)
Our group with the American consul for Northwestern France. She's actually very cool.
The American Monument is actually, legally, a part of the United States in France - only about 100 square yards, so there is no passport control.
Of course, Pigeon is everywhere.
Anna C and Charlie celebrated their birthdays on July 3 and July 5, So Bruno made an amazing cake!
Working on it.
Still more work.
Getting it together.
Badminton demon!
Kenneth is taking to French handball.
Brooke uses her head.
So does Sheana, sort of.
Some people are more into running than others.
What are you talking about? We're good!
We'll get this dance down, no matter what!
Some people are part monkey.
Really, it's true.
And some people just channel the Spiderman vibe.
Hang on kids!
It's easy, right?
The hair makes his super power.
Go Maddie!
Breathe, Eli!
Spiderman again!
Can Charbie do this at a track meet?
Go Abigail!
Kenneth cheats - long arms!
Defying gravity
Just a little bit more!
Check out the guns!
Girl power!
Gravity, what gravity?
One step at a time.
I said no pictures!
For a game that involves no action, it is intense.
How many people want you dead?
The faces of innocence.
Warming up for la danse bretonne.
The little fingers are really important.
Fabienne leads us.
Fabienne and Jean-Paul are pros.
Ohmigosh!
123,123
456,456
little fingers!
Allez-hup!
Allez-hup!
En ronde!
123, 123...
Pointe!
Là voilà!
Pointe!
Inclain...
Touche et tourne!
Touche et tourne!
On y va!
Et voilà!
Whoop-là!
On arrive!
C'est ça!
Voilà!
Allons-y!
Avance, avance...
Recule, recule...
Vendredi, on se relaxe.
The building director today told me how talented he thought Eli is.
We've got to choose this music!
Someone has had enough!
It's not really a bagpipe, but it almost sounds like one.
Wednesday was a pretty typical day for us; classes in the morning, amazing lunch, and working on the family show in the afternoon. We’ve now gotten Nineth a violin and Charlie a guitar. We’re still trying to figure out getting the electronic keyboard from the music store to the building where we have classes. On Thursday morning, I took all three of my culture classes to the Halles Saint Martin, which is a market like a farmer’s market, but inside a building with permanent stalls and a covered area outside for temporary stalls. Inside, mostly food is sold (fruits, vegetables, cheeses, two butchers, a caterer, a Vietnamese caterer, a baker and a fish monger), while outside are non-food items (second-hand clothes, toys, fabric, yarn, old vinyl records, used books, even mattresses). The real treat was the lady who made crèpes. I didn’t take my camera with the first two groups because it was raining really hard. But by the third group, I wasn’t worried about expensive camera equipmen
My gosh, it’s only Wednesday, and we have already done so much! Classes stated pretty well, with only four stagiaires getting lost on the way to school. (I found them.) Lots of information was shared and lots of questions asked. Questions are like gold nuggets to a teacher. These students are making us rich! Lunch was an adventure. We dine in a cafeteria that offers meals to residents of the various buildings in the Aile group, special groups like ours and the general public. The meals are really good and the portions are a bit overwhelming. They get their choice of a starter (shaved carrots, a slice of cantaloupe, radishes, potato salad, and on and on), choice of dessert, salad or cheese, and a choice of one of two main dishes with a side dish. No one goes hungry. Monday, several students chose as a starter what may have looked to them like bologna. But, it was “pâté de tête,” what my grandfather would have called “head cheese.” He loved it, our teenagers, not so much. Today
Week 3 has been incredibly busy. We started off, after classes, working on the family show. Aiko and Brooklyn have come up with choreography for the closing song, Cette Année Là. And it seems to be going quite well. The students are signing up for spots in the program. I hesitate to name names for fear of leaving someone out, but I’ll try. I know that Nineth is going to perform on the violin. Eli and Abagail are doing piano (electric keyboard) performances. Charlie is doing a guitar performance. Eli and Anna Charbie are doing a piece from Eugène Ionesco’s La Cantatrice Chauve (basically because I begged). There’s going to be some lip synching. I really don’t remember what all else, but it is shaping up to be an hour and 45 minutes of performance. The host families will love it. Tuesday, we did sports as usual. I haven’t included as many photos. I don’t want families at home to get the idea that sports is all we do in the afternoons. And sports is defined very loosely. We had tw
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