Rodin – Sculpting Indelible Memories of Paris

(Photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Ah Paris! The Eiffel Tower. Notre Dame. The Louvre. If you're planning a trip to Paris, I'm sure you're planning to visit these world-famous sites and for good reason. I love them too, but let's not forget that there's more to Paris than the largest iconic tourist attractions.

One of the smaller museums in Paris, the Musée Rodin is often neglected by travelers on a whirl-wind tour of the City of Lights. I say smaller because in comparison to the Musée d'Orsay or the Louvre it is, but it actually holds over 6,000 sculptures as well as many paintings and photographs.

I confess, I was never that "in" to sculpture. A few sculptures here or there struck my fancy, but as an art form it never called to me. Sculpture had often seemed hard, cold, even dead to me. Instead of seeing life in sculptures, they often struck me as being cold, hard shells declaring their emptiness. Maybe that's why I never made it to the Musée Rodin while I lived in Paris. I didn't know what I was missing.

On a return trip I visited this little gem and picked up one of my strongest memories of "my hometown."

Rodin managed to do something that I find almost unthinkable. He made stone soft and brought warmth, life, and light to chunks of rock. His sculptures are incredible – blocks of emotion and life just waiting to be discovered.

If you happen to be in Paris, stop by and say hello for me. Really, you have no excuse; this museum is easily accessible -right by the Varenne metro stop on line 13 as well as some RER and bus stops. Go.

Why didn't I include tons of pictures in this post? There are plenty online and I even have a few that I took myself. Pictures just don't do Rodin's work justice and as for the ones available online – le Penseur and le Baiser are the easiest ones to find, but some of my favorite Rodin sculptures were not the most famous. So again I say – Go! Not in France? I believe there are a few Rodin museums elsewhere in the world – if you're near one – check it out and let me know what your favorite sculpture is!

Before you go, why not do a little research and brush up on your French?

The official website: Musee Rodin – Official Site
Wikipedia article on the museum: Musee Rodin
Wikipedia article on Rodin: Auguste Rodin

And a friendly word of warning: "musée" is one of those words that loves to confuse us poor anglophones. Yes, it has two e's at the end. No, it isn't feminine. "Le Musée Rodin." Go figure.

l’Alliance Française

As a francophone or francophile, you have surely heard of the Alliance Française. The Alliance Française is a not-for-profit organization that exists to encourage knowledge of French language and culture around the world. As the website for the Paris Alliance Française says:

Qu’est ce qu’une Alliance française ?

Chaque Alliance française est une association de droit local à but non lucratif, qui exerce sa mission de manière autonome, en dehors de tout engagement de nature politique ou religieuse.
Les Alliances françaises ont en commun la poursuite de trois missions essentielles :

• Proposer des cours de français, en France et dans le monde, à tous les publics

• Mieux faire connaître les cultures françaises et francophones

• Favoriser la diversité culturelle

Les Alliances françaises ont en partage les valeurs qui font la force et la vie du réseau et sous-tendent chacune de leurs actions :

• Le respect de la diversité des cultures, la passion de l’échange et la solidarité

• Les valeurs associatives

• La convivialité

• La recherche de l’excellence dans toutes les activités entreprises

• La modernité et l’innovation

Haven't been to an Alliance Franaçise event or tried an Alliance class? You're missing out! The local Alliance is a great place to go if you're looking to meet up with other French speakers. Whether you're a beginner or a native speaker, you're sure to find something fun at your local Alliance. Check out the Alliance Française USA website or simple google "Alliance Française" and your city name to see if there is an Alliance Française near you.

If you're in the Sacramento area, I've made it easy for you: Alliance Française de Sacramento

*** One of the coolest benefits offered by the AF? A language assessment test. And it's free! If you're interested in taking the test visit the Alliance Française USA.***

la Môme Piaf

The most famous French singer of all time, Edith Piaf needs no introduction, but I'll give her one anyway.

From the French Wikipédia:

Édith Piaf née Édith Giovanna Gassion (le 19 décembre 1915 à Paris – morte le 10 octobre 1963 à Grasse) est une chanteuse française de music-hall et de variétés, considérée comme l'archétype de la chanteuse française, et sans doute la plus connue dans l'histoire en France comme à l'étranger. Surnommée à ses débuts « la Môme Piaf », on lui doit de très nombreux succès du répertoire francophone comme La Vie en rose, Non, je ne regrette rien, Hymne à l'amour, Mon légionnaire, La Foule ou Milord. Personnalité hors norme, elle a inspiré de nombreux compositeurs, fut le mentor de nombreux jeunes artistes et a connu une renommée internationale, malgré une fin de carrière rendue difficile par de graves problèmes de santé. Édith Piaf fut aussi comédienne au théâtre et au cinéma.

Enjoy a little Edith Piaf as you close out your week!

 

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&npa=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=DF8E25&t=aegtra-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B000TEMQOA

Eiffel Tower Ice Skating – le patin à glace

via efcollegebreak.typepad.com

Did you know you can ice skate on the Eiffel Tower? I didn't. Apparently they've installed a temporary skating rink (une patinoire) on one of the observation decks. 

What do you say? Shall we go?

It sounds like fun!

 

Bandes Dessinées – Astérix

It's Friday! Time for a little fun!

Astérix is one of the most popular comic strips (Bandes Dessinées or BD) in France. In fact, the first French satellite was named Astérix-1. Enough said – this BD is deeply engrained into French culture. Astérix is the best selling French comic strip, popular the world over though it is less well known in the United States.

(Photo courtesy Google Image search)

The synposis from the French Wikipedia article:

« Nous sommes en 50 avant Jésus-Christ ; toute la Gaule est occupée par les Romains… Toute ? Non ! Car un village peuplé d'irréductibles Gaulois résiste encore et toujours à l'envahisseur. Et la vie n'est pas facile pour les garnisons de légionnaires romains des camps retranchés de Babaorum, Aquarium, Laudanum et Petibonum… ». Ce village gaulois d'Armorique résiste à l'envahisseur grâce à la  préparée par le druide Panoramix, qui procure momentanément une force surhumaine à quiconque en boit.

The official Astérix website is a great place to wander around practicing your French. (Yes, this site is available in English, but even if it detects your language and switches you over to the English version – don't be tempted! Click on the French flag at the right of the screen and stick with French!) The site has a cool collection of free online games including a logic game. You know: "so-and-so lives in a blue house, but does not live next door to a green house; the person with the dog lives in the red house."

Some key vocabulary to help with the game:

les Nationalités :
goth = Goth
grec = Greek
ibère = Iberian
romain = Roman
viking = Viking

les Matériaux :
le bois = wood
le chaume = thatch
la pierre = stone

les Objets :
un bouclier = shield
un chaudron = cauldron
un coffre = chest
une enclume = anvil
une lyre = lyre

les Directions :
à côté de = next to
à gauche de = to the left of
le milieu = the middle
premier/première = first

Click here to play: Astérix Logic Problem (You have to register, s'inscrire, but it's super easy. It's free and it doesn't even require an email address!)

 

So? How'd you do?

Oh, and if you're interested in reading the first Astérix book, check it out at Amazon:

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&npa=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=D7A407&t=aegtra-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=201210133X

L’Ecole des femmes – Molière

« Il le faut avouer, l’amour est un grand maître :
Ce qu’on ne fut jamais il nous enseigne à l’être. »

L'École des femmes was one of the first real books that I read in French (okay, so it's a play, but it still counts). In fact, I read it in high school. Not only did I read it, but I understood it well enough to like it and to go on to read more by the famous Molière. Looking back at it now, I'm surprised that I ever made it through it given my level of French, but if I could then, you can now!

From Amazon.fr:

Arnolphe a élevé sa pupille Agnès dans l'isolement intellectuel et humain le plus total, afin de faire d'elle la plus soumise et la plus fidèle des épouses. Mais l'innocence équivaut-elle à l'ignorance ? A l'époque des mariages d'intérêt et des unions arrangées, Molière met en scène l'amour comme une force de libération et d'accomplissement de soi. Dans une pièce où se mêlent comique et poésie, il propose ainsi une réflexion originale sur l'émancipation de la femme et sur la puissance du sentiment.

You can find your very own copy of L'École des femmes on Amazon, or you can read it for free online:

L'ecole Des Femmes – Amazon

L'Ecole des femmes – Wikisource

 

Making a List, Checking it Twice…

Have you been naughty? Or nice? Le Père Fouettard makes this question far more important than it might usually seem to American boys and girls and I think he deserves his own post.

 Le Père Fouettard (literally, the “Whipping Father”) is a character who accompanies le saint Nicolas on his rounds during la Saint-Nicolas (December 5/6). While le saint Nicolas hands out presents to all the good boys and girls (les enfants sages), le Père Fouettard deals with the brats and rascals. Since you know what his name means I think you can guess how he deals with the children on the “naughty” list. Yikes! Now, aren’t you glad that we just have the Grinch?

 Some dictionaries translate le Père Fouettard as “the Bogeyman”. There is no set English translation since  he doesn’t really exist in English tradition.

Some important vocabulary:
Sage = well-behaved
Un fouet = a whip
Donner un coup de fouet à qqn = to lash or to whip someone
Fouetter = to whip

Check out the article on le Père Fouettard at the French Wikipedia! (Wikipédia.) I warn you though, that if you read much about the character you will stumble across some pretty gruesome tales. This isn’t Christmas like Grandma told it!

(Image courtesy Wikipedia.)