14 weeks... Dropped back to 1 lesson a night with Assimil, since I'm now onto the 'second wave.' I'll probably finish Pimsleur sometime this coming week.
So far I have:
Done up to the end of Pimsleur French - Level III Lesson 23 (83 of 90 lessons)
Done up to the end of Coffee Break French - Lesson 33 (of 67 lessons)
Done up to the end of Assimil - Lesson 60 (of 113 lessons)
Done up to the end of Live Mocha - Lesson 21 (of 50 lessons)
Done up to the end of French in Action - Lesson 13 (of 52 lessons)
Done up to the end of FSI - Lesson 25 (tape 4.3) (of 189 lessons)
Done up to the end of FSI French Phonology - Lesson 3 (tape 2.1) (of 20 lessons) (none this week)
OK, so I've chatted to 6 people now. I almost feel like I'm having multiple affairs where I have to be careful not to get people's details mixed up (ie name, age, profession, city, etc) and trust me, this is so easy to do, especially when I don't even know what they look like since they don't have a proper photo in their avatar...
It's exhausting because I have to either stay up around midnight or later, or get up really early to catch anyone online but it's so much fun so it doesn't matter.
Even though the personalities are so different, it seems the same topics keep coming up.. I guess it's the same for any interaction between two strangers, either online or in real life. We inevitably talk about: our city - where we live, who we live with, our jobs - what we do, do we like it, what hours do we work, travelling - do we like to travel, where have we been etc..
I've come across a huge broad spectrum of jobs and I don't know if the French stereotype is true or not (about being on holidays or strikes all the time, and flexible working conditions) but I almost laugh when I think back and realise I've encountered: 1) someone who got a week's vacation for seemingly no apparent reason, 2) someone who's on a 2-3 day strike, 3) someone with slightly unusual working hours (1-9pm), 4) someone who's not on vacation at the moment but wishes they were...
We've also talked about job satisfaction, and one's passion...
From personal experience I do think that country people tend to be nicer than the city (Paris) people.. I know this is a huge generalisation but having lived in big cities all my life I think it's fairly accurate. Some people have been so mega polite and sweet it's unbelievable and 1 or 2.. well they aren't exactly rude, but in comparison to the others just seem so... city-like. One person even commented to me he didn't like Parisiens because they seemed so stressé all the time.
I'm learning some useful expressions too.. and beginning to see some of them turn up more than once.. like the strange Quand même which seems to mean "Really!" or "...anyway" when used at the end of a sentence.
I read somewhere that French people don't like to greet each other the same way, and don't like to use the same word twice in a sentence. This has happened to me many times whereby if I said, "Salut" they would say "Bonjour" and if I said "Bonjour" they would say "Salut". Since I'm only talking to people around the same age as me, and since the internet is not exactly a formal situation, we always use the tu form with each other. The first time I didn't know which form to use (tu or vous) and just waited till the other person initiated but I read somewhere that it's common for people on the internet to just use tu with each other (especially with younger people), even though they are obviously strangers.
With one person we've only ever 'spoken' in English, and with another only in French but with the others it's a bit of half and half. I try to use French where possible but when it's taking me way too long to think out the sentence I just use English. I'm a very fast typer (we're talking more than 100wpm) and it's really challenging when my fingers can move this fast and my brain is struggling to keep up. So many times I've pressed *enter* and seen all my grammatical and spelling errors on the screen tout de suite.. but I guess it's the only way to learn. If I ask them, they usually correct it for me too which is good, it's a great way to learn and remember what not to do! Admittedly I spend more time chatting than language learning but the good thing about the chats is that I can save them and re-read them later. I can re-read what they've written and pick up useful expressions or little bits of grammar or vocabulary here and there.
This TV5 video explains quand même, but the explanation is all in French.
I love this! I wish I could see this in real life. I adore musicals (in fact I'm seeing 'Wicked' next week) but being able to see the entire thing for free is good enough for me for the time being :)
I am so surprised and happy that I can understand at least 80% of what they are saying, and at least 50% of what they are singing.
I'm actually surprised I haven't talked about the Alliance Française (Sydney) before. Of course I know about them and have looked into their courses. I do want to do one but they are a little on the pricey side. Anyway, today I called them up about doing the DELF proficiency exam since I want to know which level I'm at.
First of all I was greeted by a woman with a strong French accent (I'm not even sure if this is a woman or a recorded message) saying, "Bonjour... Welcome to the Alliance Française..." and then asking me to hold. I hold for a short while only to be told to leave a message "...merci et au revoir." I felt like I was dealing with the embassy or consulate or something.
I called in the morning and it wasn't until 4pm that they got back to me. I wonder if this is due to the fact that they are so busy, or understaffed, or both.. I wondered if this was a sign of things to come in France..? ;)
Anyway, I had missed the cut-off date for registering for the November exams by only a few days, so now I have to wait until March. No biggie though, it gives me more time to prepare and get better at French. The lady told me that they have to send the forms off to Paris which is why the registration deadline is so strict.
Since the AF is located in the heart of the city I have passed it so many times in previous years and always looked into the window with intrigue... Never thought too much about it.. to be honest, I wasn't really that interested in the French language, culture or food until recently. But on their website they mention they've just moved into a bigger, brand new building (which looks gorgeous according to the photos on their website, and is designed by none other than Harry Seidler). I want to eventually take a class there but I don't want to take it whilst I'm at the beginner stage as I always feel that many beginners aren't that serious about foreign language learning. They think it'll be fun, then they realise how much hard work is required and drop out (this is from prior experience not speculation ;) ) I'd prefer to enrol when I'm more intermediate to be amongst more serious students.
I found this delightful 3-song medley on Youtube by these two talented youngsters...
Paroles
Jeune et con - Damien Saez
Encore un jour se lève sur la planète France
Et je sors doucement de mes rêves je rentre dans la danse
Comme toujours il est huit heures du soir j'ai dormi tout le jour
Je me suis encore couché trop tard je me suis rendu sourd encore
Encore une soirée où la jeunesse France
Encore elle va bien s'amuser puisqu'ici rien n'a de sens
Alors elle va danser faire semblant d'être heureux
Pour aller gentiment se coucher mais demain rien n'ira mieux
Puisqu'on est jeune et con
Puisqu'ils sont vieux et fous
Puisque des hommes crèvent sous les ponts
Mais ce monde s'en fout
Puisqu'on n'est que des pions
Contents d'être à genoux
Puisque je sais qu'un jour nous gagnerons à devenir fous
Encore un jour se lève sur la planète France
Mais j'ai depuis longtemps perdu mes rêves je connais trop la danse
Comme toujours il est huit heures du soir j'ai dormi tout le jour
Mais je sais qu'on est quelques milliards à chercher l'amour encore
Encore une soirée où la jeunesse France
Encore elle va bien s'amuser dans cet état d'urgence
Alors elle va danser faire semblant d'exister
Qui sait si l'on ferme les yeux on vivra vieux ?
Puisqu'on est jeune et con
Puisqu'ils sont vieux et fous
Puisque des hommes crèvent sous les ponts
Mais ce monde s'en fout
Puisqu'on n'est que des pions
Contents d'être à genoux
Puisque je sais qu'un jour nous nous aimerons
Comme des fous
Encore un jour se lève sur la planète France
Et j'ai depuis longtemps perdu mes rêves je connais trop la danse
Comme toujours il est huit heures du soir j'ai dormi tout le jour
Mais je sais qu'on est quelques milliards à chercher l'amour
---
Wonderwall - Oasis
I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone
Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk alone
By now you shoulda somehow realized what you gotta do
I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now
Chorus 1
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
Every day I wake up and it's Sunday
Whatever's in my head won't go away
The radio is playing all the usual
And what's a Wonderwall anyway *
Back beat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out
I'm sure you've heard it all before but you never really had a doubt
I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now...
I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line
Of the edge and where I walk alone
Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you
Read between the lines
What's fucked up and everything's alright
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone
Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you
By now you shoulda somehow realized what you gotta do
Chorus 2
And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
But I don't know how
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
By now you shoulda somehow realized what you gotta do
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk a...
---
Libertà - Pep's
Tu sais qu'il y a un bateau qui mène au pays des rêves
Là où il fait chaud, où le ciel n'a pas son pareil
Tu sais qu'au bout d' cette terre
Oh oui les gens sèment
Des milliers d'graines de joie où pousse ici la haine
On m'avait dit p'tit gars
Là-bas on t'enlève tes chaînes
On te donne une vie
Sans t'jeter dans l'arène
Comme ici tout petit après neuf mois à peine
On te plonge dans une vie où tu perds vite haleine
Alors sans hésiter
J'ai sauté dans la mer
Pour rejoindre ce vaisseau
Et voir enfin cette terre
Là-bas trop de lumière
J'ai dû fermer les yeux
Mais rien que les odeurs
Remplissaient tous mes voeux
{Refrain:}
I just wanna be free in this way
Just wanna be free in my world Vivere per libertà
Vivere nella libertà
Alors une petite fille aussi belle que nature
Me prit par la main et m'dit : "Suis cette aventure"
On disait même, oh oui que la mer l'enviait
Que la montagne se courbait pour la laisser passer
Elle m'emmena au loin avec une douceur sans fin
Et ses bouclettes dorées dégageaient ce parfum
Qui depuis des années guidait ce chemin
Ton chemin, mon chemin, le chemin
{au Refrain, x2}
Pour arriver enfin à ces rêves d'enfants
Qui n'ont pas de limites comme on a maintenant
J'ai vu des dauphins nager dans un ciel de coton
Où des fleurs volaient caressant l'horizon
J'ai vu des arbres pousser remplaçant les gratte-ciels
J'ai vu au fond de l'eau une nuée d'hirondelles
{au Refrain}
---
Medley
Encore un jour se lève sur la planète France
Et je sors doucement de mes rêves
je rentre dans la danse
Et encore il est huit heures du soir
j'ai dormi tout le jour
Je me suis encore couché trop tard je me suis rendu sourd encore
Still another day rises on Planet France
And I gently leave my dreams
I return to the dance
And still it's eight o'clock in the evening
I've slept all day
I still went to bed too late
I made myself deaf again
Encore une soirée où la jeunesse France
Encore elle va bien s'amuser puisqu'ici rien n'a de sens
Alors elle va danser faire semblant d'être heureux
Pour aller gentiment se coucher mais demain rien n'ira mieux
Still an evening where the young France
Still she amuses herself since here nothing makes sense
So she is going to dance seeming to be happy
To go and lie down nicely but tomorrow nothing will be better
Today is gonna be the day
That they're gonna throw it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you gotta do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do about you now
Puisqu'on est jeune et con
Puisqu'ils sont vieux et fous
Puisque des hommes crèvent sous les ponts
Mais ce monde s'en fout
Puisqu'on n'est que des pions
Contents d'être à genoux
Puisque je sais qu'un jour nous gagnerons à devenir fous
à devenir fous
Since one is young and idiotic
Since they are old and insane
Since men burst under the bridges
But this world doesn't care
Since we are only pawns
Content to implore
Since I know that one day we will become mad
by becoming mad
Maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk alone
My shadow's the only thing (the only thing) that's made of
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
Puisqu'on est jeune et con
Puisqu'ils sont vieux et fous
Puisque des hommes crèvent sous les ponts
Mais ce monde s'en fout
Puisqu'on n'est que des pions
Contents d'être à genoux
Puisque je sais qu'un jour nous gagnerons à devenir fous
à devenir fous
Since one is young and idiotic
Since they are old and insane
Since men burst under the bridges
But this world doesn't care
Since we are only pawns
Content to implore
Since I know that one day we will become mad
by becoming mad
Tu sais qu'il y a un bateau qui mène au pays des rêves
Là où il fait chaud, où le ciel n'a pas son pareil
Tu sais qu'au bout d' cette terre
Oh oui les gens sèment
Des milliers d'graines de joie où pousse ici la haine
On m'avait dit p'tit gars
Là-bas on t'enlève tes chaînes
On te donne une vie
Sans t'jeter dans l'arène
Comme ici tout petit après neuf mois à peine
On te plonge dans une vie où tu perds vite haleine
Alors sans hésiter
J'ai sauté dans la mer
Pour rejoindre ce vaisseau
Et voir enfin cette terre
Là-bas trop de lumière
J'ai dû fermer les yeux
Mais rien que les odeurs
Remplissaient tous mes voeux
You know that there is a boat which leads to the country of dreams
There where it's warm, where the sky is second to none
You know that at the end of this earth
Oh yes people sow
Thousands seeds of joy which push the hatred here
One told me small guy
Over there one removes your chains
One gives you a life
Without throwing you in the arena
Like here very small after just only nine months
One plunges you in a life where you lose your breath quickly
Without hesitating
I jumped in the sea
to join this vessel
And to see this earth finally
Over there too much light
I had to close my eyes
But only the odors
Filled all my wishes
I just wanna be free in this way
Just wanna be free in my world Vivere per libertà
Vivere nella libertà
I just wanna be free in this way
Just wanna be free in my world
(Italian) To live for freedom
To live in the freedom
Let me free...
Today was gonna be the day
Puisqu'on est jeune et con
Since one is young and idiotic
I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
When the city sleeps and I'm the only one
I walk alone, I walk alone
Jeune et con
Puisqu'ils sont vieux et fous
Puisque des hommes crèvent sous les ponts
Mais ce monde s'en fout
Puisqu'on n'est que des pions
Contents d'être à genoux
Puisque je sais qu'un jour nous gagnerons à devenir fous
à devenir fous
Since one is young and idiotic
Since they are old and insane
Since men burst under the bridges
But this world doesn't care
Since we are only pawns
Content to implore
Since I know that one day we will become mad
by becoming mad
---
Edited: 7 June 2010.
I realised my translation back then was crap so I have edited it so it hopefully makes a lot more sense now.
I saw Mao's last dancer and I know it doesn't have much to do with France or French or Paris but I'll write about it anyway and somehow try to tie it back to this blog... ;)
Well, if you haven't gathered from one of my previous posts, my background/heritage/ethnicity/culture (whatever you want to call it) is Chinese but I have spent my whole life in a Western country. I first learnt of the suffering of 'my people' generations back when I read Amy Tan's wonderful novels. Since then I've watched Zhang Yimou's brilliant films and other films set in China. I guess it's hard for me to comprehend how hard my ancestors had it, or even my parents.. although my parents always drummed it into our head how lucky we are, and how when they were growing up there were no cars, or washing machines, and how they had one pair of shoes per year, one bar of chocolate per year.. people were just so poor back then.
I do feel lucky, privileged and extremely grateful that I was not brought up in poverty and in a free and liberated country and I do actually feel blessed that I have known two cultures for my entire life.
Since I've read quite a few books now and many websites talking about people getting 'culture shock' when they go to France, I have thought about how I'd deal with it when I go there, and to be honest, I think I have pretty good adaptability skills after all my experiences growing up and living abroad and being quite tolerant and open-minded of others' cultures. Not to say I won't have my I-want-to-tear-my-hair-out days but still...
So back to the movie, it reminded me of The pursuit of happyness (2006) a bit in that the theme was with dedication, persistance, patience, stamina and determination*, one can achieve anything they set their mind out to do.
So, still trying to somehow tie this in with my blog... I have to almost laugh when I hear about people learning a language and going to one class a week.. that is, 2 hours (at most) per week and they think they will somehow become fluent in it. And then when they don't, they blame the teacher. As I read somewhere on someone else's blog, it's not the teacher that is bad, but the method. IMHO to learn a language you need to practise and use it every single day. Preferably for at least 1-2 hours a day. I actually spend on average 1-4 hours per day studying French. I don't have any delusions about how long it will take for me to be fluent (at least B2 level) but I do believe that to succeed in anything you need to have realistic goals, and be prepared to put in the hard yards. But also, you need to want it bad enough. I think a lot of the time when people don't succeed in doing something they really wanted, it's because deep down they didn't want it bad enough.
So I guess for me, seeing this film, it just reinforced the *dppsd in me and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get me to Paris, and to live there for at least a year, and also to become fluent in French.
Back to the movie... I had not read the book prior, and I had not read any reviews or watched any trailers. I find that I tend to enjoy movies more when I have zero expectations. And boy did I enjoy it! It was such a treat. If you enjoyed 'The pursuit of happyness' and 'Billy Elliott' or any movies made by Zhang Yimou, you would love this. The actors are brilliant and are ballet dancers in real life. I enjoyed having flashbacks to the 80s with the daggy hairstyles, clothes interior decor, and music... I loved being able to understand the Chinese parts without needing to read the subtitles (except the odd word here or there like 'revolutionary')... there really wasn't anything I didn't enjoy.
And I'm so pleased to read that Li Cunxin (who wrote the autobiographical book the film was based on) got a Father of the Year award for 2009. He is now a stockbroker and lives in Sydney with his wife and 3 kids.
In the film it became apparent that most ballet words are French so this is my last ditch attempt to tie the film back to the topic :) Of course the word ballet itself is French too. I guess it's a bit like all the pasta related words in Italian. Once you get the literal meaning from the Italian word it's actually just an ordinary word and doesn't sound so 'exotic' anymore.
Ballet words with French origins, and their literal English meanings
À la seconde - to the second (position)
Arabesque - in Arabic fashion
Arrière - back
Assemblie - assembled
Attitude - posture
Balancé - to stay/swing
Ballon - bounce
Barre - the bar
Battement - kicking
Batterie - drumming/beating
Brisé - breeze
Bras Croisé - crossed arms
Chaînés - chains
Changement de pied - changing of feet
Chassé - to chase
Coupé - cutting
Corps de ballet - bodies of ballet
Croisé, croisée - crossed
Degagé - to unblock
Danseur - (male) dancer
Demi - half or smaller
Demi Detourné - half turn
Derrière - backside
Dessous - under
Dessus - over
Devant - in front of
Développé - developed
Double - double
Échappé - escaped
Effacé, effacée - erased/obscured
Elevé - rise/lift
En - in
En Croix - in (the shape of a) cross
En dedans - in inside
En dehors - in outside
Entrechat - weaving/braiding
Entrée - bring in/enter
Épaulement - shouldering
Failli - fail
Fondu - to melt
Fouetté - whipped
Fouetté jeté - whipped throw
Fouetté rond de jambe en tournant
Pas de deux - 'step of two' (a dance by two persons)
Fouetté rond de jambe en tournant - whipped round of the leg in turning
Frappé - hit/strike
Glissade - slide
Grand plié - big fold/bend
Grand jeté - big throw
Grand Pas and Grand Pas d'action - Big step and Big step of action
Jeté - throw
Ouvert, ouverte - open(ed)
Pas - step
Pas de basque - step of the Basques
Pas de bourrée - step of Bourrée
Pas de chat - step of the cat
Pas de chat, grand - big step of the cat
Pas de cheval - step of the horse
Pas de deux - step of two
Pas de poisson - step of the fish
Pas de valse - waltz step
Passé - passed
Petit saut - small jump
Piqué - pricked
Pirouette - spin
Plié - bending of the knees
En pointe - pointed
Port de bras - carriage of the arms
Posé - posed
Relevé - lifted
Retiré position
Retiré devant
Rond de jambe - circle of the leg
Rond de jambe à terre - circle of the leg on the ground
Rond de jambe en l'air - circle of the leg in the air
Rond de jambe attitude - circle of the leg in posture
Demi-grand rond de jambe - half-big circle of the leg
Grand rond de jambe - big circle of the leg
Soubresaut - jolt/jerk
Saut - jump
Saut de chat - jump of the cat
Soutenu en tournant - supported in turning
Sous-sus, Sus-sous - Under-over, Over-under
Sur le cou-de-pied - on the neck of the foot
Tendu - to point
Temps levé - time raised
Temps levé sauté -time raised jumped
Tours en l'air - turn in the air
Tombé - fall
I noticed in Assimil that the sentences were punctuated differently and didn't think too much of it.. but as I began to correct other people's work on LiveMocha it became apparent to me that punctuation was rather important. Many people would not capitalise the start of their sentences, or use proper spacing between sentences and I felt that if they were going to be so lazy, sometimes I really couldn't even be bothered to correct their work. It's as if they made no real attempt whatsoever..
Anyhoo... according to the wonderful french.about.com site, French does have slightly different punctuation to English.
I already knew about the decimal point thing, where a full stop/period would not be used and a comma would be used instead. eg - 1.5kg of tomatoes = 1,5 kg de tomates.
The main differences that became obvious to me was that there is a space before a colon (:), a semi-colon (;), an exclamation mark (!) and a question mark (?). Also that the quotation marks (" ") are not used, but the 'guillemets' instead. ( « » )
I found out some time ago by accident that you can use Google like a calculator.. just type in your calculation eg (150*4320)-(34/12) and it comes up with the answer. I also used it to change fahrenheit temperatures into celcius. eg 100 degrees F = but what I just found out (by accident again) is that it now does quick translations too. Simply type in 'translate' and the word, or 'translate french' and then the word.
