French 101

Ah my gawd!!

I am sure that there is an equivalent phrase in French but in case your wondering let me have a go at translating that for you... basically it means I am struggling and nervous about trying to learn French and I have only done one very basic lesson!!

So here's the update - I think I talked about discovering podcasts in my last blog - I was mucking around on my IPOD (not IPAD Trixie, IPOD, remember the difference and stop using them interchangably...) downloading an album and I stumbled into a section of itunes that related to podcasts.

Not being highly techno (have you worked that out yet?), I bravely kept looking and found this section languages and voila, there was a whole lot of lessons on any language you can imagine. I downloaded Lesson 1 from Coffee Break French and started listening to it this last week.

So the plan of attack is to use my spare time travelling listening to these lessons and I have to say 'so far, so good'- apart from managing to delete the podcast the following time I tried to use the IPOD.  I perceivered....

So here I am at the end of week one and we have done "yes", "no", "I am well thanks" finishing with "and you"? Some might pick this up really quick but me, I have had to listen to it about 15 times but fingers crossed, sometime within the next millenium, I might be able to download Lesson 2!!

Have a look at these podcasts on itunes - i saw some great stuff that I also want to explore, including several lectures and interviews.

Maybe soon I will be able to say 'so long' when I finish these posts...

Welcome ...2013

Welcome to the new year... what will it bring? I am looking forward to another year of mulling over all things French and enjoying any opportunity to do some "French Dreaming"...

Whilst I have been on my l-o-n-g holiday break I have nearly managed to catch up with reading my France magazines - I subscribed about 6 months ago. Each month they arrived and I was just too busy to sit and give them the undivided attention I wanted to give them. So, this break, ahhhhh - I have sat and dreamed by way through them.

One of them put me onto the French language lessons available on i-tunes - did you know that?? So I jumped on, downloaded some language podcasts and voila, I will be increasing my vocabulary toot-sweet!!

I have not had the chance to do something thats part of my holiday routine for several years now however. I always know that I am on a break when I find myself sitting outside under my sun umbrella, little coffee plunger ready to go, reading Vicki Archers 'My French Life"- its my inspirational story. An Australian who spends her time living between the south of France and London. I think I would like to do that if I won Lotto.

So lets see where this year takes us - lets see what French Dreaming  we can do in 2013!!

"French Ties" & "At My French Table"

I have so enjoyed these two books. Melburnians Peter and Jane Webster took their four children to live in France in 2004. The first book of the series which came out in 2008, “At My French Table” tells the adventures they have settling into their corner of Normandy in an honest to god Chateau they buy – magnificent is all I can say. I often wonder how these people in books afford to do these things, especially with four children!! Jane works towards getting to know the area that they have chosen to live in with eventual goal of starting a cooking school for visitors to really experience local food and life. I loved the descriptions of cleaning the chateau (there was no shortage of hard, hard work) and the gradual realisation that this is the life they want to live.

The second book “French Ties”(2012) continues their journey – by now they are experience chateau dwellers and more confident with how their dream will shape up in the future. I particularly liked the conflicts they experienced about living between two worlds as they do not live in France for the whole year. Their life sounds (and looks) idyllic and I was green with envy. I know you only see the finished product in these books – the vases of stunning roses, the shining floors of the chateau, the smiling children etc but it just all looks very appealing. Very Moreish!!

I look forward to the next installment and of course, will keep dreaming about paying them a visit. I did look on their website as I may be over in Europe next year – nothing on there about when their classes are etc. Their website was a wee bit too much focused on style rather than ease of use and I found the scrolling pictures a bit distracting but hey, can I really say I found French pictures THAT distracting???

"Summers in France" - Kathryn M Ireland

Well, you know I love a good book about people buying a house in France and living the good life but this one got off side with me in about 5 minutes (did read it to the end though!!) - its like an indulgence book with an obviously wealthy woman buying a fabulous big rambling old farmhouse near Toulouse - from the apology at the front to her kids about forcing them to spend their holidays in France every summer to "how tos" for catering for 20 at a time, it was just a bit too obvious that Kathryn was not short of a penny and had the beautiful people staying with her. I think I like my books about France to be more about people that have really made a sacrifice to live their dream or taken a gamble. Kathryn did not appeal to me ("at the end of every summer my accountant told me how much I had spent on entertaining at my French house and I just did not care").
Its most unusual for me NOT to enjoy a picture book about this topic but sorry, it just did not appeal.

Paris, I love you but your bringing me down

Its a strange sounding title for this autobiographical book but the author has an even stranger sounding first name.... Rosecrans Baldwin... semi enjoying the ups and downs and ins and outs of this young couple as they attempt to live the dream in Paris.

French dreaming on a winters day

Its a cold, wet, windy day in Auckland and I am doing one of my favourite things....dreaming of France and and mulling over books and articles about it. It feels like I am surrounded by France some days. Today at lunch, a guest I don't know that well casually mentioned that she works for a French company (ahhh, bliss), then this afternoon on tellie (a perfect day for blobbing in front of the screen...) is "Monte Carlo or Bust" - a roadshow trip about a group of brits travelling around France.

Last night, out for a soup dinner at a friends house, she had got the DVD "Hugo' out for us to watch, you know the one, about the boy who lives in the clock tower in Paris... what other reminders am I going to see today???

My beautiful new Ecoya Candle

Its so hot today - not that I am complaining as Auckland has had the absolutely lousiest summer imagineable - its rained and rained and rained. Today however has been a beautiful day, but too hot to go outside and do things. I have been reduced to sitting outside on the deck, under the wide umbrella, reading the paper and letting smell of my new Eyoca candle waft over me. Normally I am a 'vanilla'or 'floral'candle kind of a gal but this time, I stepped outside my comfort zone and bought Lemongrass and Ginger - beautiful.
I had heard about these candles and wanted one for ages but just too expensive - but now I am a convert. Think I might buy shares in the company!!

Well its been a long time

but I am still here and still loving all things French - sorry my friends that I have been absent for a while - well nearly a YEAR but literally, STILL, not a day goes past that I don't meander over a website about my favourite country, see something about it in the news or do some french dreaming... So I have decided to reconnect with myself and do what I set out to do, some writing about the thing that I love to dream about. Do check back again as I reconnect with myself!!

Writing (and day dreaming) about France was not my only purpose for this blog - for years there has been a desire buried deep down in me to do some writing but what to write about? I think so many of us think we have the next thoughtful novel buried in our minds or just want to take to the page to put things down and make sense of things.

I read some regular blogs and one of my favourites - French Essence - she had a great post which I printed out and kept which talked about the discipline of writing and how its like any skill that you gotta work at baby! So stick with me for a bit longer as I hone my thinking and explore. Apart from being a mental traveller I want to ask myself "is there a writer in here somewhere"....

Plus its my last year before the big 50 so if that does not get you thinking about your life and goals (well known and secret ones) I dont know what will.

Speak soon

Les hommes tres courageux...

Well, sorry I have not written for a while but strangely I have not seen that much French around – maybe more French articles and things come out in the summer over here? I have no idea but as we make our way into autumn I am aware that I have not been posting much and that not much has been attracting my attention. I carry a camera with me to capture any interesting images but alas, the camera case has remained firmly shut!

I did come across this article however by Matt Johnson, called Legacy of the Kiwi tunnellers and it’s a heart breaker. Matt talks about the kiwi contingent who worked underground in Arras, France in preparation for the big push in WW1. What a horrific life – working around the clock they tunneled almost 90 metres of limestone a day, linking a series of medieval quarries which would eventually conceal 24,000 troops.  With some pride Matt comments that their commanding officer struggled to impose a military sense of discipline on this troops and ended up just letting them do their thing – many of the men working underground were from mining communities in NZ, such as the West Coast, and knew more than their commanding officers about the best way to approach the work. Different arms of the tunnels have names or NZ locations carved into the sandstone.

It must have been a hell of an OE notes Matt, but probably the phrase used by the guides is just as telling – “les hommes tres courageux”

Another food related post

On a similar theme as the previous post about locating restaurants, just noticed a new website where you can search menus - quite a clever concept - of course it means restaurants have to list with the site but check out http://www.menus.co.nz/ to find something Italian, Turkish or even FRENCH near your home town. Plus a great review in this weekends edition of the weekend newspaper in their Canvas supplement about Pastis Restaurant up in Auckland - bon appetite... yum

Unbelievable!! Jasons French Restaurant Guide

I do believe we have reached some new low today :( - I saw that Jason's - the travel guide experts - have a new section on their website which they were very proudly letting everyone know about today - yes, they have a searchable restaurant database for - wait for it - French dining!! Yes, I kid you not.

I immediately had to have a look so jumped onto their link (http://www.jasons.co.nz/) and searched under my home town of Auckland -North, french-restaurants and what did this database tell me?????

My two fine dining options for authentic French food are..........

A cafe in Albany and horror of horrors.... Valentines Restaurant - yes apparently the Glenfield Buffet at Valentines is also known as being the place to go for French dining - oh noooooooooo

Tour of France on TradeMe

Just spotted an interesting TradeMe listing by Sue and David Sweet operating under the seller name of 'devine'- they are offering 18 days touring France. They offer small personalised tours - only 6 people - and it sounds great!!

If your interested check out their TradeMe listing under number reference 361559008 or their heading of "18 days touring France" (category Travel, events and activities, holiday packages, international)

Book Review - C'est la Vie

Book Review - Cést la Vie by Suzy Gershman

I loved this - started reading it and before I knew it, I was stopping every 5 minutes to do another chapter. The author is an American lady who has obviously travelled extensively around France but at 52, finds herself suddenly widowed with the opportunity to live her dream - to settle in Paris for a year.

Shes funny (paying for her husbands funeral with her credit card to get the airpoints), honest (none of the French clothes fit her) and certainly gets out and about. I enjoyed hearing about the nightmare of finding an apartment, the things she learnt and her first post husband romance. 

And shop... my god, she does not stop!! In her 'real' life Suzy Gershman is the author of a range of travel guides aimed at shopping - "Born to Shop"and so now I know all about linen, furniture and clothes shopping. Its light weight and might even offend some people but as she says at the end of the book "I have eliminated the depressing parts. You won't miss them at all".

She sounds like a very gutzy 52 year old lady - I should be so brave

A romantic dinner for eight...

And from the Southland Times newspaper a great (or should I say grate...) article about two French cooking types who have had the clever idea of cooking their way around our country. Two Parisian chefs highly trained in traditional French cuisine who wanted to fund a holiday have struck an idea that has taken them the length of NZ - they offer their professional cooking services to in-home diners.

Serving up to 15 people a three course French themed dinner, the couple have travelled from house to house around Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Nelson and Marlborough. They are now in Queenstown.

Not only has their innovative idea earned them travelling funds, they have kept in touch with many people they have cooked for and these links have provided the introduction to further cooking engagements.

Want to learn French?

Found a great website the other day {sorry I have not posted for a while - been a bit sick :(   } - there are some clever people out there that just see a business opportunity and develop it - this website helps you find a tutor for a whole range of things including, you guessed it, French language tuition. My first impression of the site is that its got lots of foreign language students looking for some extra pocket money whilst over here in NZ and that there are heaps of people in the deep south offering their services - yippee, its not all Auckland focussed!!!

Check it out if your interested in learning French (or any other topic for that matter - it had heaps of tutors listed)

www.findatutor.co.nz/

Enjoy!

War memorial for Kiwi Soldiers in Le Quesnoy

A lovely article today in the news about New Zealand soldiers (the NZ Rifle Brigade) who died in active duty near Le Quesnoy, 93 years ago in WW1. Heartbreakingly, their sacrifice took place just a week before the War ended.  122 kiwi soldiers died.

They have not been forgotten by the locals at Le Quesnoy, a small town near the Belgium border.Yesterday it was announced that a new memorial museum and hotel is to be built in their honour.  Described as a "NZ hotel in France" by Military historian Herb Farrant, the hotel and museum commence construction in about a years time.

One of things that draws me to France is the history of people who have died on French soil defending all that is good and fair. I believe my grandfather on my mothers side was wounded in WW1 as a member of the British Engineers Corp. I hope some day to stand where he might have stood and pay homage to him and his generation.

Happy Birthday to ME...

Today is my birthday, I have just turned... are you kidding?  think I would tell you??

Its been a stunning day all around and I feel tired from the heat and just getting out and about. Of course there was a bit of French flavour on my special day - firstly a trip to Yvonne Sanders Antiques in Auckland at 474 Manukau Road. I checked out the French tiles, chandeliers and furniture - nice, nice, nice but nothing really grabbed my fancy.

Then we made our way along to Newmarket where we checked out some shops we dont normally browse - book shops (oh my god, so many nice books on you know where), kitchenwear shops (French knives...) and ended up along in Parnell at Corsa De Flori (hope I  have spelt it correctly) and Cavit Interiors. A $46,000 dining table reduced to a mere $27,000 on special - I kid you not. Didnt buy that!!

Home now to relax for a bit and maybe read some of my new autobiography about an Aussie woman and her French boyfriend... bliss.

Enjoy your day - I certainly have

Christchurch in our thoughts today

Christchurch is in all New Zealanders minds today - you think about it abit and try to imagine how people are feeling and coping, you go and make a cup of tea and get distracted for a bit and then suddenly, you remember it again.

Thinking about you Christchurch and all the people who are scared, grieving, shocked and trying to get through another hour


xxx

NZ Herald " A French Affair".....oh la la!!

In todays NZ Herald is an article about Amanda Taylor-Ace, originally from Devonport in Auckland who, 12 years ago or so upped sticks and made her way to live in Provence. What a life - she has developed a neat old traditional style farm house into a kind of B&B and markets her rooms and tours (cooking, walking etc).

The article has a great line in it - "In the short time I have spent with her, she has me privately questioning the choices I am making in my life"- don't we all know that feeling!! Here is a lady who is living her life and living her own dreams in technicolour and you have to respect that.

http://www.joiedevivre-unlimited.com/

I had heard about Amanda - she is talked about regularly in books by an Aussie woman who has written a couple of really funny travel books about France. Check out Anne Rickards book "Ooh La La! A French Romp"...

Their paying you to go to France!!

Ok that got your attention but seriously - if your young, doing advanced Uni study, interested in beautiful old France and care to apply check out the "New Zealand-France Friendship Fund Excellence Scholarship"on http://www.nzvcc.ac.nz/scholarships/nzfff

Why can't I find a fund or scholarship prepared to pay me to travel to France (I'll need First Class Travel of course plus a bit of accommodation and money for sightseeing...) and do 'research' myself - I am sure I could be EXCELLENT at it!!

Cheers