Barely thirty minutes ago, it was still July 14th, Bastille Day, the French national holiday. In France, it is called Fête Nationale ("National Celebration") in official parlance, or more commonly le quatorze juillet ("14 July").
It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution.
And what better way to start learning French but on Bastille Day. So, there I was in a class of around 20, at 6:30 Tuesday night, trying to say '" J'ai chaud, Elle a froid, J'ai raison. Tu as tort, Foie gras, Bonjour, Je t'aime (( I am hot, She is cold, I am right, You are wrong, Fat liver, Hello and I love you).
This class is a short summer French Beginner course, four classes in all. But I missed the first class last Tuesday because there was a mix up in school; I was told to go to Overland Learning Centre when in fact, classes are being held at the Central Technical in Bathurst and Bloor.
This beginner's class is a good way to prepare for the next course, which will be in the Fall, and will go for ten weeks. If my schedule permits, I plan to continue taking French classes.
No comments:
Post a Comment