Un autre mois, un autre cours!

Funny story, I was face-timing with my daughter, and we realized the time difference was again 6 hours, when last week it was 5. I joked, saying, maybe there was a time change last night and I slept through it. And that’s exactly what happened. Lol!

I know it’s not quite April, but at Alliance Française we’re in the April Semester, and new classes started today.

It was nice to sleep in a little, but I made sure I was early for class. Turns out, I was first to arrive. I didn’t know if I needed a textbook. I didn’t. On my way up the grand staircase, I ran into 4 of my friends from B1. They all called out to me, and we shared high-fives and it was just so sweet! They have a new teacher, they were finished class, and they all wished me well.

Paris was fairly WARM today, and our classroom was even warmer. Almost uncomfortable. We’re on the fourth floor, which means at least 8 flights, and I noticed there’s a half floor more above us — and that’s it. Only one window in the classroom opens, so I was really glad I wore lighter clothing today. It was also the first time since I arrived that I did not wear a jacket and scarf. A few more students filtered in, and one young woman thought I was the teacher because, she said, I spoke French so well.

Well, knock me over with a feather.

Merci, mais non. Mind you, this young woman (from England) is in Level C1, which is unquantifiable. She has a college degree in French and visits Paris often. My accent fakes people out all the time, but in time, I’m pretty sure my limited vocabulary will give me away. lol!

When La prof arrived, she immediately rearranged the room. No desks will be used. We sat in a large semi-circle and soon we were divided into groups of 3, and the first order of the day was to interview each other within our groups. Then, we were to present each other to the class.

Our group was second to present, and I did fine. Only one correction. A lot of people had questions for me, including the teacher, and I managed. Whew!

Unbelievably, there are more than a few Americans in this class! A first for me! Here’s the funniest part. In my group of 3, one of the women was American. She didn’t know I was American, and I didn’t know she was American — so I think it’s fair to say, they’re teaching French language pretty well back in The States. Lol!

I started a group chat on “WhatsApp” so we can help each other, and I expect the group will grow as the month progresses.

It’s too early to say much, but I liked the first class. It’s exactly what I need. We’re told which syllables to stress, and we have to memorize a paragraph for tomorrow. (We also had to complete the dialogue, using all the correct tenses, but I did better than I thought I would, which means I must have learned a thing or two since February!

The weather is changing, and we are expecting some rain after a few hot days. Oh, and speaking of hot, I bought a new French mustard. Ah, la vache! That was wicked! My eyes are still watering. It’s REAL Dijon moutarde!

À toute à l’heure!