Portlanders Turn to French in 2014
Portlanders are turning out to learn French at the Alliance in greater numbers this winter than ever before - over 460 students are  enrolled in group classes and private lessons for the winter term which began last week and which runs Jan-March. Late enrollments are possible in adult classes from beginner to advanced and in children's classes (ages 7-14). Average class size is 7-8 students. Call 503.223.8388 to inquire about openings. Private lessons are available at any point of the year (currently there are 90+ students in private and semi-private lessons). Finally, the next term is end-March to June; the annual schedule is posted online for future planning.
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Balzac and Flaubert at Literary Arts
The nonprofit Literary Arts organization will feature a seminar on 19th Century Realism as portrayed in the works of French novelists Balzac  and Flaubert. The 6-session program (Tuesday evenings, February - March) is part of the Delve program which engages readers (up to 16 in number) in exploring books in discussion-based seminars led by an experienced scholar. The sessions will be led by Judith Stone, who earned a doctorate from the State University of NY in modern French history. The themes of money, marriage, class, sex, ambition, Paris, the provinces will be explored through reading and discussions of Père Goriot and Madame Bovary. Click here for details. Note: the program is in English.
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January's Paris Travel & Tips
Here's a round-up of travel tips hot off the press this month:
Pocketbook-friendly cafés: While cafés such as Café de Flore and  Les Deux Magots have wondrous historical appeal, sometimes you just need a good, cheap coffee, dependable wi-fi, and a laid-back atmosphere. For your next trip to Paris, refer to this helpful list of student-friendly cafés (also good for cash-conscious folks). Click here.
New speed limit: As of January 10, the speed limit on the périphérique (beltway) of Paris has been reduced from 80km/h to 70km/h, "au nom de la pollution, du bruit ou des accidents". Click here for the latest news on this, from the Mairie de Paris.
Apartment Available: Alliance membe r Terry Beard offers his Paris apartment, in the 17th arrondissement, for rent for short or long stays. The fully equipped one-bedroom apartment is located in Batignolles, a trendy Parisian neighborhood near métro Rome. Alliance Française members receive a 10% discount off the published price. Click here for photos; for availability contact Terry at 503.349.1245 or email terry@pariscentral.com.
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Events and Other Tips/Astuces
Nicolas Batum of the Trailblazers continu es to shine both on the court and in the press. Don't miss your chance to meet with him at the Sixth Annual Blazers French Night on February 19. At the post-game group chat session, questions are encouraged in both English and French. Click here for details on the event. Remember that you must buy your game tickets through the promotion, in order to be invited to the post-game ch at with Nic! This event is coordinated by the Trailblazers and a portion of the event proceeds is donated by the team in support of the Alliance.
Highlights of the Canals and Rivers of France: Visit the event page for the description of this event which will be held Friday, January 17. There are just a handful of seats left. Click here for additional information and to reserve your seat.
New Year's Prose: Pascale Theurier Beard, a frequent cont ributor to the newsletter, offers up this popular and upbeat bit of prose (found widely on the Internet) for the new year. Click here to test your reading comprehension.
Bordeaux Wine: Costco is currently stocking a nice 2011 Médoc Grand Vin de Bordeaux; $8.99. Get it while you can; a nice vin de table.
Most popular in the previous bulletin was the articl e on American celebrities who speak French (and the Alec Baldwin SNL skit!) as well as the announcement of the Paris apartment exchange (Christopher Perez did in fact find an exchange through the newsletter announcement; merci to all who responded to the opportunity). Click here to view those articles in the handy online archive of previous bulletins.
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Winter Term (Jan.-March) now in progress. Some openings available.
Call 503.223.8388.
Conversation
Groups
Hosted by Alliance staff or board members. Drop-ins welcome; membership is encouraged but not required.
NW Portland
St Honoré on NW Thurman on Wed., Jan. 15 at 6:00 p.m.
SE Portland
At Chez Machin, Mon., Feb. 10 at 7:00p.m. and at Vie de Bohème weekly on Sundays, 4-5:30 p.m.
Vancouver
Lapellah Restaurant in Vancouver, Tues., Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m.
In-Kind Sponsors
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