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Franco-Allemand Maifest Saturday, May 17 
Visit Oaks Park in SE Portland on Saturday, May 17, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., for the annual Maifest celebration put on by the nonprofit group, Zeitgeist, with a special focus this year on French-German friendship. The daylong event will feature food, live music performances and dances from both countries. Also featured will be a raffle for close to $3000 in prizes. For just $5 you might win a week-long vacation at a private home in sunny Languedoc, France's fastest growing region! Also visit the Alliance booth for a free class raffle as well ($295 value) and to view a display on the development of the historic Franco-Allemand friendship; the exhibit is provided in partnership with the German Consulate.
Summer French: Enrolling for All Options
Enrollment is now open for the Intersession (June 9-21), the Summer Term (which begins June 23) as well as for Summer Immersion for Adults (weeklong and weekend programs) and Summer Camps for children. The June Intersession includes 10 short classes on pronunciation, Faux Amis (False Friends), Perfectionnement, Kickstart Your French and more. The main Summer Term includes close to 40 classes (most are 10 weeks, some are 5 weeks) at all levels, from beginner French to advanced literature. The week-long and weekend Immersion Programs for adults provide an intensive experience. There are also Summer Camps for ages 5-10 and 11-14. Call our office to enroll for the Intersession and the Summer Term; online registration for the summer term will be available shortly as well.  
What NOT to Do in Paris!

Alliance teacher Nathalie Gerts, who is originally from Paris, recommends the recently published list of ten practices or behaviors NOT to do in Paris Watch Paris. Our staff has reviewed the list and we are in agreement that the list is accurate, insightful and helpful. The article explains in a brief but concise manner what not to do and why it is not done. The highly focused list can be of interest not only to first-time visitors but also to repeat visitors who need a refresher.  Note too that many items on the the list can apply not only to France but other European countries as well. So click here to read the article which was  published last week on SmarterTravel.com and re-published on Huffington Post. 

Recapping May & June French Dining Events

The May 20 "Paris in Portland" Dinner at St. Honoré is completely sold out but tickets are still available for the Friday, June 6, 2014 dinner at the MAC, which will mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day.  Click here for further information, including the link for online ordering of the $55 tickets, which cover the three-course meal and the gratuity (guests will pay separately for drinks of their choice). Participants will specify their language preferences for table-mates as French-only, English or mixed French-English.          

 

 
Dates to Remember
May 17: Franco-Allemand Maifest at Oaks Park
May 20: Portland-in-Paris Dinner at ST HONORE
June 6: Normandy Dinner at the MAC
June 12: Alliance Summer Open House (Portes Ouvertes)
Quick Web Links
 

Now enrolling for Summer Term, Intersession (June) Term, Summer Camps and Immersion Programs.

  

Conversation

Groups

Hosted by Alliance staff or board members. Drop-ins welcome; membership is encouraged but not required.

NW or Central PDX 

St Honoré on NW Thurman on Wed., 6pm, May 21

C'est Si Bon on NE 7th on Tuesdays @ 6pm 

SE Portland

At St Honoré on SE Division, Monday, June 2, at 6pm.

At Chez Machin, Mon., June 9, at 7p.m.

  At Vie de Bohème weekly on Sundays, 4-5:30 p.m.

Vancouver

At Gustav's in Vancouver, Tues., June 3 at 5:30 p.m.

 

 

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Egg Color by Country, Members in the News and More             
  
  The Color of Eggs: French people wonder why eggs in the U.S. are often white rather than the beige-orange that they are in France. Read this online article (in easy French) that explains to the French, why most eggs in America are white. Click here for the article, "Pourquoi les œufs américains sont-ils blancs?"

  French Movie: At the PIFF festival earlier this year, the Alliance sponsored the popular César-nominated film, Cycling with Molière. We're pleased to report that the film (French title is Alceste à bicyclette) will start on May 23 at Living Room Theaters. It's described as a "warm, funny, literate comedy in which two French actors portray two French actors, friends at odds with one another in every possible way, except their love of Molière's The Misanthrope." The film, by director Philippe Le Guay, features Lambert Wilson (Of Gods and Men) and Fabrice Luchini (Women on the 6th Floor). Click here for the trailer and here for the theater's listing.    

   DELF/DALF Testing: The next session of testing will be June 3-13. Note that this testing is held only twice per year. Contact eburk@faispdx.org for details and registration. Email info@afportland.org for lessons or classes to prepare for the exams.

  Northwest in the French News: Les Echos recently published a very upbeat article on Seattle, its charitable institutions and the growth of its museums as world-class attractions. The article, in French, has great vocabulary for persons in the B2/C1 levels. The article quotes frequent Alliance partner, Jack Cowan of the French-American Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest (www.faccpnw.org). Click here for the article.   

   Business Class Tickets to Europe: The French-American Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest is raffling a pair of round-trip BusinessElite tickets from Seattle to anywhere in Europe (destinations operated by Delta, KLM and Air France) on Delta Air Lines. Only 100 tickets for $100 each will be sold. Winner need not be present to win. For more information send an email to events@faccpnw.org.   

    The Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris' third arrondissement is an industrial design museum that houses the collection of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (National Conservatory of Arts and Industry), a repository for the preservation of scientific instruments and inventions. Over the past several years, Gary Rogowski of Portland's Northwest Woodworking Studio has visited and written about the museum. On May 21 he'll show his photos of the museum and discuss how it has influenced his work as a designer and teacher. Click here for the museum's website and here for more info on the free presentation in Portland on May 21, 6-7:30pm at 1002 SE 8th Ave.   
  St Honoré celebrates St Honoré Day! Visit St Honoré's locations on SE Division and NW Thurman for music, art and more on Friday, May 16, 5:30pm to 8pm. Click here for details.    

  In the news: Alliance students Isidora and Iliana Geranios do the occasional print ads and commercials. They both appear in a new video for the National Institutes of Health. Félicitations!      

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