Header

Quoi de neuf / Infolettre

French this Fall: Open House, New Classes

The Alliance is pleased to announce a new line-up of classes for the fall 2014 term which begins the week of September 15. New literature classes will guide students in the discovery of Le Collier Rouge, a Accentsbest-seller that has just been named book of the year. This fall also brings back the popular Perfectionnement and Sounding French classes, and of course the entire Latitudes and Edito series. Not sure of your level or the right class for you? Take an online placement test, call the office at 503.223.8388 or attend the free Open House on September 4. Click here for a printable directory of classes for adults and here for children's classes; note that online registration will start mid-week.   

Tartes Event Is This Thursday
As covered this week in the Oregonian (click here for the article) tickets are available for the 7th Annual Concours de Tartes aux Fruits which will feature celebrity judges and tartes from pastry chefs from all over the region. For just $25, you can sample the array of 25 tarts as well as imported cheese, charcuterie and French white, red and ros aperitif wines. The event is a fundraiser for the Alliance in partnership with the MAC and Oregon Culinary Institute. New chef-contestants from Higgins, Paley's Place, Noble Rot and the Black Rabbit round out an impressive list of tarte entries for 2014. Click here for more info and here to register online for the French food event of the summer.   
Free VIP Movie Passes: This Tuesday

Thanks to our friends at Dreamworks, we are pleased to offer 50 free passes for two people (each) to attend an advance screening of the new movie, The Hundred-Foot Journey, starring Helen Mirren, at Regal Bridgeport Village 18 (just off I-5 in Tigard, not far from Lake Oswego) on Tuesday, August 5, at 7pm. Set in the south of France, the PG-rated movie (in English) is about an Indian family that opens a restaurant in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, and does battle with the chilly chef proprietress of a Michelin starred, classic French restaurant. Click here for the trailer. The free passes are available to Alliance members (each can bring a guest as well). If you're not already a member you can still sign up for the free passes and purchase your one-year membership at the same time. Get the passes while they last by clicking here!    

Articles of Note: Cultural Differences, Food 

The website STRATEGIES AMERICAINES specializes in advising the French on how to succeed in dealing with American companies. Last week a writer posted an interesting article (in French) on a key cultural difference regarding the speed at which French persons typically reply to emails, compared to Americans. Beverly Voytko, Alliance president, sums it up: "The article describes the different perspectives of 'timely' and what's behind each one." Click here for the article. Readers may also enjoy a recent Huffington Post article on the "17 Food Reasons that the French Are Better at Life." Click here for that article (in English). Our staff notes that the article has a few missing accents and that the distinction in point 5, regarding salted versus unsalted butter, is debatable - but that otherwise, the article largely hits the mark.  

News Around the Alliance   

Immersion: Last week the Alliance held its second of four immersion programs this summer. Sixteen students (in 2 groups) enjoyed non-stop French week-long from 9am to 5pm each day, including "working" breakfast and lunches with native speakers (merci to St Honor� for their partnership on the breakfasts and to Oregon Culinary Institute for hosting the mid-day meals. Shown here: one of the immersion lunches at OCI. Two weekend immersion programs in August have a couple openings; click here for details.

  The Alliance  is pleased to welcome new staff member, Maud Artola. Maud was born and raised in Toulouse, where she completed her Master's degree. In addition to  her native French, Maud also speaks Japanese and Spanish. She taught at the Alliance Franaise in the Netherlands for the past two years, prior to relocating to Portland. Welcome also to Safia Dos Santos from Paris, who is a first-year law student at the University of Paris La Sorbonne. This summer, Safia is helping with conversation classes, the immersion program and events. She was the senior class president at her high school in Paris and was selected for a nationwide English language competition in France.   

Dates to Remember
Aug. 5: Free Movie for Alliance Members
Aug. 7: Concours de Tartes aux Fruits at the MAC - Tickets Available
Sept. 4: Alliance Open House at Kamm House
Sept. 10: Susan Winkler Event at Powell's
Nov. 21: Beaujolais Nouveau at the Heathman
Quick Web Links
 

Now enrolling for the Fall term 2014 (term begins the week of Sept. 15).

  

Conversation

Groups

Some are hosted by Alliance staff, board members or other volunteers. Drop-ins welcome; membership is encouraged but not required.

NW or Central PDX 

St Honor� on NW Thurman on

Wed., 6pm, Aug. 6 & 20   

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

SE Portland

At St Honor on SE Division, Monday, Aug. 4, at 6pm.

At Chez Machin, Mon., Aug. 11, at 7p.m.

 
At Vie de Boh�me weekly on Sundays, 4-5:30 p.m.

Vancouver

At Gustav's in Vancouver, Tues., Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m.

 

 

In-Kind Sponsors

 Perrier

 

 

 

PClogo

 

TV5MONDE August Highlights: Watching French programming is a great way to keep up your French. Check out these August highlights (in Portland or premium channel 695, costing less than $10/month.

  
 

This infolettre is copyrighted by the Alliance Franaise of Portland. 

Contact [email protected] for permission to re-use.

For optimal viewing consider displaying in your browser.