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Quoi de neuf / Infolettre

Spring Enrollment Now Open!

Enrollment is now underway for the 10-week spring term that runs March 30 to June 6. Visit the website for listings or click here for adults' classes and here for children's classes. To get the class you want, as well as a 10% discount on the course fee, register by March 19. Note that all Alliance classrooms include large-screen TVs and wireless internet. Most textbooks include CDs and DVDs for at-home practice and exercises between weekly classes. Questions? Call the Alliance office at 503.223.8388 or take the free online placement test. Finally, for those interested in a quick refresher or review classes in the March 16-28 intersession period between the winter and spring terms, click here.    

Veteran Receives Legion of Honor Medal
A 90-year-old veteran from WWII received a Legion of Honor medal (France's highest honor) last week in a ceremony in Washougal that was covered extensively by print and TV media. Fern Shaw, the honoree, spoke emotionally of arriving on Utah Beach in Normandy more than 70 years ago. He also served at the Battle of the Bulge and finished the war ferrying refugees back to their native France. Click here for KGW's excellent video and here for newspaper coverage. Finally, click here for a rare insider's view of the speech made by Jack Cowan, the Honorary French Consul, who presented the medal on behalf of the French government. Shaw is shown here in this photo with his granddaughter and great-grandaughter who were among the 50 attendees. 
Presentations on March 6 and March 13          
   Terroir Presentation: Don't miss the March 6 presentation at the Alliance on the concept of terroir. Click here for complete details (the presentation will be in English with some French vocabulary).

   French West Indies: Author Timothy Williams, born in London in 1946, fell under the spell of the French West Indies when he saw Truffaut's La Sir�ne du Mississippi. Williams lives in Pointe-�-Pitre on the island of Guadeloupe, where he has been teaching for over 30 years. He is the author of several books in French ad English, including Un Autre Soleil and The Honest Folk of Guadeloupe, set in the French Caribbean. On March 13 he'll discuss his books, his years in Guadeloupe and the history of the region, at the Kamm House. Click here to register; $5 for Alliance members and $10 for nonmembers. (The presentation is in English with some French vocabulary.)

New Organization Members
Elephants Delicatessen, known for its specialty foods and catering, recently joined the Alliance Franaise as an Organization Member. Check out the company's French-themed products - beautifully merchandised - at their NW 22nd Avenue location, and check out the French-themed decor at their Fox Tower and Corbett locations.
  Occitan Imports:  Welcome to Laurence Bertone, President and CEO of Occitan Imports, a website site that  specializes in high quality, authentic French Proven�al table linens at the lowest prices. The company already has dozens of loyal customers from Oregon and Washington, they shi99% of orders within 1 or 2 business days, and they have high customer service standards (check out their customer testimonials here). And we saved the best for last: Alliance bulletin readers qualify for 10% off orders, by using  the code AFPORTLAND at checkout. Click here for more information.
  Merci also to renewing member Euro Escapes (member since 2010) - talented and experienced Portland-based travel professionals who offer expert travel planning as well as specialty knowledge in river barges and river cruises in France.   
Deux Annonces pour les Franais 
SALON D'EMPLOI: Le premier Salon de l'Emploi pour les francophones de la r�gion de Seattle aura lieu le 22 mars de 13h00 � 17h00 au Seattle Center Armory, 305 Harrison Street, Seattle,WA 98109, � deux pas de la Space Needle. Il est organis� par France Education Northwest et la Chambre de Commerce Franco Am�ricaine du Pacifique Nord-Ouest (http://www.faccpnw.org), dans le cadre de la 3e F�te de la Francophonie de Seattle. 
TOURNEE CONSULAIRE: Le Consulat G�n�ral de France � San Francisco organisera la prochaine tourn�e consulaire dans le nord-ouest � Seattle au d�but du mois d'avril 2015. Si vous souhaitez effectuer une demande de passeport � l'occasion de cette tourn�e consulaire, merci de cliquez ici pour tout renseignement supplmentaire.
Dates to Remember
March 5-7: Montreal's 7 Doigts de la main Circus Troupe at Newmark Theatre
March 6: Terroir Presentation
March 13: French Indies Presentation
March 19: Spring Open House
Quick Web Links

Winter Term is in progress. Spring Term starts the end of March.   

  

Conversation

Groups

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

NW, N, or Central   

St Honor� on NW Thurman on

Wed., 6pm, Mar. 4 & 18     

Philippe's Bread on N. Williams on Sat., Mar. 7 for B2/C1 levels (advanced, fluent)  

SE Portland

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

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

Vancouver

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

 

Alliance Partners 

 

 

 Perrier

 

 

   

PClogo
 
Business Networking, Macarons, Music, 
and Dining Deals  

 
   Business Networking Event: The French American Chamber of Commerce's business networking event held in the Pearl last week drew the Consuls of both Washington and Oregon (Jack Cowan and Franoise Aylmer), Patrick Meunier of the French Trade Council (Meunier is a Conseiller du commerce extrieur de la France) and area honorees including Philippe Boulot, Dominique Geulin, Bernie Lacroute, and Claudine Fisher. The gathering of nearly 50 included a variety of business sectors (click here for the full list of sectors represented). Click here for a photo gallery of the lively group and stay tuned to this newsletter for updates on future networking events and sector committees. Email [email protected] with questions re: FACC PNW activities.
    Are you macaron-challenged? Do you have trouble distinguishing a macaron from a macaroon? The difference is huge! Click here for mouth-watering pictures to help you understand the difference and click here for Alliance member Terry Beard's coverage of a local Portland event on March 20 to celebrate Macaron Day (le Jour du Macaron). Buy macarons at our favorite partners (Pix Ptisserie, St Honor, Nuvrei) and get a free macaron for donating to Meals on Wheels.
  Conversation Group News: The French conversation group previously
held at C'est Si Bon has been discontinued.

  Free Concert: Parfait Bassale, Senegalese/Benin musician, artist and activist (photo at left), will present a program of music, Bridging Differences, in English and French, on March 5, 2015, at Clark College Main Campus, 7:15p.m. at Penguin Student Lounge (PUB 161). Free admission. All are welcome. Click here for complete details including info on the genesis of the author's musical journey in West Africa.  

 Hot Dining Deals: Portland Dining Month is coming in March (running the 1st through the 31st) and offers $29 prix-fixe dining deals at over a hundred restaurants, including many Alliance partners, such as the Heathman, Brasserie Montmartre, Cocotte, Thirst, Higgins and others. Click here for the Oregonian's coverage. 

 Francophiles in the Pearl: The answer to the quiz in the last bulletin was Silkwood and French Cut Hair. (Many of you guessed the second, but not the first!) Those were the two businesses whose photos featured French expressions and French window displays.   
 Fun Reading to Exercise your French: Click to read French Morning's explanation, in French, of Why the Green Card is Green, Pourquoi la carte verte est verte?  


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