Alliance member seeks host family in Portland for summer visitor: Paul is a 17-year-old French teenager and the cousin of Alliance member Marion Dresner's good friends in Normandy. He would like to spend the month of July with a Portland family, preferably a family with a teenager his age. He speaks and understands English, but would like to improve his English and see Oregon. He likes sports, among other interests. Email Marion if you are interested at marion@onlinenw.com.
More from Cohen: Readers are enjoying an op-ed article, "Confessions
of a Francophile," by Roger Cohen (shown here), published recently in the
NY Times. Click
here for the article, which is a good romp down memory lane, and at the same time, his reflection on the propensity for worrying about the nation's ills.
Covering the Left Bank in Three Days: Readers are also recommending a
NY Times article, "What To Do on the Left Bank." More than just a list of places to visit, the online version of the article opens with a lively 5-minute video narrated in French (subtitled) and in English, and set to music. It is also interactive, allowing you to pause the video to view site locations on Google maps. Finally, it continues with 11 (text) suggestions of what not to miss. Click
here for the article.
Nantes Tour: This June, the state of Washington is organizing a
business-oriented tour of Nantes in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the Seattle-Nantes sister city partnership.
The package is $1250 and includes three nights in the Radisson Blu Hotel (shown here, a four-star hotel which is located in the city's former palais de justice), all transportation in Nantes, Paris-Nantes round-trip by train, and most meals. The tour not only will cover the historic part of the city but also will provide opportunities to meet with economic development officials and to visit the area's innovative companies (including Airbus, Daher, and EMC2). Click
here for details. Note that details on a Paris segment (which can be purchased separately from the Nantes segment) will be published shortly.
Microsoft COO to Present: The annual breakfast meeting of FACC and FEN i
n Seattle on May 5 will include a presentation (in English) by
Valérie Beaulieu (photo at right), entitled "From Europe to USA: A Woman in IT Leadership Journey". Beaulieu, COO at Microsoft Advertising, will share her experience as a European woman and business leader moving to the US and her observations on leadership style differences between the US and Europe. She will also talk about how Microsoft capitalizes on diversity and inclusion to meet the needs of an increasingly global and diverse customer base. Portland Francophiles/Francophones are invited to register for the event (FACC nonmembers $20, members $10). It's a networking opportunity with representatives of the Pacific Northwest's French-American business community, including attendees from Boeing, Microsoft and Amazon. Click
here for details.
author's popular Aimée Leduc series, set in Paris, has been translated into 7 languages for a total of 400,000 books in print. Her love of all things French has led to many trips to Paris; on each visit she entrenches herself in a different part of the city, learning its secret history. At the Alliance she will be presenting the 15th book in the Leduc series, Murder on the Champ de Mars (released just last month). Click 
professionals. Topics will include: the trendiest destinations (and why), regional highlights, budget tips, cruising options and formats, specialty themed tours led by Oregonians in France, and a segment on key idiomatic expressions for travel. The seminar will be from 6:30pm to 8pm on Tuesday, April 28, in Conference Room 202 at FUMC (the church next to the Alliance). To register 
English expressions that may or may not translate easily into French, or "expressions traduisibles ou non." The workshop will also cover expressions that change slightly when crossing the border into other Francophone countries. Presented by two Alliance teachers, the session will be mostly in French with some English and is for intermediate and advanced students (level A2 or higher). Not sure of your level? Check in with the Alliance office at 503 223.8388. Workshop fee is $20 for Alliance members and $25 for non-members. Click 
an insider's view of the area's history and culture. Lorentz explains, "We introduce you to our friends, who are the people who make it so unique, and you learn about their crafts, and have the opportunity to enjoy meals in their homes. We've carefully chosen all the outings so we can show our visitors why we love living in this part of France." Lodging is in five restored French cottages. The owner/operators are English speaking but French lessons are available. Recent participants commented, "
