Hardy Cognac Event, Debunking Stereotypes and More
 New Technology in the Classrooms: Acting Director Sherry Charles recently oversaw a major upgrade in the Alliance classrooms to include new HP Probook laptops for use by the teachers. Sherry notes, "The laptops are key to presenting content such as video or images that aid in learning, so we are pleased to feature these faster machines in the classrooms and in administration."
Hardy Cognac: Close to 50 people enjoyed the Hardy Cognac presentation at Paragon Restaurant in the Pearl on October 11. Bénédicte Hardy, visiting from the Cognac region, guided the group through tastings of a  variety of cognacs, including one that costs over $3000 per bottle. Click here for photos of the event. Shown here: Bénédicte Hardy with volunteer Danielle Witt.
Interesting Statistics: A recent study by language-learning site Babbel debunks some stereotypes about the French. The study reveals that 40% of its users have at least one non-French-speaking member in their family circle and that close to 60% feel that knowing another language helps to better understand the world today. Click here for the summary, in  French. Oblation Papers and Press in the Pearl recently exhibited at the prestigious Maison & Objet tradeshow in Paris, selling their handmade letterpress cards to accounts from Berlin, Zurich and Tokyo, in addition to their favorite account, the Bon Marché. Shown here, owner Jennifer Rich at her booth at the show. Jennifer notes, "While letterpress printing made big waves in the American marketplace about 8 years ago, it is still in its infancy in Europe." Visit Oblation in the Pearl to see first-hand the products that were featured at the Paris tradeshow. Enhance Your Vocabulary: Read this interesting article in French on the different vaccination policies in France and the U.S. ( "France et Etats-Unis ont deux réponses opposées. Pourquoi?") and expand your vocabulary. To start, "la varicelle" is chickenpox and "le zona" is shingles. Click here for the article from French Morning.
France, the Leading Tourist Destination: If you tr  aveled to France in 2015, you weren't alone. The French government tweeted a couple weeks ago that France is setting the record as the world's leading tourist destination with an estimated 85 million visitors in 2015.
Destination Pâtisseries: For your next trip to Paris, save this list of the top 5 p âtisserie icons in the city. Click here for the list, just published October 1 on Lonely Planet.  Member Posting: Joanne Jackson, an experienced piano teacher with a BA in Piano Pedagogy, is seeking families who need a piano teacher; specifically she is looking to gain experience teaching music (piano or flute) in French. Her current studio is in St. Helens and she also travels to Hillsboro. Contact her at addmusic@msn.com for further information. Discount Code Now Available: In an earlier bulletin we mentioned that long -time members Veronique & Philippe Landier have launched their new site offering time -tested items, all made in France. The discount code is now available for 10% off for Alliance members - it is J8S3F3FAXP4N. The site offers free shipping in the U.S. as well. News of Teachers and Students: Congratulations to Louis Wheatley who was featured in the Alumni Profile section of the FAIS 2015 magazine. Now work  ing at the United Nations (Food and Agriculture) Louis attended FAIS and then Lincoln. While at Lincoln, Louis also took private lessons at the Alliance Française with teacher Sandra Seguinot who has since returned to France. Sandra is now based in Toulouse and is the head of advertising for the newspaper, Midi Pyrénées: La Dépêche du Midi.
This infolettre is copyrighted by the Alliance Française of Portland.
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who taught classes on French food and wine at San Francisco City College, will present the October and November sessions at the Cercle Fran
among others: what is the format and quality of the instruction, what is an ideal session duration, what are the ranges of class sizes, what is the mix of levels, what are the typical student profiles and ages, what types of lodging are available, what is the pricing, and more. Each program has pros and cons. On Friday, Dec, 4, at 6:15pm at the Alliance you can get some help in sorting through the options to best address your particular goals. Presented in English by former Director Linda Witt; $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Click 
