Today was my last French class.
I've been taking classes with Martine at LEARN Associates for the better part of the past three years. Initially I was in the low-intermediate group with 3 or 4 other women. The women were all nice enough for the most part although a couple of them were a bit on the snooty side (corporate wives who played tennis with their ample spare time), but one of them - Linda - and I really hit it off and were at a similar level in our skills. Linda is married and has triplet boys, so the very fact that she made time for herself every week to come to French classes was fantastic, even though she is habitually late because of her jam-packed schedule.
Last year, the snooty tennis wives dropped the classes for good, and there weren't enough of us in the low-intermediate group to justify continuing with that time slot, so ready or not, Linda and I got "promoted" to the high-intermediate group. Which proved to be perfect, really. Not only did we feel we were learning more, but the women in the class were just so much nicer and fun to be with every week. It made taking classes even that much better.
So today on my way to class, I stopped at a local French patisserie (yes, there actually IS one out here in rural New Jersey, and a pretty good one, too) to bring in a few treats for us to faire une petite fête with our morning coffee and French discussion. (I selected four small cakes: a flourless chocolate cake; a pumpkin cheesecake; a raspberry torte with whole raspberries on top; and an apple strudel. I thought this way, there's something for everyone.) I wanted to express my gratitude and appreciation for their support and comraderie -- they are almost as excited for me as I am and eager to have me send them updates on what I'm doing. (I have promised to write in French so they can correct me in class and use it as a teaching tool!)
Well, it turns out they had some surprises in store for ME, too. Sharon made these amazing pastry cookies (I can't recall the name of them now but they are definitely French); Martine gave me a wonderful book that combines the letters of Thomas Jefferson when he visited the south of France with some beautiful photography; Rita, the school's owner, gave me a CD set of French Immersion so I can practice my listening skills (my weak area); and Linda gave me two Sudoku books which turned out to be a MISTAKE! They were intended for her mother and for me, she had picked out a book of interesting and off-beat things to do in Paris! Apparently she bought them and had them both wrapped at the store and just mixed up the two packages... those triplets have fried her brains, I think! Oh well, it's still a wonderful thought and she's going to mail me the book, which I'm sure I'll really enjoy. And although Melissa didn't bring a gift (which believe me, wasn't necessary), the warmth and affection with which she hugged me was so genuine and heart-felt, that was more than gift enough for me.
All of these women have been a gift in my life the past three years. Not only did they make learning so much fun, but they are all just wonderful people to know. I was so moved by their enthusiasm and support and how warmly they wished me Bonne courage and bonne voyage! I will certainly miss them and I'm looking forward to dropping in on a class in January when I'm in town.
And they are expecting my French to be GREATLY improved by then, even after just six weeks. I sure hope it's improved too. Lord knows I have a long way to go.
