Final English Class Celebration, 2011

Dear Mother,

Sometimes I can only envy the way Parisians celebrate life together.  We see this most impressively while walking past busy cafés in the late afternoon or evening.  We are also fortunate to experience a bit of this special 'joy of living' in person during our visits to St Maurice.

One of Janie's English classes meets every Wednesday evening throughout the academic year, speaking English the entire time (well . . .), and occasionally celebrating a coming holiday or a recent birthday by sharing a bottle of wine and some perfectly-ripened cheese.  Taskmaster that she is, I understand that Janie usually makes the class study the evening's grammar lesson before getting into the refreshments.  From what I've observed, eating good food helps people talk more freely, possibly because they are multitasking rather than focusing relentlessly on verbs or how to use yet another idiom in a sentence.  They can also comment on the food, or interact with each other when passing or commenting on the food.

Some of the students have been part of this English class for years; one person thought he may possibly have been attending for as many as 17 years.  Consequently, their ability to speak in English really impresses us.  I sense that some of the members of the class have also become friends over the years in ways that few city dwellers experience outside connections with their families.

I had gone to the FLTE all day with Neal and took about 700 photos for the seminary (I will process them in Canada when I can work on my good monitor).  We got back to St Maurice at about 8:30, just in time for dinner.  As usual, it was pot luck, and I was the lucky one because I got to eat without bringing a pot! 

The festivities began outside (no grammar lessons are allowed during this final class, just food).  I took this photo from our bedroom window overlooking the secluded patio.

Then we moved into the basement's meeting room for the main meal.  I forgot to take a photo of all the good dishes--various roasts, salads, cheeses, bread, wine, etc.  Everything was tasty.

Desserts included homemade flans, tartes, fresh cherries, and some dishes I could not identify by name. 

While we were enjoying dessert, two long-time members of the class played live jazz for us, as they have done at the annual party for years.  They improvise together beautifully in a gentle yet strongly rhythmic manner, feet tapping out the rhythms while some friends clap in time.  I especially enjoy the interesting interplay between the pianist's right hand and the singing by the guitarist.  The party could not possibly conclude without a rendition of "What a wonderful world".

Finally, champagne is poured for a toast "To a wonderful year!" and to the anticipated resumption of classes in the fall.

This evening, Neal and Janie have asked us to help eat some of the leftovers.  We agreed without hesitation! Tomorrow we will drive to Montbeliard to see some of Janice's ancestral areas.

With love from us both,
Evan