The mad social whirl

[redbird]

After basically spending the week home sick, I went to two parties yesterday.

Fortunately for my sanity and scheduling, aiglet's housecooling was an all-day event. So I showed up around two, making me the first guest and enabling me to dive right into being useful, and talk to her and Eric a while before anyone else arrived. I then walked Aiglet's best friend over from the subway station (Leah gets lost in New York, so this time I got slightly lost for her, because we got to talking and I lost count of blocks), and then got to take furniture apart and play with fire. Specifically, toasting mini-marshmallows over a candle. In going through her box of books-to-give-away, I mentioned my back-burner desire to learn more French, so I am now in temporary possession of a French-language book of fairy tales that is earmarked for filkerdave. What I actually need is a basic French text or course, complete with some verb conjugations and such. Or at least a dictionary. Maybe one of those combination dictionaries and list of irregular verbs. Dave, your French-language Odyssey was still in the box when I left--if I read Homer not in English, it will be in the original.

I left Aiglet's around six, when things were getting busier (since of course many of the guests had work during the day), and hopped back on the L to get to porcinea's. Having worried about being late, I was the first-arriving guest at Piglet's as well, and we talked while she made cupcakes and then Simon started cooking. Good rich pasta, decorating our own cupcakes with a really rich chocolate icing,and good conversation. It was nice to meet and talk with Charlotte, and I met Simon's brothers, one of whom turns out to live three blocks from me (as far as can be counted in our local maze of cul-de-sacs and streets that only run for one block, or turn into staircases because the engineers weren't completely crazy). I left there around 10:15, came home, and fell into bed.

And I've had my eight hours' sleep, and feel fine, so I suspect I am over that damned cold.

Comments

[snippy]

I want to reclaim my french (took 4 years in high school, remember just snippets). What do you think of purchasing the same book and working through it together, exchanging homework by email?

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

When I decided to start studying French, I spent $30 or so on Berlitz Basic French down at Borders. It's a reasonable overview and I found it a fair starting point. Of the home-study courses that I've used (and I've bought WAY too many of them), I've found the Berlitz ones best for French (not finding that it nearly as useful for German, but there are a LOT of German filkers who are helping me out there).

You might also want to look at francophiles.

Bonne chance!

[bibliofile.livejournal.com]

You might even be able to take this out from your local library. My regional branch has a bunch of stuff like this in video and audio formats.

I started picking up some French after seeing Diva several times. And the DVD of Amelie uses subtitles (and wide-screen format, too).

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Ah, Amélie...j'adore Amélie!

But it's not a way I'd recommend learning French.

[bibliofile.livejournal.com]

No, probably not. But it's a nice rationalization for renting the movie, for example, or deciding whether to attend that Truffeau/Bergman/noir festival.

[redbird]

A tempting thought, if you think the different levels we're coming from (I had no French classes beyond learning to count to 10 in grade school, and tend to guess based on Spanish some of the time) will work together.

[snippy]

Well, I'm reasonably patient, and it was 20 years ago that I took French. I want to start over from the beginning; it's just that I'll probably pick it up quickly. But then you're good at languages, so you'll probably do the same.

I like having a partner for things, it is good for my self-discipline and motivation.

[redbird]

I don't know whether I'm good at languages, only that I like them.

Okay, we need to pick a book.

[snippy]

Well, I've already got French for Dummies; will that do, or would you like to look for another book?

Growf

[teddywolf.livejournal.com]

I wanted to call during the party to say Wish I Could Be There to everybody and Safe Journey to Aiglet. I was too durn busy.