Summer Time

Summer Is Here

I've just getting through the last strawberries to be had and asparagus disappeared from the shops and markets a couple of weeks ago. Now it is apricot, peach, nectarine and melon season, with all that fruit cheap and plentiful. I particularly like the flat white peaches, and the canteloupe melons of course. But if further proof were needed that summer is here we had the Feu de la St Jean celebration on the 24^th. This year Roberto came to provide the sustenance (moules, frites), there was music, the traditional bonfire and fireworks. Friend Steve complained that the previous year the songs sung had all been in Spanish and hoped that they would be in French this year. I jokingly said « no chance ; they'll be in English », and sure enough they were in English sung by someone with an impeccable English accent accompanied by a guitarist. There was also a drum band which loped across the bridge followed by the children present who had each been given a paper lantern containing a candle. The Feu de la St Jean remains my favourite event of the year in the village and not simply because it heralds summer. It is truly a family event and seems to be enjoyed by all age groups.

English Conversation

Steve and I wrapped up the Eglish conversation « rencontres » for this « trimestre »the day before the Feu and Jo joined in too as we had decided that the prepared conversation section of the evening would be on clothes shopping (and the difference between French and English size denominators). The session went well as usal and, at the end, Steve and I were both presented by the participants with a card, bottles of good wine, olives and tapenade : and then we were both taken for a drink. It really was most gratifying, especially as several participants said how much they had learned when that wasn't our primary goal : fluidity and confidence in speaking English was what we aimed at, although increased vocabury was an inevitable corollary.

We discussed the restart over the drink and the concensus was definitely to start as late in September as possible, the last Tuesday in the month. We also said we would email everyone the complete set of prepared conversations so that anyone who missed a session or two can catch up if they wish. That will also provide some basis for preparation for the several people who have said they intend to start coming in September. And there may be more ; the local representative of the regional La Tribune newspaper appeared a couple of sessions ago and took photos so an article will be appearing at some stage. I think both Steve and I now feel confident that we have a proven structure for the sessions and enough ideas to carry us through the next set of 10 « rencontres », particularly as confidence levels of the particpants have improved to the point where the participants can maintain a reasonable conversation amongst themselves with minimal intervention from Steve and I. We can plan the autumn sessions at our leisure over the summer.

HTML And My Other Blog

My last posting on this blog suffered text style changes in mid-paragraph as have some previous ones. I've always assumed that HTML was neutral with respect to the content between the lines of HTML code but that is clearly not the case. A text purely in English or purely in French and declared as French will work with no problem. However a text in English which includes some French words with accents always causes problems and I haven't yet found a way to get at the HTML code blogger generates to edit it, unless I create the posting actually in the blog rather than, as I find more convenient, creating it in Libre Office and pasting it in. I assume that the same problem would occur with a French text that contained, for instance, some Spanish or other foreign words with accents not used in French. Strange but true ; HTML must have some knowledge of the content within it.

My other blog, at www.theelseclauseonline.blogspot.com, is not getting the feedback it requires to continue, despite my having done the SEO as attractively as I can. Maybe I'll have another go at the SEO or maybe I will just ditch the blog and incorporate any relevant points in this one. Anyway, one way or another I shall have to make a decision soon. Decisions, decisions ; and it's summer time.