La Une in English: February-March 2010

Editorial When I was writing a recipe down in English for a friend, I reread it several times. There was something wrong, but I couldn’t find the error. It wasn’t until the moment I sent it that I realized I’d spelled the word onion wrong. I’d written it in French, essentially: oignon. Am I starting to master French? My host mother imitates my accent and the French that I hear is ugly, brutally American, thickly accented. “Oh, c’est délicieux,” she says, but I’m discouraged. Have I made absolutely no progress since I’ve been here? Or at least, not enough? I try to tell a friend with whom I’m making pizza that I’m going to go check on the dough, but the word that comes out of my mouth is « pasta, » rather than dough. It takes me a few minutes to figure out that I messed up because of the French word “pâte,” which means both dough and pasta at the same time. Have I started to think in French? I struggle to understand my French friends when they forget they’re speaking to an American with the vocabulary of a fifth grader. Poireauter, flotte, trépigner, tenches…yeah, completely lost. Have I not learned anything here ? Or at least, not enough ? For me, the month of March has been as changeable as its weather. With only three months left, I still have so many things I want to learn, and I doubt that I can do all of them. But, maybe that’s a good thing. I am never going to stop learning everything I can, and…if I leave without knowing all that I want, maybe that’s okay. Maybe my questions will lead me back to Toulouse later on. -- Alyssa Coltrain, Associate Editor Congratulations to the new parents! In February, Andy MacDonald, a professor in the French department at Dickinson and director of the Dickinson in France program during fall 2008, and his wife Circe announce the birth of a little girl. Born on February 14, she is a little gift from St. Valentine named Phoebe whose parents are thrilled! In March, Administrative Director Laura Raynaud and her husband Thierry' celebrated the birth of their own little gem, Jack, born on March 22. Jack's parents are delighted to announce his birth, who has arrived in Toulouse along with the sunny springtime weather! The Dickinson in France team congratulates the parents and looks forward to meeting the little ones! Des découvertes parisiennes Comme chaque année, le groupe du deuxième semestre est parti à Paris pour un long week-end d'explorations et de visites ! The group poses for a snapshot in front of the fifth-floor skyline view at the Centre Pompidou [Kristen Jensen] Students take off to discover the French capital [Kristen Jensen] Visiting the Musée National de la Marine A ship model at the museum [Marc Rangel] When we think about naval history in France, we often have difficulties not situating it in the worst light possible—more precisely, in not looking past the Battle of Trafalgar. Unfortunately, this humilating defeat by the English during the Napoleonic Wars has become the defining moment of French naval history—a navy which played second fiddle to the English during the start of the 19th century, the height of the French-English rivalry. Despite this, the French always seem to carry with them a rich historical tradition, be it in painting, architecture, theater or whatever else. Through the exhibitions at the National Naval Museum at Place Trocadero, just across from the Eiffel Tower, I had the opportunity to discover the the same rich tradition in the naval history of France. Among the numerous paintings, models and maritime objects, I witnessed an impressive range of displays that tell the long history of France’s navy. The extravagance of Napoleon III’s royal yacht and a huge canoe with beautifully designed mythological motis for Queen Victoria of England constrasted with the mystery and style of the Jules Vernes trophy, an object taken directly from a future world, worthy of carrying the name of the celebrated founder of the science fiction genre. It floats in its exhibit thanks to a magnetic field and is the prize given to individuals who break the record for the fastest circumference of the world by boat. The museum also displays a number of interesting exhibits that show not only the great achievements of the French navy, but also their great ambitions. On one hand, the museum is practically overflowing with an extensive collection of Joseph Vernet’s paintings, picturesque scenes of famous French ports like Marseilles, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Le Havre and Cherbourg, from which the navy has traditionally launched its fleets. As one of the great colonial powers, France was enthusiastic about the exotic goods brought to the mainland from the colonies, which is also visible in Vernet’s work when he paints the ports of Martinique and Guadeloupe. In maritime painting of the 18th century, Vernet established himself as one of the masters. On the other hand, the museum presents models of enormous ships designed during that time that, even if they were never built, gave us an idea of what the French navy could have been. After all, the French have a tendency to celebrate the defeated, such as Napoleon and Joan of Arc. This is visible in one of Vernet’s paintings, in which the French ship Le Redoutable is shown, in full combat with the Admiral Nelson’s flagship, the Victory, at the moment of its sinking during the defeat at Trafalgar. But despite this mentality, the grandeur of the French navy is not diminished in the slightest, but is proudly exhibited at the National Naval Museum. --Marc Rangel Exploring the Asian Quarter of Paris --Jing Wang

A Trip to the Bordelais : Bordeaux and Saint-Emilion In January, we took off to discover another part of southwest France. Here, we share some memories from our trip. The Musée d’Aquitaine in Bordeaux We began our trip to Bordeaux with a guided visit of the Musée d’Aquitaine. The theme was the 18th and 19th centuries and the role of the city in the slave trade. This port city played an important role in the Triangle Trade between western Europe, Africa and the Americas. During our visit, we saw furniture, models of boats, maps, African artwork made during the slaving period, some of the statistics of slavery during that period and other objects that recalled the Triangle Trade in Bordeaux. We were at the same time captivated by the interesting exhibit and repulsed by the painful history. It was also riveting for us as Americans to examine slavery from the French side. Contrary to the American approach, the French seem to have trouble speaking of their role in the slave trade. At the end of the visit, we arrived in a room with pictures of people from Bordeaux of African descent, quotations that talk about black identity today, and a screen that was playing interviews. This fascinating but sad journey could not have ended better than that, with the anguish of the past and the hope for the future in the eyes of the descendants of these slaves. --Anna Cumbie, Editor Visiting the Underground Monuments of Saint-Emilion During our trip to Bordeaux, the students also visited Saint-Emilion, a city in the Aquitaine region, located in the southwest of France. Known for its wine, its saint and his underground monuments, this town impressed all of us. In the beginning, we went down to where the saint had lived. The graffiti from several centuries was a fascinating detail, even though it damaged the site. In the interior, a statue built for pilgrims had a complex story—the sculptor had made a portrait of Saint John the Baptist with his birds between his hands, not a portrait marked by the iconography of St. Emilion. A chair known for its miracles of fertility was carefully avoided by all of the girls and before we left, the guide explained that the water in the cave basin was also thought to have miraculous qualities. Then, we went into the catacombs. According to our guide, the bodies were lowered into the catacombs by a circular opening in the ceiling of the catacombs. Two reliefs in the rock represented two spirits in the middle of the dead and their arms encircled the opening, guarding the tombs. The catacombs were used as wine storage in the centuries of the past. You can imagine why when you go in: the temperature inside the catacombs is much colder and more humid than outside. This humidity is very good for keeping wine, but, according to our guide, not particularly beneficial in the conservation of the monuments. We can guess where the body of St. Emilion is buried by an inscription on a nearby tomb, but it’s not certain because of contradictory elements in the research done at this location. The monolith church, underground and just next to the catacombs, was impressive. Unfortunately, the reliefs were practically erased by the passage of time, but the height of the columns and the atmosphere made this an unforgettable visit. --Christina Neno Wine tasting in Saint-Emilion [Kristen Jensen] A Wine Tasting in Saint-Emilion January 23rd and 24th, the Dickinson group when on a trip to Bordeaux and St. Emilion. The second day, at St. Emilion, a high point of the trip was a wine-tasting at Château Mauvezin, a large vineyard just a bit outside the city. The owner and his wife showed us the vineyard, where were saw the wine-making process, including a unique machine invented by our host, which takes the stems off the raisons and dries them before crushing them. After that, we went into where they ferment the grapes, where huge cisterns of wine were in the middle of fermenting. I can’t describe the smell, but it was incredible. It smelled like grapes, but it was so strong that it was practically overwhelming. We continued on into the room where the barrels were each filled with wine. What I found interesting about this part was the bottoms of old barrels displayed on the walls. Because the wine had fermented in the barrels, the wood was stained with amazing colors—reds and violets. What’s more, the mold produced by the fermentation was still on the wood, colored by the wine. These decorations were magnificent! And at last, the tasting. We came into a small room with a large table where we found the tasting glasses and also little figurines perched on the edges of four big glasses, representing the stages of a tasting. There were four: sight, smell, taste and pleasure! Everyone took his or her glass and a bit of cheese and we started the tasting. We tasted two red wines, which were very different: one young, one old, from two different properties owned by the same family in the same appellation. This tasting was a truly enjoyable moment with the entire Dickinson group, and gave us another chance to discover a facet of a region of France. -- Jarrod Bouchard Excursion to Albi Students enjoy the beautiful view of the Tarn during our trip to Albi [Kristen Jensen] The Restaurant Guide This month, we have some spectacular restaurants to try out: La Roulotte, 40 bis rue Peyrolières (métro Esquirol) This little tea parlor is incredibly cute and offers hot meals, home-made baked goods and a range of hot beverages to put a little sun into this wintry weather. On Sundays, you’ll also find a brunch menu. Visit its blog to find knitting classes, information on the artists currently on display and the owners’ comments : http://laroulotte-maman.blogspot.com/ La Sandia, 8 rue Palaprat (métro Jean Jaurès) La Sandia is a Mexican restaurant which offers authentic dishes using molé and enchilada sauces, spices and peppers from Mexico, margaritas by the glass or the pitcher and even a small store so you can try out your own Mexican recipes. The restaurant is small, so call ahead to reserve at 05 61 63 19 23. Le Cherche Ardeur, 40 rue des Couteliers (métro Esquirol) When you walk into this bar, you have no way of knowing what type of music is going to greet you ! In fact, a piano and a guitar are at the disposal of the customers for improvised jam sessions. The bar serves beer, wine and a range of things to snack on, most of which are organic. You can eat until late in the evening and vegetarians will be well-pleased. Check out their site to know what’s going on: http://www.lechercheardeur.com/ Les Jardins d’Elyssa, 16 rue de la Colombette (métro Jean Jaurès) Travel to Tunisia without ever leaving Toulouse ! This welcoming restaurant offers up Middle Eastern dishes like couscous and tagines, meticulously prepared by the Tunisian chef. Try a Moroccan wine to go with your meal and finish with a mint tea. Visit the web site to see the menu: http://www.lesjardinsdelyssa.com/ Parles-tu l'argot? flipper - freak out. « Si je rate encore ce cours, je vais flipper la prochaine fois que je verrai mon professeur ! » « If I miss this class again, I’m going to freak out the next time I see my professor ! » flic (nm) - cop. « Je pense qu’il y a une manif parce qu’il y a des flics partout en ville. » « I think there’s a protest, ’cause there are cops all over town. » manif (nf) - protest. « Tu viens à la manif pour la création d’emploi ? » « Are you coming to the protest for job creation ? » February Birthdays 14 : Jon 18 : Kristen March Birthdays 13 : Mackie Click here to return to the La Une homepage.