Photo by Erica Simone
Someone loaned me the HBO series, "Tremé," which, if you haven't seen it, takes place in a part of New Orleans more formally known as the "Faubourg Tremé" (pronounced treh-may). If you know New Orleans, it's the area bordered by Esplanade Avenue to the north, North Rampart Street to the east, St. Louis Street to the south and North Broad Street to the west. In early New Orleans, it was the neighborhood of "free people of color" and remains the center of the city's African-American and Créole communities as well as the home of the city's best musicians. Watching the program has brought me back to my New Orleans roots. It struck me that both the lingo and accents of the characters would be difficult for others to understand -- or so it seems to my New Orleans trained ears -- a city that can claim at least 15 different accents. The program does a good job of illustrating many of them, all in one episode, with a cornucopia of the kinds of people one finds in such a profoundly cultured American city.
In the French-English conversation group,Parler Parlor, which I co-coordinate and participate in a few times a week, one can hear dozens of different accents, in both French and English, thanks to the many origins of the participants. It's one of the benefits, actually, as it helps tune your ear to a variety of different pronunciations.
Language is a constant challenge living in a place that communicates in a language different from you own native language -- particularly French. It's one of the most difficult to master. Learning the words, the grammar and the phraseology is one thing. Tackling the accents is already yet another complication, but it's unavoidable. After almost 17 years surrounded by Francophones, I admit that my own level of French is appalling (considering the number of years practicing) and my accent is pathetically American. The moment I say one word, and only one word, they know immediately that not only is the accent not native, but American. Two weeks ago when I boarded an Air France flight from Nice and said nothing more than "Bonjour" to the flight attendant, she responded with "Hello, welcome aboard," to which I asked with surprise, "Just one word gives me away?" And we both had a chuckle knowing how true it is. In the cafés and restaurants, with just that one word, they hand me an English language menu. It can be so depressing! I 'threw in the towel' long ago and gave into never speaking French well much less with a proper accent. The French claim it's "charmant" (charming) much like we think of their French accent in English is so sexy, so why make a big effort to change it? No matter how many times I practice saying "serrurerie" (try it -- it's the toughest!), the Rs end up way to far down the throat to sound French as I spit and gurgle it out. Even when I spell "PAY-A-EHR-ELL-UH-EHR" for "parler," they never seem to hear the R and think it's an L like in Chinese. Oy! The bottom line: does any of this stop having a great life in the "Ville de Lumière" (City of Light)? Absolument, pas!
 P.S. Participation in Parler Parlor is easy! We meet three times a week, but you can come whenever you like! The first time is free, so there's nothing to lose by trying it except an hour-and-a-half of your time! Visit parlerparlor.com for more information.
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Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Avec Quel Accent Parlez-Vous Français? (With what accent do you speak French?)
A la prochaine...
Monday, March 14, 2011
From the Witch's House to the School House and Back
A tasty treat in the "witch's house"
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Monday, March 14, 2011 • Paris, France
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Saturday midday, we lit the candles on the cake, sang “Joyeuse Anniversaire” in both French and English, blew them out, passed around the pieces of cake and filled the glasses with cider to celebrate the 13th anniversary of the French-English conversation group called “Parler Parlor.”
It's hard to believe that was a 'mere' 13 years ago when I met Marie-Elisabeth Crochard, then Director of Berlitz Champs-Elysées, and together we decided to start the conversation group. Internet was in its infancy then, but when purchasing the domain name “www.parlerparlor.com” I saw that “www.parlerparis.com” was also available, so I 'snatched it up.' That's how Parler Paris began – as the communiqué for the conversation group. Funny how things just seem to work out, as if they were just 'meant to be' that way.
After eating too much cake, welcoming a new guest to “Le Saint-Tropez" apartment (Le Saint-Tropez) and uncovering the geranium pots from their winter protective covers, I scurried off to the Gare Saint-Lazare to catch a train to Normandy to have dinner with chef and author Susan Herrmann in advance of filming a new House Hunters International episode the next few days.
I hadn't been to Normandy in a while – too long. It's so easy and fast, too. I purchased a ticket at a machine, hopped on the train that was filled to the brim and within a little more than an hour of a smooth, quiet ride, stepped out into the glorious Normandy countryside. Susan's 15th-century tutor home is in Louviers, a small town 100 kilometers from Paris built on a series of canals with an interesting history.
Susan's house is a tutor style 15th-century sprawling home which was once a convent directly across the street from the gothic Eglise Notre-Dame (13th-century). We've always joked that it was the witch's house – the GOOD witch...only to discover that “in 1642, the nuns of Louviers claimed to have been possessed by the devil, giving lurid evidence during a witchcraft trial that echoed the events at Loudun 10 years ago.” (www.independent.co.uk)
Susan whipped up a scrumptious sumptuous dinner of breast of duck on a bed of quinoa and sauteed okra followed by a “caramelized apple cake” made from Normandy apples (of course) that I topped with rich Normandy cream and pledged to diet the next day. She is so at home and fluid in her vast and well-equipped kitchen that I didn't even notice how effortlessly she constructed a complicated meal within minutes. By 10:30 p.m. with a full belly I crashed in one of the many rooms where one can sleep with a view on the church.
Sunday the filming began at a house in a nearby town that had once been a schoolhouse dating back to 1883. The family of six children with their parents filed out of a van and introduced themselves one by one, the children aged 10 months to 13 years -- four girls and two boys. One was more beautiful and polite than the next. The film crew arrived at the same time, consisting of three Englishmen – a director, cameraman and sound engineer. The cameraman was the same as on a previous House Hunters filming and upon realizing it gave me a big hug.
For the next few hours we filmed the family visiting the four-bedroom house with it's spacious newly renovated rooms and lovely large backyard. Lunch of
Normandy cheeses, “charcuterie” and fresh baguette was brought in for all to eat before moving on to film the family visiting the 'witch's' house on rue Tatin in Louviers. There we played a game with the kids to see if they could count all the rooms that could be used as bedrooms on as many as five levels within the sprawling old house. There were eight, although three are actively used, two are used as offices, one is a guest room and the last two are utility rooms. The best part of the house is, naturally, the kitchen, which every cook would dream of. It's a room you gravitate to and never want to leave.
Today the morning is misty in Argentan, where we will be filming a third house -- about two hours drive from Louviers not far from Caen. When all is done for the day I'll get on a train headed for home in Gay Paree to prepare for more filming on Wednesday with the family to discuss which house they liked best and why. So...stay tuned!
A la prochaine...
Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
(in Normandy)
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P.S. Friday I visited with one of our best lenders to discuss a mortgage for the Nice apartment I am in the process of purchasing. The loan will be partially based on the property and another part on an “equity release” of my existing properties. If you are interested in learning more about how one property can generate more in your investment portfolio, visit French Property Loan for more information or contact John Rule atloan@adrianleeds.com who will assist you – this service is free of charge!
