Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Week 4, I think

We’ve done lots of things since I last updated you. It seems that the closer the end of the stage comes, the more there is to do.

Last week, I convinced a small number of students to play pétanque with me. This is a game not unlike Bocce, if you have played that. The idea is that you toss out a small ball as a target. Then you throw larger balls to see who can get as close as possible to a target that can move. It sounds simple, but there is so much strategy that it has captured the imagination of Europe for over two thousand years. Pétanque is the unique version of the game and the most practiced in the world.

Friday, we went bowling with our French families. That was an amazing adventure that brought us all closer. Just saying, but I was the best of the American bowlers with a 124. Okay, my average in the US is 182, but I didn’t have my own shoes or my own bowling balls. I haven’t bowled with house shoes and a house ball in 15 years! Stephanie, Sofia‘s mom had the high score. I don’t even want to talk about it anymore…

It was really fun. We are really glad we did it. The students learned that some words in bowling are the same; strike, spare (with a French accent obviously), but others are different. The lane is a “piste” and the balls are “les boules”. Our French group didn’t know the word for “frame” but I’m sure it exists for serious bowlers.

It’s kind of strange how a sport so uniquely American, which has a great popularity in France, could bring us all so close. We find that the cultural gaps are not so wide as the students may have thought at first. But as one student said to me (in French certainly), “This was really fun. I just wish they talked a little bit slower when they get excited. I didn’t understand half of what they said. But it was vraiment cool!” That’s high praise in anybody’s book.

I’m going to make a separate post for Monday’s July 4 celebration so the posts don’t get too long.


(P.S. I did “senior portraits” today (Wednesday, July 6) of Ashley and Grant. Tomorrow, I will photograph Karlee and Maggy. If any other parents would like portraits of their kids in Brest, please post a comment to this post.)

Sofia gets the hang of it.

But her French little brother Pablo is a pro.

Great form Emma!

Sammy didn't fall, but what  is he doing?

Bffs (mma, in French - actually I made that up)

Great form Geoff! (Shh! not really)

She was a princess in another life.

French descriptions of food and drink are hard to understand,
obviously!

Chloé has probably had the "camera smile" since she
was very little. 

Diego celebrates a gutter ball.

"hey, what can I say?"

Why is no one paying attention to Audrey? She's
gesturing and everything.

Sometimes, I think Bruno tries to confuse the American
kids on purpose!

That's my girl!

All in a day's work.

"I got this!"

Maggy picked up a single-pin spare!

This isn't a pose. She sits like this
all the time, really. (not so much)

Pablo has this crazy idea that Jake is cool!

Audrey really is cool, and all the little French girls know it.

Although it may appear differently, Geoff is NOT proposing
to Aspen.
  

Geoff also has a "camera smile."

9 comments:

  1. Dear Monsieur! Could you please take a senior portrait of Avery? Thank you! How do we pay you? Merci!
    Chris Erickson

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bon Soir Monsieur, Will you have time to take any senior photo's in Paris as well with the famous landmarks? I can't wait to see the pictures! What a wonderful opportunity for Karlye. Merci!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Any photo of Angelique would be much appreciated, Merci!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Monsieur,

    Thank you so much for the blog! What a joy it has been for us! Would you please do a senior portrait of Sarah Doherty? Thank you again!

    Lisa Doherty Fink

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Monsieur,

    Thank you so much for the blog! What a joy it has been for us! Would you please do a senior portrait of Sarah Doherty? Thank you again!

    Lisa Doherty Fink

    ReplyDelete
  6. The blog is wonderful! Thank you! Please take pictures of Emma Aikman if that is something that she would like to do. Warm regards, Debbie Aikman

    ReplyDelete
  7. Please take a senior portrait of Mickinleigh. Thank you so much!

    Amy Prior

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bonjour monsieur,
    Thank you for the wonderful blog. We have enjoyed seeing all the pictures and reading about the wonderful journey you all are having. If you would be so kind as to take a senior photo of Anna that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
    Ruth Graves

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bonjour monsieur,
    Thank you for the wonderful blog. We have enjoyed seeing all the pictures and reading about the wonderful journey you all are having. If you would be so kind as to take a senior photo of Anna that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
    Ruth Graves

    ReplyDelete