Another unique chapter in our French stay in the Alps has been learning French. If there had been more time during the months before our departure, we would have considered taking French 101 at Ventura College, but that simply was not in the cards. With Ryan and Wesley in French public school, we figured we as well would take the opportunity to try and learn the language.

After questioning the locals, asking at the school and the corner grocery store about possible teachers, we finally learned of a viable option at a language school located at Courchevel 1850. We stopped by there and talked to the director. It so happened that Jan (who would later be our instructor) was there and asked us a few questions to get a feel of our abilities. For Dave, the answers were pretty simple, "Yes, No, and I don't speak any more French." Jan nodded his head, and said he would see us at the first class.

The class was fairly large, and the goal at the end of the evening was to split the class into a beginner and an intermediate group. There was a Russian engineer, who spoke VERY GOOD English and who was very straightforward with Jan. He said he was going to try and learn, but the language just did not make sense. Dave had found a friend. By the end of the night, the class had been divided into two separate nights, Monday and Thursday. The different nights would work great for babysitting.

Our classes start at 5:30 pm. We usually race out the door to take one of the last gondolas up the hill. Typically, we grab a bite at the local boulangerie before we head into class. Jan's major focus is conversation, but he feels one can't get away without delving into some grammar. Monday's class entails present, past and future tense and usage of grammar words I haven't heard of since third grade. I often ask Jan to refresh my memory of English grammar (imperfect tense, reflexive pronouns, etc., etc.,) before I can comprehend the French grammar. The class is two hours long, and by the time we finish, our barroca complex (speech center of the brain) is rattling.

Like Ryan and Wesley, we do seem to be picking up the language. Dave' getting a few phrases down, and his claim is you can only sound better when you start from nothing. People have even noticed of Dave's improvement. So, until the next log, and au revoir tout le monde! (Goodbye, everybody!)

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