Le Bookshop

The other day in class, a couple of the students told us about the rendezvouz they had at a place called the Bookshop. On Mondays and Fridays from 5-7 p.m. people meet there to practice both English and French. I thought that it might be a great opportunity for me to meet some other people and practice both my comprehension and oral skills. Although a bit nervous, I decided to try it. A group of us enjoyed a pleasant lunch first on an outdoor terrace in a courtyard near the school. There wasn't any wind and the sun was shining. 

The gent on the right is Jonathan, from Scotland. The other is a new student, Ludwig, from Germany. I know you can't possibly guess who's in the middle holding onto a glass of red wine.

This was our view from la terrasse - jolie, n'est-ce pas?

A third person, Gabriel, also joined us for lunch. Gabriel is a delightful guy from Switzerland and he was actually the one who told me about the Bookshop. After lunch, Gabriel and I headed to another café for a coffee and to do a little studying while the other two went off on their respective business. Shortly before five, we made our way over to the tiny shop which is located on a petite rue in the Quartier L'Ancien Courrier. Gabriel suggested we arrive early because the place fills quickly and he was right. 

Le Bookshop

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Once you go into the place, you order a non alcoholic beverage of your choice and a snack if you are so inclined. That's the price of admission. Then you go downstairs to a wonderful room lined with books, many of which are English. Some books are used and you can go there during the day to read them and others are for sale. However, I digress. Next you find a place to sit. There are tables and chairs, but the room is very tiny. I reckon there were about 25-30 people who attended the session. Basically, you just introduce yourself to the people nearby and start chatting. 

Initially, I met several French people who were practicing their English - a student of finance, a real estate agent and a gent from Italy. Then a young woman sat down next to me. She spoke French quite well, but lo and behold, she came from Vancouver. She has lived in Montpellier for the last 13 months with her boyfriend who is studying law. Like me, when she first arrived she was very frustrated trying to learn the language, but she has subsequently relaxed and decided to enjoy the "French experience". She made several really good suggestions such as taking a class in yoga or cooking or something like that to get a different perspective. She also gave me links to a few websites that she has found very useful. One of my goals this week had been to try and find someone just to talk to en français over a cup of coffee. It turns out that she has some free time and we are going to meet tomorrow. Before I knew it the two hours were up and I had spoken French for almost the entire time. The whole experience was very positive and I'll definitely go back to the Bookshop on Friday. 

The best thing of all happened when I arrived home and told Patricia all about my day. She said for the very first time "Tu parles bien -pas de fautes" (you are speaking well with no mistakes) That made my day!