Graduation Day

It is with mixed emotions that I write this blog. On the one hand, I am relieved that school is over. It has been a very intensive and tiring four weeks. It is now time to relax and and rejoin my wonderful and supportive husband, my sweet dog and all my dear friends in Canada. On the other hand, I am sad to leave this beautiful country, excellent school and the amazing people that I have met here. 

A beautiful view of the shimmering sea from my terrace. I don't think that I will ever tire of it.

A view from the school overlooking the same port. It was absolutiely glorious outside.

On our final day, we had to repeat the same exam we took on the first day in order to measure our progress. I was really quite nervous, but managed to get through the initial part which tested our comprehension, audition and writing skills. Following that, we were given a short break at which time students, including me, gravitated outdoors to take advantage of the sun and warm weather.

We reconvened for a two hour séance pratique with Frederic, at which time we were called individually to meet with a prof to complete the oral part of the exam. I was tested by Sylvie whom I also like very much. I had lunch at her table one day and she made the subjunctive sound so easy with her explanation. "C'est super qu'il fasse beau aujourd'hui" (It's super that it is beautiful today.) 

At 12:30, all of the students had lunch together for the last time. The meals prepared by Natalie and her staff have been exemplary. Everyday the menu changed and I have eaten everything from rabbit to salsifis (a vegetable root that resembles white asparagus - I liked it). Following lunch, we participated in another séance pratique with Julien to review material learned in the past. As always, there were some good chuckles. During "La Pause" our respective profs called us to the classroom on an individual basis to review the results of our test and show us the comparison to our previous results. I was shocked by mine as I had fared much better than I anticipated. Bruno was very kind with his words and suggested that I had really improved over the four weeks and that my determination and hard work had paid off. He felt I had a good foundation of the language and now I need to spend time talking to people in French to build my confidence and fluidity. 

Last, but not least, the Grand Salon was transformed into a graduation hall. As we filed in after the break, we were given the words to the song "La Vie en Rose" by Edith Piaf along with a glass of champagne. 

To begin the ceremony, we all sang "La Vie en Rose" together and then Frederic, Master of Ceremonies, said a few words before he commenced issuing certificates to the graduates. 

Each student received a beautiful certificate accompanied by applause from the crowd. 

Classmates Dania and Lynn with their certificates.

I must admit I was getting a little worried as I hadn't been called to receive my certificate and there were only a few students left. Even though Bruno assured me I had improved significantly, maybe it wasn't enough to warrant a certificate. As it turns out, there were six students who received an Honorable Mention for their laudable efforts and improvement. My classmate, Kyle, was one of them and so was I. I couldn't be prouder!

This school has been an excellent experience for me. I know that I have made significant progress in both comprehension and speaking due to excellent profs, innovative teaching strategies, immersion in the language and culture, extracurricular activities and hard work on my part. I recognize I have a long way to go, but there are certainly worse things to do with my time and money in retirement. I expect I'll be back several times yet. In the meantime, I'm heading to Nice for a couple of days and then I face the long trip home to Canada.