Fragments of Students Life

Every day I experience many small stories ...

Sweet Student’s Life

We adults tend to the opinion students are having great life. Yes, I agree. Part of my experience is very sweet. I am done with the school right after noon. This means the bigger part of the day is still in front of me and I can do whatever I want.. I met couple of interesting people. We have lot’s of fun learning the funny French language.

I have lots of questions.

I ... I ... I cannot name any other advantage of students life.

After being for one week and two days back in the proper school (everyday 9.00 to 12.45) I can name disadvantages easily: home work - our professor is not the nice one, we get everyday some exercises, long list of vocabulary and sometimes also nice verb to learn the conjugation. It takes me usually two to three hours every day to handle everything. I hope my effort will have the right result.

Break? YES!!!

Do you think you have bad job?

Among other is Montreal also port on the confluence of two rivers Rivière des Outaouais and Fleuve Saint-Laurent. In the winter the rivers freezes and become paradise for ice skaters.

Frozen river

Sunday walk in the port was wonderful, than I saw something incredible. First only huge ships trapped in the ice crust and a man standing on the ice.

At that moment I was just wondering what it the man doing there.

When I came closer, I realised there is somebody in the water. Not in only in the water. He was under water repairing / welding the rudder. I have been waiting more than ten minutes to take a picture - him getting out of the water. I hope he did after I left.

Red, orange and yellow is the guy. Do you want to change with him?

Squirrel or Chipmunk

Despite the cold squirrels and chipmunks (for me difficult to distinguish) are everywhere and very active. 

I do not need to sleep. I am fet!

Do they never sleep? I thought all animals in Canada in sleep in winter like bears.

Todays French word:

a remarkable experience - une expérience remarquable

Fourth Day In The Class

Main purpose of my visit, next to spend some time with my friend GI, is learning French. I was eager to write about the experience right on first day. I have to admit I was not able to do it on Monday. I had very mixed feelings after day one. It was not better on Tuesday. Wednesday made me feel ‘what am I doing here?’. And today? I am ready to withstand till the end.

It is interesting that my willingness to finish the course rises with sunny day and is quite low on cloudy days. It is almost as cold as in Moscow. This morning -18^oC and SUNNY!!! 

Our teacher Thomas is French.

Thomas

This makes the learning bit difficult. I am starting to understand why people do not like to speak/learn French. I speak five languages but French (will be the sixth one if everything goes well) taught by a French man is disaster. All other teachers, and I experienced a lot of various systems, were strict with grammar and vocabulary and had understanding for accent. British and Americans are especially generous in that field. French? No way! I agree pronunciation is very important part of every language, but nobody shall exaggerate.

Being Czech native speaker, I am sure Czech language would be very successful in the contest ‘complexity of Czech pronunciation’. Here is best of Czech pronunciation introduced by an Englishman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLfWPmhA-FU.

And this is example of French students speaking Czech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AojMIgZbFMc. 

So Mr. Teacher, what would you say now?

Todays French word

(for context this time with Czech translation):

strč prst skrz krk

Place your finger through the neck

placez votre doigt à travers le cou