And one which is unforgettable for all the right reasons. A day full of amazing moments, many smiles, some tears, much laughter, and moments of sheer joie de vivre. The occasion? The party held at École Pierre Dupuy, for all the students, professors and monitors from the three classes of francisation.
The day began quite early for me, although the actual party was set for 11am. The bus service was mercifully running to its normal schedules, but I still had a logistical challenge: how to get almost 100 cookies, 25 Christmas cards, a camera, camcorder, mincemeat tart, tripod and mini laptop to school on public transport, without breaking or losing anything! In the event, it was straightforward, and my careful preparation did not go to waste, as I arrived at school with plenty of time to spare. None of the students had arrived, but the room had already been set out the previous days, with tables laid out for dining in a big double room, and a long table down one wall for all the edible contributions.
The students began arriving in ones and twos, mostly bearing interesting looking parcels and bundles, contributions for the feast to come! I took the chance of having most of our class there early, to hand out the cards which I’d attempted to write in hasty late night French, to all my fellow students and teachers. The professor, who had already presented each of us with a beautiful, thoughtful gift and card the day before, had her turn to receive a present from the students, and it was touching, as this kind of friendship does not often exist between students and their teacher.
As more students began to arrive, the large classroom quickly filled with many accents and a whole world of different foods; not only were people practising the French they were here to learn, but also their maternal language. I did not have this luxury, being the sole Anglophone, but this was not serious for someone who has almost completed the final level of the course! The students rearranged the tables so that they were seated with their classmates and teachers, which worked well for all.
Being the “official” photographer was slightly lonely, as I did not get to include myself in too many photos, but perhaps that was for the best! At least I got to do something I really love doing, recording people really enjoying themselves!
After most of the students had found a place at the brightly decorated tables, we lined up to sample the food. There were many dishes, from the four corners of the globe, and it was good to sample a very little of almost everything. Those who went first (our group!) were relatively restrained so that there would be plenty for all, though this proved not to be an issue. The math is simple, if 60 students plus 5 teaching staff all contribute something, there was bound to be plenty!
I did not manage to sample everything, but there was nothing which I tasted that I would not like to eat again. There was plenty of variety, and with the fun to come, it was not great to eat too heavily in any case.
After the dinner, our group put on our performance of our teacher’s poem (awaiting permission to translate and reproduce it here), which worked very well, followed by our rendition of Silent Night in French, Spanish, English and Ukrainian. With candles and a semi-organised choir, it created a very nice and also moving, atmosphere. I felt extremely emotional, as hearing others singing in my native language could be compared to a taste of home, and also a poignant reminder of how far I had come from the repressive culture I was born into. The choir was followed by a presentation by the professor of the first level, and then the floor was cleared for the dancing. Several had imported music from their country, and almost everybody had a go at dancing to music from Hawaii, Cuba, Ukraine, and a host of others. It was warm but entertaining work, dancing while wearing an elf hat with bells, but I would not have missed it for anything.
After the dancing, which was looking to continue all night, we commenced a game of musical chairs. As I had not taken a huge part in the dancing, I volunteered and was whipped into the game, while a trusty classmate took plenty of photos to ease my mind! It was fantastic fun, and not too challenging to the grey cells, a great way to wind down after a short but intense day of celebration.
So, with a few tears and farewells (only for the duration of the holidays!) we parted company and made our way home, tired and happy, feeling very much richer in spirit and experience than before. The event helped me to realise just how important this kind of activity is, to retain the interest of those who immigrate here, and to help them to feel a part of the society and culture. On a personal level, it was wonderful to be able to call so many diverse people my friends, and was without comparison to anything I have experienced before. I came from an outwardly very close-knit religious group, but one which gave no room for individual expression or happiness- and I found both to be running freely in this party, with none of the negative side effects I had been ‘taught’ to expect! How absolutely right, that one can be taught so much more from people than from books. The professors and monitors of our classes seemed to love their job, and I for one can see that it must be immensely enriching.
With this positive note, I end, but will be posting more over the next few days, as the good times continue.
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