Want!

This umbrella is divine:

 

Exciting Updates

Bonjour, fellow Francophiles! I have a few things to share and some upcoming events to introduce to you all:

The Romance Language Club Potluck was fantastic- we teamed up La Casa Spanish Club and the Brazilian Cultural Association for an evening of food, music, and cultural exchange!

Some of the delicious food provided by our eBoard:

Happy potluck attendees:

And last Friday we had a fantastic French Club Bar crawl... I could only attend the dinner part (Peanut Barrel, yum) due to being sadly underage, but I heard it was a smash success and a fun (and drunken) time was had by all!

Woooo!

Next up on the agenda: "What Can You Do with a Foreign Language Major?" Career Workshop with Linda Gross on Wednesday, April 11. Be sure to attend this if you have ever gotten a snarky question like this from your lame Business or Pre-Med friends. Next time they give you attitude about your liberal arts education be prepared to respond with wit, class, and an iota of self-righteousness.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST.... The long-awaited CHICAGO TRIP!!!! It is quickly approaching, my friends. I know I can't wait. In case you've forgotten, April 14-15 we will be heading to the Windy City for art, culture, food, and shopping! 

   

Un croissant s'il vous plait !

Moulin Rouge - The Ballet

Coming up at the Wharton Center: Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet presents Moulin Rouge - The Ballet! This is sure to be an absolutely gorgeous and exciting performance, especially for Francophiles like us. Here's a quick description of the ballet from The Vancouver Sun:


"Versatility, technical excellence, and a captivating style are trademarks of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, one of the world’s premier dance companies and the oldest continuously running ballet company in North America. Since its premiere, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet has wowed audiences and critics alike.

Moulin Rouge® - The Ballet has been seen by close to 60,000 people across North America and features a rousing French soundtrack, high-kicking choreography by Jorden Morris, and a passionate story of love, ambition and heartbreak. Drawn to Paris by the city’s passion, a flame fueled by the hearts of lovers and the souls of poets, Matthew and Nathalie tempt fate as they seek love and destiny at the infamous Moulin Rouge® cabaret.

The company has never looked more resplendent, more assured or more ravishing...a triumph…a jewel box of sumptuous dancing...at every moment the energy and youth radiating from the stage is palpable.”

Sounds AMAZING, right? Don't miss out! Tickets are only $15 for students. 

Re-Cap

The French Club has been extra busy the last few weeks - here's a quick update on our past and future events!!

On Saturday, Feb. 25th we collaborated with the Community Language School and the Association of Vietnamese Students and Scholars in organizing and hosting a French for Kids event called "Travel around the Francophone World." Thanks to our lovely junior officer, Emily, to event was a smash success: 19 kids aged 4-13 participated in the activities and games centered around each area of the French-speaking world.

This past Wednesday, Feb. 29th, the club e-Board got together with CAL Career Field Consultant Courtney Chapin for a resume workshop. Many thanks to Courtney for helping us all figure out our future plans and organize a killer resume/interview skills!

COMING UP:

French Club e-Board Elections for 2012-2013!! Super important. If you have any interest in joining the e-Board next year, we have plenty of junior officer positions available! We'd love to have some new faces on board! The elections will take place at our weekly e-Board meeting on Wednesday, March 14th at 5:30 pm. Email our prez Ryan at waldronr@msu.edu if you are interested in running for a position.

Last but certainly not least: FRENCH CLUB BAR CRAWL! For all of you over 21, this will obviously be a fantastic event. And for those not quite of legal drinking age (myself included), the crawl will begin with dinner at Peanut Barrel. T-shirts are going to be made and sure to be great. They will probably be around $15. Check out the fbook event page to get more information and RSVP/reserve your t-shirt.



Here's the tentative plan:

4:00 Peanut Barrel (dinner)
5:45 The Riv
6:45 Harpers
7:45 PT's
8:45 Rick's

And don't forget: French club t-shirt money is technically due TODAY, so if you want a shirt and haven't paid, get in contact with someone on the e-Board ASAP!!!

Oh, and happy Spring Break everyone. :) Enjoy your week off!

Midnight In Paris

In honor of this evening's Academy Awards, I wanted to dedicate a quick post to one of my favorite films and current Best Picture nominee: Woody Allen's cinematic ode to the city of love, Midnight in Paris. If you've seen it, you know why it deserves to win tonight. If you haven't, STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING and find a website that streams it illegally. It is worth the risk of getting caught by the FBI and fined millions of dollars, I promise.

Let's talk plot: Owen Wilson (mon amour) plays Gil Pender, who travels to Paris with his delightfully bitchy fiancee, Inez, played to obnoxious perfection by Rachel McAdams. Gil gets drunk one night and, while wandering the streets of Paris, discovers a portal into 1920's ex-pat paradise: the Paris of Hemingway, the Fitzgeralds, and Gertrude Stein (to name a few). Hemingway is spot-on, Zelda Fitgerald is perfect as a flighty but beautiful lush, and Adrian Brody makes a hilarious Dali. Marion Cotillard is almost too gorgeous to be true as Adriana, Gil's love interest from the past. I won't spoil the ending, but it is a glorious homage to Paris, nostalgia, love, and art, supplemented by Woody Allen's very special brand of wit. (And if the plot leaves you cold, you should still watch if only for the opening sequences of Paris... the stuff dreams are made of)

The film has scored more than one Oscar nom: it's up for Best Direction, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Art Direction (and recently won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay). 

I know I'll be watching tonight and hoping for a W for Woody and Co!

Quel beau dimanche!

A lovely song courtesy of the even lovelier Brigitte Bardot. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon, an Academy Awards pre-game, or a study sesh at the lib or your local coffee shop! (I'm currently at Espresso Royale with a hazelnut latte and The Norton Anthology of English Literature... I hope wherever you are is just as enjoyable!)

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Happy Mardi Gras, Francophiles! Hopefully everyone has started their day right with a Paczki or five. Today is the day to throw your diet straight out the window and indulge. Today in the caf I had a delicious piece of King Cake... no creepy plastic baby though. Next time!

To cap off your Fat Tuesday, the French Club is meeting at Yakeley cafeteria tonight at 5:30 for a Mardi Gras themed dinner. Yakeley is located in West Circle Neighborhood, right off Grand River. Here's a peek at the delicious menu planned:

Fried Chicken
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Jambalaya
Red Beans and Rice
Cajun Catfish
Fried Okra
Cajun Shrimp Scampi

Don't miss out on yummy food and good times with the French Club. LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER!

French Club T-shirts!

DRUMROLL PLEASEEE... this year's French Club t-shirts are here!!  Inspired by the recently rediscovered World War II era propaganda poster, our t-shirts encourage everyone to "Keep Calm and Parlez Français":

Keep Calm and Parlez Français!

To order a t-shirt, be sure to get your payment of $15 to an e-Board officer before before Spring Break!  Cash or checks made out to MSU French Club may be brought to events or conversation tables, or shoot us an email at frnclub@msu.edu to arrange to meet up with an officer on campus.  To sign up for a shirt, fill out the following form:

Joyeux jour de Saint Valentin !

Seeing as Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, I've complied a list for anyone with a Francophile for a sweetie. If you are looking for the perfect gift for that special French-loving person in your life, these are all sure to inspire l'amour !

Vintage French Punched Heart Confetti

Perfect as party decorations or to slip in a V-tines card.

"Paris is Always a Good Idea" Pillow

Audrey knows best!

French Macarons

These would be ideal for a Valentine's-themed brunch!

Macaron Ring

Absolutely adorable!

"Paris City of Love" and "Je t'aime" Prints

Love these Paris inspired prints.

Fleur de Lis Earrings

Simple and elegant!

Handprinted French Postcard Purse

Replace that boring Vera Bradley wallet with this beauty!

Paris Wall Clock

I absolutely adore this clock, it's so unique. Sure to add a little Parisian flair to any room!

And there you have it! Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours from MSU French Club!

Francophone Asian Culture Night

Save the date! The details have been finalized for our next event: Francophone Asian Culture Night! We are partnering with the MSU Vietnamese Society and the Asian Studies Center to create an amazing event celebrating Francophone Asia and its fascinating culture.

Check out the event page on facebook!

Dublin Square Fundraiser

Our Spring Semester Kick Off picnic last Saturday was a smash success. Thanks to everyone who came out! It was a fantastic mix of new and old faces, lots of "gringling," and great food.

 

A good time was had by all!  

Next on the agenda is our club fundraiser, which is coming up quickly. This Sunday, January 29th, from 5:00pm-9:00pm, we will be running a fundraiser at Dublin Square in East Lansing. There are no fliers or mentioning the cause required, just stop by and order anything and 10% of the price will be donated to the French Club!

The food (and drinks!) are delicious, AND you'll be helping the French Club get the funding needed to provide excellent future events like our picnic last weekend. :)

See you there!

Spring Semester Kick-Off!

It's here! Join us this Saturday, January 21st for our first event of the semester: our kick-off picnic!

When: 11:30am - 1:30pm
Where: MSU Union Tower Room (4th floor)
What: Learn about upcoming events and ways to get involved with the club, and enjoy free Jimmy John's! If that's not incentive to come I don't know what is.

Hope to see you there!

Blackcurrant Cassis

Here's a tasty recipe for anyone looking to class up their festivities this Syllabus Week. Blackcurrant cassis (Kir), yum!

Makes 6-8 glasses

2 cups blackcurrants

¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar

5 tbsp vodka

sparkling wine or Champagne

Cook’s tip

For a less alcoholic version, either leave out the vodka from the syrup or top up the glasses with chilled sparkling mineral water instead of wine of Champagne.

1. Using a fork, strip the blackcurrants from their stems.  Scatter ½ cup of the fruit into the sections of an ice-cube tray.  Top up with cold water and freeze for about 2 hours.

2. Put the sugar in a small, heavy pan with 4 tbsp of water and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, then pour into a jug and leave to cool.  Push the remaining blackcurrants through the juicer and mix with the syrup.  Stir in the vodka and chill until ready to serve.

3. Put two or three blackcurrant ice cubes into each tall stemmed glass.  Add 1-2 tbsp of the syrup to each glass and top up with sparkling wine or Champagne.  Serve immediately.

Recipe credit: Juices & Smoothies by Suzannah Olivier and Joanna Farrow

Bonne rentrée !

Hello and welcome back!! Hopefully the semester is starting off right, and you are all enjoying this beautiful sunshine. And I hope you are AMPED about French club this semester, because we have some exciting things coming up!

First and foremost, if you are planning on attending the Chicago Trip, your $75 trip fee is due this Friday, January 13. Cash or checks made out to MSU French Club may be turned into any e-Board officer- just shoot us an email to arrange a time to meet. We will also have a table near the entrance of Old Horticulture Building from 4:00-5:00PM on Friday where you'll be able to turn in your trip fee.

Also, Advanced French Conversation Table will now be held Thursdays from 5:30-7:00 at Wanderer's Teahouse and Cafe on G-Riv. Our first meeting of the semester will be next Thursday, January 19. There is really nothing better on a cold winter's day than cuddling up with a yummy cup of tea and some French-speaking friends. (I can personally endorse the chai tea, delish!) Hope to see you there!

As always, keep an eye on the blog for upcoming news about our Semester Kick-off event, recipes, vids, and other Francophone excitement.

À bientôt !