I couldn't find a picture to illustrate today's word (oreiller) so how about a snapshot of a favorite summertime libation? Also a great way to recycle these Domaine Rouge-Bleu wine bottles!
oreiller (oh-ray-yay) noun, masculine
: pillow
prendre conseil de son oreiller = to sleep on it (re decision making)
une taie d'oreiller = pillowcase
une bataille d'oreillers = pillow fight
les confidences (f) sur l'oreiller = pillow talk
Audio File: listen to Jean-Marc read this sentence: Download MP3 or Wav file
Ma belle-mère m'a offert son propre oreiller. My mother-in-law offered me her very own pillow.
A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse
At a beachfront café in Marseilles, Jean-Marc is buttering his mom's toast. "Honey or the confiture d'abricot?" he asks.
"T'es gentil," my mother-in-law thanks her elder son. "Abricot, s'il te plaît."
Taking a sip of her tea, Michèle-France turns her attention my way.
"Tu es toujours si jolie," my belle-mère begins. Instantly uplifted by her words, I send a grateful smile across the table. It's a good thing I took the time to have my hair done. That seems to have made a difference!
"I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on you," my mother-in-law continues. My thoughts race back in time. Guiltily I wonder, Did I remember the exact moment too? Little by little, I begin to see the Espinasse family's apartment, in the Roy d'Espagne neighborhood, near the end of Marseilles. I don't remember the pine forest or the sea. I do remember the shining white tiles in the hall entry. I remember that it was just Jean-Marc, his brother, and his mother who lived there in the three-bedroom apartment. I don't recall which floor of the high-rise they lived on—or even taking the ascenseur—though we would have had to.
I do remember the kitchen, where Jean-Marc's mother prepared an exotic-to-this-American dinner (or was it lunch?): lapin à la moutarde. I remember sharing the meal with Jean-Marc's friends, Rachel and Stephan. I do not remember Michèle-France eating with us. Did she discreetly withdraw to her room, to leave us young amours to dine?
As I reminisce, Michèle-France fills me in on where it was, exactly, that we met the first time she laid eyes on me:
"I met you in the hallway, after you shuffled out of my son's bedroom!"
I vaguely remember the awkward situation. Had I been leaving Jean-Marc's bedroom? Behind me, the disheveled sheets would have covered the mattress. You could just see the desk, where Jean-Marc had been showing me his new Macintosh—when we lost interest in computers. I could also see the hook on the wall, where a green robe hung; it was a gift from Jean-Marc's sister. Was I wearing that robe when I met Michèle-France in the hall?!
I must have needed the bathroom. I could almost hear Jean-Marc assuring me no one was around—just go on down the hall. The restroom was at the end of it….
That is when I must have come face to face with Maman. My fears were now materialized and I could not have been more embarrassed. Jean-Marc must have come out of the room, in time to make the introductions.
Any discomfort quickly disappeared when Jean-Marc's mother smiled an unmistakably warm welcome. As long as I live I will never forget her words: "You can stay as long as you like. You are most welcome here with us. Bienvenue!"
I could not take her up on her generous offer at the time, as I would need to return to Tempe, Arizona, to finish another year and a half of school.
***
Taking a sip of my café au lait, it is 20 years later now, and I do not seem to have overstayed my welcome. My mother-in-law's eyes continue to glimmer bienvenue!
Michèle-France sets down her tea, and looks at me softly. Next she shares with me, for the first time, what her thoughts were that first time we met.
"I remember thinking: this girl will make my son happy one day!"
I return my mother-in-law's gaze. Her words echoed in my mind as I try to etch them there, on a gray-mattered blackboard.
"Oui, je savais que c'était toi qui le rendrait heureux!"
Lest the lovey-dovey mother-in-law-daughter-in-law moment were too gushy sweet, my belle-mère adds a little spice to the moment. I recognize the beginnings of a rascal's smile as it spreads across my belle-mère's face… evidence her mischievous side is waking up.
"Yes, you were une bouffée d'air frais—a breath of fresh air," she winks, "especially after some of the girls he brought home!"
Recognizing the direction in which we are heading, I raise my hands, quickly inserting my fingers into my ears. "I can't hear you! I can't hear you!" I laugh. Next I begin to hum.
When I take my fingers out of my ears, my mother-in-law is in the middle of reciting a string of sultry names, "Ma…" (MArilyn? MArie? MAnon?) but I will not listen to a word of it—just as I won't listen when Jean-Marc's longtime friends tease me about les anciennes copines.
Jean-Marc laughs as his mom continues her innocent taquinerie, and when next it seemed safe to unplug my ears I hear this doozy:
"Ah, and that one! What-Was-Her-Name? Je l'ai jetée de mon lit! I threw her out of my very own bed!"
I can't help but appreciate the colorful scenes my mother-in-law paints with her words, and I finally give in, picturing Jean-Marc's mom yanking some young tart out of her very own bed (sheesh, Jean-Marc—your mom's own bed!).
On a final, tender note, Michèle-France colors in a bright ending to the story:
"But for you," my mother-in-law says as she reaches across the café table and squeezes my hand, "for you, I would have offered my very own pillow!"
Comments: to respond to this story, or to any item in today's post, click here.
To see that wedding picture again, click here!
Don't miss this tender story about my mother-in-law (with a picture, too!)
French Vocabulary
la confiture d'abricot = apricot jam
t'es gentil = you're nice
Tu es toujours si jolie = you are still so pretty
la belle-mère = mother-in-law
un ascenseur = elevator
le lapin à la moutarde = rabbit with mustard sauce
bienvenue = welcome
le café au lait = coffee with milk
Oui, je savais que c'était toi qui le rendrait heureux! = Yes, I knew it was you who would make my son happy!
une bouffée d'air frais = a breath of fresh air
l'ancienne copine = old girlfriend
la taquinerie = teasing
Click for a larger image. In love in January 1993… only six months before Jean-Marc would buy me a one-way ticket home! Find out what happened after that, in the intro to the book Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language (the snap shot image includes Jean-Marc writing "la cloche ) fromages"–which is the cheese restaurant where we ate that night. The restaurant places the cheese in a circle on the plate, with a glass of wine at each quarter on the "clock". As you can see, we finished most of the wine and were feeling both giddy (I) and enchanted (him). Well that didn't last long! Don't miss the story.
Then and Now (2012). Photo taken on Jean-Marc's 45th birthday, last March 29th.
Listening skills & learning French:
I could really relate to this question of Rob's, as I, too, struggle with listening to French.
I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for a way for me to build my French listening skills? I am improving in being able to decipher written French, but spoken just moves too fast for me. I'd like something I could listen to that would slowly build my skills. –Rob, in Illinois
Leave your listening tips here, in the comments box.
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Just lovely, Kristin. So enjoyable to read about then and now.
And that beachfront café sounds absolutely perfect right about now. Thanks for sharing.
Rob- Yabla French on line is great, if you have Sirius radio you can listen to Radio Canada. French films are another great way of increasing comprehension. iTunes also has a huge number of French artists from Piaf to Florent Pagny and rappers like Abd Al Malik to download. Télé 5 monde can be suscribed to to with many cable companies. Fluent French Audio ,if it is still around, has interviews with French people in a variety of situations with repition exercises that are slowed down. Good luck! Bon courage!
rob
I too am trying to improve my listening skills and have the same problem as you-they speak too fast and like we do in English, slur our comments such as ah duh no (I don’t know). I watch lots of french movies and I still can’t understand but a few words. I need to find my level. I understand that if one were to go to a french-only speaking area of France for three months, one would pick up much more of the language as spoken every day. I can’t find any french speaking colonies in Illinois (I am from Evergreen Park Il) and have tried without success to find some groups like that on the south side of Chicago. I have some ideas but I would like more info from anyone who, like your request, can help us learn spoken French.
Ron Axium
axfarm@netzero.net
For Rob, there is a Canadian learning program available called French In Action. It is like watching a weekly story or soap opera, but there is a book with it and it starts out basic, but moves quickly to more complex and it is all in French. It is really good. Also, there is a tutoring program that is inexpensive called MyPLT.com I speak with a French tutor for one hour a week. It’s great.
Wow, thanks to everyone for the great ideas on how to pick up spoken French. I will start pursuing some of them.
To Jules: I am 47 have been married for 26.5 years, have six children ages 24 (and married), 22, 19,16,11 and 6, with the 22 and 6 year old being girls. I took French in high school and pretty much failed my second year. I have learned more from the free version of Coffee Break French in the last few months than I remember being taught in two years (but that just may be an indication of how bad a learner I was).
My wife and I went to Paris for eight days in November 2009 (which started me back trying to learn French), and then we took the four youngest to Europe last year for six weeks, about two of which we spent in France (Paris, Normandy, Mount St. Michele, Bayeux, Carcasson, Chamonix, Brignoles and here and there in between). We all just fell in love with the French food and people. I was so frustrated when two older ladies asked me about how we liked our car (Renault Espace) when we were in Chamonix and that I could not carry on what I am sure would have been a lovely conversation. This led me to come home and step up my studies. I have been grateful to find FWAD. I really enjoy both the writing and the pictures (since photography is also a hobby) and jump in with an occasional comment.
We were in Mexico (Valladolid and surrounding areas and Akumal) in the summer of 2009 and loved Mexico as well. My 24 year old is fluent in Spanish, so he was able to help in our interactions with the locals when we were there. My 19 year old is now fluent as well. He has been in Chile doing missionary work since January.
I love the way you and Kristin interact in this public space. Someday, maybe we will have the pleasure of meeting.
Thanks, Rob (and thanks, Mom!) — enjoyed learning more about you and your motivation for improving your French. Mom often tells me that she wishes she spoke Spanish–so she could better enjoy all the lovely people that cross her path in Mexico!
Thanks, Marjorie, thanks for the helpful correction — and for the very kind words.
And thanks to everyone for these wonderful French learning suggestions! (sorry if this is a repeat comment, I began this particular note yesterday then got distracted…)
Rob, I recommend the smartfrench products. Check out http://www.smartfrench.com. These CDs and downloads specifically concentrate on developing skill in listening and speaking French, pointing out the great differences between written and spoken French (especially what is NOT pronounced). You can work at beginning to intermediate to advanced levels.
Hi Kristin, I think we should say=je savais bien que toi tu LE rendrais heureux instead of lui rendre!
I dare intervene to please my friend Yvonne!
your mother-in-law is right,you were and are still beautiful and sweet (on your face)!
sorry = qui le rendraiS heureux with an S at the end of rendrais(tu le rendrais heureux deuxieme personne du singulier)
Thanks, Tran! Re the correction, are you sure it is the -ais ending? Two people wrote in to suggest the -ait ending:
Je savais que cétait toi qui le rendrAIT heureux
or
Je savais que cétait toi qui le rendrAIS heureux!
Coucou Kristin,
Tiens, c’est par hasard que je vois le commentaire de Tran. Tran, c’est ma copine. Elle voulait se perfectionner en Anglais et je lui ai suggéré de te lire.
Et oui, elle a raison, c’était toi qui le rendraIS… AIS, deuxième personne du singulier, au temps conditionnel.
En voyant le commentaire de ma copine Tran, j’ai oublié de te dire que tu restes toujours belle, comme avant. Vous êtes un beau couple, Jean-Marc et toi.
You are a beautiful woman then and now, and your husband is handsome as well. I am trying to catch up on three months’ worth of French Life and have started with the latest. Wish me luck; I think that I have learned a lesson!
Lynne Boca Raton, FL
Hi Kristin!
Sweet story and photos! You all still look cute together. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Kristin,
I LOVE this story. Michele-France is obviously a wonderful mother-in-law and a beautiful person. How lucky you are to be loved so much by 2 families! The photo of you and Jean Marc is such a keeper. I can’t wait to meet both of you someday and enjoy some more stories under the mulberry tree!
Have a lovely day!
Rob,
Try Radio Suisse Romande on the Internet. In general the Swiss speak more slowly. Journal en français facile (Radio France Internationale) is available as a podcast. I second the other commenter’s recommendation of the RFI listening comprehension exercises. There are many spectacular radio podcasts from FranceInter. I was completely in love with the presenter of “2000 Ans d’histoire” because of his beautiful, clear voice, but unfortunately he has left FranceInter (replaced by “La marche d’histoire). These history podcasts seem somewhat easier to understand than cultural programs because the context is sometimes more familiar. Also TV5 Monde now makes some content available as streaming video.
My progression was RFI Journal en français facile (with script!), to Radio Suisse Romande, to 2000 Ans d’histoire, to other FranceInter programs, over a period of several years. By the time I went to France I did pretty well with TV and conversations, as long as the person didn’t have a strong accent.
Kristin,
Maybe you could post the ideas for listening in a resource page?? There are so many good ideas!
Hello Jane, excellent idea about sharing these ideas on a listening resource page. Thanks!
There was a request for assistance on listening skills. I found a website that may be helpful
http://french.about.com/library/listening/bl-listeningindex3.htm
Hugh
Good heavens, You rendrais l’heureux with great writing. The truth is not too tender when we all share with you and are moved and entertained as well. What a story teller and writer you are growing to be. Also a large grocery chain here,HYVEE, has a wine purchasing agent who asked me for more information about Domaine Rouge Bleu. If you have a way for her to order your produits de Provence, Mistral and she would contact you I am sure. Please email me the contact info or put it in your website so I can ‘hook Jean Marc’ up with this lady. Oh you two were a handsome couple and nothing has changed. Your interesting passionate souls shines right across time. Winn