After this first stay in my level jumped from 2/20 to 12/20. A good performance for my mother. So I had to repeat few years later that experiment.  

I was parachuted for a training period in an account service of a company making parachute. What you think about learning English in an account service ? Now I am able to reckon from 1 to 10 without difficulty ! Maybe a little more in fact !

 I discovered day after day the different departments. The man who was working for human means allowed me to visit the administrative department, sales departments, the production department and the best the research department (but only the first part because after an armour door there was the last discovering, not for me.)  

During this stay I had to be careful with my appearance so I decided to go to the hair-dresser's. There were nobody, only me and other English costumers. A man with a big scissors came to me asking what hairdo I wanted to have. At first I declared only a cut but after few minutes of hard reflection (?) I suggested curly hair could be good too. So he did both ! But curly ?  

He needed to have more precision they were many possibilities ! A nightmare. I couldn't say yet the cut was enough, every body smiling at me, I had to be sure of my decision. After hearing  the many possibilities I used my account competence to say with assurance : 'the first one please !'

He seemed to be a bit surprised, asking me if I was absolutely sure. But of course I was ! What did he imagine !

If you had seen my face with the roll in the hair ! Nobody is perfect ! And then, afterwards the hair dried ! The discovering of Miss Teacher's charm !

The worst was, when I watched the glass, that I will have to pay the bill !  

I had never walk in this street later. And do not ask me why !

                                                    ***

That was one of the last adventures I had in , but unfortunately not the last with English language actually I am living a terrible adventure with Paris ' town hall. But I can't say more actually it's too early...  

So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !  

Christine,  

in memory of my great uncle Bernard Shaw ¹ 

____________________________________________________

(1) In my dream only

After having some good fresh air, the school was calling me again. Not really for my pleasure. Mathematics, French, Biology, Physical Science and History...

For history the teacher was a small woman, very nervous, her hair dyed in blond, a small very strict suit and many shoddy jewels. Exactly the kind of teacher the teenager like to have !

During one of her lessons she was supposed to show us some slides about what ? I'm nearly sure that nobody remembers what the real purpose of that funny day was. Why it was funny ?

History is not funny at all , you say ! I will teach you the best way to learn history !

First you sit not far from your teacher and the projector. You need to have formed a team before the lesson, one of you must sit in front of her and pretend to listen, ask many questions to divert her attention. Two others need to have their bundle and their rule and be on the right and the left of our blond women... Then, action begins !

The light was off, and many smiles appeared on the faces. For a few seconds we were the must studious children, looking at the screen with admiration. Then, during one tried to find his pencil in his bundle as noisily as possible on her right, the second on the left made his rule fall down near the teacher shoes. Why near her shoes ?

Because the purpose was to know how high her heels were ! Of course it didn't happen exactly as we expected. The shoes were too far from our chair. The measure then didn't become precise. So, we needed to make more attempts, to have the best information.

But with so many tries suddenly the light was on, then quickly without thinking of the danger, she was screaming at one side the second side made the last measure ! And with the light on show exactly : 10 centimetres. Victory !

We were the best in the history lesson !

One summer, my family thought it could be good to learn the sailing of small boat. So, as all the children I came with my bathing-costume, a K-way and listened attentively to the first information.

The man was very friendly and invited us to lead to the beach. The weather was good for learners with the sun (in Normandy ? it's pleasant !) and not too much wind. The sand was covering our feet from his heat and warmed up with delicacy the sea, which was receiving our feverish limbs. We were knee deep in the water then an adult helped us to climb in an individual sail boat. Our teacher was in a motor boat ( you will see how it would be very useful.)

Quickly I was discovering the handling of the helm, the wind puffed up the sail, the boat glided slowly to reach the open sea. The space was so wide and the weather so good. It was like a dream the infinite sea confusing the sky, the sun strewing the water with its luminosity as if a diamond garden appearing by magic in front of my dazzled eyes. The day would have been so unreal if the hard reality of the life, suddenly ! Without leaving me the time to realize, I heard the screaming of three teenagers learning to steer a bigger sail boat. The trouble was that they were unable to change their direction (not surprising all the teenager are so silly !) and  the sail of my boat couldn't be as efficient as a motor. So, you imagine what happened ?

I desperately blew with my lung as loud as possible, my hands trying simulating a hypothetic rower, remembering all the prayer I had heard in my life... A tragedy ! I hope you will never have to live it ! Because the shock was really, really, really,...  exceptional. No illusion, I was sinking slowly but safety, hearing so far away a motor boat coming. By luck the mast hadn't entirely disappeared when the teacher came. So, after he caught me, with a boat's piece of wood I was snatching lovingly...(it has measured 1 feet to half one ! Not bad for my first wreck !) giving a splendid scolding to my aggressors, he was trying to explain me how he was sorry and asked me to scoop the hull. It was my fist and last lesson for this year, my family trench. Of course it had never happened before and twenty years later I have asked innocently with the same answer. How horrible the life could be !