Tuesday, May 1st, 2007, 4:38 am
Ok, so it's the AS Oral at 6:10 pm this evening, and I'm nervous already! - But 've had lots of wishes of luck - including one this morning, which does help.
The format of the exam is that you deliver a 2-minute prepared presentation (for which you get no marks) and then answer questions from the examiner on that subject, on 5 sub-headings which you provide yourself (so the examiner knows the extent of your general knowledge) and a number of unexpected questions. You get marks during the question and answer phase for:
Quality of languageResponsesKnowledge and Understanding
I've chosen to discuss the Tour de France cycle race. Here's my presentation wot I rote (interested to know if there are any of you who speak French and want to have a go at translating it!):
Inauguré en mille neuf cents trois, Le Tour De France est la course cycliste la plus célèbre du monde. Pendant trois semaines, dans la chaleur du soleil de juillet, c'est un essai suprême de force, de résistance et de vitesse.
Le gagnant de chaque étape quotidienne reçoit un prix et un trophée. Le temps que chaque coureur prend pour finir chaque étape est ajouté et le gagnant du Tour est la personne avec le temps le plus court.
Une des étapes les plus célèbres est l'étape finale où tous les coureurs arrivent à Paris et descendent et remontent les Champs Elysées plusieurs fois.
Je le regarde à la télévision depuis beaucoup d'années et plus récemment, dans les quatre ou cinq dernières années, je l'ai suivi en personne dans mon camping car. Au début je l'ai regardé pour me rappeler le beau paysage français, cependant, plus je suis devenu familière avec les règles et les coureurs, de plus je m'intéressée à la course elle-même.
Néanmoins, Le Tour demeure un événement important dans le calendrier sportif français, et chaque année on espère voir un gagnant d'étape français - voire on s'y attend. Les Français sont très heureux quand un de leurs compatriotes gagne une étape le quatorze juillet, ou porte le maillot jaune pour quelques jours.
My headings that I know something about are
Les Maillots (The Jerseys)L'Histoire du Tour (The History of The Tour)La Caravanne de Pubicité (The Preceding Parade)Les Cyclistes Français Célèbres (Famous French Riders)Les Vainqueurs Récents Du Tour (Recent Winners)
I have prepared a list of approximately 30 questions which I would be prepared to answer, so it's up to the examiner to pick half a dozen and surprise me with a few of her own.
Mmmm feeling sick already!
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Monday, April 30th, 2007, 10:37 am
It seems my instincts were correct and the CL post has been allocated to another CL of an existing board. It's quite gutting as I applied over 2 weeks ago, but due to problems with their e-mail system, iVillage didn't get my application until last friday.
They say applicants can't chase for a response, due to 'volumes of applications received' but I could see this happening a mile off as I knew there were problems afoot with thier e-mail, yet here was nothing I could do about it. They didn't even advise about the non-receipt of aplications until the post had already been allocated - I could see the new CL had already got the job when she appeared out of the blue last week.
I really hope this lady does a good job and enjoys CL-ing this additional board. It's such a shame as IVllage could have increased their pool of Cls by one - me! but I am very disappointed indeed. Must try not to take out my disappointment in cake!
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Monday, April 30th, 2007, 10:01 am
Blimey 4 weeks of this running lark and I'm going further & further, and running for longer & longer. 4 weeks ago I wouldn't have run across the road to get out of the way of a speeding car and here I am attempting 2 miles!
Today's session was:
Run 1 measured mile, using the combination of running/walking you have been practising over the last fortnight, with an emphasis on MORE running than walkng thenrun the course again more slowly to cool down, this time using more walking than running
The last time I did a measured mile was 2 weeks ago when I was 2 weeks into the programme and, I managed a time of 12 mins 35 seconds. This was a bit quicker than the Bupa people said it would be, so I did wonder if I had gone far enough or timed it wrong or made a rookie mistake of going too fast, but it doesn't seem to have me done any harm and I've since double checked my distance using the fab gmaps web site which I love for checking how far I've been:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/
and it's slightly over a mile so that's no problem. Anyway - imagine how chuffed I was to do the first mile in 11 mins 25 seconds (over a minute less than my previous time) and to do the two-mile course in 24 mins 56 seconds. That makes this 2-mile time even less than double last time's single mile time! (are you confused yet?). This second mile also even included 3 stops to open and close gates and swerving round 2 or 3 cows blocking the footpath! (excuse me - what was that muttering at the back suggsting I was probably grateful for the chance to break for a second to close the gates behind me!) Hurumph!
Anyway, one hot, sticky and very pink-faced Mellers reporting back that she also lost 2lbs in the weigh-in this week, and has (du du dahhh) only one more day to go till her AS french oral exam! gulp!
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Sunday, April 29th, 2007, 1:27 pm
Well, the last of the sweet peas are in now, as well as another pelargoium. I've potted on the pot-bound chillies and lavender (cuttings I took last year) and cleared out my conservatory, which now looks very tidy indeed.
Had supper and 2 very large glasses of wine in the garden - so I've got no points left if I get the munchies later on, but it's weigh in tomorow moring, so I must be strong.
Also I have noticed that the 'powers that be' have made a few changes to the main screen you get when you log in. No longer do I see the last 5 blog posts on the main page after I log in, BUT (how fabby is this?), they have introduced a new search facility on the top right hand corner to enable us to look at the latest blogs - much further back than the last 5. I have always liked stumbling across other people's entries like this, indeed it has introduced me to a few genuinely good writers here (notably X_sam_X) and this new facility allows me to catch them all. Even better, you can click on "All networks" and start lurking the U.S. blogs as well!
Seems I shall be spending even more time on the PC than before - what ever am I going to do when I have to go back to work, eh?
Two days till my AS french Oral exam and countng!
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Saturday, April 28th, 2007, 3:50 pm
Did it again today!
Didn't think I would be able to manage it, as I have been struggling all morning after a particularly unpleasant nightmare, but psyched myself up for it, ran a new route and with only one glitch managed my second 5 min run/3 min walk x 3.
The glitch came when I was trying to work out in my head after running and walking for a certain number of times, how long I should keep running for. Couldn't seem to do the maths in my head and run at the same time! I eventually worked it out that the 2nd lap I had only run 4 minutes, so did a 6 minute one for the final lap to make up for it. Boy that was hard, but bodes well for next week when I have to do 7 mins in one go!
My next session will be another measured mile on Monday. Can't wait until I can actually run a whole mile in one go non-stop!!
This brings me on to another story. Partner hasn't come with me since trying it once on session 2 and getting completely sh*gg*d out. We were chatting in one of his rare talkative moments the other day, when he casually mentioned that he thought he could run a mile straight off without any training. Now, after my own efforts and knowing just how stretching I found running beyond my initial capabilities, I was frankly astounded, and more or less dared him to prove it! Since when he has been particularly reticent to come with me. Anyway, next weekend will be the first time I am supposed to be able to run a mile non-stop. I have asked him to come with me and run alongside me. We shall see if he does!
I also did a bit of gardening this afternoon. Now that the risk of frost is pretty much behind us, I put in half my sweet peas and pelargoniums and finally planted the dahlia bulbs which were a present from partner's mother a few weeks ago. They are dark red ones called 'chat noir', in memory of my little black cat Rufty Tufty who died last month.
I potted-on about 20 fuschia cuttings that I took last summer, in to 3 inch pots. They are all hardy double varieties, which give the gorgeous blousy blooms I love, and being hardy, survive all winter in situ without all this tedious mucking about lifting plants and storing them indoors over winter. My chillies are also ready to be potted on, having seriously outgrown their 1 inch germinating pots. I love Hungarian Hotwax, which gives a large plant - large, spicy, red fruits and plenty of them. They're really good for drying and I still have loads left from last year's crop which I dried in the airing cupboard.
The garden is really starting to transform in to its summer loveliness and is looking good.
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