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Alliance Actualités
BulletinJanuary–February
Alliance Française de Sacramento  (916) 453-1723
No. 87
1721 25th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816
www.afdesacramento.org  af@afdesacramento.org
2015
Fête de la Chandeleur : Eat, Drink, Flip a Crêpe!
“Quand la Chandeleur est claire, l’hiver est par derrière;
Chandeleur couverte, quarante jours de perte!”
Candlemas, February 2, is a religious holiday in Catholicism. But in France, this holiday is called la Chandeleur, la Fête de la Lumière, or crêpe day—and it provides a fun break in the heart of winter.
Not only do the French eat a lot of crêpes on Chandeleur, but they also do a bit of fortune telling while
making them. It is traditional to hold a coin in one hand and a crêpe pan in the other, and flip the crêpe into the
air. If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year. Also,
depending on the weather at Chandeleur, the rest of
winter will be either mild or severe (as with Groundhog Day).
Saturday February 7, 6-9pm
At a private home in Curtis Park
(Address sent to attendees after ticket payment)
$10 members, $15 nonmembers
Pre-paid before February 5 only
Add $2 if payment received after January 30
No tickets at the door
Attendance limited, so please reserve by January 30
by sending your check to the Alliance office
So come flip a crêpe, meet new and familiar faces,
and wish good luck and good weather to all for 2015!
The party will be in a private home with a large kitchen.
Space is limited, so be sure to reserve by January 30!
TRADITIONAL FAMILY FUN DAY: FÊTE DES ROIS JAN. 10
Celebrate this time-honored “Twelfth Night” holiday with family entertainment and the delicious “Galette des
Rois” and other light refreshments. People of all ages are guaranteed to have fun!
Also called Epiphany, “le jour des Rois” is a celebration of the visit of the Magi to the
infant Jesus. The custom overlaps with pagan traditions going back to Roman times.
This holiday is celebrated with a special cake: la galette des Rois, the Kings' cake. Hidden
inside is a lucky charm, a bean,
Saturday, January 10 4–6pm
(fève). The child who finds la
Children of members: free (Adults $5)
fève is crowned king or queen, and
Children of non-members: $3 (Adults $7)
gets to choose his or her royal companion!
Please RSVP to the office before January 8.
Alliance Actualités
January–February, 2015
Page 2
Nos meilleurs voeux pour 2015!
Thanks to your support, dear members, 2014 was a
great success in terms of our classes and events.
The past year set a record in class attendance, with
up to 240 students enrolled in one session. Registration
is currently ongoing for the winter 2015 session starting
January 5. It’s not too late to take a class.
In the last few months we have been actively
searching for a new building for our Alliance. We have
visited countless locations, and we hope to have good
news for you in the near future. We have plenty of room
now, but our wish is to find a nice building with parking
in a central location. If you have any suggestions, please
let us know!
We are anticipating a busy year with many events,
including the celebration of our 15th anniversary next
summer. Please accept our grateful thanks for helping
us in our mission to promote the French language and
francophone culture in the Sacramento area.
Our best wishes for the New Year! Bonne Année!
Alliance Française de Sacramento
1721 25th St., Sacramento CA 95816 (916) 453-1723
www.afdesacramento.org
Board of Directors
President: Kristin Rapinac
First Vice President: Çağlar
Çağlayan
Second Vice President: Burt
Cohen
Secretary: Julie Baumhoff
Treasurer: Jim SandbergLarsen
Katia Davies-Kemmler
Charlie Klein
Neil MacMullan
Anna Mushynski
Christelle Picque
Adèle Riegels
Jane Thomson
Susan Tune
Ciné-Club Coordinator:
Jennifer Gravvat
Film Librarian:
Steve Kao
Event Coordinator
Anna Mushynski
Actualités Editors:
Charlie Klein
Kristin Rapinac
Staff
Béatrice Hildebrand
Executive Director
Susan Fuchslin
Office Administrator
The Alliance Française does not discriminate on the basis of
race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability,
or sexual orientation.
Meet Florence Picca, Children's Teacher
Thinking of bringing your kid to learn français at
the Alliance? Their new teacher will be Florence Picca,
who promises to keep them happy with songs, games,
children’s movies, and other fun French things!
Florence will have a class for “Les petits amis” (3-6
years old), and if enrollments allow, another group for
ages 7-11. She has experience with young children, and
has taught French at St. Francis High School since 2001.
Brought up in the city of Antibes on the Côte
d’Azur, Florence immigrated to the U.S. in 1989, originally to Reno where she took her BA (in Economics) and
MA (in French) at the University of Nevada. She worked
toward a Ph.D. in French at UC Davis, with emphasis on
20th century literature.
It was another Joyeux Noël at the Alliance as revelers
lustily sang the traditional cantiques, gobbled wonderful
holiday goodies, and made new acquaintances during
this most sociable of our annual events. Thank you to
all who helped make our Holiday Party such fun!
“I hadn’t known many French speakers in the U.S.
until I joined the Alliance Française,” she says. “I wanted
to get back to my roots, and I loved the Beaujolais Nouveau parties. Then this opening came up. And I love to
teach children of any age.
“What I like about the Alliance is that people have
a real interest in French culture and language; it’s not like
you’re forced to take the class—and there are no exams or
See “New Teacher,” p. 6
Alliance Française
de Sacramento
Calendrier
4 janvier—Bay Area French Literature Meetup Group,
Nouvelles orientales by Marguerite Yourcenar, Le
Bateau Ivre, 2629 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, 3-5pm.
For information, contact Charlie, (510) 530-5078 or
chassac@sbcglobal.net. (March book will be Ce que
le jour doit à la nuit by Yasmina Khadra.)
janvier–février
2015
4 février—Conversation at Café Les Baux, 5090
Folsom Blvd, 5:30-6:30pm
7 février—Fête de la Chandeleur, private home in
Curtis Park, 6-9pm. RSVP REQUIRED. See p. 1.
13 février­— Ciné club, Le soupirant, P. Étaix, 7pm
5 janvier—Winter session of adult and children's
classes starts
17 février­—Conversation, La Provence Restaurant,
10 Diamond Creek Place, Roseville, 6pm
7 janvier—Conversation at Café Les Baux, 5090
Folsom Blvd, 5:30-6:30pm. $10 includes a glass of
wine and appetizers.
22 février­—Joie de Lire cercle de lecture (French
book club), La place de l'étoile by Patrick Modiano,
Location TBD, Sacramento, 2-4pm. For more
information, contact Kneece at (318) 780-8870
or kneececamp@gmail.com, or go to www.
meetup.com/Joie-de-Lire-French-Book-Club-ofSacramento.
8 janvier et tous les jeudis—Conversation at the
Alliance, 10:30am-12:30pm
9 janvier—Ciné club, Ne le dis à personne, G. Canet,
7pm
10 janvier— Fête des Rois, event for families, at the
Alliance, 4-6pm. RSVP REQUIRED. See p. 1.
11 janvier—Joie de Lire cercle de lecture (French
book club), Rien ne s'oppose à la nuit by Delphine
de Vigan, Let Them Eat Cake, 310 C St., Davis,
2-4pm. For more information, contact Kneece at
(318) 780-8870 or kneececamp@gmail.com, or go
to www.meetup.com/Joie-de-Lire-French-BookClub-of-Sacramento.
20 janvier—Conversation, La Provence Restaurant,
10 Diamond Creek Place, Roseville, 6pm
1 février—Opening of Toulouse-Lautrec and La Vie
Moderne: Paris 1880-1910, exhibition at Crocker Art
Museum, 216 O St. See box this page.
FREE FRENCH TUTORING
Free tutoring for all Alliance students during
winter session. Check schedule for day and time.
Art Exhibition
Fin de Siècle Montmartre at Crocker
“Toulouse-Lautrec and La Vie Moderne: Paris
1880–1910” will be on exhibit from February 1 to
April 26 at the Crocker Art Museum, 2016 O St.
Parisian turn-of-the-century modernity took
many forms, but the art
of Henri de ToulouseLautrec epitomized the
new tendencies. With his
art as a central focus, this
exhibition investigates
a generation of artists
who sought to shake the
constraints of traditional
standards—an intoxicating mix of artists, writers, performers, and musicians
in Montmartre.
The Alliance will partner with the Crocker in
this event. Watch Actualités for details.
Alliance Actualités
Page 4
January–February, 2015
Photos by Pico van Houtryve
BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU 2014—A GREAT TASTE OF WINE AND FUN
Merci mille fois to all the sponsors, donors, volunteers and board members who made our 2014 Fête du
Beaujolais Nouveau a great success! More than 200 people enjoyed celebrating the release of the 2014 Beaujolais
Nouveau at Silverado Design Center. Guests tasted two types of Beaujolais Nouveau as well as premium Cru Beaujolais wines, sampled the delicious French hors d’oeuvre buffet, listened and danced to French pop favorites, and
bid on our raffle and silent auction prizes. Congratulations to our auction and raffle winners!
Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau Committee:
Anna Mushynski, Kristin Rapinac, Susan Tune,
Christa Somers, Katia Davies-Kemmler, Adèle Riegels,
Béatrice Hildebrand
Sponsors:
Médaille d’argent
Steve Cohn, Sacramento City Council, District 3
Médaille de bronze
Michele Ambry, Real Estate Broker, HomeSmart
Katia Davies-Kemmler, Katia’s Collections
Mark Redor, MD, Gastroenterology Clinic, Folsom
Individual Donors:
Kristin Rapinac, Jane Wheaton, Burt Cohen,
Steph Baker
Auction & Raffle Donors:
Mazzocco Winery, Kathy Dana, Laura & Harold
Jackson, City Bicycle Works, Tryphon Vineyards, Chuck
Centers, Michael Glassman & Associates, S. Benson
& Co., B Street Theatre, Total Wine & More, The Red
Rabbit Kitchen & Bar, Café Plan B, Zocalo, Paragary
Restaurant Group, High Maintenance Nail Salon, Found,
Charlie Klein, Katia Davies-Kemmler, Jane Wheaton,
French Honorary Consul, Kristin Rapinac
Food Donors:
Brasserie Capitale, Café Rolle, Les Baux Bakery
& Bistro, Bella Bru Café and Catering, Bing’s Market,
California Endive Farms, Christa Somers, Julie Baumhoff, John Terry, Trader Joe’s, Costco
Host: Silverado Design Center
MC: David Bienick, KCRA3 TV
Music: Julian Vitaglione & Matt Arroues
Photographer: Pico van Houtryve
Wine Host: Melissa Haines, ZinLifStyle
Alliance Actualités
January–February, 2015
Page 5
The Joy of Hosting an Alliance Intern
By Deanna Drake Seeba
On Thanksgiving, we sat around an extended dinner table laid for 16. Even though my immediate family
is tiny, we’ve adopted many new members through the
years and now our parties are huge. This year, the group
wouldn’t have been complete without Charlotte, the Alliance Française’s fall-winter intern. Since her arrival in
September, she’s become an indispensable part of our
household and our family. We clicked immediately and
it felt like she’d always been here.
Throughout the day we speak a mix of French and
English. My one-year-old daughter adores her and happily greets her each morning with a “coucou.” We’ve
had a wonderful fall filled with American traditions.
We carved pumpkins for Halloween and drove to Los
Angeles for Thanksgiving. Charlotte and I go to yoga
together and chat about our friends and family over tea
and chocolate.
When I told friends that we had agreed to host
the Alliance’s intern for five months, they thought I
was crazy. “But you have a baby!” “You won’t have a
guestroom anymore!” “What if you don’t like her?” All
of them now adore Charlotte and see we made the best
choice by inviting her to live with us.
My husband’s family often had exchange students
through Rotary, and it was an amazing experience for
him during his childhood. We want to offer that same
opportunity to our daughter, and hosting Charlotte
Plancqueart has been everything we’ve hoped it would
be. We are dreading the approach of February when her
internship will end and she’ll leave California. Plans are
already in the works to visit her in France next winter
and meet her family.
Having Charlotte live with us has been a fulfilling
and memorable experience. The next time the Alliance
welcomes an intern, I highly recommend you consider
hosting her or him. You won’t regret it!
Au revoir Madame Josiane!
Our beloved children’s teacher Josiane Favero is
leaving the Alliance Française after nine years of dedicated work. She introduced many toddlers and children
to French through songs, games, and stories. Her classes
were joyous, with gentle discipline and order.
We will miss her, and we wish her well in her new
endeavors.
Welcome New Members!
Cosimo Aiello
Stellamanukyan Astghik
Louise Aswell
Meredith Carey
Betsy Christensen
Kathy Clark
Michael Cook
Olivier & Jill Dapremont
Ronald Franceschi
Angie Glasgow
Janet & Dewey Harpainter
Kourtney Huezo
Sonia Hwang
Gary Koolhof
Bob Luscombe
Mariana Marin
Duane Marti
Rebecca Moos
Mylène Le Ruyet
Oloyede & Olufemi
Oloyede
Daryl Petrig
Karina Ramos
Kristen Rathbun &
Garrett Cotham
Karen Smith
James Stegenga
Paul & Maria Talcott
Nancy Zepf
L'Alliance remercie . . .
Whole Foods Market—pizzas; Jane Thomson—calendar; Chuck Centers—painting; Monique Heusner—frame; Madeleine Peters—books; Kathy Dana,
Alberta Chew, Pamela Haskins, Suzette Olson,
Caglar Caglayan, Anonymous—cash donations
Join the Alliance Française
Name
Address
City
State
Zip
Telephone
E-mail
Level of proficiency in French:
­ None
­ Beginner­ Intermediate
­ Advanced­ Native
Interests
Annual Membership:
Individual................. $40Senior........................$30
Couple..................... $55
Senior couple............$45
Family...................... $65*Supporter................$100
Alliance student....... $25Friend......................$200
Student/low income.$25Patron.....................$500
*children under 13 free
Please make check payable to “Alliance Française
de Sacramento” and mail to 1721 25th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816. Or call us at (916) 453-1723.
Page 6
. . . New Teacher, from p. 2
grades, it’s just pure love of French. The parents are great.
It’s essential for people to learn another language, and
especially French, since everybody is learning Spanish.
“The challenge is that, with children who don’t yet
read or write, you need to find different ways of teaching
through oral and visual activities. But the Alliance has
a great supply of resources and I’m excited about it.”
Outside of teaching, Florence enjoys running, hiking, being in the outdoors, and traveling to new places
in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Welcome to the
Alliance staff, Florence!
January–February, 2015
Jan. 9: NE LE DIS À PERSONNE (Tell No One)
by Guillaume Canet, with François Cluzet, Marie-Josée
Croze, André Dussollier. A doctor is putting his life back
together after his wife's murder eight years before, but
when two bodies are found, the case is reopened and he
becomes the prime suspect. Then he receives an e-mail
with a recent video of her in it. Can he find out what really happened before he is caught by the police or by a
gang of mysterious thugs? Not Rated.
Feb. 13: LE SOUPIRANT (The Suitor) by Pierre
Étaix, with France Arnel, Pierre Étaix, Laurence Lignères, Karin Vesely. A shy man ends up attracting the
one woman he doesn't really want, while becoming
obsessed with a singer he sees on television. Meanwhile,
he is missing the perfect match already in his house.
Not Rated.
FREE, NO RESERVATION NEEDED. COME EARLY
FOR BEST SEATS. DONATIONS WELCOME.
Alliance Française de Sacramento
1721 25th Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
Alliance Actualités