Chocolate Party

Ecole Froissart Christmas Concert

I've been a pooper and have complained a lot about this fine country I have been living in. So, to shake things up a bit, I am going to instead sing my praises for France and how it knows how to party.

My schools this week were a buzz with excitement for the coming holidays. Students were
preparing for their Marchés de Noël and even a fun game of English Christmas bingo was too much for them to focus on.

On Tuesday I was pleasantly surprised that I did not have to "work" (though playing with French children while teaching them English words can hardly be called work), but instead got to be an audience in Ecole Froissart's Christmas Concert.

It was the cutest thing--little French children (5-10 years old) singing off tune carols in French, and yes, in English. My little rugrats sang that Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and they sang it with the merriest Christmas spirit they could. I was so proud!

Following the Christmas concert, the school hosted their annual, are you ready for this?, CHOCOLATE PARTY.

Yes. A party for chocolate. How awesome is that? When I first moved to this country three years ago I was so overly impressed by how chocolate had been incorporated into everyday life: chocolate in cereals, pain au chocolat, chocolate bits that came with your coffee. It was great!

And now, at Christmas, elementary schools have full-on parties for it. Hallelujah!

We had chocolate truffles, chocolate rosettes, chocolate madeleines, saucisson au chocolat, chocolate cake, hot chocolate...the list goes on!

To sum it up, all I have eaten this past week is chocolate.

Man, like can be tough ;)

Merry Christmas everyone!

Students parousing the chocolate selection

Some of the chocolate goodies