Poetry Spectacular

Our trip has been full of interesting experiences and recently this included attending a spectacular with Ella's class. Our limited French has been challenging especially when notes come home from school. Google translate only helps up to a point with the language but sometime we feel we don't truly understand the situation.

And so a note came home with Ella. The gist of the note was about a spectacular. Ella's CM2 class would go to Paul Mistral Park (a big Central Park in Grenoble) to participate in games with other children. Following a picnic lunch, they would head to a theatre to practice for the poetry spectacular which was scheduled that evening. Needless to say Ella was adamant that she was not going at all! To help ease her anxiety, I signed up to accompanied the class and we made sushi for the picnic lunch.

The class walked the 2km through the city centre under blue sunny skies to Paul Mistral Park. Here two other CM2 classes from different schools joined us. As an ice breaker, their first task was to organise themselves into an alphabetical first name line before being handed a coloured bandana. Splitting into three groups, they the played a tag type game where green team could only capture the red team; red team could only capture the blue team and the blue team could only capture the green team! Lots of energy expended!

Next the groups rotated through three different games - one involved keeping a big ball off the ground;  the second a game of tag with the objective of taking a small rock from one side of the field to the other and finally capture the flag. Ella did an awesome steal of the flag for her group. Then it was lunch time!

Following lunch, the kids had free time. During this time, the teachers realised that the toilets weren't open so we all walked to the closest school (not ours) to use their facilities before trekking the 2km to the theatre. The three mums left the group with the teachers who were going to take them through a rehearsal for tonights spectacular.

At 6pm, we returned to the theatre via the tram. The evening schedule looked something like this -
18.00 Rendez-vous
18.15 Spectacle du poète Yves Béal
19.00 Buffet participatif
19.30 Spectacle des élèves

We found our seats and entertained ourselves while waiting for the first performance. Katy and Andy got a bit creative with Katy's slime!

The poet graced the stage and the real entertainment started. Yves read his poetry with the accompaniment of a three piece band. Of course the poetry reading was all in French and we couldn't understand a thing. The music definitely added to the atmosphere and we were intrigued by the drummer's ability.

The time came for a break and the buffet was a frenzy with kids everywhere scoffing food! Ella's teacher came and chatted to us. He explained that historically friendship day was a day where they would get the telephone book, choose a random name and post that person a letter. Not applicable in today's society, it has been replaced by programs like this one.

Returning to our seats, the students performances started. In groups of 3 - 5, the students read their passage with the musicians playing in the background. We had to wait a long time before Ella's groups turn.

Apparently the poems were written by the students with the help of the poet although I think this may have occurred long before Ella arrived at school.

Ella had four others, all boys in her group and their poem started like this...

Dis-moi pouquoi la terre sa promène avec une valise pleine de paille
pourquoi un homme bleu a la confiance de sa chienne pour pêcher
Pourquoi le fidèle soleil travaille dans son jardin sur la brise
Pourquoi les nuages et le monde sont magnifique
pourquoi la forêt crie nature quand les arbres crient fraternité
Et moi je me promène front haut et libre
Sur les cratères de volcans
Je suis un chêne qui subit la pollution celle qui détruit nos vies

which translates to....

Tell me why the earth walks with a suitcase full of straw
Why a blue man has the confidence of his dog to fish
Why the faithful sun works in his garden on the breeze
Why clouds and the world are beautiful
Why the forest cries nature when trees cry fraternity
And I walk up and down on the craters of volcanoes
I am an oak who suffers pollution that destroys our lives

Her part was in english and Nicholas was echoing in French.

I'm making a new friend in life
Je me suis fait un nouvel ami dans ma vie
I'm taking my own way in my life
Je prends mon propre chemin de vie
I call on the moon to help me
J'appelle la lune pour qu'elle m'aide
The snow of sentiments fall on an earth of joy
Je voudrais qu'il neige des sentiments sur une terre de joie
I'm running behind the light in a sea of milk
Je cours après la lumière dans une mer de lait
And a sharp sword, I don't like it
Mais une épée tranchante, je ne l'aime pas!

Anyway it was, to say the least, a unique experience. And a very long evening...