Department of Modern Languages

The University of Akron Department of Modern Languages Summer Program in the Alps

April 18, 2005

Bonjour tout le monde,

With the departure date for our trip less than a month away, you must undoubtedly getting both impatient and nervous! We will go through the whole drill to make sure that everything is under control.

ŸBy this time, you must already have applied for or received your passport, and ordered and received your airline ticket. If you have not yet done so, it may difficult to get these documents in time for the beginning of the trip. For those taking the Fr 311 Civ course, the book will be available in the bookstore in the week prior to departure, although you can get it off the internet for less. For the conversation course, there will be no textbook as such, though you are encouraged to have a dictionary available. You will be able to buy dictionaries in France.

ŸYou must provide a signed and witnessed "Statement of Responsibility". This document is available online on our web page at http://www.uakron.edu/modlang/05trip/index.html ; copies of the statement will also be made available at the meeting.

ŸIn addition to and quite separately from registration and tuition for the course you will be taking, you will also have to remit the balance of the Program fee to cover the group’s expenses in France. Given the current and continued weak performance of the dollar vis-à-vis foreign currencies, I have figured Program costs at $2000. Since all of you have already given $250 deposits, the sum due from each and every student is $1750. Please write a check in this amount, made out to The University of Akron, and get this check to me no later than NOON on Monday, May 9th. You may leave your check any time between now and Monday, May 9th, with the Department Secretary, Mrs. Susan Baker, who will then place your check in my office. I will not deposit the checks until the afternoon of May 9th.

ŸIf you want to "do" e-mail while in France, be sure you have an e-mail service such as uakron’s webmail. Other such services include (among many) www.hotmail.com, www.gmail.com, or the French www.caramail.com . Webmail accounts allow you to get your e-mail easily from any internet-connected computer, such as the one at the public library in Faverges, without any special programming skills.

Other questions? You can e-mail me at any time; I will answer with all deliberate speed. Please don’t forget to schedule an OPI (language level interview) between now and the last day of classes: I’d like to check everyone’s language level prior to the beginning of the trip.

Robert F. Jeantet Modern Languages 2005 SUMMER PROGRAM IN THE ALPS

 WHAT TO BRING 

Your trip to Faverges will take the better part of a day: Most of you will be leaving on Saturday (May 14th) mid-day from Cleveland, flying from Detroit or NY (or wherever, depending on your individual travel arrangements) later that same day, and will arrive in Geneva Sunday morning around 9am Swiss time ( it will be 3am Sunday American time as far your body is concerned ). It is important that you wear comfortable clothes and comfortable walking shoes. It is strongly recommended that you get a few hours' sleep on the plane: you will be spending the night traveling, and if you want to feel refreshed on Sunday, you probably don't want to be pulling the equivalent of an all-nighter traveling. You may want to bring a toothbrush in your hand luggage: after a night's sleep in the plane, a minty mouth in the morning helps to face the day with enthusiasm. After we collect our bags in Geneva, we will board a chartered bus that will take us to Faverges, arriving well before noon. Your French family will greet you and take you to your French home at that time.

If you are not flying with the group and cannot meet the group in Geneva, you will need some French and/or Swiss money to pay your fare to Annecy and Faverges. (You can change money at any international airport). We will go together to a bank a day or two following our arrival (part of the cultural experience!) so you can see how to change money.

 Clothes 

For your stay, be sure to bring comfortable, practical clothes: jeans, T-shirts, shorts, sneakers, a sweater and a sweatshirt. Please bring one nice pair of lightweight pants or a skirt appropriate for a ‘nice’ occasion: we will be received in Town Hall, and this year one of the host families is hosting a wedding, to which you are all invited (Saturday, June 7). The rest of the time, comfortable walking clothes are a must. You will need something warm in the evening - a flannel shirt, sweatshirt or sweater; bring clothes that can be "layered." Bring easy to care for, no-iron clothes that dry fairly quickly. Don't bring too many clothes that must be dry-cleaned, as this type of cleaning is quite expensive in France.

 Medicines 

If you take prescription medicine, bring enough to last for the duration of your trip, as well as a copy of your prescription with the generic name(s) of your medication. Carry all medication in original packaging with labels, in your carry-on bag. If you have allergies, plan to bring enough medication to keep them under control. First-time travelers usually find that their hay fever symptoms disappear due to different and unfamiliar strains of pollen, though the opposite reaction might occur. There is no easy way to predict your allergic reaction.

 READ THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU WEAR CONTACT LENSES 

Bring enough of whatever solutions you use with your lenses! Identical products are often not available in France. If you use an electric sterilizer for your lenses, you must get a transformer of sufficient wattage to use with it. Bring a spare pair of lenses; if you lose or damage a lens it may take your parents back home up to a week to find a replacement. The package then takes ten more days to arrive, and is then subject to a $30 French customs import tariff. If you wear glasses, it's a good idea to bring a spare pair.  Entertainment 

During your free time you are encouraged to explore the area and develop new friendships with your French hosts. For this reason, you should NOT plan to bring a full complement of entertainment material such as American books and magazines. Instead, consider activities which can include other people, such as: small musical instruments, softball (bring wiffle balls too), frisbees, UNO cards. Remember to bring photographs of your home and family. Your host families are very interested to learn about your life in the U.S.

 Recipes 

If you like to cook, bring some favorite recipes to show your French family how to prepare such exotic and unknown fare as brownies, "French" onion dip, Mississippi mud pie, pancake mix and real Ohio maple syrup, etc. Certain Basic American staples cannot be found in Europe: among these are Jell-O, Kool-Aid, brownie mix, American cheese, microwavable popcorn, grape jelly, or ready-made "French" dressing, “Honey Dijon” flavor, though chocolate chips have recently appeared in French supermarkets. You can also find ketchup as well as dauntingly sticky peanut butter. If you plan to do any cooking with American recipes bring a cheap plastic measuring cup marked in both ounces/cups and metric measures (you can't find anything marked in ounces or cups in Europe!) With a little imagination, it is possible to make a reasonable facsimile of a hot-dog or Swensen's burger should the craving hit.

 Luggage 

Remember to label your luggage clearly (name, address in US and France, phone) both INSIDE and OUT. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! You should put a card with name and destination address information inside your bag in the event that it should be misplaced and the outside tags lost. Hard-shell suitcases protect delicate objects better than soft-sided luggage. If you bring breakable items, should you plan to use a soft-sided case, be sure to wrap these items tightly in clothing to reduce the possibility of breakage, or else carry them in your carry-on luggage. (It is likely your bag will be treated very roughly, suitcases are often damaged in transit).

 Travelers Checks 

You may find it practical to carry your travelers checks in a security pouch or holster. Be sure to write down the number of your passport and of your travelers checks, and to keep this information in a separate place. You may choose to leave your wallet or billfold at home in the US. Most credit cards (Sears, Discover, Penneys, etc.) are utterly useless in Europe, and your driver's licence will probably be of little if any use to you in France (it cannot serve for identification in most places). Your Visa card is probably the most useful, with Mastercard and American Express both trailing far behind in acceptance. By the way, credit card purchases in Europe are billed a month late, and the rate of exchange applied by Visa and Mastercard tends to be very fair, better than what you get when changing money in a bank.

Remember: when you travel, you want to keep all your ID documents, credit cards and checks and money on your person. DO NOT put any of these things in your checked luggage.

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER IN FRANCE: 011.33.450.60.77.70 THIS NUMBER IS FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY!

PACKING CHECK-LIST

Past experience has shown that bringing the correct gear will be important to the success of your trip. Although you may not see the utility of certain items right now, you are strongly encouraged to pack the following items.

CHECK OFF THE LIST BELOW ON THE MORNING OF YOUR DEPARTURE

We recommend, from past experience, that you bring two suitcases, one of which should be partly empty... And a carry-on bag no larger than a bookbag. A backpack serves well as a carry- on bag. In your carry-on you should bring any important medicines (prescription medication, contact lens solution...) that you really cannot live without. Checked luggage is occasionally misplaced and may take an additional day or two to reach you.

REQUIRED - ___ valid passport ___ airplane tickets ___ personal toiletry articles ___ one nice outfit (for receptions, church services) ___ one week's supply of underwear, socks, shirts (AT MOST!) ___ two or three pair of jeans, pants (NO MORE THAN THIS!) ___ two or three sweaters, sweatshirts (NO MORE THAN THIS!) ___ class books (French 311 students must bring their textbooks, Les Français, 3rd edition.) ___ travelers' checks (for your personal expenses) ___ comfortable walking/hiking shoes (We do a lot of walking....)

RECOMMENDED - ___ sunglasses ___ sunscreen (can be bought in France) ___ lightweight rainproof jacket (nylon shell) ___ hiking boots (if you like to walk & hike) ___ spare contact lenses or glasses ___ camera with fresh battery and film or, if using a digital camera, some blank CDs or DVDs ___ $50 converted to Euros before departure ___ foldup umbrella or poncho ___ travel alarm clock (to get up in the morning!) ___ credit card for emergency use ___ bathing suit, towel

OPTIONAL - ___ insect repellent (there are almost no mosquitoes in the Alps) ___ for photographers: U.V. or polarizing filters for best results ___ moneybelt for documents and traveler's checks while traveling ___ dual-voltage "travel" hair dryer

STRONGLY DISCOURAGED - - valuable jewelry or watches, cash in excess of $50 - curling irons or other electrical appliances not specifically "dual-voltage"

EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN - - on your person or in your carry-on: anything sharp or pointy, (ice picks!) cigarette lighters, nail files, etc. - firearms and knives (except folding pocket knives, packed in checked luggage only) - illegal substances  2005 FAVERGES HOST FAMILIES  ------GOLEM Alexandra MILLOT, Bernard & Yvette Non fumeurs, 2 chiens 1 chat, sans enfant VERDERICO Maria 12 rue des Grandes pièces 74210 Faverges 04.50.44.45.40.

JENCO Kristin LECLERC, Alain & Catherine Fumeur, 2 chiens, sans enfant MILLER Casey 30 rue des Grandes Pièces 74210 Faverges 06.84.54.57.80.

BRUBAKER Jeff BLUZAT, Jacques & Michelle Fumeur, 1 enfant 17ans 29, rue des Grandes Pièces 74210 Faverges 04.50.44.44.30

LIESZKOVSZKY Michelle BIBOLLET, Michel & Monique villa, 1 chien, 1 chat, marche à pied 2394, route de Tamié 74210 Faverges 04.50.44.63.86

KLEIN Angela DEGAS, Hubert & Sylvie Morgane 12 ans Thomas 10 ans Victoria 6 ans ½ 39, chemin du Peisant 74210 Faverges 04.50.32.54.23

LEIGH Adam DURET, Roger & Catherine Non fumeur, sans enfant SEMONIN Stephanie 2400 Route de Tamié, Frontenex 74210 Faverges 04.50.44.53.15

ROSSI Rénée MARSURA, Walter & Isabelle Marie 12 ans, Paul 8ans, et Louise 420, chemin de chez Saillet 74210 Faverges 04.50.32.92.56

FICHTER Lindsay MONTCOUDIOL, Guy & Christine Non fumeur, 2 enfants 8 & 11 ans PHILLIPS Kelli 26 impasse Baroni 74210 Faverges 04.50.44.44.31

SMOOT Amy PERRIER, Thérèse villa, animaux,fumeur, bridge, lecture, 24, Chemin du Perthuiset 74210 Faverges 04.50.44.56.62

HALL Michelle SCHMID, Jean-Louis & Jany 1 enfant Julien 27 ans 2412, route de Tamié, Frontenex 74210 Faverges 04.50.44.50.55 STUMP Nathan BALLIEU, Agnès Non fumeur, 2 enfants 19 &11 ans 198 chemin des Rethieux, Frontenex 74210 Faverges 04.50.32.52.38 THIS SHEET IS FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN THE US

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER: 011-33-450.60.77.70. THIS NUMBER IS FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY! Remember that there is a six-hour time difference

PLEASE DO NOT CALL FROM THE US TO FRANCE AFTER 4 pm U.S. TIME.

BEST TIME TO CALL FROM THE US: between 3 and 4 pm

PLEASE CONSULT CHART BELOW TO TIME YOUR CALLS ------

US TIME FRENCH TIME 8AM = 2PM 10AM = 4PM Noon = 6PM 2PM = 8PM 4PM = 10PM  DO NOT CALL BETWEEN 4PM AND 1AM US TIME!  US 1AM = 7AM IN FRANCE 3AM = 9AM 5AM = 11AM 7AM = 1PM ------PARTICIPANTS Host Family Phone number in France (from the US, dial the number below)

BRUBAKER Bluzat ) 011.33.450.44.44.30 FICHTER, PHILLIPS Montcoudiol ) 011.33.450.44.44.31 GOLEM, VERDERICO Millot ) 011.33.450.44.45.40 HALL Schmid ) 011.33.450.44.50.55 JENCO, MILLER Leclerc ) 011.33.684.54.57.80 KLEIN Degas ) 011.33.450.32.54.23 LEIGH, SEMONIN Duret ) 011.33.450.44.53.15 LIESZKOVSZKY Bibollet ) 011.33.450.44.63.86 ROSSI Marsura ) 011.33.450.32.92.56 SMOOT Perrier ) 011.33.450.44.56.62 STUMP Ballieu ) 011.33.450.32.52.38

Remind your family & friends of the website for the Program: http://www.uakron.edu/modlang/05trip