Who am I?

Summary

I was born in Montreal, Canada, and lived there for many years. I now live in Hamburg Germany. By profession I am an educator, with a specialty in adult education and French as a second language. My professional experience includes  translating from English into French for the Canadian government and teaching French to adult learners. I have also been an adviser to teachers and have written pedagogical and instructional material.


In the last decade I have developed my talents in writing. After participating in a creative writing workshop, I wrote an exciting memoir (in French) that has been translated into English in 2015 and will soon be available in bookstores in Germany, Canada and the U.S.

My studies

Baccalauréat ès Arts, Montréal, 1958

Diplomea in Translation from English into French, Institut de Traduction, Université de Montréal, 1959

Studies in Political Sciences , 2 semestres, University of Ottawa, 1962

Training in the Teaching of French, CREDIF, France, 1965

Linguistics, University of Ottawa, 1970-72

Masters of Arts Degree in Adult Education,  University of Montréal, 1986

Coursework in Spanish, University of Montréal, 1959-61

Coursework in German Goethe Institute of Montréal, 1983-85

 

My work experience

Translator from English into French, Hydro-Québec 1960-61; Secretary of State,  Canada, 1962-64

Instructor for French as a second Language, Commission de la fonction publique du Canada, 1965-70

Writer, instructional content (idem) 1970-72

Pedagogical adviser, Ministry of Immigration,  Québec, 1972-1989

Instructor for  French as a foreign language,  Universities of Osnabrueck and  Hamburg, Germany,  1990-2004

Writer of  "Passion et Dévotion", 2014, translated into English as "Tender is the Light"  2015, available on line through Barnes and Nobles, Amazon.com, and others, also as an e-book.

My interests

Languages: I speakFrench, English and German fluently; I have moderate proficiency in Spanish.

Music: classical music, opera; jazz, South-American dance music; Quebec and French chansons.

Travels: I went to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. I traveled extensively in Europe and particularly to  Germany, Norway, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain

Food: I am interested in how food influences our health, I was a vegetarian for many years and I have experimented with  many types of diets.

Reading: I read about spirituality, psychology and love. I was particularly impressed by and enjoyed "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth  Gilbert

My activities

Meditation: I have been meditating every day for more than 30 years.

Chanting: I love to chant  Mantras

Cooking: I love cooking, particularly vegetables, a beautiful opportunity to be creative.

Walking: I love walking in the woods, in every season.

Creative Writing