LE BILINGUE EABJM’S STUDENT MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 2013
! !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
C O N T E N T
!
T A B L E !
WHERE TO EAT Chez Darius Cosmos
Page 13 Page 13
WHAT TO LISTEN TO Keystone Why is Rock still King?
Page 7 Page 14
WHAT TO SEE
!
Lost in translation Giving the adaptations a voice Azzedine Alaia Fan Fiction and Self-Publishing: Read All About It ! ! !
3
Page 4 Page 10 !
!
Page 12
“Lost in Translation”: Giving the Adaptations a voice
Read all about EABJM’s adaptation students on the next page.
4
!
join the normal, traditional French classes; others, who are “in transit,” will already depart for another country. Tobias, a 4ème student, is one of the many “adaptations” who will eventually leave Paris to continue his incredible journey. After having lived in Hungary, the Netherlands, the Philippines and Singapore, he will leave Paris for Belgium next year. When I asked him if he had been surprised by anything in Paris, he simply replied: “I’m so used to moving, I’m not shocked by anything anymore.”`
!
Being in a new school is a very stressful experience. Most of us know the anxiety of leaving a school for another; having to exchange a familiar environment for a completely new one; having to make new friends and start everything anew. And what if, in addition to this, you were unable to speak the language of the country you have moved to? Some of the students of our school know what that extremely destabilizing feeling is - in collège, they are known as “adaptations.”
“It’s very fun to go to school”
Adaptations live in a small community for a year, made up only of other adaptation students. This has its advantages: it provides a feeling of security, of being apart of a family for those students who are struggling to find their way in a new country. But it also has disadvantages. Mrs. Brown, head of collège Adaptation classes, explains that they can “feel a bit isolated” and “lost,” and that later on “they don’t miss being in Adaptation.” When asked if each generation of adaptation students was different, she answered “The problems are usually the same: homesickness, adjusting to a different system, higher demands... It’s not easy to learn a language that’s not your won, especially with such high standards.”
“I’m so used to moving, I’m not shocked by anything anymore” Many students from various countries, who speak different languages, enter the school every year. Adaptation classes perfectly illustrate the diversity and multicultural background of the EABJM community. Unlike other classes in our school, they are comprised only of new students, who do not have a sufficient level of French to be taught with the other students in the French educational system. Following one year in adaptation, students who will live here will be able to
5
These students, in addition to having to adapt to a new country, also have to adapt to EABJM’s high expectations. This is particularly challenging for some of them: a 3ème student, who has lived in italy, Croatia, the Netherlands and Russia, told me that this school was “much harder” than all the other schools she had been to. Mrs. Brown indeed explained that most students “suffer” in adaptation, but “after they leave, they often realize that it benefited them when they left.” On the other hand, some students don’t seem impressed by EABKM’s standards, mostly those who have lived in Asia: Tobias found the British school he attended in Singapore much Harder; and a 4ème student from South Korea even said ‘it’s very fun to go to school here.” In addition, Mrs Brown explains: “(for students,) adaptation is not just about learning a new language: it’s also about mixing with kids from other parts of the world, it opens their minds.” We all have this incredible opportunity at EABJM, but adaptation students are a more diverse group, facing the challenge to adapt to a new language, a new school and a new culture.
Adaptations all have exotic backgrounds, and this concentration of cosmopolitain students exemplifies the changing nature of identity in our modern world: today, one’s identity is not attached to a single country or a specific culture anymore. Adaptation students have a unique perception of the school, the students and France; and face common concerns that most of us don’t really understand - after being a secluded minority for a year, the following years the distinction gradually disappears. In this process, the intensity of their experience fades as they adapt and integrate into their new environment. But their stories are worth listening to, and we would gain from giving them the opportunity to share them.
“The people are really nice and most of the teachers are as well” (Thanks to Mrs. Brown and the Adaptation students.) By Chloe hamilton
6
“Your grandma died.” This is what the members of Keystone said when we asked them what they thought would grab your attention (yes, you) so that you would read on. H o p e f u l l y, i t w a s e f f e c t i v e . Keystone is quite obviously an atypical group, both in the way they relate to each other and in their music. After a rocky start for the group, involving several member changes, Keystone managed to settle down into a stable band last year. We met with Emmanuelle Monhblatt, Gabriel Nahmani, Yoan Rahme and Duc Peterman to discuss their projects, their music, their upcoming concerts, their lives basically!
Gabriel: To me, music is a very ambiguous form of expression: one one hand, it’s all about personal self-exploration, but on the other, I feel that a musical experience would not be complete or as interesting, if we were not able to share it. That’s why we’re in a band, i think.
All your music is original work. How do you write your songs? Duc: We write all of our songs together. Manu: Sometimes it comes from a jam, sometimes one of us has a clear idea for a song, but we always try to discuss these ideas, and think about the different ways it could go. Gabriel: One of us will think of something, and the other would put in their two cents, mostly because we all have our own musical personalities, and we’re all quite versatile, so we always end up with really surprising results.
How did you come about forming Keystone? Duc: Music has always been the way I was best able to express myself, be it through the creative process of music or simply by listening to an artist that reflects my feelings. The way I see it? Everyone needs an art and our art, is music.
7
Yoan: Sometimes it does start fi g h t s t h o u g h , e s p e c i a l l y whenever me or Gabriel want to take a part out or add something to the song and the others won’t
agree, because we’re all quite stubborn when it comes to music.
rare. Music is our escape it is the only way we have found to make ourselves forget about the absurdity of life.
How many concerts have you done so far?
Duc: There’s this one song we wrote that I think best shows the way we see society, as stuck in its own confining logic, it describes our environment as an association of geometrical forms, ones that don’t quite fit together. To me, this image perfectly represents the confining, almost suffocating nature of our society.
Duc: All in all, I think I’ve personally done maybe 12 concerts. But before Keystone, it was never in a stable band, my bandmates kept switching. It’s different now, the group is much more stable, which means we have a different energy on stage. We’ve played at the Gibus and at the Alhambra, amongst others.
Manu: It’s actually not as dramatic or philosophical as they make it out to be...
Is there a specific concert that sticks out in your memory? Yoan: Definitely. We played at the Alhambra last June, which was probably one of the most exciting experiences we’ve had together. We had never played in such a big venue, so it was very nerve wracking. The stage was twice as big as what we were used to, so we didn’t quite know how to fill the space.
Are there topics that always seem to come back in your songs? And generally, what are your songs about?
What are your aspirations for the band?
Duc: We want our music to be a reflection of ourselves, in some capacity at least. Each song is based on us, our vision of the world and our feelings and opinions of that world we live in. Without being too political, our songs often express our frustration with today’s s o c i e t y, a n d p a rt i c u l a r l y o u r frustration towards the mentality of the modern man. We try to share the disillusion of society, the fact that we have become this doomed generation. In many ways, we are the true lost generation. We use our
Duc: Musically, I think we can all agree that we aspire to become bigger, to evolve and grow as a band and as individual artists. In terms of public recognition, like any other band, we want our music to be heard and appreciated. Ultimately, we want to make a living out of this. However, we’re not necessarily looking for fame, being in the commercial music industry is not what we are aiming for as it can sometimes make you lose the message of your music. But we could deal with a little fame, I think! (laughs. aha.)
music to try and exorcise some of that frustration. Gabriel: It’s the one place where we can be truly personal and intimate, which is becoming quite
8
Yoan: We want to go to Glastonbury, that’s what we want to do. (Music festival located south of Bristol, in England.)
Do you have any projects coming up? anything you’re excited about? Duc: We have an EP coming out sometime in December, which is very exciting. It’s still in the making, though. Manu: We’ve realized that the mood of the EP doesn’t really represent us anymore, we’ve moved away from that, we’ve evolved and we want the record to reflect that evolution.
Drawing: Julan Blum
9
AZZEDINE ALAIA
If you like clothes, you must visit this exhibition. In fact, everybody should visit this exhibition. All you need is to be able to appreciate elegance, beauty and flair: The essence of what Azzedine Alaia is. Azzedine Alaia is a French-tunisian couturier who rose to fame in the 80s and 90s. His work is uniquely haute-couture, nothing is mass produced, and is reserved for favoured costumers, the likes of Tina Turner, Grace Jones and Rihanna. The ‘Musée de la Mode,’ also know as the ‘Palais Galliera,’ after three years of renovation, has decided to reopen with this hommage to the designer, simply named “Alaia.” The NEw York Times describes the exhibition as “graceful, harmonious and generous, captures the essence of the designer.” Every single review overflows with praise. After years of wanting to visit, I could finally enter the tantalizing edifice, where a scene from the film “The devil Wears Prada” was filmed. After paying for my ticket, I was ushered into quite a crowded, dark sanctuary. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, and to elbow my way past other people who wanted to take a better look at just how that particular dress was made, but it was worth it. The dim lights that are projected over the tall, slim and imposing silhouettes give the lurking shadows a very dramatic effect. After rejoicing over the beauty held in the room, I could not help but wonder how women would possibly fit into such garments. They would need to be unnaturally tall and absurdly minutely waisted: no use of corsets was in evidence. The collection of beautiful creations continued for quite some time, there were 73 of them, but no chance of boredom, as each dress is a work of art and of exquisite craftsmanship. As I exited the warm cocoon of the museum into its harshly sunny gardens,
10
I was disappointed that it was all over so soon. Then I noticed a small, discreet sign just outside the exit, saying the exhibition continued in the ‘Salle Matisse’ at the Musée de l’Art Moderne just across the road. Surprisingly, it would seem that many others missed this particular sign, as when I got to the ‘Salle Matisse,’ it was practically empty. After having been wowed by seventy-three Alaia dresses in grand surroundings, it would take something very special to impress me. But here, I was awe-struck. Enormous Matisse ‘murals’ stretched up for meters, covering the vast wall. Amazingly, the iconic pieces of couture on display in front of them are of such majestic quality that they were able to hold their own. This room had a much calmer atmosphere than the ‘Palais Galliera,’ and it was free. There are only a few pieces on display, every single one to be studied in depth. The designs date from the early 1980s to 2013, but they all seem timeless. Alaia has even designed three dresses to match the painting behind them, but I won’t say any more because you must go see for yourself.
Alaia, 28th September 2013 - 26th January 2014 Hours: 10am - 6pm Tuesday-Sunday l Thursdays until 9 Métro: Iena or Alma-Marceau Entry Fees: Free (- 14 years) 4€ (tarif jeune) 6€ (tarif réduit) 8€ (tarif normal)
11
FAN FICTION AND SELF - PUBLISHING: READ ALL ABOUT IT short episodes.His first fantasy novel, Loran et la pierre de l’éternelle jouvence remains
In a time where technology has become common in our everyday lives, a new domain has been targeted. Self-publishing on the Internet, either on blogs or services found on Amazon, has boosted the careers of countless authors and given writers a larger audience to write for. Fan fiction has allowed ordinary people like you and me to create a story of their won and incorporate their favourite characters from other works.
unpublished after considering its publishing by short episodes. Having never really considered self-publishing through Amazon’s service, Lucas admits that “it is a very good idea for young writers.” When asked about writing fan fiction, Lucas said that he often imagines stories with the characters of his favourite novels such as Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card.
The kindle, an e-book reader, has made thousands of books available at the click of a button and has grown over the years in the United States, and is making its way into the global market. One day, Hugh Howey decided to publish his science fiction short story on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. In a post-apocalyptic world, humans are now living in silos, over a hundred storeys underground. Curiosity of life before the silos and of the outside are taboo subjects that can lead to sever punishment. After receiving positive feedback, Howey wrote a sequel. Today, the series has a total of nine stories whose film rights have been sold to 20th Century Fox. He has sold over five hundred thousand copies, and earned more than a million dollars. After turning down several publishing companies, Howey has signed with Simon & Schuster.
Fan Fiction can be traced back to the 1960s when Star Trek loves put pen to paper and created stories with some of the main characters of the franchise. Over the past few years, fan fiction has been getting more and more recognition. For Example, E.L Jame’s Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, inspired by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, was first published on fan fiction websites. Published in paper format between 2011 and 2012, over 70 million copies have been sold worldwide, and even surpassed Harry Potter when it became the fastest-selling paperback of all times. How about you? Maybe you’ve written a short story, or even a novel, and not knowing who to share it with, have kept it to yourself. However, today there are many ways for you to get feedback: blogs, self-publishing on Amazon or even writing websites. Don’t be afraid to give it a try!
One of our very own students at EABJM is a writer himself. Currently working on his second novel, Alpha 412, Lucas Schmuck, 3ème, has been writing for the last 6 years. His first fantasy novel, Loran et la pierre de l’éternelle jouvence remains unpublished after considering its publishing by
10
Want to grab a bite? Chez Darius
Le Cosmos
Health: * Price: € Service Speed: *** 1 minute walk!
Health: **** Price: €€€ Service Speed: ** 1.5 minute walk
Down the rue du Théatre, a little panini joint sits squished next to the sidewalk. The Iranian owner and cook, Darius himself is always preparing his speciality: paninis. Their quality is better than those at a Boulangerie, probably because Darius will insist on adding “the essential herbs of his country.” The restaurant is decorated on the inside with traditional Persian objects, and you will always find loyal EAB customers sitting inside at lunchtime. On a sunny day, it is also nice to sit outside with Darius’ booming voice calling “Panini Parisien!”. You can find other plates on the menu but the two formulas he recommends are:
A typical Parisian bistro located about 50 metres away from the métro Emile Zola. This café has many tables outside, which are always packed d uring lunch hours, especially when the sun is out. In winter, the café makes an indoor terrace that is usually cramped with as many people as in the summer. The young and nice waiters will make your lunch pleasurable - although it might sometimes be slow. Cosmos is the restaurant to eat at when you are not in a rush and are ready to sit down for a chat with your friends. The famous “Salade chèvre chaud au miel,” (9€) which is absolutely delicious, is the most popular plate on the menu. Also on the menu are typical “croques” (10€.) The complete one with a fried egg or the italian one with tomatoes. You can also find typical Parisian platters. Overall, the Cosmos food is healthy, most plates come with a salad but if you are feeling in the mood for some more greasy, calorific food - their hamburgers are top notch.
Panini salé + boisson = 5€ And for those who love chocolate or just have a sweet tooth, the panini nutella will warm your hearts. Panini salé + panini ! ! nutella + boisson = 6€ ! !
! !
13
Why Is Rock Still King? Have you ever wondered what kind of music is most popular amongst your EABJM peers? Do you want to know if everyone has gone with the times and followed the mob in the direction of electro and commercial music, or if artists from “the golden age of music” are still popular? Read on to find out.
1st in rank comes rock music. Its timeless classics and iconic bands, as well as younger yet just as talented groups still attract youths from all over. Born with a boom in the late 1940s, Rock music has kept on evolving through the generations. Rock music’s incredible ability to adapt has made it appealing to nearly every generation since the 50s, which is most likely why it remains one of the most appreciated genres today, and dominates the music culture at our school.
We conducted a survey collecting information on the dominant musical tastes in a class of Première IB and a classe of OIB Première. Five genres were put up for selection. The graph below shows the result of said survey. IB 25 20 15 10 5 0
OIB
2nd comes Electro music. Electro music seems much more appealing to younger generations such as ours. It became popular in the 70s, and hasn’t stopped growing since. Electro is a term that tends to generalize the genre, as it actually covers a wide array of types of music, such as dubstep or house music. Very popular at parties, electro music has produced world renowned stars such as David Guetto or Tiësto. Even if you dislike it, and even think that all electronic music pieces sound the same, there is no denying that electro is an extremely popular genre, both generally and at the EABJM. Last of our top 3 is Rap. Rap initially became popular in the 70s, especially amongst the working class. Today, however, Rap has reached a new level of sophistication and poetry. Despite the fact that some see rap as people showing gold chains and nice cars, rap is more than a slightly misogynistic genre, as can be proven by the number of people who listen to it.
Total
RockElectro Rap
Indie
Pop
Out of these five genres, rock came out on top. This musical cult stole the lead, closely followed by more modern Electro and Rap music, then followed by the less popular Indie and Pop music Musical Genre
Student Votes (out of 71 students surveyed)
1. Rock
23 Votes
2. Electro
21 Votes
3. Rap
11 Votes
4. Indie
10 Votes ! ! 5 Votes
5. Pop/ Commercial
! !
! !
14
After the survey, we were surprised to see that the old generation rock n’ roll was still so popular, and wanted to know why that was so. We asked a Première OI student why he liked old school rock so muc, and he said that it was “because it’s the best music ever written - much better than most of the crap done today.” Certainly, most rock n’ roll fans, who often harbor a hatred of rap, pop or commercial music, would agree with this statement.
!
!
Another thing that surprised us was how similar the answers were in IB and French bac. If you’re in première or terminale, (and even seconde) you’ll know that there’s a fair amount of rivalry between the two bacs. At the very least there seems quite a lot of differences between the two groups, be it in style or attitude. Without dwelling on our internal discords, this study also goes to show that, despite the appearances, we’re all actually quite similar. Another thing that surprised us was how similar the answers were in IB and French bac. If you’re in première or terminale, (and even seconde) you’ll know
Drawing: Julian Blum
!
!
! !
! !
14
editors in chief prunelle ayache & ines juster contributors Lara Gruering, Anne- Sophie Bine, Julian Blum, Tae Markey, Chloe Hamilton, Christoffer Ahlefeldt Laurvig, Edwin Cossec, Pietro Capece Galeota, Katharine Voake, Alice Bello, Maxime Thiam, Eleanor Naiman, Aida Ashariyadi.