French homework

We've logged two whole weeks of class in this new semester. I'm in the most advanced group in my program now, a fact that on the surface indicates that I know a lot of French. The surface is only partly true. Some days. C'est la vie on the rollercoaster than is learning a new language.

Today we turned in a big dossier assignment: a self-portrait created by following a number of different famous French forms for talking about yourself, most of which I don't really like:

• There's the "portrait chinois" (Chinese portrait, which has nothing really to do with China), which follows the model of "If I was an animal/piece of clothing/type of work/country/piece of jewelry/etc, I would be...." I hate these types of questions! :-)
• The Proust questionnaire. Here's all the history on this form of questioning.
• A list of things you want to do before you die, following the model of a list compiled by French novelist/filmmaker/essayist Georges Perec.
• A list of things you like and don't like as associated with specific moments and memories, following the model of Amélie Poulain in the film Amélie.
• A physical and moral self-portrait, modeled after one written by Michel Leiris. 
• And finally, a description of my life 10 years from now, an exercise in using future and conditional tenses of French verbs and the hardest part of this assignment for me, and not because of the verbs. As I said on Twitter last night: Who knew writing a future for myself (10 years hence) would be my hardest French homework yet? #freespiritsdontwritefutures #wejustlivethem

So just for fun, here's my list à la Georges Perec:

J'aimerais....

• Ecrire au moins un livre (en anglais) sur un sujet intenational.
• Faire mon travail comme journaliste freelance en français ainsi qu'en anglais.
• Habiter dans une ferme.
• Cultiver un jardin.
• Prendre les leçons de dance classique.
• Ouvrir et diriger une pension pour des écrivains.
• Faire un voyage dans un bateau sur la mer.
• Ecrire un recueil de poésie.
• Lire les grands auteaur français en français et les grands auteurs qui viennent d'autres pays.
• Lancer une exposition de mes photographies.
• Aimer quelqu'un sans limite.
• Etre actrice dans un film ou une pièce de théâtre.
• Ecrire un scénario de film et travailler avec une équipe pour réaliser ce film.

In English:

I would like to:

• Write at least one book on some sort of international topic.
• Do my freelance work in French as well as English.
• Live on a farm.
• Grow a garden.
• Take ballet lessons.
• Open and run a retreat center for writers and other artists.
• Publish a collection of poetry.
• Take a trip on a boat on the ocean/sea.
• Read the great French authors in French, and read authors from other countries, too (in English or French).
• Launch an exhibit of my photography.
• Love someone without limits.
• Be an actress in a film or play.
• Write a film script and work with a team to make the film.

I'm not 100% attached to all of these, and I don't really keep a running list like this, but forced to conform for the sake of my education, I caved. And made the list. And it was a little bit fun.