The Neutral Mask reaches its end

This was the best pineapple I had ever eaten. Juicy, sharp but sweet, fully cored by the ever-so-friendly greengrocer in Sceaux. All that remains now is the core and the base, which look like a toddler's sword.

Yesterday, for the first time, I was bored in class. GASP! QUEL HORREUR?! BAH NON! Bah oui mes petits amis, je me suis ennui. I was frustrated because for the whole week we had been 'doing' animals: from Penguin to chicken, from tortoise to crocodile, and I was BORED. Philippe just read out a list of animals and we had three minutes to search for/discover/explore/challenge this animal rhythm and from it find a character - only to be told "ah, not so bad" or "totally boring, sit down immediately." It's not enough! Well, I thought, this is not teaching - my niece Abi could be shouting out animals for me to imitate. It's just not enough! Philippe your methods are tired! Where is the expoloration? But oh! Philippe is so clever. He was trying to grind us towards crisis: I fretted all night with my anger and decided the best way to combat the situation was to think 'maybe it's me' and to try and attack the class today, (i'm trying a new mantra - it's something about acting positively, don't ask) to just throw myself into whatever we were doing, so that even if what I did was rubbish, it wouldn't be boring - clearly these thoughts had been provoked in my fellow classmates: the energy in the class today was amazing.

Today Philippe asked us to explore colours from behind the neutral mask: What is Blue? How is Purple? Philippe also wanted to explore which languages of the classroom had the best words for each colour. So, as a group in neutral mask were 'doing' blue, the spectators would call out their respective word for blue to see which matched the rhythm of the masks. 'Bleu' said the Frenchman, 'Azoras' said the Portuguese and we would discuss which word fitted best the colour. Blue is without doubt the portugese 'Azul', yellow is best in italian: 'giallo,' and 'red' we decided was best in English.

Then we formed opposing choruses (please advise on latin conjugation - chorae?) of colour. We played red versus blue, brown against orange, it was fascinating to see the contrast of the different colour rhythms and how the rhythms could be altered yet maintained to communicate a given task. Philippe finished the class ten minutes early, he said we were beautiful. "I don't want to do more now. It is best to leave with this beauty in our heads. If the others go now it might be shitty and I don't want that in my head." Ah, when you speak like zis Phil, I am week in ze nees...