Un rendezvous dans la pharmacie
Is it that the more we do or think something the more it appears in our lives because we are attracting it? Or is it that it's there but we just notice it because we've been doing it or thinking about it?
Now that I am doing French that is happening to me with French-speaking people.
Yesterday I went to the pharmacy to post two pieces of mail. A man before me was putting a letter addressed to Canada in the mailbox. I then heard him ask the post lady something with what sounded like a French accent.
“Français?!” I asked him, excited at the opportunity to parler avec qulequ’un.
“Oui!”
“Canada?”
He laughed and told me in French that he is not ‘a false French’ … implying that French-Canadians are not ‘real’ French people. I brushed that off as the France-French being haughty and thinking their version of French is superior.
We stood up talking for about five minutes in French. I did quite well for myself, ‘parler-ing’ avec lui. Originally he had been in Trinidad as the project manager for construction of a hospital here (MH). Then he had returned to France … and then back to Trinidad, where he now lives. I asked him how come and he said: “Je suivais une femme.” (I was following a woman).
“Bien sur!” I replied.
He gripped my arm and told me (in French) that Trinidad women “can pull the world”. Les femmes Trinidadienne tienent le monde, I think it was. Then (also in French) he added: “But they are impossible to export!”
“You mean you can't get them to leave Trinidad?” I asked.
“Oui!"
“Je suis differente,” I told him.
He squeezed my arm, laughed and said something that I didn’t understand but didn’t bother to ask him to repeat. Instead I said “Enchanté” and "merci" and we exchanged our goodbyes.
Now that I am doing French that is happening to me with French-speaking people.
Yesterday I went to the pharmacy to post two pieces of mail. A man before me was putting a letter addressed to Canada in the mailbox. I then heard him ask the post lady something with what sounded like a French accent.
“Français?!” I asked him, excited at the opportunity to parler avec qulequ’un.
“Oui!”
“Canada?”
He laughed and told me in French that he is not ‘a false French’ … implying that French-Canadians are not ‘real’ French people. I brushed that off as the France-French being haughty and thinking their version of French is superior.
We stood up talking for about five minutes in French. I did quite well for myself, ‘parler-ing’ avec lui. Originally he had been in Trinidad as the project manager for construction of a hospital here (MH). Then he had returned to France … and then back to Trinidad, where he now lives. I asked him how come and he said: “Je suivais une femme.” (I was following a woman).
“Bien sur!” I replied.
He gripped my arm and told me (in French) that Trinidad women “can pull the world”. Les femmes Trinidadienne tienent le monde, I think it was. Then (also in French) he added: “But they are impossible to export!”
“You mean you can't get them to leave Trinidad?” I asked.
“Oui!"
“Je suis differente,” I told him.
He squeezed my arm, laughed and said something that I didn’t understand but didn’t bother to ask him to repeat. Instead I said “Enchanté” and "merci" and we exchanged our goodbyes.
Labels: French
posted by Elspeth at Wednesday, October 17, 2007
3 Comments:
It's fun speaking/practicing a foriegn language. I know just enough Hebrew to make myself look knowlegable (and those who really speak it are very polite and let me think I sound just swell) But I know my vocabulary is very limited. But it's great as long as I don't need to discuss the world situation. Sounds like you did well. Tres Bon!
je suis differente aussi!
Mais, je parle un peu mais je n'aime pas le francais......
et, je fais des betises dans ma classe de francais...hehe
Maybe because you are a betise? ;)
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