Up, down, up, down.
UP = Yesterday, I spent an hour with a French friend speaking mostly in French. Came home in a frenzy of confidence, did air punches around the room and made mental note that I might be ready for the golden chalice of comprehension, see a French film sans subtitles. Yeah, NO PROBLEM! (punch punch)
DOWN = Today, I had the following conversation with the chicken guy in French...
CG: "Where do you come from?"
ME: "Very well, thank you! And you?"
CG: "No, WHERE do you come from?"
ME: "Ohhhhh! I live near the train station."
CG: "NOOOO. WHEEEERE DO YOOOOOOU (points to me) COOOOOME FROOOOOOM?"
ME: "Um (getting flustered)...I....I...arrived in January?"
CG: "NO!!!! You are ENGLISH or AMEEEEERICANNN???"
ME: "Oh my God. Yes. I mean, no, I mean, wait....ok ok, I'm from New York. (verge of tears and suddenly blurted out) and I don't know why I talk like this."
I am leaving in a few minutes to go spend the weekend in the country with a French family. FB is not coming with me. It's the first time I will spend two days without my safety crutch. I naturally decided to pack every French book I own along with 1500 flashcards and 58 French podcasts. You just never know.
French french french french....here I come.....but hey, at least they already know where I come from.
Rock.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
American Musician in Paris
3 comments:
"do you want to eat here?"
"oh she can go ahead" (except it came out as 'oui')
"where would you like to sit?"
"it is good!"
quizzical look
"ah, sorry! pardon! can i just have a box of chocolates?"
Speaking another language is hard. Harder still when they're rude about it and your mistakes.
Post a Comment