parlez-vous francais?
I’m sitting in a meeting about communication. And I can’t think of anything to blog about. How ironic…
Made it to France. Staying in a chateau. What a lovely word…..chateau (which I know should have that nice little cap over the ‘a’ but can’t figure out how to do it on my computer and don’t think Blogger will accept anyway). How would it be said in English? Big large country house. But here in France it’s summed up in a wonderfully-sounding-how-easily-it-rolls-off-the-tongue-and-impresses-your-friends. Chateau.
I’ve never been to France before…unless you count the couple of hours transferring planes at the CDG airport in Paris. I’m in awe, though, of my Irish friends who so effortlessly holiday in France. Me? I’ve had a mental barrier about coming to this country, to be honest. And it’s all about communication….
You see, I don’t speak French. Perhaps most of my Irish-holidaying-in-France-friends don’t either, but it doesn’t stop them. Me, it has stopped. There’s something about not knowing a language that creates a vulnerability that I can do without right now, thank you very much. More than that, it’s an unreasonable fear of being in a situation, not being able to communicate a need, and being ridiculed by some haughty French person who is able to speak English but won’t just to cause an American some well-deserved angst for not learning French in secondary school. What was I thinking taking Spanish?
And even though I studied Spanish, it hasn’t served me too well. The family and I were in Barcelona on holiday a few years ago. We go to get some take away food. I step up to the counter armed with my four years of secondary school Spanish and what comes out of my mouth? Russian, the only other foreign language I’ve studied but am not conversant in. By the blank stare from the lady behind the counter, I’m thinking that she wasn’t an Eastern European and so I smile sheepishly, point to what I want and was very grateful that counting out money didn’t require any vocabulary. How stupidly embarrassing.
But I’ve been to Russia. Learned enough to read the Metro signs and order borscht. Felt it a great personal achievement. I guess there’s just something about France. So, while I’m here I’ll try to set aside my stigma, pick up some simple phrases and, pushing the boundaries of my geographical comfort zone, may have to choose France for my next birthday-fibre-field-trip. Or better yet, maybe one of our Five will know French!
Au revoir!
Bonjour Cheryl. Je m’apelle Isobel, et je parle un peux francais.
Ok, my spelling is probably off, and I’m a bit rusty, but I think I could still get by just about. Managed to buy delicious pastries all in french last year. I’m sure that’d translate to yarn purchases too.
Hope you enjoy yourself over there. The bread! The hot chocolate! Mmmmm.
13 Nov 2006 at 9:37 pm
Bonjour Cheryl, comment ca va?
Four years of high school and I can’t get beyond how are you…
I enjoyed reading your post, if only I had a fresh croissant with my breakfast this morning **sigh**
au revoir
14 Nov 2006 at 9:09 am
Oh j’aime des croissants.J’ai mangé un croissant ce matin pour le petit dejeuner et il faisement vraimant beau.
Translation: yummy croissant for brekkie this am and v nice indeedy.
Or something like that.
I love french and have been thinking about taking it up again, now that I’ll definately have my evenings to do it in.
think my next trip to France will be with my beau though…oh la la romantic Paree hopefully
14 Nov 2006 at 11:09 am
What a view!
My French sucks too. In a few years, when the kids are older, I am going to to an immersion program in Quebec some where. It’s the only way that I’ll learn. Conjugating french verbs in high school left me asleep at the back of the class.
14 Nov 2006 at 11:43 am
I’ve spent much of the last 20 years confusing German and Swahili (yes, really). We can be drooling doofuses together someday in the can’t-do-languages old folks’ home. Just think of the (non-communicative) fun there’ll be!
14 Nov 2006 at 9:15 pm
Well, I flunked French in the 7th grade. I did better with German. Tried Spanish many years later, but all I could recall were German words. I commend you for your boldness.
15 Nov 2006 at 3:29 am
Hey Cheryl, I stop lurking. ^_^ Hm, French is no Problem with me, I had French 7 years in High- School and 1/2 year in University, had it even as a subject in my A level exams. I have 4 other languages, but Spanish isn´t among them. The situation you describe in Barcelona: I had often similiar problems in my French lessons. The bulgarian, english and even japanese words went through my mind but the french word was not there. ^_^; I hope you enjoy your stay there and buy lots of tasty and yarny things. ^_^
16 Nov 2006 at 9:06 am
Don’t fret over a communication medium…I’m taking french as we speak, and after failing a test or two you learn to go with it and just try again next time. It’s a beautiful language, but honestly-why would you want to worry about a language that assigns words a gender?
P.S. I think it’s funny that a bathroom with a shower is feminine, and one with a toilet is masculine. Maybe I’m immature, but still…a laugh can do worlds of good. Love your blog! Salut!
21 Mar 2008 at 12:15 am