If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.

- Hemingway

French men make me sick, always have done. I'm degenerate, but they are dirty with it. Not only in the physical sense either, they have greasy minds. Other foreigners may have garlic on their breath, but the frogs have it on their thoughts as well.

- Flashman

Friday 13 August 2010

Je ne parle pas francais.......

My biggest worry before embarking on this adventure was the language issue. With not even a GCSE to my name, it was going to be tricky. And so it has proved! But, it is getting easier for several reasons: 1) More French boys who at first were not confident in their English are now more confident in giving it a go – they speak to me in struggling English and I reply in struggling French. 2) I am remembering more French every day. Whether I’m learning new stuff is debeatable, but more phrases from Mrs Stark’s French classes are returning. 3) I’m becoming great at sign language.

Sometimes I’ll say something in French knowing that it’s wrong and massively cringing inside. If I translate what I’ve said into French into English I sometimes just laugh.

The number one lesson is simply to say “Oui”, smile and offer a handshake.

“Je ne comprend pas”

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