I could write a whole column about how effing obnoxious Americans were everywhere I went in Paris--and Versailles. And even the Southwest of France. Loud, rude, ignorant. My first trip to France I found myself apologizing a lot for them when they'd moved on. More often, though, if I heard them, I headed the other way. So that waiter probably had his fill of American tourists who worked his last nerve.
That's exactly what a woman in a beautiful Paris print shop said to me as our conversation went on and on. She had gorgeous prints of Venice, just arrived, and was framing them. Ours is one of my favorite souvenirs from that trip. She was very kind about my French, delighted to hear my mother was a French-speaker, and it was a lovely chat.
Having gone the other way (from French to English), and after many many years of bilingual bliss, I still stumble occasionally on the "accent tonique", putting it on the wrong syllable, because, you know, in French it doesn't fall in the same place!
I love Swedish because its rhythmic pattern is so different from German, English, French et al. But whatever language I sepal (including Dutch) that's not my native one, I feel a sense of performance, acting, and it makes things flow better.
Sounds like a blast Lev. Never understood why a non-native speaker has to get attitude from the locals. Hey, we're tryin
I could write a whole column about how effing obnoxious Americans were everywhere I went in Paris--and Versailles. And even the Southwest of France. Loud, rude, ignorant. My first trip to France I found myself apologizing a lot for them when they'd moved on. More often, though, if I heard them, I headed the other way. So that waiter probably had his fill of American tourists who worked his last nerve.
We can't go deeply into another culture without its language. Good post.
That's exactly what a woman in a beautiful Paris print shop said to me as our conversation went on and on. She had gorgeous prints of Venice, just arrived, and was framing them. Ours is one of my favorite souvenirs from that trip. She was very kind about my French, delighted to hear my mother was a French-speaker, and it was a lovely chat.
Having gone the other way (from French to English), and after many many years of bilingual bliss, I still stumble occasionally on the "accent tonique", putting it on the wrong syllable, because, you know, in French it doesn't fall in the same place!
I love Swedish because its rhythmic pattern is so different from German, English, French et al. But whatever language I sepal (including Dutch) that's not my native one, I feel a sense of performance, acting, and it makes things flow better.
Another French nerd. In 1967 I was awarded the Lafeyette Medal for Excellence in French. I still have it somewhere in its dark green case.
Chapeau! My certificate has survived 50 or so years.