The PON posse is waiting for me at the front door. No doubting that they are eager to get the day started.
Back to the cheese shop.
Something called Juchy aux Herbes. I tell the cheese lady it's a cheese I've never seen it before. ' My goodness ! ' she replies. '' You've got an accent you could cut with a knife . Why you foreigners can't learn to speak French I'll never know '. It's difficult to determine whether this is outstandingly rude or outstandingly honest. On our way to the car I tell Bob '' At least she didn't think I was Dutch ''.
We skip the fishmonger and the foie gras seller ...
.. but buy some Bigord pork for dinner.
As I load up the car I find the box of Christmas cards that I was supposed to have posted a month ago. Bob and Sophie are sworn to secrecy.
Angus is off to talk to men in dark suits. The timing coudn't be better.
13 comments:
They are sworn to secrecy but there is supposed to be an animal translater available........ Should be interesting for those sworn to secrecy conversations if it ever works
Your secret is safe with us. Gail is still suffering nightmares after the pre-Christmas trauma of helping her mother work through the dreaded Christmas list.
We both think rather a trip to a the cheese shop than to the men in dark suits (Davos?)
Hari OM
HAH! My father is not alone in the unsent cards department then? I'll let him know, but tell him it's a secret. Men in dark suits are involved... YAM xx
I hope the men in dark suits have no idea you're living the good life in France profonde, or many would do the same and the cheesemonger would have to deal with even more étrangers.
When someone makes a remark about my accent I apologize, saying my French isn't perfect because it's my fourth language. (True.) That shuts them up.
Humph! I wonder how accent-perfect her English is?
My thoughts too, Virginia.
We can assume that the cheese lady understood your French well enough to serve you, and take the money ! She should be pleased that you've learned the language ! I'd be reduced to pointing, holding up fingers, or even looking through the dictionary !
Can you save the Christmas cards for next year?
At least you speak French.
If she spoke in accented French quickly, then I might have mistranslated that it was a compliment of 'how well you spoke French for a foreigner', maybe?
I doubt if the cheesemonger intended to be rude. I imagine you were just supposed to take forthright criticism on the chin, and be motivated to improve your accent. Personally I've rarely experienced that sort of comment (although I'm sure many people think it about my accent too). What I find hard to deal with is being laughed at by strangers for my accent or poor French (friends are free to laugh away).
I think I would have smiled broadly as if this were the greatest compliment and thanked her - that would throw her for a loop. In the U.S. it seems a french accent is charming - why not an American/English one there?
I agree! As we say in the US South “ bless her little heart . . .”
Mail the box of Christmas cards now! Everyone would enjoy receiving an actual card in the mail.
agreed!
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