Language Lessons

The days when Regis teaches me new words are always interesting. Today: flairing. His explanation: Haven't you seen the movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise? It's when he throws the glasses in the air, it's called flair...

As far as I knew, flair should bring to mind what you have to wear to work at TGI Friday's and the movie reference Office Space, not Cocktail. The movies French people come up with as references always crack me up.. granted, I'm sure Cocktail was big in it's day. I've only ever seen it playing in the background of Landsharks bar in Broadripple, Indiana. The bartender tried to copy Cruise and luckily my drink didn't land on the floor.

I got another language lesson, this evening. I walked into Noodle Town to pick up my Chicken Mai Fun (mmm.. I love that they give you enough for three meals for only $6.95) and had to wait for a few minutes. I was chatting away to Regis on my mobile in French, and one of the workers came out from behind the counter and said "You speaking English? What language?". I replied.. "It's French actually"... then the killer..

He asked me if I was French. I'll always go back to Noodle Town now. It's my sick guilty pleasure when people mistake me for being French, although it will most likely never be a French person who makes the mistake. Oh well, maybe after I've lived there a few years. Although I think I'll continue to get "Ecosse! Irlandais!" (Scottish, Irish) yelled at me oustide Centre Pompidou. Someone should tell those artists that yelling your nationality doesn't really make you want to get your portrait done. Yelling "Francaise!" at me would probably work better.

Anyways, my language lesson. After I hung up with Regis, I signed my receipt and my friend over at Noodle Town said "Merci!" then "Its thank you!". I mumbled "Merci a toi aussi" but it was so cute I was almost at a loss for words. Almost. ;)

Reason #457 to keep French fiance

One thing that's good about having a french lover is their readiness to correct and aid you in writing a French paper. Or just the warm, gooey feeling of having someone tell you "I barely had to correct anything, out of 7 pages there were only 3 sentences I had trouble completely understanding!" and "Wow, you're French has improved." and "I didn't even know you knew such complex words!"

While I am delighted at the appraisal of my french work, I'm slightly alarmed that my verbal skills must be so poor he couldn't imagine I knew the words I do! In my defense, its hard when you're thinking completely in French to come up with particulary intelligent words all the time, shouldn't it be good enough that I don't need to think about things before I say them in French anymore? I think so.

Overall, I think I have quite the advantage in my 400 level french class. If I ever have a question I can go right to the source. Although Regis's language skills are not exactley Proust, and much more inclined to coding C++, it gets me by. Just another reason to keep a Frencie around for the long run. ;)