My daughter's decision

[Bajanne]

Well, the house deal fell through.  it seems there was a lot of work to be done to fix it up and a friend of the lady's said he would work on it and live there.  So that killed it for us.  I worked a great deal during the holidays and so my pay check was quite nice at the end of the year.
Because of how many days i worked, my supervisor decided she would give me a week off.  I looked at the ship schedule and saw that the Wed and Fri there would be ships in with many francophone tourists.  She said the other girls could do it (they both did 2 semesters at community college - beginners and intermediate French).  I know they can tell tourists how much a tour costs and how long it lasts and how much for the bus to the beach etc.  But I know they can't answer deeper questions.
Well, when I came back to work, the guys from the Port Authority were complaining and threatening to go to the top to complain.  The girls tried but got into real problems dealing with the tourists. I knew it would happen.  (and French people are not very tolerant of people not handling their language properly, right, Monrein?)

[monrein]

Right Bajanne.  I'd say that the French have elevated crabby rudeness to the nth degree but at least they practice it indiscriminately with everyone, including their fellow citizens.  I find it somewhat amusing.

[pelagia]

Right Bajanne.  I'd say that the French have elevated crabby rudeness to the nth degree but at least they practice it indiscriminately with everyone, including their fellow citizens.  I find it somewhat amusing.

I am going to France next week and will surely test them out.   

Here's my intro script:

Bonjour madame.  Je ne parle pas Francais.  Parlez vous Anglaise?  (any suggestions for improvement, with translations, will be appreciated!)

Then I know how to ask for a hotel room with a bathroom and such, the check at dinner and some of the most basic of information.

Once, by mistake, I asked the police officer outside Le Louvre if he spoke French.    My son will still not let me forget that.
I also learned not to say that I speak a little French, because then everyone launches into a conversation that is way past me. 
Most of the French folks I have met in shops and such will barely admit to knowing English, but often speak and understand quite well.
I don't think of the French as being rude, just French! 

[monrein]

Bonjour Madame (ou (or) Monsieur), je ne parle pas le français.  Parlez-vous l'anglais.  (if you add an e to anglais, then it means an Englishwoman). 

[paris]

AlohaBeth is brushing up on some French phrases.  One of the phrases on the CD is "the drugs aren't mine"!  Hope she doesn't need that one!   Pelagia, how long will you be there?  Beth leaves the 29th and will be in Paris a month.

Bajanne, Beth needs you to teach her French!

[pelagia]

Bonjour Madame (ou (or) Monsieur), je ne parle pas le français.  Parlez-vous l'anglais.  (if you add an e to anglais, then it means an Englishwoman). 

thanks!  you can see how rusty my French is.  I also managed one time to tell a French bass player something that made him turn red.  I was trying to tell him that I really enjoyed his playing.  God only knows what I said.  Luckily Stephen was standing not too far away, so the guy didn't think I was trying to pick him up or anything like that. 

I leave next Thursday for a long weekend in Paris with three friends (can you imagine that?! ) and then on Monday we all go to Nice by train.  We are all marine ecologists and we are all presenting papers at a scientific conference.  I come home from Nice on Friday Jan 31st.  Nice will be fun to, but not as much fun as Paris.  This will be my third trip to Paris, but first time I get to go shopping  .

And as of tonight, I still do not have a talk to present, so it's going to be a long weekend.  I have been plugging away at the computer for days crunching numbers and analyzing data.  I am looking at how climate variables like El Nino and the North Atlantic Oscillation affect a part of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and what it might mean for restoration efforts.  It's a lot of numbers!  Have to take a break every once in awhile to visit IHD 

Bajanne - sorry for hijacking your thread!

[Bajanne]

No problem at all - my pleasure.
.
BTW there is a cute site online where you can print out a little travel guide in French. You can also listen pronunciation online.
It is www.single-serving.com.  when you get there, choose French.  it is very helpful

Bon courage!

[pelagia]

that's a great site Bajanne!  thanks for the pointer.