Juste feignant (Just pretending)

When people ask me if I speak French I tell them no, I just pretend to. I took high school French from a crazy man who thought true submersion in the French culture could be done by showing us issues of Paris Match magazine on the overhead projector. Of course some ‘editing’ had to be done with some handy white-out before he could start his lessons. He taught us little bits of French profanity that really didn’t come in handy when I took French 101 at BYU.

Collegiate French was a little bit more effective – I did well, got good grades and was told I have a very nice accent when I try hard enough. Conversational French – not so good. So, while I can basically understand French if the speaker talks very, very slowly and I hold my own reading the language I really can’t speak it – so, when people ask me if I speak French I tell them no, I just pretend to.

I love all things French – except their politics – they really are just a bunch of whiney artists when it comes to world wide issues – but everything else I just love…. I have never been to France, although I am thinking about planning a trip for next spring.

I do not receive favorable comments on my Blog titles – which is really too bad because it is my Blog – but I have decided to meet those who have spoken out half way and put the English translation in parenthesis. And for those of you who are purists when it comes to the French language, save your e-mails for how I much I mess up the translation – I am just going to the Alta Vista translation site and letting that little utility do the conversion for me. I haven’t heard from any French purists yet but it is bound to happen and I thought I would just beat you to the punch. Just think of my little Blog titles as a little French lesson.

……a few more weeks reading my Blog and you will be able to recite the days of the week in French!

au revoir