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Hobbit Hole XIII: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1170490/posts |
Posted on 06/26/2004 8:07:15 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
Special Wedding Edition: The Hobbit Hole XI - No One Admitted Except on Wedding Business!
New verse:
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Upon the hearth the fire is red, |
Still round the corner there may wait |
Home is behind, the world ahead, |
Yep, there was one next to our hotel too (when I went in the early 80s and had no preconceived notions of the French.) I went in, got an espresso and asked for some milk. The lady "didn't undertand" so I tried in spanish (leche) because the word escaped me for french (lait). Still, she didn't understand. So I gave up.
Funny though, she knew how to call me a "B*tch" in English, as I walked off...to the amusement of everyone in the bakery.
I didn't find one single courteous person in the entire country the entire time were were there. Yes, there are some lovely arts and buildings there...it's just too bad the people are so insufferably rude.
Personally, as an afterthought, I would probably enjoy my trip to Paris much more if I went now, because my expectactions of the French are so low that any deviation would delight me. Also, I might not have my mom along with me and could be just as rude back. That was all that stopped me before...my mom and dad were sitting in the cafe and I didn't want to make a scene. Now, even with them there, I'd probably make a scene.
Mena--seriesly? :)
C'ya, Hair!
I have one French conservative theologian friend who at least is a good person and attempts to be polite. But even in his case, he habitually says things which in English culture are considered extremely rude, not in a deliberate attempt to be rude but as a matter of normal conversation. He doesn't seem to know how to express differences of opinion without being offensive, at least not in English, and sometimes it seems like arguing is his normal mode of making conversation, like that's how people normally talk to each other in France. He also tends to take English words he doesn't understand, or has only heard one definition of, substitute his own definition for the word in a way that completely skewers what you said, and then start an argument based on his definition, leaving you wondering what on earth you said that he's responding to. It's extremely frustrating to deal with.
Gah, don't bug me over typos! Everyone has them!
Here's something some of us fantasy-fan types may like: http://www.bondwine.com/tourguide/index.html - it makes more sense if you'd read "The Tough Guide to Fantasyland", but it's still funny.
I think that's what happened out in the country...we stopped to eat at a little restaurant and ordered the meat and then tried to order the side dishes to go with. Apparently you only order the meat and you get whatever side dishes come with that particular meat.
Well, the waitress just BELLOWED at us!! Waving her arms around bellowing like a bull, then stalked off.
We sat rather astounded for a few minutes, trying to figure out what to do, I mean, should we leave? when here she comes with the meat we ordered and all the proper side dishes.
We kinda laughed at that, but gee, what a bunch of drama!
I hear that outside Paris, the French are kinda nice...
Where we were was practially Spain...maybe that makes a difference!
What about your experience in Germany? The people in the big cities were just as rude as most big city people, but the country towns were just delightful!!! I really loved the little zimmers, you know?
We'd been traveling all day and couldn't find any plain bottled water, only mineral water (yuck). We got to our zimmer and I went up to the owner and said "Bitte, Coca Cola??" and she was so SWEET! Bustled around like Bilbo getting us some coke!! Ice cold coke...it was sweet!
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain...
Yeah, but some are potential FR classics--that was a good one :)
Here's something some of us fantasy-fan types may like: http://www.bondwine.com/tourguide/index.html - it makes more sense if you'd read "The Tough Guide to Fantasyland", but it's still funny.
I'm looking through it now :) This would've been vey handy to have when I was Dungeon Master--I started with the "Weather" link and I like the suggestion, "If they are just cocky, a good course of fog, snow, or desert heat will remind them that this is Fantasyland and they are not in charge.". . .Also kinda reminds me of the comic-book equivalent, The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.
Got tickets to see Spiderman 2 tomorrow. . . :)
So do you have actual appointments to see apartments or are you basically dropping in spontaneously on potential landlords? :)
Not really that much space. They have to share the 2.5 gallon so they have enough room for a small plant in each section, etc.
It is much better and bigger than the space they'd have in a Betta Hex though. :-)
I've never been to Spain, but I kinda like the music...
LOL! Maybe tourists make that mistake a lot and it's a pet peeve of hers or something. You'd have to think most US tourists would make that mistake.
In Germany, people in the cities tend to speak English, so that's a plus. But some of my best experiences were outside the cities...dinky little hole-in-the-wall restaurants where you sat and talked for an hour while your food was prepared from SCRATCH - totally fresh. Usually cheap, too, by most standards. And when we went to the Black Forest area, we stayed at places where basically people had a few rooms for rent, and provided breakfast. Bed and breakfasts, I guess...but usually much lower key than you'd picture those to be. One place was at a farm - there were cows in the lower part, below where our rooms were! It was right by the mountains. I got up at dawn and walked to the top of the hill by the house and watched the sun come up over the Alps, then went back in for a breakfast of fresh rolls and the best honey I've ever had in my life, with good hot coffee and real cream. I get a lump in my throat just thinking of that experience. It was wonderful.
The people that surprised me the most (back in the early 80s) were the British!! Even in London. They were very reserved on the street, but would just do anything to help! You could ask anyone for help or if they even saw you looking confused, they'd offer to help in a very courteous way!
We were surprised by their kindness.
Be around for a few hours.
A few years ago I worked with a temporary manager who was here from France for a year or so. Most obnoxious manager I ever had. Finally he demanded to know if I wanted out of the job. I said yes, then packed and left. Funny thing is that he was very charming for the first week!
Hello! Long time no see!
The scenes in the Riviera area in the movie To Catch a Thief are beautiful--I bet living there would make someone more relaxed than living in Paris! Maybe it is different in different parts of France.
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