Like the joke above, there are lessons in life that we all need to learn. Some are significant. Some are trivial. Sometimes you learn from them, and well sometimes you don’t.
A French Lesson
After a long, warm day of French classes at the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée in Besançon, I figured I owed myself a relaxed afternoon watching a movie. I went directly to the cinema, bought a ticket, and calmly sat down. The movie, The Hangover, had been translated into French as Very Bad Trip. I agree, a hangover would result in a very bad trip, but I would think if you were going to translate an American English language movie title into French, you might want to use the local language, French, rather than a completely different title still in English.
I digress. The thought never crossed my mind when I bought the ticket that the movie may not be in English until the half hour of previews that were either in English with French subtitles or dubbed completely in French. Thus my chances were 50/50 I would have the chance to watch it in its original English track version. The movie started, in my mind with all neurons crossed, I’m hoping it’s in English. The phone rings in the first scene, and the actress slowly picks up the phone and responds, “Allô!” Damn!!! It’s dubbed in French. Fight or flight immediately sets in as I quickly asked myself “stay? go? stay? go?” Due to the fact that it was nice and cool and could zone out a little, I stayed.
Besançon During the Day
Becoming More French
Four weeks away from home, it’s inevitable that clothes would have to be washed. Yet when I entered the grocery store, a dilemma presented itself. Buying laundry detergent. Only need enough detergent for two washes. Even buying the smallest quantity available, there would still be enough for ten more washes. The result, I didn’t buy any and spent the four weeks and two washes without detergent. Don’t worry, the clothes were actually washed, twice in fact, yet without any detergent. Think of enculturation, I’m smelling more like the French everyday.
You Like the Stars at Night?
In general, from my observations as a non-smoker, foreigners outside the U.S. enjoy smoking. Yet as Western Europe becomes more and more smoke free, it’s making smoking more of a challenge, especially those accustomed to smoking wherever and whenever they want. In our residence, it’s common for residents to simply open their dorm window and smoke out the window rather than making that long, arduous walk downstairs and out the entry double doors.
Late one night, that strategy backfired. Around 2:37, someone, we’ll call him Jules, smoked a little too close to the emergency system and set off the fire alarm. Everyone staggered out into the French night in a state of confusion, while my mind perceived it as part of a dream where I find myself trapped inside the borders of that horrific state of New Mexico, trying to flee.
It was also at this time that the other international students found out that I like to wear Dora the Explorer pajamas to bed. Boy that’s tough describe in French at that time of night.
The Accuracy Test
Finally, I have found the ultimate test of balance and accuracy for males. First you drink a decent quantity of any liquid (could by H2O, beer, wine, Dr. Pepper, green chili, your choice), then you go and try to pee standing up in the toilet of a moving French train on its way to Luxembourg. If you can remain standing, accurately direct the pee into the general vicinity of the toilet, you have quality aim and balance.
Next up – that actual trip to Luxembourg.
