My girlfriend doesn't understand me...

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Quite literally, in fact. Have you ever dated anybody who speaks a different mother tongue from your own? Did it cause any problems? Did it make the relationship more interesting? Dîtes-moi tout!

― Will McKenzie, Friday, 23 April 2004 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

mother tongue. This is reason enough to continue this relationship.

― Speedy (Speedy Gonzalas), Friday, 23 April 2004 18:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I went out with a French girl for 6 years both in France and the U.S. where she was transformed into my soon to be ex-wife. I learned a lot of French and she learned enough English to get her degree in it. Apart from other character/personality differences, the language and culture wars were entertaining at best and downright ugly at worst. Is your gf French?

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 23 April 2004 18:17 (twenty-two years ago)

It's annoying because you actually have to have something to say, to make it worth the effort.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 23 April 2004 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Which isn't all bad. It makes you conscious of what you wish to say, why you want to say it, and whether it's worth it.

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 23 April 2004 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, she is, Michael, and so far it's going pretty well! But I agree with you about the cultural differences, but it's interesting.

― Will McKenzie, Friday, 23 April 2004 19:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Where are you from Will? What part of France is she from?

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 23 April 2004 20:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm from London, but I've been living in Paris for about two and a half years. She's from near Strasbourg, originally, but she's been here in Paris for seven years. I don't think I could ever go out with a 'Parisienne', they are a formidable bunch (in the English sense).

― Will McKenzie, Friday, 23 April 2004 20:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Really!? God, I think the right kind of Parisienne is a thing of beauty (and of terror) and of all the French women I went out with, the two I really liked and spent time with were Parisiennes. How's the Englishman in France thing working out? When I lived there the only anglophones I would hang out with were the Irish. The Brits and my fellow Americans annoyed the heck out of me with their inability (lack of desire) to speak French and appreciate France and their constant ignorant and often racist carping about the French.

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 23 April 2004 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmm, my new Japanese g/f just phoned me and it was a bit awkward due to the fact that we can't understand each other too well without any non-verbal signals to help. When I finally get round to buying a mobile we shall communicate entirely by text.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Friday, 23 April 2004 21:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Digital communication. Heeheeheee.

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 23 April 2004 21:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, it's pretty cool here. I'm in a band, teach and write, and I like France, well, Paris; I haven't had the chance to really explore elsewhere. The bustling speed of the city annoys and inspires in equal measure. On one hand, you have impatient drivers, people pushing and barging past, crap TV, and on the other you have the exhibitions, the music, architecture, history and the challenge of constantly thinking in another language. I hang out a lot with the Irish, too; there's a wicked Irish place called 'The Coolin' in the fifth arrondissement. There's always the temptation to hang out with the (sizeable) Anglophone community, I suppose, but now I've started to distance myself from that, now I'm a bit more confident in the language... yeah, it's OK! Yes, the Parisiennes have a statuesque beauty, but they have a glacial and untouchable look about them. Must be all the cigarettes and a reaction to forestall all the 'drageurs'!

― Will McKenzie, Friday, 23 April 2004 21:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, Udu, phoning is more difficult, yay for SMS!

― Will McKenzie, Friday, 23 April 2004 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Drague qui peut. The countryside can be nice. It's a short trip to Normandy or Anjou and, though I've never been there, Alsace is lovely from what I hear and you'd have an expert guide. I didn't mean to imply that I didn't hang with the anglos just that they could be a bit tiresome and lacking in curiosity. Ilived there for about 4 years and didn't even come close to scratching the surface of all I wanted to see and do.

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 23 April 2004 21:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Aja and I have a deep psychological connection, IMHO. We understand each other perfectly. So there.

― Dante-Cubed (Sean3), Friday, 23 April 2004 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Aja and I have a deep psychological connection, IMHO. We understand each other perfectly. So there.

Read the thread, nitwit. It's about not understanding literally.

― martin m. (mushrush), Friday, 23 April 2004 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Will, how good (or bad) is her English?

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 23 April 2004 22:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Hi, Will! I keep meaning to email you.

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Friday, 23 April 2004 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Hi! Michael, her English is good when she writes, but she doesn't like speaking it and we only talk in French.

And 'Rosemary', HI! Great to hear from you again! I'll pop you an email along in the morning with all my news! I still listen to the yeye CD you know :-) !

― Will McKenzie, Friday, 23 April 2004 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Are you listening to French 60's pop?

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 23 April 2004 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

is this a coy way of saying "I'm shagging a hott French chick"?

okay, then, carry on... :)

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Friday, 23 April 2004 22:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Not at the moment, Mookie. Zut, le monde entier est un cactus!

― Will McKenzie, Friday, 23 April 2004 22:55 (twenty-two years ago)

C'est Dutronc ça, non?

― Michael White (Hereward), Friday, 23 April 2004 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Tu as raison, Michel! T'es bien 'sur l'argent'! ;-) (zut, je ne peux pas ecrire les accents avec ce clavier...)

― Will McKenzie, Friday, 23 April 2004 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

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