Jolly well done

[tootles]

I have just had a 5 minute conversation on the phone with the man from the bank and I didn't falter once.

I am feeling very pleased with myself and thought I would share it with you as Mr T (who usually has to put up with my smugness) is away.



p.s. T'was all in French!

[Nicos]

Oh my!!!! I AM impressed!!!!

( you're sure you've not cancelled your mortgage or something?????)

..well done- the phone is the most difficult place to have a conversation in a foreign language too!

[allotmentlady]

Bien cuit, votre grand et moi suis fier de toi.

[tootles]

Bien cuit, votre grand et moi suis fier de toi.

Thank you (I think )

[bobleponge]

Well done, I know how difficult it can be. Not long after I moved in I was away working, and the ex Mme Leponge had to go and have a meeting in the bank. She came out, an hour later, in tears of frustration as she hadnt understood a word.
She now is much better but its taken time and not been easy, so that was a good effort.

[SarzWix]

Well done Tootles I think you should be very smug

[Nicos]

oi can 'old a conversation in Cornish

....da!

[Jardiniere]

brilliant tootles ...i've had to phone our insurer a couple of times and that was difficult ...the worst was week before last when i had to go to the ear nose and throat specialist to have my nose cauterised - all in french - i alwayd ask people to pretend i'm a 5 year old and use really easy words!!! and present tense...........

[tootles]

Tenses are the ones I am really trying hardest with!
That and all those 'extra' words that they stick into a sentence. The childrens teacher will never use one word I have heard of when she can use 50 I have no idea about.

[FionaH]

Well done. Last time I had a conversation in French I tried booking a table for four fish!

[janeyo]

Excellent! It's easy really

[terrier]

Well done Tootles, just talking on the 'phone to a stranger is difficult enough for some of us in our own native language. I can talk to people face to face just fine but as soon as I pick up a 'phone I just panic.

[tootles]

We get lots of cold calling here (the kind of thing outlawed in the UK) I have taken to using them as practice. They don't know me and will wade through treacle if they think they will get a sale!
I can't understand most call centre types in England when they start spouting their guff in those awful sing-songy voices.

[tootles]

Teachers on strike

Its alright, only here in FRANCE

I have just had a call from the mayors office (everything is run by the mayor) to say that the teachers will be on strike, again, on Thursday. They are entitled to 3 days strike per year. Last time, the office called to tell me and I completely misunderstood and thought she was telling me that the children could not be looked after because we don't work. In fact what she was saying was that were not enough children for them to have to look after them. But, I have 3 children, this would have brought the numbers up enough for them to have been obliged to provide cover. This time I knew better....
The children get a day playing at school with their friends and I wont have to have them at home. Hurrah!
As it is they don't have school on a Wednesday and have some 6 weeks less school than their UK friends. The teacher that is striking only does one day a week - thats 32 days a year, she spends almost 10% of her time on strike!!

[Jardiniere]

Did you hear the news item about the artist who made the art work for the Czechs - who take over the european presidency this year - the picture he did for France just had something like En Greve - written all over it.Remember when it was engerland that was always on strike - now its the french - are they really entitled to 3 days strike? I sometimes wish i'd moved over here when my kids were little ............................