Wednesday, April 25, 2012

I was so excited because my blog attracted two new views even though it's blank and I've written nothing on this. Then I realized that those two new views were me.

And yay! I have a new follower. Me!
Yay Me!

Step 1: Learn French

So this all started because I have been avoiding French since I was a little girl. When the option came up in elementary school to study French or Spanish, I chose Spanish because I thought French was too hard. All those accent marks and the rolling of the Rs were mind boggling. All through my adult life, I chose to attempt to learn and butcher every language but French. I took classes in Spanish, Korean, Italian and Japanese but never, never French. Then I met the love of my life and married him. He is French.

Then it became unavoidable since his parents hardly speak any English. I've been desperately trying to learn the language. But then I did things like regularly confuse "God bless you" with "Shut up." Every time my father-in-law would sneeze I would say, "Tais-toi!" which meant "Shut up." You're supposed to say "à tes souhaits." All this time I was telling my father to shut up every time he sneezed!!! Bless his heart, he never said a word. I, on the other hand, was mortified. And once again, I gave up and told myself to not even bother. I'll never sound like a French person. I'll never wear a beret and sunglasses and talk about how miserable my life is in the most beautiful language in the world. (Overall, I get discouraged very easily, much too easily.)

It's been excruciatingly painful for me to learn another language. I just don't know why my brain can't wrap around the new vocabulary. Though the truth is, I can't even pronounce English all that well. But I've decided that I have to face my fears and just give it another try. After all there are millions of people who speak French. It can't be that hard? Can it?

So really this blog is a motivational tool for myself. A little reminder of the train that could. I'm giving credence to that little voice in my head that says, "You can do it" (who oddly sounds like Rob Schneider from Waterboy.) Though my tongue may be handicapped in some way from forming those rolling Rs, I will give it my best try, spitting all over whoever I'm talking to. Therefore, I'm giving fair warning to all. French people, grab your ponchos. I'm coming to France.

5 comments:

  1. Awesome blog J!!!! I can't wait to see more :-) I always wished I kept going with my French from my high school days.....to me, it's a beautiful and amazing language. I love saying the two or three phrases I can still remember to my French Canadians friends :-P

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  2. Hooray! (I want to relearn and buff up my Italian skills too.) We'll all watch Midnight in Paris too! And besides, wasn't Prof. Foster saying that French is the most translated 2nd-learned language in the world (in terms of speaking and print too!)? Don't give up! I know you can definitely sound/live French!

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  3. Aww, thanks guys! I feel the love. It's so wonderful! Sending you my love too!

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