comments about France from a young Australian.

I didn't have more than 4 (5 years actually, since I repeated a year) French at school, too.

I was quite pleased that everyone was happy with what I ordered as military material as well as the food for 90 soldiers ... with that certainly very limited knowledge. (And it actually didn't become more since those days.) :wink:

Well, some friends find my English specially funny when I say: I'm going to the beach (I always pronounce bitch).

Heh heh heh........

See?

(Now, I can count my friends..)

With your Hans?

Hey, Oz, have you seen the book "Lit Stalk Strine?"

(for Francis: Let's Talk Australian)

Something may be rubbing off, but I understood that, McT..

Yes.

I looked it up: " Let", akkshuly, btw

Example:

Semmitch: Two slices of bread with a filling in between, e.g. M-semmitch;
semmon semmitch; chee semmitch. When ordering semmitches the following responses are indicated:

A: Sell semmitches?
B: Air, emeny jiwant?
A: Gimmie utter martyr and an airman pickle. Emma chisit? (or Emma
charthay?)
B: Toon nimepen slidy. (or Threem form smite. A man is always expected
to pay more for food than a woman is.)

Nah fencemite. I'm a Scot, innit?

Erm, yes, indeed, no offence taken, mite.

Any idea why riding on French roads is considered to be scary?

Ah, a friend of mine was on a bicycle tour in France and they got, for some reason unbenownst to the group at the time, to be shunted onto a highway with humongous trucks.
She's a pretty good cyclist, that has been a good part of how she's kept in shape for a long time. Anyway, she got shot off the road somehow (I don't remember the details) and was taken to the local hospital. It was she who was the only one who could speak in french to the doctors, the tour guide (let me guess, Not an inexpensive tour) being inadequate at it. My friend came out of it ok, with some length of stitches, and continues with the cycling. She's my age, 65, and a news anchor in a major US city. (In better shape than me, by multiples.)
She still likes France, and Italy as well. Not too keen on that tour.

One can only imagine why Walter.

She would normally be riding on roads that have very very much less traffic, travelling at very much less speed.

In addition some Australian professional cycling women were killed/badly injured in France whilst training for a tour race not too long ago. (A year or so before?).

I know about the terribel accident.

I agree that in mayn parts of Europe cycling on public roads is ... sometimes like Russian roulette.
However, you'll find lots of cycle paths - they only should be used.

The accident was in Germany. Members of the Australian road rading team.
1 killed - Amy Gillett, and 5 badly injured.

STUPID French Teacher: (some alterations to protect privacy)

Feb
(Had)chemistry/physics with MR G! DUM DUM DUM DUMMMMMMMMMM! This time he didn't scream at me, but I get the impression that he thinks I am lazy for not taking notes so he has taken to standing over my shoulder and dictating while I am desperately trying to figure out what he is saying (his accent is STRANGE) and take down notes that make sense. Golly. He doesn't do this to Jack!

March
The mystery of Mr G. In case you have forgotten, Mr G is the scariest science teacher on EARTH. He glared at me as he passed me in the corridor and my group ended up arriving just after he shut the door. I was TERRIFIED. I moved down to the front row during the last 20 minutes so that I could make another abortive attempt to understand him. I proceeded to look up a word that I heard him say when... DUM DUM DUM! (This conversation was in French)

Mr G: What are you looking at??? (very scarily)
Me: A word...
Mr G: Why??
Me: Because...
Emelie: So she can translate it!
Mr G: Why would she do that?
Emelie: It's J.......(name)
Mr G: J.......(name)
Emelie: She is Australian.
Mr G: She is what???
Emelie: Australian sir...
Mr G: Why is she here???
Emelie: Because she is in our class...
Mr G: What??
Emelie: She is an Australian exhange student.
Mr G: How long has she been here?
Emelie: Only 2 months...
Mr G: Really??
Emelie: Yes!
Mr G: I didn't know that!
Emelie: We told you her first lesson!
Mr G: Oh...
Emelie: Jack is also Australian.
Jack: Bonjour!
Mr G: Another one?
Emelie: Yes.
Mr G: Do you speak French?
Me: Only a little bit...

At this point the penny drops for Mr Gnado as to whay I hadn't been taking very many notes the last few lessons. He then proceeded to remember when he had stood over my shoulder and dictated in my ear. And when he screamed at me. His face went pale if that is possible for a black person.

Mr G: Sorry. Oh sorry! Sorry! I will give you a copy of the lesson afterwards.

He thought I was a lazy French kid! That explains the attitude...

That's very weird. I have an English translation of Jarry's Ubu Roi where the title character's famous "merdre!" is translated as "pshitt!"