Hello chaps,
So I feel I should explain my blogging absence of late. After the announcement of my winning the iX13 blog competition, I found myself far too busy to maintain my position - funny how you're actually expected to work at university, isn't it? (I'm kidding, I work pretty hard. She says, writing a blog completely unrelated to such matters)...
It was all announced during the last week before the pause pedagogique, or Reading week as you and I call it. I found myself swamped with 3 exams and life admin related to my upcoming travel plans.
I spent my pause in 4 cities, which over the course of 9 days is pretty impressive.
I returned to my parents house to celebrate my 21st for the second time - which culminated in a chocolate mousse cake so big it took 4 people 4 days to eat. And I don't mean it was only eaten at dinner. Oh come on, if you can't have cake for breakfast on your birthday, when can you? Don't judge me!!
I then returned to London to see some friends, and then was off to Cardiff to see another friend. It is something of an Erasmus student stereotype to do a crazy amount of travelling, so naturally I went to Brussels and Bruges for the last 4 days.
It made me feel horribly old to realise it was over ten years ago that I last visited Bruges, when they were still phasing out the Belgian franc. We visited a chocolate museum that was opened in 2004. Seems like ages ago now - but was not there when I last was. This makes me feel old because it just does not feel like that long ago.
For the main point of this article: It's actually unbelievable how important the ability to speak other languages is. I'm going to draw on two examples here. Firstly, the serveuse in the macaroon shop in Montmartre I visited a few weeks ago. She was speaking to two Spanish customers before us, in fluent Spanish. She then lapsed into perfect English to serve my companion (I was holding fort at the table). She then switched into her native language of French to serve the next customers.
All of this took place in the space of 5-10 minutes. 3 languages. 10 minutes. When was the last time you did that, and seamlessly?
Didn't think so.
Second example: Bruges. Everything is written in 3 languages as a matter of course. And all service staff are required to speak all three. Sure, English is the lingua franca, in most cases, but not everyone can speak English and, quite frankly, not everyone should have to in order to communicate with other people. I denounce our lack of linguistic ability in England. We are lagging behind other nations, especially on the continent, and are selfish enough to expect other people to speak our language without making any attempt to speak theirs.
I therefore choose to speak in French to all service staff over here, as I am frankly ashamed of this national heritage. It screams ignorance, and I certainly do not think ignorance is bliss.
So I feel I should explain my blogging absence of late. After the announcement of my winning the iX13 blog competition, I found myself far too busy to maintain my position - funny how you're actually expected to work at university, isn't it? (I'm kidding, I work pretty hard. She says, writing a blog completely unrelated to such matters)...
It was all announced during the last week before the pause pedagogique, or Reading week as you and I call it. I found myself swamped with 3 exams and life admin related to my upcoming travel plans.
I spent my pause in 4 cities, which over the course of 9 days is pretty impressive.
I returned to my parents house to celebrate my 21st for the second time - which culminated in a chocolate mousse cake so big it took 4 people 4 days to eat. And I don't mean it was only eaten at dinner. Oh come on, if you can't have cake for breakfast on your birthday, when can you? Don't judge me!!
I then returned to London to see some friends, and then was off to Cardiff to see another friend. It is something of an Erasmus student stereotype to do a crazy amount of travelling, so naturally I went to Brussels and Bruges for the last 4 days.
It made me feel horribly old to realise it was over ten years ago that I last visited Bruges, when they were still phasing out the Belgian franc. We visited a chocolate museum that was opened in 2004. Seems like ages ago now - but was not there when I last was. This makes me feel old because it just does not feel like that long ago.
For the main point of this article: It's actually unbelievable how important the ability to speak other languages is. I'm going to draw on two examples here. Firstly, the serveuse in the macaroon shop in Montmartre I visited a few weeks ago. She was speaking to two Spanish customers before us, in fluent Spanish. She then lapsed into perfect English to serve my companion (I was holding fort at the table). She then switched into her native language of French to serve the next customers.
All of this took place in the space of 5-10 minutes. 3 languages. 10 minutes. When was the last time you did that, and seamlessly?
Didn't think so.
Second example: Bruges. Everything is written in 3 languages as a matter of course. And all service staff are required to speak all three. Sure, English is the lingua franca, in most cases, but not everyone can speak English and, quite frankly, not everyone should have to in order to communicate with other people. I denounce our lack of linguistic ability in England. We are lagging behind other nations, especially on the continent, and are selfish enough to expect other people to speak our language without making any attempt to speak theirs.
I therefore choose to speak in French to all service staff over here, as I am frankly ashamed of this national heritage. It screams ignorance, and I certainly do not think ignorance is bliss.
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