To A French Basher
Yes, I have an accent. It is because I was brought up in
France, you see. Education is good and free there, but obviously it is also in
French. I have been living here for nine years now, so stop showing me your ear
when I speak, please. You understand me perfectly well. Give me a break. Don't
worry, I get my revenge from time to time when you try to say a French word
like 'savoir faire' to impress your audience. I frown. It is your pronunciation,
you see. I didn't get it. In fact, I hate to break it to you, but your French
sucks. My English is so much better than your French and that's something you
should remember from time to time.
Don't make a pass at me because I am French. I have been
told far too many times that I look French and that the way I speak is sexy. I
wouldn't know, I did nothing for this, and it is definitively not a sign that I
fancy you. I live here, just like you. I work, I take my kids to school, I pay
my taxes. Now can we have a normal conversation please?
I know that it might come as a shock, but most French men
don't have any mistress and some of us (like me) don't eat frog, snail and
horse-meat. And yes, French women do sometimes get fat. In fact, there is no
such thing as 'The French'. We just take it one day at a time. Oh, and I don't
make political decisions in Paris, so stop implying that I have something to do
with French agricultural subsidiaries just because I happen to be the only
French in the room. Not my fault.
Well now, I have a confession to make: I am British too.
Yes, I have a British passport. I will vote at the next general election, just
like you. Now don't give me another historical lecture to try to convince me
that we are hereditary enemies and that you are so superior. Why do you need to
score points at every possible opportunity? What is there to win exactly? I
live here and I love it, I don't need any convincing. Nor do I need constant
reminders that I don't really belong here. Whether you like it or not, I
officially do, actually.
Finally, I would like to offer you some fashion advice:
ditch the stripes, they really make you look fatter. And no, Evian doesn't have
an oily taste.
I sincerely hope that, one day, you will see me as I am.
Did you run into a jerk today? :)
ReplyDeletea double dose of whisky is surely called for after that! chin chin... :-)
ReplyDeletewell said.Too many people stereotype others instead of taking a person for who they are.
ReplyDeleteI used to get similar over here until I reduced my social outings to a minimum. :) Same old jokes, comments, observations about accent, being British etc. *yawn*
ReplyDeleteIt is annoying, isn't it? I used to find it funny but after a while, it doesn't make me smile any more. The jokes always seem to be coming from the same type of guy: middle-aged, fat tummy, thinks he is incredibly funny. I now try to avoid such guys.
ReplyDeleteCheers to that!
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! Unfortunately it can be the same for an American in France: I'm tired of people blaming ME for bad Hollywood movies. I didn't make them, people! :)
ReplyDeleteBon courage!
So funny! It is so easy to blame someone who just happens to be here...So tell me, do you have a French passport yet?
ReplyDeletePlease do, it would be so funny! People love to categorise. I suppose that it isn't anything personal really. That said, it sometimes gets on my nerves!
ReplyDeleteVery well written, Muriel! =) We can't blame people for being ignorant, but we can blame them for openly stereotyping and over-generalizing. =) Ooh! And I really need to take your advice about the stripes. I thought I had skinnied up enough so that they don't make me look fatter anymore, but on second thought...
ReplyDeleteI don't think that you need to worry about looking fat in stripes, Samantha...You look pretty fit (and skinny) to me.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing against stripes, it is just that it gets too much (on the trousers, on the jacket, on the shirt...everywhere!)