French Attitude

"Which kind of coffee? Espresso, serré, noisette, crème, noir, au lait..."

Hi,

isn't "cafe au lait" considered off-color these days?

--

Hackamore
http://www.hackamore.com
http://hackamoretravel.blogspot.com

Our Tesco has a complete aisle devoted to "World Foods", with sections
devoted to several different imported "ethnic" foods, including Polish.
I love the perogies.

Hi,

I think that's happening everywhere to some degree.

the local Kroger has an "ethnic" aisle... mainly mexican and asian.

some interesting things... like Mexican Coke... US Coke Classic (regular
Coke) is made with high fructose corn syrup these days... but "Real
Coke" is/was made with regular white sugar (sucrose)... and mexican coke
is made with sucrose and tastes slightly different than US "new" Coke
Classic.

--

Hackamore
http://www.hackamore.com
http://hackamoretravel.blogspot.com

Our Tesco has a complete aisle devoted to "World Foods", with sections
devoted to several different imported "ethnic" foods, including Polish.
I love the perogies.
I think that's happening everywhere to some degree.
the local Kroger has an "ethnic" aisle... mainly mexican and asian.

I haven't been into a British Tesco for many years, but I do quite
often go into Polish delis, which have sprung up everywhere in the
last few years. One thing I don't get: all the food is labelled
monolingually in Polish. This is a real problem, as Marion is gluten-
and dairy-intolerant, and it seems Polish has about as many words
for food ingredients containing these as English does. So I often
have to leave things on the shelf as I don't know if they're safe or
not. I thought EU food labelling regs required a few translations?

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === http://www.campin.me.uk ====
Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557
CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts

Jack Campin - bogus address writes:

I haven't been into a British Tesco for many years, but I do quite
often go into Polish delis, which have sprung up everywhere in the
last few years. One thing I don't get: all the food is labelled
monolingually in Polish. This is a real problem, as Marion is gluten-
and dairy-intolerant, and it seems Polish has about as many words
for food ingredients containing these as English does. So I often
have to leave things on the shelf as I don't know if they're safe or
not. I thought EU food labelling regs required a few translations?

This is why France has a law that says that things must be labeled in French.
When foods are imported and the original labels don't say anything in French,
distributors are required to attach small stick-on labels that describe what
the packages actually contain in French.

My guess is that that Le Monde article is misleading, that the chances
of encountering an English speaker is below 20%. But at the Hotel Ritz
that number would go up to 100%

Hi,

but one doesn't have to be French to be an english speaking french
resident...

while in Paris with a friend we were taking a little walk just "around
the neighborhood"... Denfert Rochereau, a thoroughly "french"
neighborhood... saw a nice lingerie shop and decided to get her some
"souvenirs".

It was a very traditional shop, we got the Senior and her Junior to
assist... mainly because the Junior was a british woman about 24... she
assisted and translated.

The Senior spoke english... and if she had been the only person there
between her english and my french we would have done fine... but at that
point 100% of the people in that shop spoke would qualify as "speaking
english" but only 50% of the employees were french citizens....

this could be used to bump the numbers either way depending on how you
used it.

--

== Hackamore ==
http://www.hackamore.com/
http://hackamoretravel.blogspot.com/

I shall be in Paris in a little more than a week. I, too, am extremely
worried about my very meager French language abilities.

Hi,

generally the french love anyone who makes an effort at speaking french.

and being just basically formal/polite.

be nice you'll do fine.

--

== Hackamore ==
http://www.hackamore.com/
http://hackamoretravel.blogspot.com/

Hackamore wrote:

some interesting things... like Mexican Coke... US Coke Classic (regular
Coke) is made with high fructose corn syrup these days... but "Real
Coke" is/was made with regular white sugar (sucrose)... and mexican coke
is made with sucrose and tastes slightly different than US "new" Coke
Classic.

Only tasted Coca-Cola once in my life. I'm still amazed that anybody
drinks the disgusting liquid.

Hackamore wrote:

Our Tesco has a complete aisle devoted to "World Foods", with sections
devoted to several different imported "ethnic" foods, including Polish.
I love the perogies.

Hi,

I think that's happening everywhere to some degree.

the local Kroger has an "ethnic" aisle... mainly mexican and asian.

I don't bother with the "ethnic" aisle of the mainstream supermarket. I'll go
to the Mexican or Asian or Indian or Russian etc. grocery instead. (Yes, I
know India is in Asla.)

some interesting things... like Mexican Coke... US Coke Classic (regular
Coke) is made with high fructose corn syrup these days... but "Real
Coke" is/was made with regular white sugar (sucrose)... and mexican coke
is made with sucrose and tastes slightly different than US "new" Coke
Classic.

Canadian Coke is also made with real sugar, which is convenient for those of
use who live relatively close to the Canadian border.

===
Steve
Shoreline, Washington USA

5 Oct 2007, 1049 PDT

Hackamore wrote:

I shall be in Paris in a little more than a week. I, too, am extremely
worried about my very meager French language abilities.

Hi,

generally the french love anyone who makes an effort at speaking french.

and being just basically formal/polite.

be nice you'll do fine.

That certainly has been MY experience, during several visits to Paris!
I was particularly impressed by the clerk in a camera shop whom I
consulted because the film in my camera was not advancing as it should.
She spoke little English, but in response to my "le film ne s'avance
pas" took the camera into the back room, determined that the problem was
simply that I needed a new battery, and installed same then refused to
accept payment! (Of course, I bought some film I didn't really need,
but that was my own choice, I was not pressured to make a purchase.)

Acknowledging that you're a stranger in their country, and being willing
to laugh at your own stupid mistakes, goes a long way in overcoming the
"ugly American" stereotype, too.

Mike O'Sullivan wrote:
Hackamore wrote:

some interesting things... like Mexican Coke... US Coke Classic (regular
Coke) is made with high fructose corn syrup these days... but "Real
Coke" is/was made with regular white sugar (sucrose)... and mexican
coke is made with sucrose and tastes slightly different than US "new"
Coke Classic.

Only tasted Coca-Cola once in my life. I'm still amazed that anybody
drinks the disgusting liquid.

I'm American, but I agree! (And to think many people here drink the
stuff for BREAKFAST!!!!!!!)