The great 'tu' versus 'vous' debate

One thing I've really struggled with since being in France is knowing when to use 'tu' and 'vous' (informal and formal ways of saying 'you' respectively, for any non-French speakers reading this). Which do you use for your landlady? Your work colleagues? Your boss, who is also technically a work colleague? Some people were helpful at the beginning, like some of the teachers at my school, who said I didn't have to use 'vous' with them because we were colleagues. Other people I just had to guess with.

Those aren't so much of an issue anymore, because if I haven't been told at some point, I've just picked one and am now rolling with it. My main problem now is that when I was arrived, I was so used to saying 'vous' automatically that I was using it with everyone. This included the kids at school. And believe me, there is something a bit intimidating about having eight-year-olds look at you like you're crazy when you do that.

So for over a month I have been training myself out of automatically saying 'vous'. Unfortunately, as a result, I am now using 'tu' automatically, with taxi drivers, shop assistants, people who ask me things in the street... people I really should be using 'vous' with.

Then there are certain expressions that you learn in a certain way - for example, I'm so used to saying 's'il vous plait' that I can't make myself remember to sometimes say 's'il te plait'. Equally, I always say 'a tes souhaits' and never 'a vos souhaits'.

Basically, you just can't win with the French language.

Toussaint and a day in Paris

So apparently I’m pretty lax at this whole blogging malarky. Sacré bleu.

Much, much has happened since I last wrote! Most notably was the Toussaint holiday. (A quick note on the French school holiday system: they have far too many of them. As you were.) So, having only really been at work properly for about three weeks, I had a two week break over Halloween and All Saints Day (Toussaint to the French). So I packed my bags and went back to England.

We won’t talk about my incredibly stressful journey home, which involved a taxi which showed up fifteen minutes late causing me to dash for my train, lugging an extremely heavy suitcase round a metro system with no escalators, and the loss of all record of my Eurostar booking. EVENTUALLY, I made it home for two blissful weeks where I could give my poor brain a rest and not speak any French at all.

The first week coincided with the half term week in England, which meant my mum was off work and so I spent the week with her in Bedford. My sister also came down from university at the weekend, which was nice, and we went Christmas shopping, which was even nicer (sorry, Natalie), and it was Bonfire Night (yay!) so there was fireworks-going as well. Then, on Sunday night, I gadded off to Leicester, to stay with Josh (who knew I was coming) and to see my housemates from last year (who didn’t). Unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough off the mark to take pictures of their faces when they opened the door but believe me, the sight will remain with me for a long while.

 

So, activities during this week involved the celebration of Josh’s 21^st birthday, a bread-and-butter pudding date and a cocktail-drinking night out with my housemates, a Pizza Express date (that date was actually with my boyfriend), and... other things I think have already forgotten about. In summary, it was a very lovely week. It was a bit difficult leaving again, but I was kind of expecting that, and I was fine once I was back anyway. I do miss gravy though. Oh, and baked beans. And seriously, do they sell mince pies in France? I don't think they do, and it distresses me greatly.

Recent French adventures included a trip to Paris with Rachael at the weekend. I’ve only been to Paris once before and I’d forgotten how much I loved it. We did the sort of generic touristy bits – the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame – but there was also a slight Christmassy twist as there was a Christmas market along the Champs Elysées which we weren’t expecting and which I enjoyed immensely.  

I have no picture of the Christmas market so you'll
have to make do with the Eiffel Tower.

 We also visited this bookshop which is my new favourite place in the world.

Oh, books, how I love you.

And we even managed to find the most stereotypically Parisian café/bar place where we stopped mid-afternoon for crepes and mulled wine. Christmassy and French all rolled into one!

 

Finally, school anecdote of the week: after one of my lessons yesterday a girl came up to me and said “t’es belle” (“you’re beautiful”). My heart melted. Seconds later, another girl asked how old I was. When I responded with “21” (not that old!) she looked absolutely horrified and slightly sorry for me. You win some, you lose some.