SaligoBay Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 A nice harmless little article to pass 5 minutes on with a cup of tea:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3505067.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teejay Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 LAST EDITED ON 22-Feb-04 AT 08:20 PM (GMT)Thanks, I enjoyed that and the tea as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letrangere Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 Thanks for pointing that out SB. Strange how I missed it for my daily morning routine is that web site first followed by this one. I loved the French cardiologist whose idea of a perfect summer holiday is visiting country houses in East Anglia.But can we take this opportunity to discuss tu and vous? I'm a devout "vouvoier" and with the exception of one or two very close French women friends and a couple of my Belgian colleagues (whom I've worked with for years), never, ever tu. In fact, I sometimes struggle to remember second person singulier verbs as I so seldom use them.There's something very elegant, respectful as well as formal about vous and I actually think it's rather nice that Chirac vousvoies his wife. Personally I cringe when people I barely know "tu" me but I fully accept I shouldn't be so stuffy and that times are changing.Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted February 23, 2004 Author Share Posted February 23, 2004 I thought this was interesting:"Neither fully in the society of the country I live in, nor fully out of it - certainly not given the amount of tax I pay - I am a semi-outsider casting a sideways glance."And that's after 10 years!Brave enough to say the French make some bad films tho, good on him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richardrawlings Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 You have no idea how much better this thread has made me feel. When I first started speaking in french to my colleagues I dutifully used vous. However the first fax I got back from another company addressed me as tu. I am on first name terms with most of the staff there and they accept the fact that I will use tu. BUT the manager of the dept expects to be called MR and addressed with vous. Theres another but when Speak french to the Belgians they always use vous and never tu but I am more friendly with them. I have not met the my Belgian counterparts but I have my French ones.I am sure that one of these days I am going to put my foot in it and vanish up to my neck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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