Fi Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Why do I have such a nightmare dealing with numbers over the phone? My French friends say I am pretty good, but as soon as numbers get involved it all goes horribly wrong.For example, I took a booking for a weekend in one of my gites. It all went swimmingly until the postcode bit. I thought I had it right, but when I went to check it doesn't exist. And I thought the lady said "Vallonge" (no such place) post code 56525 (doesn't exist). This is really embarrassing! I have texted the lady and said I couldn't read my writing and could she please confirm her coordonnees, but this is pretty feeble really.I am a bit distracted by other things at the moment but this is getting to be no longer a laughing matter!I did learn one new word today - piccoler (sorry about the spelling) - I think I should try it out tonight ........Fi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Possibly try ‘Vallongue’ as you have a phone number try ‘A Qui A Sa Numero’ on http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baypond Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I am good with numbers, but also find it incredibly difficult to write down words accurately when someone is spelling out their surname or something. I am also a laid back, but fairly confident person, but show me a urinal full of blokes and I can't pee after 10 pints! I also get conscious when writing out cheques and signing them in front of people. I don't have a problem with any of this, I see it as some kind of survival instinct which kicks in when you come to repeat something you have previously had an experience of that for some reason created a rush of adrenelin or stress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 [quote user="Anton Redman"]Possibly try ‘Vallongue’ as you have a phone number try ‘A Qui A Sa Numero’ on http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/ [/quote]sadly it's a mobile number, if she doesn't reply to my text I'll just have to ring her and feel like a complete dingbat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacote0_0 Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I believe that numbers in a foreign language are generally reckoned to be more difficult than words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 My weak point is days of the week, I am fine with numbers, when I hear them I just visualise the figure, I never think of the number in English, I count and do calculations in my head in French, with the exception of having a mental block when I hear seize which I always think of as dix-sept, somewhere in my head I think that there is a dix-six [:)]Buy boy with days of the week I often have to count from scratch Lundi, Mardi, Mercredi......... etc as I doubt myself, I think that it is because I cannot visualise a day nor (because of my situation) can I identify Lundi as the day I go work, Vendredi the last day, Samedi and Dimanche as being the weekend etc.I was discussing this the other night with a friend, he lived in France for around 20 years, he's been back in the UK for about 5 and most people say his French is fluent. I was really taken aback when he told me that he coud never discriminate between Vendredi and Dimanche as I have exactly the same problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Vendredi = sales day = fishing boats have sales = you eat fish on Friday. - I know it is mad but that is how I rememberDimanch = Di Masse Day ( Best New York Italien ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I just own up and say I'm useless. Nobody seems to mind and generally they will read out numbers digit by digit if I ask. Most of the time, I'm right, but it's when we get onto the multiple numbers that I begin to doubt myself (you know four 20s plus ten-nine - what's that about?) It's one time when I reckon the Belgians have it right.[Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 I did own up, and asked her to send me an email (cop-out class I), but no email and I messed it (taking down her details correctly) up. [:$] Some kind person (doctor's receptionist) said my accent was "attachant" but I think she was being kind! Think I'll have to ring my booking tomorrow and confess! [:$]Fi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 [quote user="J.R gone native"] Buy boy with days of the week I often have to count from scratch Lundi, Mardi, Mercredi......... etc as I doubt myself, I think that it is because I cannot visualise a day nor (because of my situation) can I identify Lundi as the day I go work, Vendredi the last day, Samedi and Dimanche as being the weekend etc.[/quote]Only one solution JR....... You should sing this while working !! [:P][:)]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAzr-s9dH0g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Et pour apprendre à bien compter ... [:)]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzJYNTPMQTA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi Posted July 3, 2009 Author Share Posted July 3, 2009 Well the lady phoned me last night and gave me her email address (which I did manage to get down correctly) - I sent her a blank booking form for the gite (apart from price etc) so, unless her writing it totally illegible [;-)] I should get away with it this time. I hope. Now I know why my kids find reciting tables etc in french so tricky - not only have they inherited my "rubbish with numbers" gene, but they've also inherited my "confused by numbers in a foreign language" gene. They have no hope, poor things.Fi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I hated giving telephone numbers - i.e. 643278 soixante-quatre, trente-deux etc. I get flustered trying to working out the combinations to end with a double digit while at the same time giving them in french. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacote0_0 Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 You can always pretend to be Swiss or Belgian or even old French when reading the numbers back (huitante/ octante, nonante). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 My (semi) retired builder/fount of all knowledge speaks like that anyway. Very confusing initially!Fi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacote0_0 Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 What floors me is people who talk in old francs (eg. "x million"). It was bad enough when it was just between new francs and old, and the pound was at 10, but now you have establish that they are indeed using old francs, and then convert from old francs to new, to euros, and then into pounds sterling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 and the Swiss Coops soixante septante huitante nonante - great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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