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From: hagens@uwvax.UUCP (Rob Hagens)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: Re: paris, france
Message-ID: <465@uwvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Dec-85 09:41:55 EST
Article-I.D.: uwvax.465
Posted: Thu Dec 12 09:41:55 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 16-Dec-85 05:40:21 EST
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> not found a French restaurant in the States where everyone spoke French.
> In fact, no one in the US will try to understand if I speak French.

I agree -- most anyone you meet on the street (in US) will not try to understand
your French. However, you must realize that the US is not
surrounded by many non-English speaking countries. Regarding Canada, we can
understand most hosers up in the great white north :-). Mexico of course
uses Spanish, and if you look around you will find a great many signs
in both English and Spanish.

Ever see a multi-lingual phone in France, or any where else in Europe?

When I was in France, I found most every one spoke English. I had one
bad experience in a local bar in Paris, but that was offset by the fact that
in another bar (in Paris), I tried to order two wines, and got two beers
and a wine, and the waiter (politely) exchanged them for what I really wanted.

Now, French trains are another story (they need to take a lesson from the
DB on how to run a train).

My brother had a different experience in France. In the international
section of the Paris airport, he approached a police officer and asked
"Where is the bathroom." The officer shook his head, so my brother asked
again in German, and then in Spanish - still no luck. Finally he pointed
toward his fly and shouted PISS. Somehow, the officer seemed to understand.

Rob Hagens
-- 
Rob Hagens @ wisconsin
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