Some random petit comments

I wanted to write a little bit more about my weekend in the South. There were so many things that I got to see that I never have before, such as olive trees, HUGE cacti, pink flamingos in flight, highway prostitutes, palm trees that grow wild, and of course the sea, just to name a few. Montpellier was a cool town. It looked Paris- ish because of its roman architecture, but close to the sea. Other than that, the buildings looked somewhat spanish in the South.
Its funny how that is. The buildings here in Savoie (next to Switzerland) look quite Swiss and if you go up North, you see lots of brick and more typically english looking buildings. In the south, close to spain they look spanish. Go figure.

..... Now for a petit french anecdote.....

The other day I was walking around buying Christmas presents, and I happened to walk into an electronic store and make a purchase. I told the sales man I was from Canada and was sending this particular thing there, and we had a nice conversation; he was very kind. Then I asked the man if I needed to buy batteries for the thing and....... he asked me if batteries exist in Canada!!! It was so great. I totally don't feel guilty for my cultural ignorances anymore.
I have also been asked what language is spoken in Canada, and been believed when I have said that I live in an igloo. I am proud to be the one now who gets to go around and gently laugh at other peoples cultural ignorances.

..... Just because I am in the mood, I will share another petit french anecdote....

My art teacher once told me that languages are very indicative of the culture of the people who speak them. For example the Native Canadians who live in the north, north speak their own language and in it they have 10 + words to say snow.
Conclusion, lots of snow.
So this is what I noticed about french and the people who speak it.
-the specific verbs, to eat breakfast, to eat lunch, and to eat dinner all exist individually.
- il faut que, litteratly meaning it must be, has no english translation either. It only serves as a way for the french to better express all their many strong opinions in sentences such as, "It must be that you try this, see this or wear this" This is one thing that is really different from the subserviant, understanding canadian mindset.
-there are at least 6 different ways to say "kiss"
Conclusion, lots of food, kisses and debates. Vive la France.