RIP Rutger Hauer

[Bambino]

Sad news

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49098435

[Glory1]

Perhaps that was part of why I experienced what I did @MI5, I wasn't in any region of France long enough to become a real part of the area. And I fully admit my French left a lot to be desired as I didn't use it as much as I had in my teens and early 20s. Like all languages you have to keep using it or you lose it. 

I totally agree with you about French wine and food; love both. It's just the French themselves I had a problem with. Though as I said when I was with my late partner, as he was a fluent French speaker, my experience was quite pleasant, as long as I let him do all the talking 

[ComaChameleon]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

I do agree that schools teach a second language @jonsie , the trouble is we fail to make the effort as so many other countries make it easy for us as they usually speak English (or enough to get by)

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One problem is aswell that people who speak a language want to speak it. So even you speak fluently dutch and they notice you're german, they speak german because they're happy to show they're able to speak. I guess it's the same with other countries (except france)..

And @MI5  my experience of France was (one of them) in Avignon,  we wanted to order at a bakery (croissants... drool) - as they noticed we're foreigners, they pretended not to understand us - one of us ordered even in french. And we even tried to point on it... They just acted silly.