the a is for autodidact

As I rather briefly mentioned in yesterday's post, learning French is way fun. I've been doing this online course through the BBC website, and I'm about half way through. It's a lot of fun, and it gives me a chance to use my hella awesome French accent, which you can't hear obviously but trust me, it's good. Anyway, at this stage, if someone held a gun to my head and forced me to, I could hella order a beer (je prends une biere, s'il vous plaît). Or a glass of wine (un verre de vin). Or even a whole BOTTLE of wine (une bouteille de vin). Perhaps you've got plenty of wine, and what you really need is, um, a kilo of tomatoes (un kilo de tomates)? I can order that too. Impressed? I thought so.

Over dinner of roast chicken (le poulet rôti), I could inquire as to your marital status (vous êtes mariée?) and whether you have any children (vous avez les enfants?). Are you Scottish (vous êtes écossais)? Welsh (gallois)? (It's a British website, remember.) And what is that you do? (qu'est-ce que vous faites?) After dinner you can take a taxi (un taxi) back to wherever it is that you live (vous habitez où?). This will all be very useful one day, I'm sure.

Still, I don't mean to make fun. I mean, obviously you've got to start with the basics (most of which I remember from high school) before you can move on to, say, Candide as originally written in 18th century French.

Strangely in one of the conversational lessons, while trying to decide what to order at a restaurant, "my friend" supposedly says, "Je n'aime pas le vin rouge." I don't like red wine. Riiiight. Find me ONE French person who can honestly say that, and I will seriously pay you $50.