...continued from yesterday...
We left Sébastien yesterday singing into his headset:
"Californieeeeeee!" he sang. "Take me with you!"
I laughed but he went on with his inquiry. "Do you go back often? How often? What do you do here for work?"
We were chatting away, Sébastian et moi, and the EDF refund somehow faded into the background. Can you believe it? Me...chatting away in French. And him...understanding every word. I can't even begin to count the days when I thought this would be impossible - and yet here I am these days, navigating this lovely language almost adequately.
Then he swiftly made a U-turn and headed in his original direction: "Next time you go to California, take me with you! I could carry your bags!"
I laughed - again - and said, "You'd be carrying my dog...he can be a bit of a load on a long flight."
We both laughed and the conversation then slowed to a stop at its logical end-point with all of the details about the refund and when it would likely show up on my bill.
I thanked him. He wished me a good day. I returned the pleasantry. The call ended. I went on ticking things off my 'to do' list.
Less than a minute later, my portable phone chimed, indicating that a text message had been received. I looked at the screen to find a text from a number I didn't recognize: "Mme. Ray?"
"Oui," I sent back. (Sometimes new clients call/text this number so this was not all that unusual.)
The immediate response: "Emmenez moi en Californieeeee!!!! Sébastien"
Take me to Californieeeeeeee!
All I could do was LOL!
This would never happen in the US! I thought as I typed back my response (and neither would that!), which was simply: ;}
Another chime rang in his response: "Vous n'avez pas dit non, c'est bon signe, j'ai bon espoir! :[)?"
You have not said no, that's a good sign, I'm hopeful.
"Pas de chance" I tapped in, "
c'est mon petit chien qui a dit 'non'! (Il est jaloux.) Mais vous avez me fait rire."
It is my dog who said 'no'. (He is jealous.) But you made me laugh. And I sent it off into the ethers.
A few minutes later I received the final message in the exchange: Je vous souhaite une très bonne journée."
I wish you a very nice day!
The entire experience made me smile...'when in Rome', as they say.
I think this place is rubbin' off on me. The evidence of that? The fact that I found Sébastien's behavior charming - because flirting here is an art form which many French women appreciate... and what's more, that I could actually participate in the entire exchange in French...and apparently with a "jolie accent"!
For all the difficult days when I'm swept away by the thought:
What was I thinking by moving to France?!?
But days like this feel more like:
Perhaps the eagle has landed.
 |
| You saw this lovely old dear dressed in springtime green here. |
Hope you're week is off to a great start...wherever you are...
leslie
