Thursday, April 23, 2009

Happy St George's Day?

A vintage tale of xenophobia.

She was laughing out loud. In her head, she was totally convinced she'd come up with the wittiest comment ever. That was my work colleague, a 50-year-old lady from a certain Northern town.

Proud owner of a second home in Provence, she was moaning about the fact that -when in France- her husband tends to attract people asking for directions. "They always mistake him for a local and ask him where places are", she added.

And then this: "So you know what I'm gonna get him for St George's Day? A t-shirt carrying a massive sign that says I'm fookin English, I don't speak fookin French, so stop asking me for directions!!!

Then another guffaw followed. And another. And then I left the room.

3 comments:

Helen Highwater said...

I get asked for directions when I'm in Spain and I think it's rather awesome!

What a tool.

Helen Highwater said...

PS: And I'm taking Spanish lessons this year so that when I go there I don't feel like an English turd.

Mary Reilly said...

It is!
I have a cousin who lives near Marbella. Three years he's been there he hasn't picked up a word.