There’s a peculiar language dance that sometimes happens when I try to figure out whether to use my imperfect Dutch or my native English.
I went to a local bakery, famous for its French style breads and pastries. I’d usually use Dutch in this situation but this particular shop often has visiting students working for them and so I just asked whether Dutch or English would work best.
| Shop guy (with French accent) | English will be fine… or French |
| Dumb foreigner (ie; me) | Il y a des années, mais j’ai étudié le français à l’école (It’s been years but I did study French at school) |
| Shop guy (with French accent) | Moi aussi |
I went on to order in English but left with a solid “Merci et au revoir”. Decades after my last class with her, Madame Bell would be proud.
I am not a tourist 