Besoin de parler francais?

"Quoi?! Je n'ai pas compris! Il parait que tu as perdu ton francais!" that was what my Vietnamese-French friend told me when I called him to ask for the new address of one of our common friends. "Desole, hein" was all I could say while acrobatically reaching for the dictionary to desperately look for some words that were slipping out of my head. Mon Dieu! I have to brush up my french. I managed to get the message across but I was totally disgusted at how I was losing grip of the language that I promised myself not to ever forget as long as the Eiffel tower proudly displays its splendor. The cause? disuse atrophy! that is what's eating my french away. And who would expect me to keep my French language ability intact after almost five years since I left the country that has left a very special and indelible place in my heart. Five years! and it seems like it was just yesterday when I bade "Adieu" to my friends who made my studies in France a chapter to be read over and over again. Last year, I went back to France to repolish friendships that were tarnished by time and distance and to walk down the memory lane. Nothing much has changed except that the familiar voices of my friends that echoed outside my room, calling for me to join their crepe and cider dinner have vanished. I terribly miss them but life has to go on. C'est la vie!

To preserve the language inside my aging head, I downloaded some French refreshers from the internet. This way, I could resurrect the grammar and vocabulary that have been slowly but surely slipping into coma inside the less active part of my brain. I hope that I could cope with the deterioration since I intend to work in France someday if opportunities knock and I was there to answer the door. I'd like also to bring my family to the magnificient and breath-taking parts of the country especially in Brittany, Loire valley and of course the Parisian region. Well, who knows? Life is a like a box of chocolates (Forrest Gump).

I have no solid plans today. Maybe later I'll go to Bandai to have a haircut and look for a luggage bag that could carry things for a ten-day trip. I have two suitcases but they are meant for very short or very long trips. After that, then maybe eat somewhere. Right now, I feel like dozing off again after eating a lot and that is bad for the health :) So, where to go today? I'll see when I wake up. (photo coutesy of: www.french.dotjp.com/ ecole/)

My Life