This is colorado. Not a lot of people out here speak FRENCH.

Sim Kid · 05-30-2009, 03:09 AM

Alright so I'm at the mall and this woman is asking everyone if they speak french (in french of course - I recognize that much) Finally she comes up to me and asks that, I just respond "non" and then watch as she asks a few MORE people. Finally she looks angry at one person and says, in a heavy french accent...

"Why does nobody out here speak FRENCH?!"

Gee miss...maybe because this is COLORADO? If you were around some place that bordered on Quebec maybe you'll find a french speaker but out here? Dude we're thousands of miles away from the canadian border. Around here, you're more likely to get a response if you asked if someone spoke Spanish.

*Headdesk*

Plus, if you know some english, it's better to use that than ask if eveyrone speaks french. There are several Chinese people out here and while they HEAVILY prefer speaking Cantonese, they know no one out here knows Cantonese in any way and use english, no matter how hard it is. Heck, if I were in Quebec I'd still use broken French, and if I were in mexico I'd speak Spanish (though I'd have a better chance)

**Loot** · 05-30-2009, 03:21 AM

Wow. Way to be insensitve.

Metal Man · 05-30-2009, 03:53 AM

Colorado? Heck, out there you're far more likely to encounter Spanish than French.

Bomby · 05-30-2009, 04:00 AM

For a second I thought the title said "not a lot of people ski in French."

***CaptHayfever*** · 05-30-2009, 02:12 PM

^^^How stupid would I look if I went to southern France & demanded that everyone I met be fluent in English just because it "borders" England, if I got upset that most of the people vastly preferred to speak their native language, the dominant one of the country? Exactly.
In northwestern France I might have a case, albeit a slim one, but on the opposite side of the country from the English-speaking neighbor, I'm an idiot. Similarly, in the northeastern States, nearer to Quebec, there is a slightly better case for expecting people to speak French, but not in Colorado, which is on the opposite side of the continent from Quebec & doesn't even come close to touching Canada proper.

^Well, that's true, too.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

I am nobody · 05-30-2009, 02:47 PM

If she managed to shout about it in English I'm sure she could have asked whatever it was she needed in English as well. I know plenty of people who only remembered strange phrases of various languages, but "Why does nobody out here speak French?" doesn't seem like something most people learn.

More likely she was one of the people that follows the "I learned your language, now hurry up and learn mine" mentality. Not that that idea ever makes any sense, but a Colorado mall is a pretty stupid place to try it out.

Sim Kid · 05-30-2009, 04:14 PM

^I have met quite a few people who are like that but they are with Spanish.

Now I can understand like say, 35+ year olds can have a difficult time learning a new language. Especially one as complex as English. But there are good ones and bad ones.

The good people usually have someone like their grandchildren who DO know english translate for them or they speak english slowly no matter how heavy their accent. My mom's neighbours are from Guatemala and their grandmother's 70 years old and only came up in 2005 so she clearly isn't the hottest with English.

The bad people expect everyone in a primarily english-speaking area to know Perfect Spanish. Not Broken spanish...perfect. There are numerous people in Denver-Aurora-Thornton who are third-generation Mexican-Americans and yet they don't speak a word of English. >.<

Eagle Eye · 05-30-2009, 06:29 PM

Slightly off topic, but there's also people that expect you to not speak with a southern accent once you're outside the south....

Sim Kid · 05-30-2009, 06:47 PM

Really? We don't expect you to speak with a bland unrecognizable accent in the west.

Eagle Eye · 05-30-2009, 06:51 PM

Been to Cali several times, usually someone asks me to say "put the ham in the bucket", and the one time I went to Chicago, I got some odd looks for having a twang in my voice. They were also extremely confused by me asking for sweet tea....

Rainbow Dash · 05-30-2009, 07:18 PM

what is sweet tea

Eagle Eye · 05-30-2009, 07:32 PM

Tea that is sweet

Panfan · 05-30-2009, 07:37 PM

^ That's a ****ing stupid idea Andre. We drink salty tea up here. Go back to your ranch, redneck.

Vgfian · 05-30-2009, 07:43 PM

^^^ Only the most awesomest thing EVAR!

*ahem* Can you tell that I like sweet tea?

Anyway, back on topic, she could've simply been scared of making a fool of herself, and that's why she didn't just try to speak in English, but I don't know.

Luigiman7 · 05-30-2009, 09:57 PM

Sweet tea is CRAP.

And I hate when people have that "learn my language now" mentality. It's annoying.

**Valigarmander** · 05-30-2009, 10:07 PM

Oddly enough, we have a large and ever-expanding Spanish-speaking population up here in Oregon, some 800 miles or so north of the Mexican border.

This has never really been a problem for me (my childhood best friend was half-Mexican; weren't no other kids with frickin' PIÑATAS at THEIR lame birthday parties), and I'm learning to speak Spanish myself, although it is a bit more difficult for red-blooded old white men (like my dad, unfortunately) to adapt to.

Jesus · 05-31-2009, 12:35 AM

You have to understand that people all over the world come to the US for various reasons. Nobody is perfect and it can be frustrating to be in an area where nobody can understand you. I once met a girl at Madison Square Garden from India who asked for Aisle 8" and I explained to her where Aisle 8 was. She was like no where is "AYZEL 8?". I played along with her and showed her to "Ayzel 8" afterward. Don't consider yourself better than someone if they don't understand your language and they are in a foreign area.

Did you know that french is the third most used language in the US as well? There's a big difference in asking if people know conversational cantonese in the US vs knowing conversational french in the US.

If you were really bothered by it you would've been better off ignoring the person rather than getting upset and angry. She was probably helpless in her situation.

***CaptHayfever*** · 05-31-2009, 12:44 AM

^Yeah, just like Earth's the largest inner planet; doesn't change the fact that the 4 outer planets are all hundreds of times larger.

My basic mentality:
If you're just visiting a place, you don't need to learn the whole local language, but you should pick up a few key phrases & be patient with anyone willing to help you.
If you're moving somewhere for keeps, though, you do need to learn the local language. Period. If I move to Japan, I need to learn Japanese. If someone else moves to the US, they should learn English or Spanish (unless they plan to live & operate completely within a community that speaks something else; good luck with that, though).

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

Eagle Eye · 05-31-2009, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weegee

Sweet tea is CRAP.

Get out my VGF and lock the door.

Sim Kid · 05-31-2009, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesus

You have to understand that people all over the world come to the US for various reasons. Nobody is perfect and it can be frustrating to be in an area where nobody can understand you. I once met a girl at Madison Square Garden from India who asked for Aisle 8" and I explained to her where Aisle 8 was. She was like no where is "AYZEL 8?". I played along with her and showed her to "Ayzel 8" afterward. Don't consider yourself better than someone if they don't understand your language and they are in a foreign area.

Did you know that french is the third most used language in the US as well? There's a big difference in asking if people know conversational cantonese in the US vs knowing conversational french in the US.

If you were really bothered by it you would've been better off ignoring the person rather than getting upset and angry. She was probably helpless in her situation.

I wasn't exactly upset, it's more or less a common thing that probably cheeses people off. The only people who really do cheese me off are people who refuse to learn any language when they're living here. It'd be just as frustrating if I were in Quebec and I definitely would prefer English. She probaly shouldn't have made a scene of it by getting angry, especially since she didn't even apologize.

05-30-2009, 03:09 AM	#1
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 8,884 Thanks: 80 Thanked 198 Times in 122 Posts	This is colorado. Not a lot of people out here speak FRENCH. Alright so I'm at the mall and this woman is asking everyone if they speak french (in french of course - I recognize that much) Finally she comes up to me and asks that, I just respond "non" and then watch as she asks a few MORE people. Finally she looks angry at one person and says, in a heavy french accent... "Why does nobody out here speak FRENCH?!" Gee miss...maybe because this is COLORADO? If you were around some place that bordered on Quebec maybe you'll find a french speaker but out here? Dude we're thousands of miles away from the canadian border. Around here, you're more likely to get a response if you asked if someone spoke Spanish. Headdesk Plus, if you know some english, it's better to use that than ask if eveyrone speaks french. There are several Chinese people out here and while they HEAVILY prefer speaking Cantonese, they know no one out here knows Cantonese in any way and use english, no matter how hard it is. Heck, if I were in Quebec I'd still use broken French, and if I were in mexico I'd speak Spanish (though I'd have a better chance)

05-30-2009, 09:57 PM	#15
Luigiman7 ヽ(◔ ◡ ◔)ノ.･ﾟ*｡･+☆ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: ~)´◡｀(~ Gender: Posts: 17,605 Thanks: 1,134 Thanked 1,012 Times in 713 Posts Blog Entries: 8	Sweet tea is CRAP. And I hate when people have that "learn my language now" mentality. It's annoying. __________________ ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼ＷＯＮ’Ｔ　ＹＯＵ　ＢＥＣＯＭＥ　Ａ　ＭＡＧＩＣＡＬ　ＧＩＲＬ？

05-30-2009, 03:21 AM	#2
Loot Apparently I'm a mod? Join Date: May 2001 Location: LEGITIMATE BUSINESS Gender: Posts: 13,208 Thanks: 236 Thanked 1,237 Times in 659 Posts	Wow. Way to be insensitve.

05-30-2009, 03:53 AM	#3
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	Colorado? Heck, out there you're far more likely to encounter Spanish than French.

05-30-2009, 04:00 AM	#4
Bomby You just freaking blew Joe Biden's mind! Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: WHAT?house Gender: Posts: 19,491 Thanks: 513 Thanked 1,449 Times in 849 Posts Blog Entries: 5	For a second I thought the title said "not a lot of people ski in French."

05-30-2009, 02:12 PM	#5
*CaptHayfever* Smash SuperMod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 27,661 Thanks: 1,991 Thanked 2,486 Times in 1,513 Posts	^^^How stupid would I look if I went to southern France & demanded that everyone I met be fluent in English just because it "borders" England, if I got upset that most of the people vastly preferred to speak their native language, the dominant one of the country? Exactly. In northwestern France I might have a case, albeit a slim one, but on the opposite side of the country from the English-speaking neighbor, I'm an idiot. Similarly, in the northeastern States, nearer to Quebec, there is a slightly better case for expecting people to speak French, but not in Colorado, which is on the opposite side of the continent from Quebec & doesn't even come close to touching Canada proper. ^Well, that's true, too. And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

05-30-2009, 02:47 PM	#6
I am nobody Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Over there. Gender: Posts: 5,515 Thanks: 309 Thanked 365 Times in 242 Posts Blog Entries: 7	If she managed to shout about it in English I'm sure she could have asked whatever it was she needed in English as well. I know plenty of people who only remembered strange phrases of various languages, but "Why does nobody out here speak French?" doesn't seem like something most people learn. More likely she was one of the people that follows the "I learned your language, now hurry up and learn mine" mentality. Not that that idea ever makes any sense, but a Colorado mall is a pretty stupid place to try it out.

05-30-2009, 04:14 PM	#7
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 8,884 Thanks: 80 Thanked 198 Times in 122 Posts	^I have met quite a few people who are like that but they are with Spanish. Now I can understand like say, 35+ year olds can have a difficult time learning a new language. Especially one as complex as English. But there are good ones and bad ones. The good people usually have someone like their grandchildren who DO know english translate for them or they speak english slowly no matter how heavy their accent. My mom's neighbours are from Guatemala and their grandmother's 70 years old and only came up in 2005 so she clearly isn't the hottest with English. The bad people expect everyone in a primarily english-speaking area to know Perfect Spanish. Not Broken spanish...perfect. There are numerous people in Denver-Aurora-Thornton who are third-generation Mexican-Americans and yet they don't speak a word of English. >.<

05-30-2009, 06:29 PM	#8
Eagle Eye Diddy bops Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Birmingham, AL Gender: Posts: 15,014 Thanks: 1,616 Thanked 1,084 Times in 597 Posts	Slightly off topic, but there's also people that expect you to not speak with a southern accent once you're outside the south....

05-30-2009, 06:47 PM	#9
Sim Kid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The state of Denial Gender: Posts: 8,884 Thanks: 80 Thanked 198 Times in 122 Posts	Really? We don't expect you to speak with a bland unrecognizable accent in the west.

05-30-2009, 06:51 PM	#10
Eagle Eye Diddy bops Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Birmingham, AL Gender: Posts: 15,014 Thanks: 1,616 Thanked 1,084 Times in 597 Posts	Been to Cali several times, usually someone asks me to say "put the ham in the bucket", and the one time I went to Chicago, I got some odd looks for having a twang in my voice. They were also extremely confused by me asking for sweet tea....

05-30-2009, 07:18 PM	#11
Rainbow Dash been dreamin', i've been waitin' Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: a bomb-ass cloud house bachelorette pad Gender: Posts: 24,402 Thanks: 173 Thanked 1,179 Times in 716 Posts	what is sweet tea

05-30-2009, 07:32 PM	#12
Eagle Eye Diddy bops Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Birmingham, AL Gender: Posts: 15,014 Thanks: 1,616 Thanked 1,084 Times in 597 Posts	Tea that is sweet

05-30-2009, 07:37 PM	#13
Panfan AND HE PRAYS Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Grayskull Gender: Posts: 18,806 Thanks: 1,405 Thanked 2,251 Times in 1,339 Posts Blog Entries: 15	^ That's a ****ing stupid idea Andre. We drink salty tea up here. Go back to your ranch, redneck.

05-30-2009, 07:43 PM	#14
Vgfian Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Listening to Seeking 7 Seven and giving out free hugs. :) Gender: Posts: 6,862 Thanks: 2,433 Thanked 398 Times in 311 Posts	^^^ Only the most awesomest thing EVAR! ahem Can you tell that I like sweet tea? Anyway, back on topic, she could've simply been scared of making a fool of herself, and that's why she didn't just try to speak in English, but I don't know.

05-30-2009, 10:07 PM	#16
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,701 Times in 2,581 Posts Blog Entries: 20	Oddly enough, we have a large and ever-expanding Spanish-speaking population up here in Oregon, some 800 miles or so north of the Mexican border. This has never really been a problem for me (my childhood best friend was half-Mexican; weren't no other kids with frickin' PIÑATAS at THEIR lame birthday parties), and I'm learning to speak Spanish myself, although it is a bit more difficult for red-blooded old white men (like my dad, unfortunately) to adapt to.

05-31-2009, 12:35 AM	#17
Jesus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Gender: Posts: 5,617 Thanks: 104 Thanked 139 Times in 101 Posts Blog Entries: 3	You have to understand that people all over the world come to the US for various reasons. Nobody is perfect and it can be frustrating to be in an area where nobody can understand you. I once met a girl at Madison Square Garden from India who asked for Aisle 8" and I explained to her where Aisle 8 was. She was like no where is "AYZEL 8?". I played along with her and showed her to "Ayzel 8" afterward. Don't consider yourself better than someone if they don't understand your language and they are in a foreign area. Did you know that french is the third most used language in the US as well? There's a big difference in asking if people know conversational cantonese in the US vs knowing conversational french in the US. If you were really bothered by it you would've been better off ignoring the person rather than getting upset and angry. She was probably helpless in her situation.

05-31-2009, 12:44 AM	#18
*CaptHayfever* Smash SuperMod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 27,661 Thanks: 1,991 Thanked 2,486 Times in 1,513 Posts	^Yeah, just like Earth's the largest inner planet; doesn't change the fact that the 4 outer planets are all hundreds of times larger. My basic mentality: If you're just visiting a place, you don't need to learn the whole local language, but you should pick up a few key phrases & be patient with anyone willing to help you. If you're moving somewhere for keeps, though, you do need to learn the local language. Period. If I move to Japan, I need to learn Japanese. If someone else moves to the US, they should learn English or Spanish (unless they plan to live & operate completely within a community that speaks something else; good luck with that, though). And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"