• Lemmygizer@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    While backpacking in Europe I spent a week in France. I got in the habit of starting conversations with “parlez-vous anglais?”

    Next stop was Germany. After getting off an early train and trying to book the next leg, I asked the ticket attendant, “sprechen sie anglais?” She stared at me for a moment and responded in crystal clear English, “You mean, do I speak English?”

      • bratosch@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        You know those things people tell you “no one remembers that but you, so just relax”?

        Well, I had a worst case experience where I was speaking to an acquaintance who said “haha remember when you [insert soul crushing embarrassing thing I did 6 years ago that only I am supposed to remember] ?”

        That did, in fact, not help against my anxiety whatsoever.

    • frickineh@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Oh god, and Germans mostly won’t even pretend they don’t think you’re dumb. Americans would be like, “oh, no I totally get it (insert story about a time they did something similar), you’re fine!” Germans will say, “yes, I speak English” and stare at you while waiting for you to get to the point as you wish you could become one with the pavement.

        • frickineh@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          I work in an office that takes passport applications, so I see people from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, and I can tell you we’re definitely not the only ones. Lots of people love an opportunity to tell you a story if you give them an opening. Honestly, I love it. I don’t do that job anymore, but that was my favorite part of it. It’s such a nice way to form a shared connection, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

    • ApexHunter@lemmy.ml
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      11 months ago

      For anyone like me who doesn’t speak German, and thus were unable to follow the implied humiliation: the German word for English is “Englisch” not “Anglais”