I speak good what????????????????????????

I had a number of errands to do yesterday, popping into a store to have a battery replaced, buy envelopes, etc. I also decided to prowl though and antique store where I had bought a tea pot as a thank you gift and I wanted to report that it had been appreciated to the owner, a woman well over 80 who dies her hair black and holds her shoulders military-straight.

Because it was a slow business day, I chatted with each person. They all told me I spoke good French. I am wondering if this is a Chamber of Commerce ploy to encourage more anglo speaking customers. Maybe it is that Europeans have such low expectations of Americans to speak other languages.

I will admit to having a good vocabulary brought on by reading. However, my accent is terrible and my grammar is either simple or flawed. Some people ask if I am English but I suspect that it is because of that my Boston accent bangs through my Ca vas, ce fait beau aujourd’huis, etc.

In any case the stage I have reached in speaking French has arrived at the price of a terrible battle and the sense of accomplishment when I dream in the language, switch from one language to the other without realizing it, or read a book is worth every skirmish.