Once we got there we took a local tram, just to get a feel for the place. I’ve come to enjoy doing this as it gives you a more genuine feel than riding on the tourist buses. You’re there with the locals, instead of looking at them like they’re something put there to entertain you.
Also, although our interactions have been limited, we’ve found that people are much more tolerant of you here if you don’t speak French... maybe they have enough English tourists come here that they’re less insistent on you speaking French. I must admit, my only experiences so far have been two visits to Paris and one to Grenoble, so I’m trying to keep an open mind. I only had one term of French at school, back when I was 12, so I do find reading and speaking it tres difficile. In contrast to German, das ich nicht so schwer finden.
We also encountered some more whinging Poms at the airport leaving Liverpool. I have noticed about myself lately, that I’ll tend to look on the bright side of things. So here’s a comparison:
Whinging Pom: Look at the length of the queue!
The bright side: There are people further back in the line than you...
WP: The weather is gloomy.
BS: At least it’s not raining...
WP: We have to walk uphill.
BS: But it won’t be uphill both ways...
WP: This food tastes funny.
BS: But it’s edible, right?
WP: Look how far we have to walk.
BS: At least you can walk!
The way I see it, things could always be worse, there are plenty of people worse off than you are. So we should be thankful for what we have, and make the most of it, and stop thinking about ‘what if I had’ this, that, and the other - and just get on with life!
No comments:
Post a Comment