Tuesday, March 17, 2009

WEEFEE & THE TELE: THE SIMPLE THINGS

When you move to a foreign country it's the little things you find either the most difficult or fascinating. For instance, take your local supermarket, the one you go to everyday. How often can you not find what you are looking for and now think about how frustrating it is to go to a brand new supermarket? You really can't find anything now can you? Now take that last one and turn everything French, and on no sleep. I'm already taken aback by the fact that all four wheels swivel on the cart. I mean if you got this puppy going with some weight behind it there'd be no going back, or side to side for that matter. I tried to rotate a turn into the first aisle and ended up in the second. 
Also I mentioned that I had no Internet and her mother kept speaking at me quickly in French before finally breaking into English and said, "weefee." I swear to God you had time to slap me twice before I figured weefee was our wi-fi. It took me all of thirty seconds to adopt weefee just because it's so damn fun to say. Le weefee non travail!
I also had a hard time with the television. Yes I knew it would all be in French I just had no idea it would be so hard to turn on. I sat there dumbfounded for ten minutes pressing it on, off, on, off, etc. I could hear it start up but no picture or sound. Finally and quite by accident I found that it had two power buttons and they both have to be on for some reason. I don't need an explanation I'm just happy I have color.
Did I mention that when you return the cart to get your euro (or magic plastic coin) back? I don't know if the French have problems with cart theft but to get a cart you have to insert a euro into the handle which pushes out the locking mechanism and then you cart around with your euro stuck in the handle and when you are done, reinsert lock, et voila, you have your euro back! It's just the damnedest thing.

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