How'd it go today?

I just got to thinking about it yesterday for some obscure reason.
Richard, my South African partner is fluent in Danish, but had the problem in the beginning that most people here speak good English, so they'd just speak English to him instead of forcing him to learn Danish.

That is pretty much my experience. Arb research has been predominantly English, American English or Latin.

People here recognise the English accent and because they are very pro English due to us saving the Royals and Parliament when the Germans invaded... they tend to respond in English. Of course, it helps the conversation flow but doesn’t aid my efforts in learning the language.

Edit: Stines fishing family in Lofoten basically said to me this summer.

You’re with a Norwegian girl.
You have two Norwegian speaking kids.
You live and run a company in Norway.

You should be able to speak Norwegian, so I will speak to you slowly. (In Norwegian of course)

Then he asked me what he had said in English. ;)

I understood but when I tried to respond my accent is terrible, they laughed at me... but continue to speak a frigged up dialect.
 
That is why when the mail order bride came up here, Richard told us whe'd have to go cold turkey on speaking German/Swiss.
It was hard, but it sure helped.
She was fluent enough in Danish to work as a nurse after 1½ year.
 
fascinerende for meg hvor mange mennesker i Europa som snakker engelsk
 
fascinerende for meg hvor mange mennesker i Europa som snakker engelsk

Apart from the French. As a general rule they hate us.

I lived in the French Alps for 3 winters in the early 2000’s. One night I was run over by a drunk driver. They hadn’t cleared both sides of their windshield and ran into me, my head and window cracked the screen then I went over the roof and landed in a snow drift. Bit of concussion but the twat drove off and left me there in the snow.

I only managed half the registration plate, so the next day I went to the Gendarmerie. Tried explaining to them what a happened but unfortunately, I didn’t know the French for “I was ran over and left in the street by a drunk driver.”

I asked if they spoke English - “Non!”

Eventually, when I staggered my way through an explanation and they realised I wasn't just reporting a set of skis that had been stolen or other crap they deal with on a daily basis.

They suddenly were able to speak English. Figure that one out?

I guess there are so many ignorant English pissheads visiting these places they get so fed up with dealing with them.

Mick, how do you find it? I guess speaking the lingo at least shows you are trying to integrate.
 
Apart from the French. As a general rule they hate us.

I lived in the French Alps for 3 winters in the early 2000’s. One night I was run over by a drunk driver. They hadn’t cleared both sides of their windshield and ran into me, my head and window cracked the screen then I went over the roof and landed in a snow drift. Bit of concussion but the twat drove off and left me there in the snow.

I only managed half the registration plate, so the next day I went to the Gendarmerie. Tried explaining to them what a happened but unfortunately, I didn’t know the French for “I was ran over and left in the street by a drunk driver.”

I asked if they spoke English - “Non!”

Eventually, when I staggered my way through an explanation and they realised I wasn't just reporting a set of skis that had been stolen or other crap they deal with on a daily basis.

They suddenly were able to speak English. Figure that one out?

I guess there are so many ignorant English pissheads visiting these places they get so fed up with dealing with them.

Mick, how do you find it? I guess speaking the lingo at least shows you are trying to integrate.
World of difference between a holiday resort and ‘real’ France.

I find them just fine, Most peeps take you as they find you. Odd exceptions of course.
But you have remember I look just like them.
Coppers are to be respected here, compared to the UK they’re less open to negotiation if you know what I mean.
 
It hurt the French big time when the " Lingua Franca" turned to English.

Talk about butthurt.

One reason I don't travel in France if I can avoid it, is they have always been like that.
Speak French perfectly or we spit at you.

This is where it would be good with some input from @Mick!
 
Crossed post.
Sorry Mick.

But, really, do you figure to see me at a holiday resort :lol:
 
Whacked out 4.5 facecord of red oak ... CSS (cut , split , stacked) .... didn’t even break a sweat ... watch out Buckin ! :)
 
It hurt the French big time when the " Lingua Franca" turned to English.

Talk about butthurt.

One reason I don't travel in France if I can avoid it, is they have always been like that.
Speak French perfectly or we spit at you.

This is where it would be good with some input from @Mick!


Honestly Stig, I think you generalize too much about how certain
nationalités think about foreigners.
 
My apprentice just called me a friggin' racist, so you just may be right.

Then we had fun ( or at least I did) debating how Islam had suddenly turned into a " Race" and if you believed that, didn't that make you a bigger racist than the old Nazi?

( Which would be me, according to Kevin)

Loved the way you put "nationalites" BTW.
I don't have that one on my keyboard.
Can't write Citroen the right way either, which hurts.
There was never a better car made than the Citroen Mehari.

Just ask Richard.
 
Thanks.
A bit too complicated for a dumb old logger.
At least this time at night.
 
Know what I hate? God damned stink bugs. This is twice in the last week I've picked up a piece of firewood, and my hand is left full of stink :^S
 
I spent the day doing not much. Hit Lowe’s early and was planning on going to the arb store. Ended up remembering they don’t open till 9 so I stopped by the pub for breakfast. Still can’t believe the odd looks folks give you when you order breakfast with a beer. Then I spent the day cutting and coiling another 4 spools of rope. 1/2” stable braid this time. One spool dead on, 2 with about 6’ extra ,& and one about 20 short. I could’ve messed up with the rope counter but unlikely. I actually spent more time talking with customers and the store owners than actually doing anything productive. Time wasted well. Gonna hit the shop early (I know it’s gonna be Sunday) to drop off what I picked up and grab a few things I forgot needed to be hung up to dry.
 
Nice to have a good arb store nearby.

And Rayco too??

You lucky, son
 
Yeah Rayco is nice to have in my back yard. Real nice not having to pay shipping on the new mower head we just picked up or anything else we get from them.
 
That is why when the mail order bride came up here, Richard told us whe'd have to go cold turkey on speaking German/Swiss.
It was hard, but it sure helped.
She was fluent enough in Danish to work as a nurse after 1½ year.
Astounding...I cannot imagine the effort that took.
 
Any changes you've noticed pro or con since rayco was acquired by morbark?
Not really other than they sell morbark and boxer equipment. Getting parts for our morbark is a bit of a wait but not to bad. Troubleshooting is another issue. They’re not quite up to speed with the morbarks yet. I give Rayco Ron a lot of credit though. He’s a salesman that is knowledgeable. He’s come out and helped us figure out the issues on more than one occasion.
 
Still can’t believe the odd looks folks give you when you order breakfast with a beer.
See if you lived here it would be a bloody mary with a beer chaser and you would get no odd looks. I recommend Leinenkugel"s Berry Weiss as a breakfast beer. It is normally disgustingly sweet to drink by itself but when accompanied with bacon, eggs, and hasbrowns it is quite pleasing.
 
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