"Parlez-vous anglais?" (Do you speak English?)
"No."
Oh crap, I think to myself and try to stutter something in my less than basic knowledge of the French language. The ticket sales lady seems inpatient, even angry, and quickly changes into English. Why couldn't she speak English in the first place? I understand it's a test, an exchange of a kind. You say something in my language, I say something in yours.
"No."
Oh crap, I think to myself and try to stutter something in my less than basic knowledge of the French language. The ticket sales lady seems inpatient, even angry, and quickly changes into English. Why couldn't she speak English in the first place? I understand it's a test, an exchange of a kind. You say something in my language, I say something in yours.
"Vous êtte américain?" (Are you American?)
"No, no! Finlandaise." But she doesn't seem to understand. "Finlandaise. No americains." It's very important to me to not be mistaken as Americain. But almost no one has heard of Finland. Except when they comment "Oh, Finlande, cold." And I nod my head and pretend to shiver because there is no way of communicating anything else.
"No, no! Finlandaise." But she doesn't seem to understand. "Finlandaise. No americains." It's very important to me to not be mistaken as Americain. But almost no one has heard of Finland. Except when they comment "Oh, Finlande, cold." And I nod my head and pretend to shiver because there is no way of communicating anything else.
I meet English speaking French people and get so excited to finally share a language with someone that I speak too fast and soon they're the ones lost in translation apologizing for not understanding anything I just said.
A French tourist asks me something and I think I understand what he says but since I can't reply, I tell him, in French, that I can't speak French and he goes: "C'est très bien!" That's great! And I'm left in confusement.
At moments we are totally lost in translation here in Guadeloupe. There are so many things left unsaid, unasked, ununderstood. But we learn there is a siesta when almost everything is closed. We learn to eat baguette for breakfast (petit dejeuner) every day and we know what the standard price for baguettes is. We learn to greet strangers in French. We shop by pointing the things we want and eat at restaurants by trying to pronunciate the text on the menus as well as we can. At least we try and I'd like to think the people appreciate it. And I keep repeating my most precious sentences:
"Parlez-vous anglais?" "Je né parle pas français." "Je né comprends pas." Do you speak English? I don't speak French. I don't understand.
"Parlez-vous anglais?" "Je né parle pas français." "Je né comprends pas." Do you speak English? I don't speak French. I don't understand.
I haven't really traveled somewhere where I would be the one not understanding, being the underdog language wise. It's frustrating, tiring and sometimes even a little bit sad. There are so many things I'd like to ask, so many things to talk about with the locals but I can't. At the same time this is a great language school, a test of persistance. And with the help of some great local contacts we have managed and will manage just fine. At least we haven't been to the hospital here (yet) and have been forced to take some beach time since the beach doesn't speak just French.
On another note, we've had good and sometimes surprising talks with other travelers and other people about traveling as a woman and even about how we've traveled. In many ways, arriving to Guadeloupe and discovering it's cultural differencies compared to the Dominican Republic, we were relieved. Why? We were finally left in peace! No more men yelling, hissing, commenting after us. No more changing the way you dress trying to attract less attention. Personally, I had had enough of the mini chaos around myself, making me semi-conscious of where to go, what to wear and how to behave. At least the men kept their physical distance and we could pretend to ignore their comments and looks. We've heard of countries where they don't and where you can't. For all you men out there reading this post: no, women do NOT appreciate being called after like dogs!
And the comments about how we travel? "What, didn't you go to Cabarete? But it's so great!" "You didn't see playa Rincón?!" "But you NEED a car to see the island!" "If you don't plan your day ahead, it's just a waste of the whole day!" "Well you slept late, we were out surfing at 8 am." When did my travel become a matter and a worry of other people? Just saying.
Things we have done so far in the beautiful Guadeloupe (despite the language barrier):
- Visited the cockpit of the plane when flying over (they let me stay while landing!).
- Spent some time in a few of the 250 beaches of Guadeloupe
- Watched the carneval on our second night here from our home street.
- Met interesting, funny people. Like the French/Guadeloupean guy, still only in his early twenties, who has traveled to over 50 countries with almost a zero budget. And the chicken who lays and egg on the same bed every day at a hostel we stayed at.
- Managed to travel without a rental car in a country they say you must have your own car to travel around. Score.
- Spent some time in a few of the 250 beaches of Guadeloupe
- Watched the carneval on our second night here from our home street.
- Met interesting, funny people. Like the French/Guadeloupean guy, still only in his early twenties, who has traveled to over 50 countries with almost a zero budget. And the chicken who lays and egg on the same bed every day at a hostel we stayed at.
- Managed to travel without a rental car in a country they say you must have your own car to travel around. Score.
- Hiked up a volcano!
- Shopped in the biggest shopping centre in the Caribbean.
- Other cool stuff.
- And the best of all: we've done nothing. (For all you people with a bad case of fear of missing out!)
- Other cool stuff.
- And the best of all: we've done nothing. (For all you people with a bad case of fear of missing out!)
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| Ilet du Gosier. |
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| Burn wound care on a hot water beach with sulfur. |
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| Just another day at the beach. |
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| Pointe des Chateaux. One of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. |
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| 'Huipulla tuulee.' At the top of a still active volcano, La Soufrière, 1500 m.
Á la prochaine,
Riikka
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