[kaffeinecoma]

You know I think there is this phenomenon of "listening in the wrong language". As an American in France, sometimes I'd meet people and they'd want to try out their English with me. Every once in a while I'd meet someone and be totally confused by their French, and I'd have to ask for help. "Dude, he's speaking English to you". Then we'd both feel bad.

[rconti]

That's great. Yeah, if I don't expect a language, the first 10 words are just totally lost to me. Which is strange, because in normal, english conversation here back home, sometimes someone will say something and I'll completely miss it -- but then be able to stop, and replay what they said in my head. It's like some part of my subconscious records it.

On the same trip, I was on a train from Italy to France. In my car was a French woman living in England, and an Italian woman. They were practicing on each other so the Italian would talk to the French woman in French, and she'd reply in Italian. This went on for some time. As we prepared to depart the train, the woman's child and husband joined her. I talked to the French woman's husband for 5 minutes or so. Eventually he asked me where I lived and I told him I was from California but studying in France. He turned out to be British, and switched to English and said "oh, well then I guess we can just speak in English then."

I'm sure our French pronunciation wouldn't have fooled a native, but it was good enough for a couple of foreigners.