So, the girls and I took a walk toward Magny-les-Villers this afternoon, wearing short-sleeve shirts and smiles. On the way we passed a lovely older French man walking his dog. After admiring the dog, and talking about the weather, he asked me if we happened to be heading east on our walk.
Why yes, I told him. That's right where we are heading.
His eyes got big and intense, and he told me with great urgency that I would be able to find...something...there.
I had no idea what he was talking about. His intensity made me briefly think it might be the wild boar we've heard can be found in this region, or maybe some roving bandits, or even a wasp's nest or two.
So I asked him to explain, and he said the word... which I had never heard... again. Same excitement. Same intensity.
I looked confused.
Then he pulled something out of his pocket, sure I would be thrilled with what he had.
Again... nothing. It was some kind of plant. I have never seen it before. I leaned forward to smell it (and the jump back he gave made me think this was not the right move). He looked quite disappointed at my lack of appreciation, and said he was heading right home to boil some water and... do something... with it.
ARGH.
Not only do I have huge vocabulary gaps... but I suffered from a double blow of being completely ignorant in all langauges when it comes to plants. For the rest of our walk, I kept picturing the nice old man telling his friends he met this foreigner today who didn't even know what... something... was. Can you believe it?
4 comments:
Now I am so curious! If you ever figure it out please be sure to tell us about it.
hahahahaha! This is so funny!
"L'orginaex" [or something like that] is "French" for moose. Well, at least it is in Quebec. Since moose are native to North America a native French-speaker would never know. I wouldn't worry about not knowing the French name of a plant that you've probably never seen before. Sometimes you've got to rely on context. I wouldn't guess he was collecting poison ivy. Maybe some medicinal herb? Hey, marijuana... I bet that was it! So many nicknames...
@Mike -- I kind of wondered if that's what it was (and was one of my reasons to smell it!), but (and this will ruin my street cred with the young ones), I am not overly familiar with marijuana. It did not look like what I used to see at press conferences following a big drug bust in Philadelphia, and it did not smell like rock concerts in the 80s. So.... hmmm.... hoping a local chimes in to help!
I wish I could remember the word he used, but I was so busy trying to make sense out of the rest of the conversation, and it didn't sound like any other word I knew.
Just when you start feeling comfortable ... there is always a new challenge! LOL
@Elizabeth -- I *will* let you know if I figure it out!
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