Parce que c’est comme ça!

I'm a collector. Ever since I was young, I've collected things. Dolls, rocks, used stamps, keychains, cheap sets of 10 beaded bracelets from Claire's that I used to occasionally wear to school...all at once...on the same arm up to my elbow! As an adult my tastes have (thankfully) become a bit more refined. I now collect teacups, and I have a special place in my heart and soul for old books. I love used things; things that have a history and have been cherished and worn.

Living in Paris has given me the opportunity to collect all sorts of things. The first things I started to collect were doorways. I don't mean just any old regular doorways, either. I mean regal, colorful, curiously-carved doorways that just beckon you to walk through them. I'm constantly saying to Andrew as we walk through the streets of the city "Look at that door! WOW!" Sometimes I take pictures, but I more just like to notice and appreciate them.

From my experience working at Disneyland Paris, I have collected accents. That's something I've been doing for a while, but I'm getting rather good at it. Perhaps too good, in fact, because it has now become a habit. When I speak to a French guest at Disneyland, I speak to them the same way that another French person would, using the appropriate phrases, inflections, and accents. I try to not just speak the language with some word-for-word translation from English, but rather to speak as I've heard it spoken by the native people. When I meet Italian guests, my voice adopts a certain flair and personality that I've learned from even the youngest speakers of this breed. Italians, man, they know how to talk! I hardly know ten phrases in their language, but even with only these I've learned that with Italians that the way you say what you want to say is much more important than how many words you're able to say. With the Spanish I have a field-day. It's TERRIBLE, but how can I help it? I would say that 90% of the Spanish guests I've talked to speak in exactly the same manner, all with such an enthusiasm and certain spark in their eyes, yet talking very quickly and smoothly. The minute they hear Cinderella speak Spanish they shout "SHE SPEAKS SPANISH!!!!" and start pouring forth such a multitude of phrases while excitedly nudging their children, asking for "kisses! kisses!" as I'm trying to just get a word in with the poor kid and avoid as many often slobbery, face-painted kisses as possible. I've taken to speaking to Spanish kids the same way their mothers speak to them, really accentuating my vowels and questions...

"HOla, PrincessAA!!!!!! Como estAS?????? Como te llAmas? PAUla?? HOla, PAUla!!"

I also attempt to construct my phrases as quickly as possible, which starts to fry your brain after a while. Once I had 40 straight minutes of Spanish guests, with the exception of one French and one English family. When I got to the French and English, I actually had forgotten how to speak their languages! I stood there for a moment with a "Eeeuu" (French) or "uuuh" (English) on my lips, a couple faulty starts at conversation (kept starting with "como") and finally was able to get out a simple phrase, giving them the opportunity to talk while I recupperated, became myself once again, and racked my brain for words in the two languages I spoke and understood the most anyway!

I love the French language! It is so beautiful, but it is also very funny. One of my favorite pasttimes is collecting French phrases, and there are so many! Obviously, the language is a very complex construction of phrases, but I am speaking specifically of phrases which characterize the Parisian French. Phrases that give them away the same way that the use of the words "like," "totally," or "awesome" tend to give us Californians away, how we picture all New Yorkers saying "honey" in reference to every other being on the planet, while Southerners use the endearing "honey-chil(d)" or "darlin'". Basically, I'm talking about those mostly true stereotypes of language. Allow me to share some of my favorites...

• Parce que c’est comme ça! -- Literally "Because it's like that!" ("that's the way it is!") This fabulous phrase was actually told to me by an American. I hadn't really noticed it before, but the very next day it was used by one of my French friends at work in the perfectly stereotypical context! My American friend used this phrase because he had learned it from the French. "Parce que c’est comme ça" can be used in a few ways. Firstly, it's considered a satisfactory explanation for when there is no real explanation. Secondly, it can be an answer to a question that you don't actually want to answer (i.e. because you're too lazy), or when you think that the asker is not worth answering to. Thirdly, it can be used when you actually don't know what to say. My American friend learned to use this phrase when French people would ask, for instance, why the photolocation line was now closed? The actual answer is that there has been a character up there for 8 hours that day, that the times were clearly printed on the available literature for that day, and if the guest hadn't found some point during the day with that available knowledge and information, that was their fault. But of course, they KNOW that. So, instead, "Parce que c’est comme ça!" My French friend used it when trying to explain to me the difference between the phrases "C'est bon" and "C'est bien", both of which mean "It's good", but have completely different usages and contexts. I didn't feel that her explanation was making sense, so I would give her actual situations I had been in where I needed to use the phrase "it's good," so that she could tell me which to use. Well, I gave her different situations, one where I was having someone help me with my wig, I would have to say "c'est bon". BUT, if someone would help me with my dress, I have to say "c'est bien." How is that consistent!!?!?!? It's the same action taking place, just in reference to different parts of the body!! When I pointed this out to my friend, and asked why it was like that, you know what she said! "Parce que c’est comme ça!" I like that phrase!
  
• Bah OUI, hun?! -- "uh, YEAH?!" (You know this one in English, the answer to a very obvious, sarcastic, or dumb situation/question) French people LOVE this one. And the best part is, they don't even realize it!!! The best part of this phrase is the accent/pronunciation that comes with it. I wish I could show you so you could hear just how hilarious it sounds! When I use this phrase, I really adopt the accent, and continue speaking with it until I have to stop from laughing so hard. I usually use this one when a French person hears me speak their language, and asks (stupidly) "you speak French??" "Bah OUI, hun!?!" Like yeah, you French person, you just HEARD me speaking French! They are so stunned, so caught off guard, that an American (*gasp*) could possibly not only speak French, but speak it with a good accent, that this is often the first question out of their mouth. Sometimes they even ask me "you are French??" and just for the fun of it, I still respond "Bah OUI, hun!?" Which reminds me, there's also the negative usage of this phrase. When I say it that sarcastically, it's like saying "obviously NOT!" Last week I was eating lunch with some French friends, and a girl who I didn't really know actually got upset at me for using this phrase with my accent, although I was totally joking, and said "Okee, you KNOW zee Frunch not e-use zees phraze like zat!!!" And you know what I said?? Yup, you guessed it. The best part was, I got one of my French guy friends at the table into the conversation, and he sided with ME!! hahaah!! Bah OUI, hun!?!!? That's rich.
  
• C'est pas grave! -- Literally "It's not grave/serious" in a context of "it's not the end of the world, so stop your over-reacting you high-strung moron!" Okay, so maybe that last part was a little exaggerated. After all, no one has ever told me the specific meaning of this phrase, but I've often observed that it is used as a response to someone's exaggerated/unmerrited reaction or concern. French people use this one all the time. I find it especially at Disneyland. One day, I might have a costume that is a little too short, but "c'est pas grave!" Or perhaps my wig that day is a little whacky -- "c'est pas grave" (also, it means that they can fix it, so stop freaking out!) I just think it's a really nice and cute phrase that is used to calm people down and put them in their place. Funny considered that the French can really get up-in-arms about certain very stupid situations. But what am I even saying, I am perhaps the most dramatic person I know! That's probably why I like this phrase so much!
• Super! -- Can have the same meaning it does in our language, but usually is used as a more extreme form of the word "really." Andrew and I both have noticed and love this one! It's just plain funny the way that "Super!" is used in the language, but I think more so because we hardly use this word at all in the English language. I have a very sweet French friend named Elodie at work. She was the first French person at Disney who I really became friends with. She always makes me speak French with her, unless there are other English-speakers around. She seems to have taken a certain pride and joy in my ability to speak her language, because if another French person overhears me speaking, she will tell them proudly "elle parle SUPER bien le français!" (literally "she speaks REALLY well the French!") Hearing the word like this always brings a smile to my face! The word can also stand alone, for instance if you were to propose a favorable situation or outing, a French person may respond "Super!" or even (if you're lucky) "Super-cool!" This phrase seems a conglomeration of what would be the Californian-English equivalent of the words "awesome" "really" "totally" and "seriously" all put together. It's funny to me then, I think, because the above words aren't always interchangeable, whereas in French there's one word that means them all!
  

So, that was our language lesson of the day. Just something I've been thinking about and that makes me love this place all the more! :-) We love and miss you all, and wish you all were here! But, c'est pas grave, parce que c’est comme ça! If you could be here though, it would be Super!! Bah OUI, hun!?!?