Re: Hello to you all!

oh? ok. don't smack me though. i have nothing against Dutch people
really--especially my relatives and people on the list. i like the country and
the language--we talked about it when you were going to go there to study, i
think--but i had the exactly reverse experience to yours especially as german
and dutch go. must have been a combination of my unfair prejudices and appalling
imitation dutch... i definitely mistook Maarten's constructive post for a very
annoying one. my apologies to him and the Duch here anyway. i won't write here
what i think about your fresh dutch skills lest you should call me an ignorant
or a hypocrit.

Christophe Grandsire <christophe.grandsire@...> wrote:
>>>
> Europeans who feel annoyed and tell you're too dumb to speak their
> language so
> don't try anyway : Dutch.
If you think so, then you've not understood anything about the Dutch people.
They are the only ones who are part of the first group you describe. Neither
the Germans nor the Spaniards nor the Italians feel proud when you try and
speak their language. If you don't speak it correctly, they thank you politely
for your tries and then: 1. never talk to you anymore, or 2. ask you to talk to
them only in English or French. Believe me, I talk by experience. the Dutch
people are amazed when you try to speak their language, and will do everything
to perfect your knowledge. But I can understand that French people have
difficulties accepting direct constructive critics, they are not used to that.
Maarten was not annoyed, he was only trying to help me. Only a French person
bathing everyday in hypocrisy can mistake that for annoyance.
Sorry to be annoyed, but I hate this kind of prejudice on this list. Living 24
hours a day in the Netherlands, I think I know quite well how Dutch people
react when you try to speak their language.
Christophe.
http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr
Take your life as a movie: do not let anybody else play the leading role.
<<<

Mathias
www.geocities.com/kalatunu/index.htm

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