My French husband is at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas this week for a trade show. Which means he had the surreal experience of flying 13 hours and getting stuck in secondary passport control only to arrive in a hotel room with a view of the (fake) Eiffel Tower and a bellboy that said "Bone-joor", with a heavy Tennessee accent.Curiouser and curiouser was his trip to the men's room for a shoeshine. He called me in a panic (sometimes America freaks him out). Something about the soundtrack playing in the mens' bathroom. Then he sent me the following email:
Heard in Paris Las Vegas men’s bathroom while getting a shoeshine:
Paris Las Vegas’s Unit 17 advanced French lessons
- Eng: Good Girls go to heaven, bad girls go to Paris
- Fr: Les filles bien vont au Paradis, les autres vont à Paris
- Eng : Your mother must have been a baker because you have a nice pair of brioches.
- Fr : Votre mère a due être boulangère parce que vous avez une belle paire de brioches.
- Eng: Apart from being sexy, what else do you do for a living?
- Fr: A part être sexy, vous faîtes quoi dans la vie ?
- Eng : Oh la la, are these real ?
- Fr : Oh là là, est-ce qu’ils sont vrai ?
- Eng : Do you want me to buy you a drink or do you just want the money of the drink?
- Fr : Est-ce que vous voulez que je vous offre un verre ou bien est-ce que vous voulez juste l’argent ?
- Eng : If my husband calls, I am not here. If the pool boy calls, I am here
- Fr : Si mon mari appelle, je ne suis pas là. Si le maître nageur appelle, je suis là.
- Eng : If I told you you had a great body, would you hold it against me?
- Fr : Si je vous dis que vous avez un joli corps, est-ce que vous le serriez contre moi?
Please note that in French, this last one is NOT a pun.
Apparently, this useful info is playing on a continous loop. My poor husband. Eng: Gotta love Vegas. Fr: Vive Las Vegas!
PS - yesterday's pumpkin scones were a complete disaster, more successful was the orange lentil soup with curcuma, to be posted momentarily...
Hilarious! What a double-culture shock for him!
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading your book, Elizabeth, and I loved every word. What an inspirational journey you have been on. I'm glad I discovered your blog, too, so I can keep reading about your story as it continues to unfold.
Now that my big Irish Harp Concert for St. Patrick's Day is over and I have some breathing room, I'm going to try your yogurt cake this week. I've tried other versions that have resulted in a series of various disasters (burned on the outside, raw in the middle, etc). Wish me luck!
Your harp concert - that must have been wonderful. Enjoy the yogurt cake!
ReplyDeleteYour poor husband...why on earth would he stay in "Paris" in Vegas...unless he wanted to be amused???
ReplyDeleteThe contrast between Paris and Vegas would be glaring to him...you can' get much more diametrically opposed than that!
I really just choked on my tea I was laughing so hard after reading this! Gotta love 'Merica!
ReplyDeleteThis is hilarious. And Gwendal shouldn't worry - America (gosh, especially if it's Las Vegas!) can freak even Americans out :)
ReplyDelete-Sion
I have seen this view from Vegas not in person....
ReplyDeleteHow strange that plays in a restroom~!
Oh! I can just imagine that same thing happen to my French husband! He has been to Vegas many times but has never stayed there, it think he fears it... :-)
ReplyDeleteTell G that America still freaks me out sometimes too, even though I've been back a long time...
ReplyDeleteHow was your reading?
Poor Gwendal, lol! Vive Las Vegas, indeed. Yeah, it's a place that could freak out even the most unfreakable person. Fingers crossed he survives. :)
ReplyDelete"If the pool boy calls I am here." Hahahaha! Who knows: that could actually be useful one day.
Sorry the scones didn't work out and hey -- I have some coral lentils, a half a package, left in the cupboard, so I will await the lentil recipe eagerly.
Be well!
Karin
P.S. I also just thought about the fact that I bought some turmeric/curcuma in the store the other day, no kidding. Sounds like I was awaiting this recipe, lol.
ReplyDeleteLOL Love it! I picked up your book and so far I Love it too.
ReplyDeleteA few add ons to this, also heard today in the same place (I feel an hurge to report in this now):
ReplyDeleteEng: I love your clothes, they would look great on the floor of my bedroom
Fr: J'adore tes vêtements, ils seraient parfaits sur le sol de ma chambre à coucher.
Eng: Do you believe in love at first sight or shall I pass in front of you once again?
Fr: Est-ce que tu crois au coup de foudre ou bien est-ce que je dois passer devant toi de nouveau?(Note that the "first sight" joke does not work in French at all)
...and, last but not least, this incredible line said by a woman in the same tape: "Yuck, I shaved my legs for THAT?"
Viva Las Vegas indeed!
G.
Do we have to concede that Vegas is part of America?? It's so embarrassing. But, oui, funny...
ReplyDeleteHilarious! I needed this laugh this morning. On another note, I am absolutely loving your book! I have made the tabouleh and the chocolate lava cakes twice already. Delicious!
ReplyDeleteSO funny..so gross LOL.
ReplyDeleteWonder if there are any places in France which pretend to be American? Are people over there smitten with our culture at all?
Hilarious..and I just got back from the exact same place last week..the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas..it was my first trip to Vegas and was for business..it's..unique..!
ReplyDeletegreat blog!
Kit
ULK I am so embarrassed your husband witnessed that. And yes there are some people who think that being in Paris Paris in Vegas is the same as the real thing. Las Vegas NOT my favorite place in the US.
ReplyDeleteI have been to many, many places throughout the US, but never Las Vegas.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like I have missed something -- can't wait to go and have a listen in les toilettes.
Having just met your husband by chance (who happens to be an oooooold college friend of mine) in the streets of San Fran this WE (!!!), I must say he didn't only bring some funny quotes from Vegas, but also a terrible cold due to the air-conditionning in the casinos.
ReplyDeletePoor Gwendal indeed.. :(
Bon rétablissement à lui, et peut-être à un de ces jours sur Paris...
Anyway, great blog Elizabeth. Now I want to read the book! (especially if I can learn more funny facts about Gwendal! ;))
BTW, is it findable in France too ?
Quentin
Thats so funny! When we were driving cross country to move to New York, we stayed in New York, New York. (but their pizza was terrible) :)
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is awesome and some excellent information is shared. Your blog is useful for our visitors.
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