It's stupid and petty, but I am tired and seriously stressed about losing my job, but -
Stopped at my favourite sandwich place to chat with the manager and have a hot choc and a sandwich. Went in, sat down and a woman (she was staff!) came up to ask what I wanted. Well, barely, she sort of threw that at me whilst moving to talk to another staff member. At this point I should have said, "oops, sorry, I forgot that I have to be somewhere!!" Cos, for some reason, this woman is the only person at that cafe that won't serve me. One way or another she doesn't
In the past she has refused to understand when I've asked for a Chocolat Chaud - come on, even in the worst English accented French, that is understandable
Anyway, I said hello and then, in my best French I asked for a panini 'Transalpin' (trons-al-pan!) - which the others in there understand. After the third try to be met with a shrug and 'huh?' I got up to leave. As the boss walked back in. He translated for her (FFS, it's not difficult!!) and said did I not want one. But with the fatigue and the stress I was loosing my little bit of control so said no - stupidly, I also said "next she won't understand Chocolat Chaud as usual"
I then went to the bakery to buy some bread to take home and had a really long conversation with both women in there - IN FRENCH!!! We talked politics, work, health and why do some French refuse to understand some English even when they try really hard!!
I feel better after the chat in the bakery in that I can speak french and be understood. I don't have a really bad accent.
But this one woman always refuses to understand me. In the past I've put it down to my accent. But I know now that it's good. And I work really hard at it. I have had full on conversations in French with all the other people that work in the cafe so really fail to understand what her issue is
Of course, what is pissing me off now is that I will have to go back later (or in the morning when she isn't there) and apologise to the boss guy for being a dick. Ok, she was a dick first, but I should have behaved better, no excuse
But, she is a total fuckwit