“Par-lay voo angle???”

The first thing people asked me when I told them about my study abroad trip to Pairs was “do you speak French?” I would make a scrunched up face and respond, “nope!” In an attempt to make me feel better, they would tell me that “everyone speaks English there anyways,” which is a very bold assumption. While most of the Parisians I’ve encountered are admirably proficient in English, I still did not want to be that asshole who just assumed everyone spoke English. I memorized some basic sentences on the plane ride in and even had an impressive 2 day streak on Duolingo. In a valiant attempt to communicate like a native, I asked a woman at a macaroon shop “Ou est la gare?” She said “sortie” and offered to speak English considering I sounded like a stuttering baboon with a Spanish accent. I was fine following the exit signs and then again asked “Ou est la gare?” The man responded with what sounded like “OO or OO?” I gave him the deer in the headlights look and he responded with “what are you asking?” It would have been better for the both of us if I just spoke in English and didn’t insult his intelligence and butcher his language like a guillotine. Even though I was trying to do what I thought was the right thing, he has learned a second language and his job is to help people, I should have just trusted him to be the capable person he is.

The long and humid experience of finding the RER and the dorm made me feel like I was stupid, honestly. I thought I would be able to confidently travel by myself, or follow signs at the very least. At least I tried, and at least all those people were willing to listen to my cringe worthy accent. As an international city throughout human history and home to an energetic tourism industry, Parisians have a unique perspective and know English, an international language. I am thankful for this, because without it, I would be even more lost.