Madame V

Madame V was my French professor at college in Swiss. She is one of the best teachers I have ever had. She not only speaks French fluently but also English. Her impeccable accent intrigued me when I first heard her in class. To my greater surprise, she was so patient when it came to instructing French. For those who have studied French, you should know the complexity of French grammar compared to English’s. I admire Madame V’s dedication in education at an international school. I was even more touched after I got a list of linguistic books from her while I was studying in the United States. Merci bien, Madame V!

Have you ever tried code switching? Normally bilinguals will switch languages back and forth. I heard people do that when I was in Vevey, Suisse. So, I tried it in Mandarin and English. Then, after I learned French and mastered it, I tested in English and French. Interestingly, I could do it quite fast too. My method is one sentence in French and the subsequent one in English. One has to utter his words like he is speaking only one language. It’s actually quite fun. Try it for those who are bilingual.

Alrighty, I have to dash now. Hope everything will go smoothly today. Oh my God, the radio is playing Faye Wang’s “I do”. This song reminds me of my old days with Sterling in Taidong, sad times in Suisse, and good friends in Oslo. Henry, I hope you’re doing fine in Australia. Still remember Norwegian? It was fun learning the language, right? And I loved your cooking too!