Do you remember, dear readers, how much I dreaded this philosophy conference after I found out it was in French?
Well, it turned out to be the best conference ever. Philosophers are a really fun bunch of great, amazing people. My talk – even though it stuck out like a sore thumb because it was delivered in English – was wildly successful. I had people run after me into the bathroom to congratulate me and ask questions.
The Spanish philosopher whose work we gathered here to discuss came up to me and told me how much he loved my talk. I got so terrified that I stood there completely silent.
“Erm. . . you do speak Spanish?” the philosopher asked me.
I gulped and managed to screech out a high-pitched “Yes!”
By the end of today’s sessions, I could understand French perfectly. The closing remarks were delivered by a scholar who sounded like he’d arrived from Gaspesie 10 minutes before (my Quebecois readers will know what I mean) but I still understood even the jokes he made.
I dig being a philosopher.
Clarissa's Blog 
By the end of today’s sessions, I could understand French perfectly.
A Japanese person would find this statement highly ambiguous. Are you still waiting for the of the day so you will be able to understand French perfectly? It sounds like a good plan!
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Mais non, mes amis, pas d’anglais ici, chez Clarissa. Francais seulement! Merci beaucoup pour votre comprehension. 🙂
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J’étudiais le français quand j’ai lu cette comment. 🙂
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Wait–was that the right word for “comment?” I can’t remember….
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Sounds wonderful!!
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Thank you so much, David!
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C’est un grand fromage. Qu’est que-ce’st? Quelque poulet.
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Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? I think I’m running out of my French stock of phrases.
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seulement avec la plume de mon oncle dans le jardin de ma tante.
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I’m not sure what this means but it sounds dirty. Yay! 🙂
I like dirty.
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Somehow people who learned French in the olden days had to say my uncle’s pen is in my aunt’s garden. Or was it vice versa? I’m not sure. Given that it was training in French, I’m sure the meaning was in fact extremely dirty.
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This is too funny.
Not that I’d ever make fun of the French people, of course.
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“I dig being a philosopher” therefore I am.
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cogito ergo awesome.
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wonderful, I’m about to wade into what appears to be the most contentious bunch of historians (which frankly is redundant, seriously historians argue with everyone) at a specialty conference and I’m already kicking myself. And I don’t even get to go to Montreal, which would be awesome. SIGH I knew I should have been a philosopher.
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When I was in Grad School I finally understood that I should have studied philosophy. I am happy that you are enjoying the conference so much!
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I, of course, still marvel that anyone wants to study anything besides mathematics. But It is good that some people do make the sacrifice and develop other skills.
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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