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In early May 2000, on my way from San Francisco to
Peshawar, Pakistan, I chose to spend a week in Paris
to taste the delicacies of all things French. My
French was limited to "Sil vous plait! Parles
ingles?", which means “Excuse me! Do you speak
English?” Soon after landing in Paris, however, I
realized that sign language, not English, is the
international medium of communication. If you imagine
trying to pull out someone's teeth with force, you
will get the idea of how difficult it is to get the French to speak
English. Nevertheless, I was content in communicating through sign
language -- the real international language.
I had thought that Afghans were left out of the
globalization by their insistence on preserving
everything so that it stays "pure". If the French
insist on speaking only French then one cannot be very
confident about the French people’s place in the
global village either.
Whatever the future may hold for the French, it is
clear that other nations are enviable of its past and
present. As I walked through the numerous museums,
churches and ancient buildings in Paris, such as The
Louvre, Notre-Dame, Grand Palaise, Arc de Triomphe,
Palace du Pantheon, Musee d'Orsay, and Plais Royal, I
realized how lucky the French are for having such a
visually rich past. The atmosphere and conversations
of Parisians makes one feel as if great men of
history, such as Napoleon, were here only last year.
Generally, the French history, music, movies and way
of life are gifts to others, which cannot be fully
appreciated without knowledge of the French language.
That is not fair. But then again, neither is life. |
