The French are no slouches when it comes to arrogance.
They are renown for it, particularly in Paris.
Once, in the west of Ireland, my mother (of Irish birth, she has an obvious Irish accent so she sounds like a local to the casual observer) tried to speak with some travelling French tourists. They laughed at her and pretended they did not speak English. She was about 82 at the time.
We were in O'Connor's pub, on the Atlantic Ocean, across from the Aran Islands. At the time, and probably not now, it would have been virtually impossible to manage to make your way from France to Doolin, County Clare, without a working knowledge of English.
I was a trifle annoyed at the arrogance of this Euro-trash so I went to her and escorted her away, telling her to ignore them and that they were only foolish Frogs anyway. A stunned silence from the Euro-trash (what could they say? They did not speak English, correct?). Sly grins from the surrounding Irish....and a free pint from the publican (unheard of in Ireland). Certainly talk back in France later about yet another arrogant American.
Had there been another American in that pub they might have been embarrassed, as your friend was. For all you know, that American travel agent had an agenda for saying what s/he did. |
