Antoine in Wellington

[piwakawaka]

The door opens onto a patio that's full of a huge family working on a barbeque and other things.

There's a view over a city with a horseshoe harbor and a wind that threatens to blow you over if you walk the wrong way.

Comments

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"And bonsoir for good evening, and bonne nuit for goodnight."

[piwakawaka]

"Lots of different ways to say hello. Bonjour, bonsoir, bonne nuit."

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"Plus salut, which functions as both hello and goodbye."

[piwakawaka]

"Salut, I like that one, its quicker. Here you could say Hello, Kia Ora or Haere Mai."

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"Haere Mai," he repeats, as if testing the sounds out.

"Is there a difference between them?"

[piwakawaka]

"Haere Mai is more formal, more like welcome instead of hello."

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"Ah, I see. And the others are both informal versions?"

[piwakawaka]

"Yes, not that tricky at all."

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"Luckily for me."

[piwakawaka]

"So what's next?"

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"Well, s'il vous plaît is please, and merci or merci beaucoup for thank you, and thank you very much, respectively."

[piwakawaka]

"S'il vous plait, merci and merci beaucoup."

Her accent is actually quite close to his, she's got a bit of mimic in her.

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

Her pronunciation of French is better than his of Maori, at any rate.

"Comment allez-vous is the formal form of 'how are you'. Ça va is the informal."

[piwakawaka]

"Always a formal and informal, rather complicated. Comment allez-vous and Ca va."

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"I hear it's even more complicated in the oriental languages."

[piwakawaka]

"I think I'll just stick with French for now."

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"Good decision."

[piwakawaka]

Tiwa concentrates on her gelato for a bit more and gives him another grin,

"Teach me some more."

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"Allons-y is 'let's go'."

He figures she might find that useful.

[piwakawaka]

"Allons-y, that sounds right too, all full of movement."

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"Doesn't it? Some phrases are very ..."

He gestures widely with his arms.

"Descriptive?"

[piwakawaka]

"Oh yes, teach me another one."

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"Bonne chance is good luck?"

[piwakawaka]

"Bonne chance, that's really pretty. What's one of your favorite phrases?"

[ecrivez-moivite.livejournal.com]

"Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point. The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of."

He says it quietly, eyes directed at his feet as he smiles, a little shyly. It's a true phrase, as far as he's concerned.

"Blaise Pascal Pensées."