Performance Anxiety

When you have different nationalities coexisting in one small space, you're going to have a multitude of languages and a lot of moments that end with awkward pauses or things being lost in translation. We have people from Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, the UK and a few Americans who have journeyed over to France.

Good looking bunch right?

Unfortunately there does seem to be one universal language.

And that is English.

When I was crawling through by myself, doing banking or other transactions, or just communicating I was doing really well in French. But today, after four or five days of speaking in English (and it is the language Bettina and I use to communicate) suddenly I could see my language skills begin to drop off.

That or it's nerves. Either way, I met two of the principals today. The first, I did fine. The second, I was tripping over my tongue, talking way too quickly and incoherently...in both languages. Either way, it was not the best first impression.

Perhaps I need to take a small dose of what my landlord told me the other day when I was freaking out over my bank account. He makes jam as a side venture and as I was clearly growing more and more angry with the situation, he suddenly handed me a fig, patted my head and said "Reste calme."


So I suppose what I really need to make myself do is speak in French. But it's hard when the only social connection we all have is that we all speak English with varying levels of French. I supposed there are varying factors but I just need to take those words into account before I start. The lessons are in there. If the French should have taught the world anything it's just to relax. Stuff will happen, regardless of pushing. I just need to breathe through it. And if I take NOTHING else from this experience, it will be that I need to reste calme and just do what I need to do.

Also eating Figs. That helps.