Dix choses que vous ne saviez pas au sujet de moi…
1. I’ve been working on typing comparative vocabulary lists of the Romance and Germanic languages for, oh, about FIVE years now. And I’m still not done. It’s just so mind-numbingly boring to sit here and type word after word in Excel. But the finished product is very helpful to my language learning efforts. I finally managed to add some vocab lists to my Romance Languages page if you’re a multilingual nerd like me.
2. I have an irrational fear of bugs that buzz and sting. Even though I’ve lived in the countryside for most of my life, I am afraid of bugs. I scream. I shake. I nearly hyperventilate. The insects in Michigan and here in the Alps are not that bad thanks to winter. But the bugs in Provence? Oh my.
3. I wish everyone spoke French with a Québécois accent. I’ve always had a weird fondness for Quebec, even before studying at Laval. But after hearing that accent for the first time when I stepped out of my car after a 12 hour drive from Flint, I was in heaven. I am determined to learn how to pronounce it correctly.
4. I have a not-so-secret love for (a.k.a. obsession with) the French in Action video series. Now it’s getting to the point where I can understand every single word in every episode. I don’t know if this is because I’m getting better at French, or if I’ve just memorized the lines from watching it so much. Maybe a little of both.
5. I’ve only had two actual job interviews in my life and I’ve been working for nine years. The rest of my jobs just required a written essay or were given to me. Cool, eh?
6. My great-grandmother wanted me to be named Ethel Ann. Luckily, my dad decided to name me Jennifer, after Stefanie Powers’ character from his favorite TV show, Hart to Hart.
7. I was valedictorian of my high school and consequently, I got a full scholarship for undergraduate school. I paid a total of $98 for 4 years of university in the United States. (And I hate when no one in France thinks this is a big deal!)
8. Even though I’ve weighed 92 pounds since I was 15, I still managed to be voted the best defensive player for my high school’s soccer team.
9. The amount of money that I’ve spent on language books probably exceeds the GDP of a small island nation.
10. I like to eat raw potatoes.
