Toulouse, brièvement

A reminder to myself to speak up.
(If you know me, this statement probably surprises you)

I am now guilty of speaking timidly because I am not confident in my French. As a result, my waiter could not *hear* me.... I can't otherwise explain how "un vin blanc" was converted to "un bière blond". But I received the latter (which is not a problem but is not what I wanted).

This phenomenon is something I have often experienced with non-native speakers of both English and Spanish in various places. Having now been on the giving side, I get it. It's hard to project when you feel.... Inept.

Which leads me to think about one of the very good things related to travel: it can offer some opportunities for humility and empathy. The former, well, see above! I am reminded with great frequency of the myriad facts, locations, and languages of which I am wholly ignorant. The latter is related: just because I cannot express myself does not mean that I am without thoughts and desires. As a society we seem to diminish people who communicate poorly. I think after being the 'fool' I'd like to remember this feeling in future interactions with others and afford them the same gentle treatment that I have occasionally (usually) received.

I succeeded in getting gazpacho, salmon tartar, and coffee. All in (imperfect) French. Gotta give myself credit, where due, to be fair.

Also: here are some pictures from Toulouse.

My favorite part of the city was seeing a bunch of fun-looking riverboats moored alongside the road on the way out of town. Seems like a nifty space in which to live.Read more