Just because I speak a different language with my kids, it doesnt mean I dont understand what you are saying, so get your judgey pants off!

[QuintessentialShadow]

Had some errands after school, had to buy ds1 crocs sandals for school (it was a letter home instructing us what to buy), and went for a meal in the food corner after. They had sausages and chips. I had a chicken salad. THEN they had an ice cream each. My treat for them. We had a horrible day yesterday, as I spent most of it in tears and hysteria (rare occurence).

So, this couple next to our table, started discussing how I could give my children ice cream at tea time. Bad mother, I should be home with my kids and feed them a healthy nutritious meal.

They obviously thought I was clueless, as I spoke English with my kids.

Till my son piped up in Norwegian "Mum, why are those people talking about us eating ice cream?" To which I had the pleasure of replying in Norwegian "Because some times people are rude, and conern themselves too much with other peoples business when they shouldnt."

Was I rude or unreasonable?

teafortwo, poor your mil!

Oh I am such a newbie. Are you Norwegian Quint? Everyone on this board moves around so much and lives in such exciting places. On my way to work I pass everywhere I have ever lived and two of my three schools. I'm so dull

When my friend and I were about 12 and started going to shops etc by ourselves we used to pretend we were foreign. Having started French and German at school we managed to pull that off. Then one Saturday we decided to be Japanese for farks sake. Two totally non Japanese English kids with no Japanese, only a stereotypical version of what we thought it sounded like! We were in a cafe and couldn't understand why everyone was pissing themselves

Hillarious!

I have actually done something similar.

I arranged to meet a friend in town. He was wearing a suit for the occasion. He carried The Times under his arm, and a brolly. We were 16. We were in Norway. We were pretending to be English.

gosh how sad.... He is dead now.

Aaaanyway.
It is not dull to live the same place all your life if you are happy. It is pleasant. And stable. And that is a good thing!

I seriously have to learn hebrew/italian/spanish/norweigian....

sigh

i am crap at languages

lol at Califrau - it has advantages, hasnt it? Though, sometimes it maddens you.... when you hear what you shouldnt.

I once saw two Italian teenagers (presumably the ubiquitous language students) cycling two-abreast the wrong way down a one-way street in Cambridge. After they had to swerve to avoid a car, I heard one shout to the other 'Is this a one-way street or something?'. (I didn't say anything on this occasion... I just snurked a little!)

Although I live in Spain many of the british people in this region don't speak spanish so many of the locals just assume (dangerous!) that we all can't. I got badly cut up on a roundabout on my bike a few weeks ago (would have been knocked off if there hadn't been a roadsign to cling onto) and the idiot white van man opened the window to swear at me before muttering something about ignorant brits who can't speak spanish and shouldn't be here.
He zoomed off, but I spotted him parked outside a cafe about half a mile up the road so stopped by for a coffee. I didn't realise until I tried it that I had enough spanish to not only advise him that he clearly had a very low IQ but question his parentage and also the obvious necessity to amuse himself alone due to his appearance and therefore my assumption that he would find it difficult to find a willing partner. I even got to flounce out of the cafe afterwards to the sound of embarrassed tittering.

heh heh

qs - good for you replying - some people are soooo rude. Hope your kids loved the ice cream.

PMSL!!! well done to you did they say anything back

No YANBU, some people should stick their noses where the sun doesn't shine.

Brilliant stories!
I once moved into a place next door to a Polish lady. She was sat in her garden, with her sister,talking about me and my (then) boyfriend in Polish. I don't understand much Polish at all, but my dad is Polish and I went inside and put on a lovely red t-shirt that he once bought me that said 'Polska' on it and cheerfully waved over the fence to my neighbour. Well, he jaw hit the floor and she asked if I was Polish, and I said yes and I speak Polish. She was very nice to me after that, although I never knew what she actually said about us!

How fantastic. God I wish I could speak another language fluently enough to do this. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with ice-cream. If nothing else the promise of it if they eat all their veggies is surely a good thing.

PMSL at some of these posts they are brill.

LOL at the polska t shirt!

to the OP YANBU you were fantastic good for ds!

When we were small we used to go to the same camp site in a small welsh village. As soon as we walked into the shop the locals would switch from English to Welsh. So I got someone to teach me how to say hello, don't mind me which used to stop them in their tracks. Pity it was the only phrase I learnt and I can't remember it now.

lol at this thread, some really funny stories. QS, definitely YANBU. Good on you!

I heard of two Irish girls, sitting on a bus in Africa. Everyone on the bus was African except for these two girls and a hunky white guy. The two girls conversed in Irish about the guy discussing what they'd like to do to him, because of course no-one speaks Irish outside of Ireland! Till he got off at his stop, turned around and said, in fluent Irish
"Go raibh mile maith agaibh!" ( Thank you very much)

See this is why i shouldnt have spent my german and french classes, daydreaming outta the window

What were they eating in the food corner? Beansprouts and wheatgrass? Twats. Ice cream is a super food.

I tip my hat to QuintessentialShadow. Sometimes a riposte is just too good to keep inside.