News from the paper

Two bits of 'news' in 'The Daily Telegraph' tickled me today and rather than lump them at the end of my previous blog, I thought they'd be better as a separate entry.

The first is about the growing trend in New York of using Brit slang. Coming back to Britain, I realize a-new how much of slang is used in everyday conversation and I often think how baffling it must be to a foreigner learning the language. Most Filipinos already found my use of proper terms in English (eg: trousers instead of pants) difficult. Thank goodness I did not unleash any Brit slang on them!

The second is amusing because it reports on a survey asking Europeans what they thought of the French. The poor French missionaries I met in Manila will not appreciate the views contained in this article, I expect! It was rather startling to see that not only the English (as is expected, given over 1000 years of rivalry) but almost all European neighbours of 'Le France' had a generally negative take on the French! I admit, so did I, until I met the wonderful people at 'Tahanang Puso' or 'Heart's Home' in Dagat-dagatan.