Language difficulties?

As usual on a Saturday evening, after discovering we had won nothing on the Lottery, we open a bottle of wine. Last night it was a Loire sauvignon. We also put on a CD. Last night it was Juliette Greco. You can tell we're getting into French once more. The French CDs are coming out. As usual we chatted away, discussing all manner of things.

Earlier in the day, I had had my first encounter with the new lady-of-the-house next door, Tonya. I called out a cheery hello but didn't get any response. Her husband came out of the house so I talked briefly to him. I gather we can expect some noise later in the week as they were having some wardrobes fitted. I told him we were off on our hols soon so go ahead with any rave parties they want. We won't be disturbed. I said a further hello to his wife, by this time sitting in the car. She did seem to acknowledge me but that was about it.

I was telling the Fox about this encounter. I speculated that this reserve was maybe shyness due to Tonya's English being poorer than I had understood from what her husband had said. The Fox seemed to think surely she should have had learnt the basic courtesies of saying hello. 

Our conversation then switched into French as we wondered if we had been living in France a number of years, would we speak English between ourselves. I suspect we would unless some French people were in the group with us. English is after all the most natural language to us. The Fox suspects we might end up speaking a mixture as we would tend to increasingly think in French. Maybe he's right.

It still doesn't explain our new neighbours lack of speaking. Maybe she's a bit deaf & just didn't hear me. But I can't help thinking I would have at least want to get out of the car to meet the neighbours living in the other half of my semi. We'll just have to see as things go on & maybe her confidence grows.

More startling, though, is that we managed a short conversation in French & the other person could understand what was being said & reply. The revision must be paying off. Hopefully, once in France, French will come trippingly off our tongues so we'll be able to have chats with some French people in their own language. That is assuming we can find some genuine French people in an area of France that has been so taken over by the English with their second homes or on holiday like us. We're both looking forward to the holiday eagerly now.