Reflections on a few days in Europe ….

What is “Common Wealth English”?

What is “Common Wealth English”?

I presume the King’s English?

Wonderful post Mr E! I really did laugh at the 'rent an apartment or you will starve'. HA. Interesting how very international Budapest has become, most menus I see in Sweden are only in Swedish, maybe some English in central Stockholm.

My usual pharmacist in Uppsala is of Chinese Thai descent, born in Sweden so she's quar-lingual, including Hmong or another Northern Thai dialect & perfect English. (Says she doesn't read Chinese well, but we know that means it's pretty good.) When she's not there, the pharmacist is a Swedish born Kurd, speaks a few languages but I've lost track. I guess my point is, who knows, traditional stereotypes on nationalities are pretty much gone. Even that 'Everyone will know you're American' stuff is absurd, based upon how often I get asked for directions in Northern Europe, weirdly especially in the Netherlands, where I do not speak the language. (I suppose if you're dressed for your favorite sports team & carrying a large bottle of water, you may get singled out.) But fun post, thanks!

What is “Common Wealth English”?

Do you mean Commonwealth English? That would encompass a wide number of accents and variations, since it includes over 50 countries. Perhaps you meant British English?

"They were Asians speaking French."...that's exactly what you see in France, obviously, in Chinese restaurants in France, eg, the most recent where I had dinner twice in Grenoble.

When one goes to the "Farmers' Market" on Saturday in France, (I've been a few of them,) one that stands out was that in Clichy, you see Asian vendors ( these were Vietnamese, chirping away in French to the French looking at their "wares." Many more examples of Asians, be they ethnic Vietnamese, Chinese or even Japanese, running business in Paris and France and obviously speaking French

CJean, it was a clumsy (and misspelled) way to say other than American or Canadian Television English. When just casually overhearing a few words of a distant conversation I cant tell Australian from someone from London. For that matter the same is true with most Canadians and most Americans …. So the entire concept of description I used was pretty bungled.

Sometimes I read about a traveler who avoids any restaurant that has English translations in the menu. If that is your desire here, rent an apartment and cook for yourself or you will starve.

This is so true in Budapest. I visited a few times waaay back in the 1990s and really tried hard to learn a few words of Hungarian. I was desperate to try to order food in Hungarian. But every restaurant seemed to have a greeter holding menus in English, German and Hungarian. They would look at each customer as they arrived and guess which menu to give them. I always got given the English menu.

Golden Girl, Sometimes the translations have something to be desired. Pig meat with fungus isn’t particularly appealing. Maybe English is a bit more common here because they know they are a tiny linguistic island, and English is the raft to escape (and it is required in school). I have learned a little Hungarian. I have been told that I can say "uborka" with absolutely no accent.

Sandancisco mentioned looking American. Well, it appears that the uniform of choice for the under 35 Hungarian man is:

• Top: Doesnt matter as long as it says "The North Face" on it (shirt, windbreaker, jacket, coat) US athletic teams (real or imaginary) are a close second.
  
• Shoes: Nike of course
• Trousers: A bit more flexible. A third brown or khaki chinos, a third black, and a third jeans. You know every major shopping center in town has a Levi's store in it and Levi's are "presteige". The staff at a local service provider bought me a pair of 501's for my birthday in October.
• Hat: NY Yankees cap, in the wrong color of course. Other teams are a close second but has to be rounded sort of fitted style, not a trucker gimmie cap.
  

Spotting under 35 year of age Americans is tough. If for no other reason, compared to the other nationalities they are the minority. Identifying older Hungarians, quite easy.

I left out Saturday afternooon. I went to a wine tasting event at the the Cornithia Hotel. What a beautiful place. A wine marketing organization does this 4 or 5 times a year and uses the Corinthia for about half the events. Sometimes, usually in July, they do a boat ride and sometimes in June they use the Intercontinental on the riverfront. Always a good few hours and a lot of wine to try and learn about at a good price if you pay in advance. I have attended enough that a few of the winery reps recognize me. https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ai7Zk-szxfTJjIgZ7_UAwwk_nNyrUA?e=OJRlzw (a few snap shots .... and a tram LOL)

Discovered one, that I really like and have visited a few times has some special evenings at their estate so I will post the dates on the Budapest thread on the Hungary forum.

I received a WhatsApp msg from a RS type who told me I made a mistake and didn't put this in the Hungary forum. That was intentional. This is about being in Europe during the holidays. The slow introspective moments and the people around you. This is why I used to love to travel for the holidays .... still do. I have two Christmas trips outsude of Hungary planned.

So feel free to bring moments of other places into the thread.

in a Japanese sushi bar owned by Chinese.

My wife and I were at a Chinese restaurant in Salalah, Oman several years ago. The restaurant was owned by Pakistanis. It is a very interesting world out there.

Perhaps the Hungarians are similar to my French husband and friends who detest the bombardment of English language Christmas music piped into the stores and streets.

Do the store owners think that copying the music from the world capital of consumerism will boost their sales?

I wouldnt exactly call it "bombardment" for me its the holiday sound. Its a joyous time that represents the hope of a better future, not much will get me down. And with all of the US influence and movies around the world, maybe they relate to it as well. When I was growing up we listened to Jose Feliciano singing Feliz Navidad as much as any other Christmas music (yes, bilingual, but so is my hometown) and lets not forget the Smurfs singing Petit Papa Noel.

озвавшись ангел, рече їй: Дух сьвятий найде на тебе, й сила Вишнього
отїнить тебе; тим і, що вродить ся сьвяте, звати меть ся Сином Божим

Many more examples of Asians, be they ethnic Vietnamese, Chinese or even Japanese, running business in Paris and France and obviously speaking French

And many (most?) of them ARE French...

Since the locals know you are a tourist and possibly an anglophone, you will be given a menu in English unless you are asked first in English which language menu you prefer.

To avert that and since I have tourist written all over me , I preempt them by addressing the hostess /greeter in the local language so that "they" know I don't want the English menu. That always works in France and Germany.

These Asians are indeed French if they have French citizenship and I have been as much by that one individual in Grenoble.