The Dog Learns a New Trick

                           

I know you have seen this dog on this girl’s head before, but did you know I love movies? Well I do. What does a dog on a girl’s head and movies in France have in common? You’ll see….thankfully American movies playing in France can be watched in V.O. "original version," which means in this case English!

Last night we went to see BABEL.

So there I was in the theater, (not eating popcorn since French cinemas do not have popcorn,) excited to see Brad Pitt, even though I had Frenchhusband by my side. Within seconds of the film, I realized that most of the characters were speaking different languages! Uh-huh you got it different languages, which were translated into French subtitles! (Dog gone it, you would think since I lived in a monastery, I might have put two and two together, before coming to the movie, but I didn’t! In a cracked nutshell, Babel was a tower constructed to reach God, everyone started to babble in different tongues, and chaos occurred due to the lack of communication. Please note I am not a bible, nor movie scholar! All I can say is that the movie isn’t called Babel for nothing!)

Some of the scenes take place in Mexico, were of course they speak Spanish, and naturally the subtitles were translated into FRENCH, and then there were scenes in Africa, the Moroccans were speaking in Arabic, which follows that the subtitles would be in FRENCH, and then to top the cake (or in this case my head,) the film goes to Japan, and we see girls not speaking Japanese but signing, and it goes without saying in what language the translations were written! Therefore when the Americans in Morocco start to speak English, I looked at the bottom of the screen to read what they had said! Babel is not a film to watch in a V.O. in France.

Then as if the dog on my head started to hoot, I realized I was reading French! Now, that is something to bark about! Just goes to show, you can teach an old dog a new trick!



Comments

43 responses to “The Dog Learns a New Trick”

  1. Britt-Arnhild

    Sounds like you had an unforgettable night Coray ๐Ÿ™‚ Me and Norwegian husband are finally planning a cinama night, WITH popcorns, to see Marie Antoinette.
    By the way, next week I am goimg to live in a monastery…..where the nuns, only one from Norway, the others Englisg or French speaking, struggle to speak Norwegian, at least during prayer times. I just got a welcome e-mail from sister Rosemary, in a charming combination of Norwegian and English ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. I’m sure your French is very proficient.
    Tongue in Cheek responds,
    Thank you I’ll take that as a compliment! It is the best thing anyone has ever said about my French!

  3. Giggles that is what I say to my son when he teaches me something or my husband.
    Thank you for teaching this brown eyed bow wow new tricks.
    Life without you would be ruff, ruff, ruff.
    Thanks for your review.
    I love to read everything and your photographs are divine.
    I am so proud you are a friend of mine.
    You are marvelous darling!
    La La Love you Babeeeeeeeee
    Oooh La La!

  4. Marie-Noรซlle

    Poor Corey!
    Apparently you didn’t choose the right place to build your tower in… as we do have pop corn in our cinemas here and we do have good dog training schools too !
    Tongue in Cheek responds: Oh no, my little dog is very well trained, the only thing she doesn’t know is how to speak French.
    She makes a great hat don’t you think!

  5. cruststation

    Yay, congrats on understanding the movie, was it good? Did you know I took the name ‘Babelfish’ from the Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?
    The Babel Fish is small, yellow, and simultaneously translates from one spoken language to another. When inserted into the ear, its nutrition processes convert sound waves into brain waves, neatly crossing the language divide between any species you should happen to meet whilst travelling in space (I would love one of those).
    Tongue in Cheek responds:
    Blackberry and a Babel Fish, I’ll take one of each! That would be a wonderful invention!

  6. Thanks for informing me that Babel has subtitles (although lucky for me they’ll be in English).
    So it’s taken all this time for you to understand French fluently when reading it? I’m just curious how much you know and don’t know.
    I took 4.5 years of Spanish and I do know how to ask for a beer and where the bathroom is. Otherwise, I’m lost.
    Tongue in Cheek:
    Let’s say I am a slow learner. And after all these years I think French has soaked into me without me realizing it!

  7. I remember you being a Brad Pitt fan. Did it matter what language he spoke?
    Tongue in Cheek responds: Brad Pitt spoke? I was too busy reading to hear him, let alone see him!

  8. Paris Parfait

    You’re so funny, Corey! Reminds me of when David and I went to see Motorcycle Diaries, which was in Spanish (before I had Spanish lessons) with French subtitles. Thanks to the French subtitles, we understood about 90 percent of it! But there is popcorn sold in many Paris movie theatres.
    Tongue in Cheek Responds:
    Paris has popcorn, and beer! The south of France does not have popcorn, but it has me!

  9. Sounds very confusing to me. Hmmm…I wonder if that’s what God had planned. Funny, sounds like the movie really captured the moment!!

  10. what a great feeling that must have been!
    i can’t wait to see that movie!

  11. Do you ever find yourself thinking in French?
    Tongue in Cheek responds:
    Oui sometimes, like at the gocery store, or when I am with a group of French people.

  12. ParisBreakfasts

    WAIT!
    Should we go see BABEL?
    I’ve been holding off…
    I saw Marie-Antoinette in Paris in the V.O. and I wished they were speaking French NOT American ๐Ÿ™
    And I saw VOLVER there in Spanish with French subtitles = UGH
    Too much for my pea-brain ๐Ÿ™
    They did sell popcorn though
    Both sweet and salty, so you could go 1/2 and 1/2!
    Some things are better in an “original” version ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. I like your illustration of the little dog on the girl’s head. Both are cute and charming, maybe in addition to taking wonderful photographs, you have a talent for collage art!
    Congratulations on your progress in reading French…still, “boo” to subtitles which keep you from feasting your eyes on Brad Pitt. He is from our part of the world (the Ozarks); my former next door neighbor was his godmother…sort of makes him seem less “hollywood” to me!

  14. Ha! Our theater multiplex on St. Thomas was owned by a company that had a lot of cinemas in Puerto Rico. We’d often find ourselves watching English-speaking films with Spanish subtitles. I can’t tell you how frustrated I’d get because even though I don’t speak Spanish, I’d feel compelled to read the subtitles! As if just by being there, I had to read them even though the actors were SPEAKING in MY language.

  15. Teresa Sheeley

    No popcorn? Oh my, that would be tough ๐Ÿ™‚

  16. Teresa Sheeley

    No popcorn? Oh my, that would be tough ๐Ÿ™‚

  17. Pam Aries

    Ouch! My brain is hurting just thinking about all that babel! I do love the picture of the girlie with the dog on her head!

  18. This is too funny, Corey!
    Do you dream in French?

  19. Oh, this made me laugh. What a marvelous and funny confusion of languages! I’m envisioning the linguistic neurotracks in your brain, flashing with overload, yet somehow all in sync! It can be startling to realize you’re processing things in another language.

  20. Oh no and oh cool – all at the same time! That’s a great idea for a movie, particularly one called Babel. Did you start laughing when you realized what was happening? Did Frenchhusband start laughing beside you?

  21. Lorene Silva

    Corey that is so funny!!!! Apparently you had no idea that the film was in different languages. At least the movie wasn’t a total loss because you can read french! That is fantastic. And yes you can teach a dog new tricks! Have a great day!
    Lorene

  22. Oh this is excellent Corey!!! At least you didn’t have to sit through a dubbed over version! Can you imagine Brad Pitt speaking with a “suave” (please note the quotes!) French accent as only they do in badly dubbed over films. Oh, I can say that… I’m French you know ๐Ÿ˜‰

  23. I am sure your French is superb! I took French for 2 years in college, and I remember my professor saying that you had to “think in French” not English, to truly become fluent. I think a person has to live in a country or at the very least speak a language a great deal at home to be able to think in the language naturally without effort.

  24. i can totally relate to this post! i hate dubbed movies. and readin spanish subtitles for non-english foregin movies is okay as long as i am not tired or sitting way up front where it gives me a headache. but they always seem to move faster than english subtitles. ๐Ÿ™‚

  25. la vie en rose

    HA! now this is funny! and i’ve seen babel…it’s one of those movies you kinda have to stay up with or it can get a little complicated. hope you enjoyed youself…despite the fact there wasn’t any popcorn.

  26. Corey – Your post reminds me of those logic problems that have your brain aching by the time you’ve finished reading and so therefore actually solving the problems is quite the miracle !!!
    I’m not a fan of sub titles, I’m too visual. I’ll take LOOKING at Brad Pitt anyday over reading the subtitles. HA !

  27. Hee, hee…
    So you cant teach new tricks to a dog… I always suspected as much. Canines really are very clever!
    Having recently seen Babel here, the scenes from the film are still fresh in my mind. I loved it.
    take care, g xo

  28. Excuse me, you lived in a monastery? Ooooooh, you’ll have to write about that! And please tell me they at least have Sno Caps at French movie theaters.

  29. Gypsy Purple–Chamara

    Oh Corey, this was so colourful and enjoyable. I could almost see it playing
    You really entertained me
    Gypsy Purple (Chamara)

  30. Crazy!

  31. Laughing, When you said Babel I was thinking about some elephant – childrens book – wasn’t his name Babel? But I get it now! I’m just babeling.
    XO!

  32. Oh my goodness.. Sounds like one big Capirotada. A jumbled Mexican bread pudding ( that has many things in it) we serve at Easter. That is what we would call your little movie incident, “Que Capirotada de pelicula”
    ———————————————————————————
    Tongue in Cheek Responds:
    Thanks for the new word!!

  33. Hi Corey,
    Sounds like you were the beneficiary of only half the film, the other half being staring at Brad Pitt for two hours. Languages or no languages, one only needs EYES to translate him! LOL

  34. What a hoot. I think you just proved to yourself that you have become totally comfortable with the French language.

  35. We can get popcorn in Paris. They ask you is you want it sweet or with salt. It’s ok but there is nothing like walking into an American theatre and smelling the wonderful smell of hot popcorn just freshly poppped. I think they pop the stuff in Paris in the theatre’s mananger’s basement.

  36. Di Overton

    WHAT! no popcorn. Wild horses wouldn’t drag me.

  37. Oh Corey you have lived one of my most important life dreams, living in a monastery! I like the image of you excited to see Brad Pitt with French Husband at your side. What does he think of himself as a calendar subject?

  38. french husband

    Yes, STAR, She does !!!
    She snores in french to !

  39. Heather T.

    Snoring in French!! hehe

  40. Maryam in Marrakesh

    I actually loved Babel! My friend was the body double for Cate Blanchett and got to lie around in Brad Pitt’s arms!
    ______________________________________________________
    TONGUE IN CHEEK RESPONDS:
    Oooooooooooooooooooo! Gee, some girls have all the luck!

  41. Alison Whittington

    Reading in French? My lord, what is the world coming to?! ๐Ÿ˜‰
    After years of watching films in various languages, I got so used to reading subtitles that now I have to watch all movies, English or any other language, with subtitles. My husband doesn’t even ask, he just turns on the subtitles. Except when the movie is in German, because then my mind is so busy listening to the German while reading English that it goes totally bonkers and I have to keep rewinding just to find out what happened. So I don’t watch German movies with subtitles, I take my chances. But movies in English? I read them.
    So was the movie good?
    ——————————————————————————-
    TONGUE IN CHEEK RESPONDS:
    Yes! This new way of adding silence in films, showing a scene without words, creating a feeling that we are in the film, not just listening to it. I like this new take, moments of being in silent films, letting the actors act in silence.
    Babel is very well acted, and shows the different cultures with exacting details.
    The sense that even if we do not speak the same language, nor live in the same culture, the feelings we share are the same.

  42. I wondered why the movie was called “Babel.” Now I know!!

  43. I once saw a movie in Brussels–it had to be subtitled in both French and Flemish-with all the words on the screen sometimes it was hard to see the action.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *