25 November 2007

Saw a Movie, Bought Some Movies, Invented a Movie

Saw a Movie:
Yesterday I went to see a movie with my friend Tobi (Tobias), who's an exchange student from Germany. We saw a French comedy (i.e. a drama that makes you laugh sometimes) called "Faut que ça danse." An approximate translation, taking into account the creative grammar, would be "It's Gotta Be Dancey." I enjoyed the movie, though I honestly wouldn't be able to explain why. French movies are like that. I didn't have any trouble with the French, which was wonderful.
After the movie we walked over to the carnival that's currently taking place in a parking lot on the other side of the Maine river (it's pronounced like the word "men"). It was pretty similar to an American carnival in terms of overpriced rides and overpriced games, with the usual overpriced unhealthy snacks. We did get a snack, but didn't spend any more money. Then we headed back to centre ville.

Bought Some Movies:
We walked around for a while, since I needed to buy socks and neither of us wanted to go do homework. And then it happened.
- It was in the store FNAC, which is supremely dangerous.
- FNAC sells books, CDs, DVDs, and electronic things.
- I enjoy buying all of those.
One of their promotion items for the Christmas season is a portable DVD player, for under a hundred Euros. Meaning: a region 2 DVD player, complete with screen so I could use it both with and without a TV, for under a hundred Euros. Meaning: I would be able to watch French DVDs. Meaning: I would be able to borrow French DVDs from the library (or buy them at the used DVD store) and be able to watch them. Meaning: I know what I'm getting myself for my birthday this year. And yes, it's practical.
So, having made this decision (but I also decided to do some internet research and shopping around before buying) we headed over to Planète Saturne to see how much their portable DVD players are. I could save a Euro by buying one there. And then it happened.
- Planète Saturne has a DVD section.
- Part of that section is cheap DVDs, costing as little as three Euros.
- Most of the good movies in the cheap section cost five Euros.
- Five Euros is a good price for a DVD.
- I bought three.
Yes, I realize that I don't actually have a region 2 DVD player yet. But I've decided that I will, and now I have fun movies to watch on it. When I get it.

Invented a Movie:
I had another "take-home test" type thing for Dutch, which is due tomorrow. It has to be an invitation of some sort, which has useful information like who, what for, where, when to go to the where, how to get to the where, and so on. I did a conversation, which I will share with you here. I don't think there are any horrible grammatical errors. So you can get sort of an idea of my level of Dutch proficiency. It's a conversation between myself and Becky (first person to come to mind), where I propose that we go to the movies for my birthday.
op zestien december 2007
Kel: Hoi, Becky!
Becky: Goedemiddag, Kel!
Kel: Hoe gaat het met je?
Becky: Goed, en met jou?
Kel: Uitstekend! Ik ben morgen jarig!
Becky: Gefeliciteerd! Hoe oud ben je? Éenentwintig?
Kel: Ja, éénentwintig. En ik wil een feestje geven. Ik wil naar de bioscoop, en misschien een ÿsje gaan eten.
Becky: Een ÿsje? In december?
Kel: Ja, ik houd van ÿs! Zal je kommen?
Becky: Natuurlÿk! Hoe laat?
Kel: Om acht uur? Ik moet om zes uur een examen doen.
Becky: Prima. Welke bioscoop?
Kel: Gaumont.
Becky: Waar is dat?
Kel: Boulevard Foch. Ben je te voet of met de bus?
Becky: Met de bus.
Kel: Oké. Jÿ moet lÿn twee nemen, en jÿ moet uitstappen in het centrum, bushalte Foch. Je ga rechtdoor, twee of drie kruispunten. Jÿ ziet de bioscoop aan jouw rechterhand.
Becky: Goed! Acht uur. Tot morgen!
Kel: Dag, Becky!

Translation:
December 16, 2007
Kel: Hey, Becky!
Becky: Hello, Kel!
Kel: How's it going?
Becky: Good, how about you?
Kel: Excellent! Tomorrow's my birthday!
Becky: Congrats! How old will you be? Twenty-one?
Kel: Yeah, twenty-one. And I want to have a party. I want to go to a movie, and then maybe get an ice cream.
Becky: Ice cream? In december?
Kel: Yeah, I love ice cream! Will you come?
Becky: Of course! What time?
Kel: At eight? I have an exam at six.
Becky: Great. Which movie theater?
Kel: Gaumont.
Becky: Where is that?
Kel: Boulevard Foch. Are you walking or taking the bus?
Becky: The bus.
Kel: OK. You take line two, and get off in the center at the Foch stop. Go straight, two or three streets. You'll see the cinema on your right.
Becky: Good! Eight o'clock. See you tomorrow!
Kel: Bye, Becky!

Ta-da! In real life, the conversation will go something like this:
Kel: Wanna go to a movie and then get ice cream on my birthday?
Becky, Mandy, Tobi, Jenny, whoever else is around: Sure.

But that isn't a hundred words.

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