I just cannot pronounce the “TH”. I’ve been speaking English all my life. My father tried so many times to teach me the pronunciation. It’s simple maybe, for me it’s just impossible. I have to really focus in order to make it happen. The first is when it comes to number such as Thirty and Forty. Turns out I pronounce Firty and it sounds like Forty! My “TH” are “F” sounds. So I guess it became cute. I should maybe write a song or a poem, replacing all the “THs” with “Fs”. That would be really interesting. I’ll keep you posted with that idea. So, I guess the fun part is when I say ‘I Fink”, which I usually say in every sentence. The Parisian have this tendency to say “JE” (I) quite a lot. “Je’, “moi” (I,me) no no it’s not egocentric … I mean maybe it is a bit, that’s the French culture. So anyways, I’ve been saying it a lot here too. At first, I’ll even make these huge mistakes: “Me, I Fink that blablabla …” And that’s how Finkelstein was born. No no, not Frankenstein, although it feels a little close. My nickname for now is Finkelstein. That was just ridiculous. I’m getting better everyday, practicing and writing helps too. I just love this side of me though. I don’t know if I ever want to get rid of it entirely. I know I could lose my accent one day, living here, speaking English (as I am half-american already).

What if I lost this cuteness? Would I still be me? It’s funny how speaking another language allows you to change. It’s weird but you get to be a little different, it’s not the same melody, the same sound that comes out of your mouth. The notes are higher in English sometimes in my opinion. I do not speak as fast also. I get to think more about what I’m going to say next. I think in English but I’m careful. I do not know the exact words to describe things or feelings sometimes so I hope it doesn’t affect who I am. I hope one day, I’ll be able to express myself fully like I would in French. The humour will never be the same! Changing languages, having conversations, everything becomes a new experience. Of course, your inner humour is still the same, the physical stuff stays there but playing with words is an entire new world! I was lucky to be raised with American references (TV, Musicals, Songs, Writers …) . It was mandatory that we sang “take me out to the ballgame” and watched the “Wizzard of Oz” when we were little (my sister and I). I am so thankful for all of this, it really allowed me to be part of this wonderful culture, the American one!