Farewell Letter

I just returned from the guinguette, where I had been watching an low-key, enjoyable performance. Then two of my Korean classmates happened by, and completely ruined the atmosphere by speaking to me in pidgin English: the speaker thinks she is fluent. I returned back to my room: I need to pack, in any case, so it's just as well.

For four weeks now, I have been living with my host family, the Avertins. They keep notebooks, in which all of the students who stay with them write a short message, upon leaving their house. In addition of bringing them a large bouquet of gueules-de-loups (aka snapdragons), I wrote my own parting message, in as good French as I could muster. I will provide here a translation of the letter; in doing so, I will attempt to convey my talent in French grammar and orthography.

Dere Avertin family,
I stay with you since fuor happy wekes. You are a very nice fmily, and I want tahnk you.
When I make mistakes, you me correct nicely, and explain nicely the vocrabrulamary and grammar lawws who I don't know. You let me play hidengoseke with thine adorables grand childs, who pleased me a lot.
At dinnner, you spoil me always. I like a lot of things you make: grean beens, qiuches, zoup, and I never forget eating you with them. Each day when I retuned from Institute, you gave me eats, and were very nice, and talked with me, two. The Saturday, Mister always raising up early, to make me into a sandwich, and I ate him when I looking at all the pretty castles in France. I liked Jerome, makes think of brothers, but he not kicking me under the table. Thank you very mcuh, and talk to Arthur and Daphne I like them a lot to.
Very kindlely,
Jonathan

As you can no doubt tell, I count myself very lucky in finding so welcoming a host family. Tomorrow morning, I move out, in order to make room for a tall, handsome, blond-haired Swedish student. Out with the nebbish, in with the prince!

~JD

"La tendance, en tout cas, etait claire: les 'honnetes gens', a qui la Constitution donnait pratiquement le monopole de l'expression politique, avaient plebiscite les moderes ou, si l'on veut, venge les girondins" [The tendency, in any case, was clear: the 'honest people,' to whom the 1795 Constitution gave the virtual monopoly over political expression, had, by plebiscite, voted in the moderates; or, if you will, they had avenged the Girondins] (Denis Woronoff, La Republique bourgeoise, p. 47-48).